TAKING MORE RESPONSIBILITIES THAN I SHOULD

As many of you know, I work in the television and TV industry, primarily talk shows. I think it’s a great genre but it can get very stressful. There are many different aspects to the show that people outside of the industry do not realize that we have take into account. It’s a lot of balancing different duties and tasks into producing a show. For me, I’ve been more involved in the logistical aspects of the show and making sure it goes smoothly. However I wanted to know, when should you tell people to stop giving you more responsibilities.

I’m currently work on a TV show pilot that has a really positive vibe and energy. People are friendly, laughing and just enjoying each other’s company. When I was brought onto the project, I was given a basic role and did not expect a lot of responsibilities. However as it turns out, they have been giving me more responsibilities and duties, even in roles I never occupied before, in order to make this test show run smoothly. I have to say it’s getting to the point where I’m a bit nervous but still confident I can get things done. The thing is, I am pretty smart and aware of everyone’s necessities. People tend to focus only on their own aspect of the show whereas I have the grand scheme of things in my head pretty organized. However a lot of my job is dependent on final decisions being made and the later it is made, the more difficult it becomes for me and my coordination. My fear is that with all of these responsibilities, if something falls through, due to time constraints, people will look at me and place blame.

I don’t want to give the impression I can’t handle it all. I can and will but its a matter of, when should I start putting pressure on producers to make their final decisions. Also, if someone comes up to me with more additional tasks, how do I kindly turn them down given all the responsibilities I’ve already been given. Luckily I am in good spirits and the work environment is pretty enjoyable to be a part of so it hasn’t been disheartenening or depressing. It’s more of the type of pressure where I do not want anyone to be let down and thus doing all I can to ensure that doesn’t happen.

TODAY I DON’T WANT TO WRITE

Today, I do not want to write. But here I am. Writing. It feels forced and I should be fine with it. But I’m not. Is this what goes through the minds of writers when the encounter writer’s block? My procrastination and laziness overwhelms me at this very moment and I feel tense about putting every single word down. I like to come into writing mode with a sense of direction of where I am going but today, I am writing on a whim.

As I usually do for most of my writing sessions, I set a timer for how long I should or need to write for to meet my minimum requirement for the day. Today has been set for thirty minutes because frankly, I’d go crazy if I did an hour like I normally would. Is this consider torture what I am doing to myself or am I teaching myself a valuable lesson; to persist even when you don’t want to.

I’ve been reading a book called On Writing Well by William Zinsser and he says that consistency and regular routine in writing is important to becoming a great writer. With practice, concentration and determination every single day, it will enhance the abilities of the writer to churn out good prose and overall skill. I’m still only 20 pages into the book so I don’t know how much I am taking in but Zinsser’s book is doing its best to keep me energized throughout my writing career. In fact, since starting this short post, I’ve glanced over at it multiple times to avoid giving in to laziness.

Have you been stuck in writing dilemma such as myself in the past? What are your ways of overcoming your mentality? Does it get to the point of frustration where all you would like to do is sit down and cry the night away? Okay, I am exagerrating quite a bit and writing can not be compared to mental insanity but still, it does take a toll on your mind.

If I were to describe my brain and mentality, it feels clogged. There is a sense of stuffiness in my head now. I am not sure if it can be contributed to not knowing what the heck I am doing or if it is the stress I am under. It’s a lightheaded sensation that I am grateful I am getting to experience but it is not welcoming.

I am using this post as a way to tighten up my writing. Zinsser says we need to rid ourselves of unneccessary fluff words and get straight to the point. We often rely on words we do not need. In this last sentence, I deliberately put in “often” but the sentence would still be effective if got rid of it. This is a problem I tend to have in my writing as I’d like to expand on my sentences and think the longer the better. In actuality, I just make a fool of myself and use unnecessary vocabulary.

I’m nearing the end of my train of thought and my random ramblings seem to discourage me slightly. But the truth is, with five and a half minutes left on my timer, I am glad that I set out to write this piece. It’s not my greatest work on display but I hope it demonstrates to my audience how I feel as a writer from time to time. There is a degree of aggravation that comes with writing. You honestly just have to go with the flow and see how you can perservere from it. Writing adventures can be tricky and overwhelming but if you want to be in it for the long haul, embrace it as much as you can.