Decisions
When I was single, there was a time when I seriously entertained the thought of chucking it all and moving to Chicago or NY and becoming a professional. I think I'd have done well -- not stellar, but I could probably have made it through the crucible.
But that's long ago now. When we got here, I thought about taking up the mantle again. Today I got a notice about an upcoming audition.
I have to make a decision. There are only so many hours in the day and they're currently all allotted to various necessary things. Family time, cooking, cleaning (should probably shift a few more hours that direction), and especially writing. If I went to this audition, chances are, I'd get a part. Maybe not a huge one, but something. Even though I'm no ingenue, I'm still a solid character actor.
But what can I sacrifice to do this? Not family time, not cooking, not cleaning (too much sacrificed there already). What's left? Writing.
Suddenly, two things I love are being weighed in the balance. And the scale is tipping toward...
Writing.
There will come a time in my life when the things I do are rearranged in such a manner that I can take the hours necessary to be away from home -- to invest in a production. Then, provided my face and ass haven't sagged appreciably, I'll make the time to act again. But for now, I'm a writer.
11 Comments:
To those of us who know and love you, you'll always be a character. ;o)
By 
Kristen Painter, at
3:10 PM
No, not a character.
A writer.
Making a decision like that is rough, lady.
Your confidence about your choice says it all.
You're a writer. ;-)
By 
, at
2:09 PM
Well, when a writer meets a writer comin' through the rye.
I see that Sela has had a passing glance at my excuse for a TV script over at my blog.
Dead silence.
That's what I got from the producer too.
I'm trying to figure out how to spell poseur.
Ha.
Thanks for visiting, Sela.
I am of two minds on acting/writing.
In my post graduate course in Writing, I was forced to act--part of the programme for some reason.
I was, I think, good at it, but it took so much energy! We all came down from it all by partying.
But who knows?
It might just break any logjam you may have come up against.
Actually, I don't think it was the acting that burned me out.
There was this gorgeous actress from California....
TMI?
You could get a cleaner.... ?
Sometimes it's not about giving up time, but rearranging spaces so that they double up, or work well together.
Cleaning could be a fun family acitivity, no? ggg
By Anna Louise Lucia, at
5:11 AM
I wish I could get a cleaner! He's already giving me the hairy eyeball at how much time I spend on the computer (notice I didn't say "writing") so I think not even being home would be pushing it.
I act out my scenes in my head as I write -- I end up with lots of action tags and beats. Acting takes a lot of energy, but I find it gives a lot, too. I was always really wound up after coming home from rehearsal.
By Sela Carsen, at
9:20 AM
While I was in Guanajuato Stat, Mexico, I came across one Bob Sommerlott, a moderately successful writer of fiction.
Ladies would call him on the phone.
"What are you doing...writing?...Oh I'm so glad--I thought you may have been doing something important
(sic!)."
Don't know if this is of any use to you.
I do know that in my own case, we sort of had two PhD's in the same family and my then-wife and I got into this competition thing that turned close to ugly.
If I ever get married again, I'll never, never show that I am better at most things compared to my wife.
I'd be very quiet and just say "yes dear."
I suppose writers are hard to live with. Sometimes the gain is not worth the pain.
It strikes me that no gain is worth
risking ones psychological health, to wit, turmoil in the family.
But maybe it's just me.
I am still writing vicious romans a' clefs about my past relationships.
Everything seems to be material--Dammit.
...Just trying to untie the knot
by some sort of object lesson, I suppose.
Break a leg!
At least in writing, you can express your acting love through your character's interaction and dialogue :)
By , at
4:52 PM
I'm so glad you chose to stick with writing, Sela!
Yea!
And regarding a previous post about how discouraging it is to find out someone (liar, liar pants on fire) can write ten thousand words a day for four days a week.
We don't really know the quality of the work. :)
It could merely be 1000 sentences of...All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. :)
Have a fabulous Monday!
L
By Lara Santiago, at
8:23 AM
Hmm.
Their script or your own?
Good choice.