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But then I thought of all the people over the past two and a half years who've told me how much they enjoy my columns. Not only do I often get kudos from many of our regular members, but several of our honorary members have commented how they read our newsletter from cover-to-cover, and how much they like my little musings. I can't tell you how much it means to me when someone tells me that something I've written touched them, made them laugh, or made them think. After all, that's what got me into screenwriting in the first place. The other thing this column does is it forces me to be disciplined, at least once a month. When it comes to writing, I'm one of the least disciplined people I know. I'm the king of rationalizations - I'm too tired, I've got other things more important to do, I don't have a nice free 2-hour block of time, so what's the point of even starting? Any excuse I can come up with not to write, I'll use it. I've even started using my duties as Chairman of the Network as strong, valid reasons not to write. And believe me, with an organization that's growing as fast as ours, that's a very easy thing to do. Don't get me wrong - I love being the Chairman and working to help other writers and make this organization a truly viable force in the industry. But there comes a point (and I think I'm almost there) where I have to ask myself if I'm helping or hurting my career if my Network duties are interfering too much with my writing. It's a really sticky question, because I make such great contacts as Chairman, but I know I need to have some good, solid screenplays in my bag when I ask those contacts to read my work. It doesn't make me look good (nor the Network) if I send out something that I haven't spent some serious time on in making it the best it can be. So, I've come to the realization that I've got to think about myself and my career a little more. What that means is managing my time a little better, relying on the other members of our fabulous Executive Committee a bit more, and making sure I try not to let any more weeks go by without doing at least some work on a screenplay, even if it's only for one hour on one day. I'm sure most of you have been in a similar position. Whether it's your job, your family, or other commitments that interfere with your writing, if you're serious about this, you've got to overcome those interferences and make sure you keep plugging away. Don't neglect the other things if they're important (it's unfortunate that rent and food are so necessary for our existence, isn't it?), but make sure you set aside some time for yourself every day or at least every week. And please keep those words of encouragement coming, not just to me, but to each other. Remember, we're a networking and support organization for screenwriters. A word of encouragement here or there can make a lot of difference.
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