Walking The Talk; A Gift From Rory

During a recent interview by Raymond Alexander Kukkee for his creative-space blog, Incoming Bytes, we spoke some of my journey into screenwriting early in my writing career.

As my thoughts of that time linger still, I can close my eyes and remember everything as it was. I can see clearly the space in which I dreamed, then wrote.

My home, being from the early 50’s, had windows that lifted up and were without screens, so my dogs often poked their heads in just to make sure I hadn’t moved since the last time they checked on me. And perhaps more importantly, I remember a home alive with young, unencumbered and uninhibited souls who lingered and lounged around my place, laughing, eating, watching movies or Saturday Night Live, and who would occasionally peek around the doorway to inquire, “What scene are we on now?”

We? Let me explain.

My home was a ‘hub’ of sorts; a place where things began and ended for my son and his friends in high school. Should a parent be looking for their son or daughter, there was really only one phone number they had to dial. Mine.

My gang was close to the age of one of my main characters, so it wasn’t uncommon that I would suddenly appear in front of them, hit pause (often to their irritation I’m sure) and ask, “Does this sound real to you?” before reading part of a scene I was working on. Without fail, they would jump right in and give it a thumbs up, or tell me what was wrong with it. They were my focus group, a place to bounce some ideas around and then disappear back into my cave. They were a part of the process and what became an important part for me. Over time, they seemed to be invested in the process too.

The farther I got into into the story — the more it became a reality as something I was actually doing — the more I allowed myself to dream of what it would be like to have it actually appear on screen one day …the more vested I became in giving the characters and the meaning of it all, life. That’s when doubt appeared, insisting that I ponder the ‘what if’s’ of failure.

But then I had what many writers don’t; a secret weapon ready at my disposal to vanquish such notions. I had my gang to always inspire me.

I recall with treasured emotion, one of my son’s best friends, Rory, standing in my office doorway late one evening. Like so many times before, he had been en route to the kitchen or something and paused to ask, “How’s it going, Rosie?”

I was having one of those ‘moments’, and while I can’t recall exactly what I said, it had something to do with being crazy out of my mind. “Why am I doing this? The chances of this thing ever being made are slim to none!”

Rory is an incredible artist …an amazing talent, and I think he understood both the creative process and the emotion that goes into it, as well as, perhaps, one’s desire to put their work ‘out there’. Will it be accepted?

He readily admitted, maybe it will, maybe it won’t, but it’s important that you write it anyway. “You need to just do it. It’s good. Don’t stop. Just do it.”

With that, he was a tuna sandwich (lol) away from something else, but in that moment I realized that maybe I needed to buck up for another reason and finish what I had started.

Rory all grown up today with his beautiful wife, Kim and their daughter.
Rory all grown up today with his beautiful wife, Kim and their daughter.

As parents, we’re often very quick to espouse our virtuous lines of encouragement. “You can be or do anything in life if you try!” Or, “It doesn’t matter if you succeed or not, or win, or not. It’s more important that you try. Do your best!” Sounds so good rolling off our tongues, no?

Well, it sort of became my reason to push on …to finish …to try. Just ‘do it’ indeed.

How could I encourage my own son and the rest of the gang if I was too chicken to take the risk myself? It was time to walk the talk I had been giving out. It was an opportunity to show my gang that even adults have to reach beyond themselves and what’s comfortable without any guarantees if they are to achieve a dream. And if the script failed to ever be made, that wasn’t what they would remember. They would remember that I ‘reached’ …I dreamed and I tried with all my heart.

I know that’s true because still today, from time to time, one of my gang will ask, “Hey, what ever happened with your screenplay?” before recalling one of my SNL interruptions fondly.

Sweet grins abound as I fire back, “I’m expecting Disney to be calling any day now!”

And Rory? Well, he’s helping other inspiring artist with their dreams as an art teacher at Del Oro High School where he, my son, Sean and the rest of their gang attended.

 

 

 

 

 

6 thoughts on “Walking The Talk; A Gift From Rory

  1. Raymond Alexander Kukkee - February 19, 2015

    Too funny, Rosemary, the letters are worn off of my laptop, and I never did have Screenplay software. I don’t even know if I have an electronic copy of my two screenplays any more , I would have to type them all over…I prefer novels anyway haha!

  2. Rosemary - February 19, 2015

    Hey, I just checked and it is still out there and looks to be highly rated! That would be the bomb if it would accept my old files.

  3. Rosemary - February 19, 2015

    Ha — my old software was Scriptware and I’m not even sure it’s available anymore. I have one near-dead old (as in 20+ years old) laptop that it works on, but that system would kill me to work on 😉 So like you, I’d need new software and I’m not even sure I could transfer the original script!

  4. Raymond Alexander Kukkee - February 19, 2015

    Yes, Rosemary, I do read my screenplays upon occasion but haven’t modified anything to date. That —may occur at some point, but I’d have to transfer them to modern screenplay software for the best outcome, I would think. “:)

    I read my own novels once in a while too, or parts of them, and study them and wonder “how that came about” and “why do people like this so much” . The voice remains the same upon reading. Interesting… Writing does change both the writer and the reader to some degree. Some of my OLD novels I’m not much interested in because of the genre, style change etc. –but perhaps I’ll rewrite a couple of those at some point too, and that would be “major fiddling”. “:)
    Is that good? I think so.

  5. Rosemary - February 19, 2015

    Sometimes it’s not for us to judge the outcome. That script has touched lives regardless and for that I’m grateful and proud. And, I think you’ll agree that we also come out the other side of such a large project a bit changed ourselves, so maybe the lesson in it is more personal. I read that script about once a year and each time I get so caught up in it that I have to remind myself that I know what happens …I wrote it! I have to laugh at myself, really. I’m sure you’ve done the same. Do you still fiddle with yours or read them occasionally?

  6. Raymond Alexander Kukkee - February 18, 2015

    Who knows, Rosemary, perhaps Disney will call you sooner than you expect; if they don’t, the screenplay is clearly meant for greater things …such as practicing the finish….finessing the art of rewriting…. learning persistence…. “:) I have two such screenplays, the first took me a year to write…. ~R

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