Your place in the creative universe

As a storyteller you have to know what medium you are capable of writing for, and what medium will showcase your story best.

As a storyteller you have to not only understand the differences between each medium, but also know what medium you are capable of writing for, and what medium will showcase your story best.

Never waste your talent or the time of others by working on a medium that you have no passion for, or are not familiar with.

As a storyteller you can explore your creative talent by writing poetry, a novel, or short story that will be on every best-seller list in the world.

You can write the play everyone will talk about; a screenplay that will warrant the attention and commitment of filmmakers, and hopefully be seen by 600 – 800 million people worldwide; or a script for television that will prevent viewers from flicking the channels.

For all their similarities (character, story, etc), plays novels and films have divergent histories with various traditions and conventions, requiring unique talents of a specific storyteller.

Novelists and journalists write for the page: When you are writing a story and your creative expression is mostly about thoughts, dreams and memories, you are writing a novel.
Screenwriters write for the screen: When you are writing a story and your creative expression is visual, filled with pictures and images, you are writing for a visual medium – it could be screenplay or for television.
Playwrights write for the stage: When you are writing a story and your creative expression is verbal, mostly filled with dialogue and expressive language, you are writing a play.

If you have inherent creative talent and want to communicate your thoughts with the world – writing the blockbuster, the hit play, international bestseller, or prize-winning article:

You have to develop a positive attitude about being a dedicated craftsman constantly mastering and perfecting the art of writing
You have to understand that you are different from other people in the world
You have to consummate your craft to overcome the many difficulties and insurmountable obstacles that may prevent you from becoming the master of your own creative universe
You have to know what medium your work is best suited to
You have to know what genre will effectively showcase your talent

In essence, the same discipline, motivation and creative process govern all creative expression. It is only the structure and format that differs. All forms of writing involve characters, dialogue and descriptive action.

Whatever has been said or written about the experience of writing from the beginning of time, it still boils down to one thing: Writing is your own, personal experience. Nobody else’s.

Writing is an amazing, almost mysterious phenomenon.

Ultimately, there are only 3 ways to write a story

IF the STORY you are writing happens in PICTURES, you are writing a screenplay, or for television.
IF the STORY you are writing happens in WORDS, you are writing a stage play.
IF the STORY you are writing happens in THOUGHTS and ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONS, you are writing a NOVEL or SHORT STORY.