One of our fave writer-illustrator-screenwriting-vloggers, Stephanie Bourbon, returns to the interwebs after a hiatus with some words of encouragement for us all.
How to Stay Positive & Porductive–Still WRITE–During Dystopian-Er, I Mean, Tough Times
by Stephanie Bourbon
OMG, what a couple of months right? F*%$!!
What is going on in the world? Is it ending?
Do we all need to channel our inner Katniss?
I seriously have never wanted to live in a Cormac McCarthy novel and I don’t intend on starting now!
So…how do we stay positive and continue to write when the world is crashing down on us?
Well, I have a few tips for you!
The first one is just to FOCUS ON THE GOOD—whatever it is, focus on it, grab it, and hold on. Seriously it’s so easy to get wrapped up in the chaos and devastation happening and walk down that doomsday path but rather it’s best to stay focused on the good or have gratitude.
The second one is to remember why we write. You may do it just for your own pleasure and if that’s the case, see above. But most of us write because we have something to say to the world. If you write for children it is your job to help them come into their own with a sense of security, hope, and understanding. This is why we do it. TV and film have such a HUGE impact on the world–even fiction.
My life changed drastically because of THREE films—you want to know which ones?
FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF–taught me not to take things so seriously and enjoy life a lot more than I had been. I went from being a Jeannie to being a Ferris that summer and I’ve been MUCH happier ever since….
Find out the second and third films that changed Stephanie’s life and see some cooler pics than we’ve shown you, at stephaniebourbon.com.
Former Larry Brody student Stephanie Olivieri Bourbon has found great success as a writer, illustrator, and expert consultant. This article first appeared in her new blog at stephaniebourbon.com.