Why Am I A Writer?

After the confusing, possibly existential rantings of my “friend” in the previous post, I thought I’d offer up a calmer, more introspective article today. It’s healthy to indulge in some self-reflection every once in a while, because creating realistic characters and stories on paper won’t be half as effective if you don’t know what your own motivations and drives are. So here it is – my less than inspirational, but unflinchingly real story as to why I do the things I do. Watch out for the West End Musical adaptation coming to theatres in 2017.

1) I Was Raised On Really High Quality Shows

That sounds super pretentious, but I swear it’s true. The first TV show I remember truly loving as a kid, and still love to this day, was Batman: The Animated Series. For Saturday morning Kids TV, this was the cream of the crop – it had the comic book elements, but blended it with genuine, heartfelt moments, film noir-esque mysteries and some of the most iconic characters in pop culture history. To this day, I can watch it, enjoy it and appreciate the quality of the writing that I’d argue makes for one of the most consistent depiction of Batman in any medium, ever.

But I’m not saying that Batman was the only reason I became a writer (although that’s a cool way of summarising it at parties). As I came into my teens, I began watching classic sitcoms like Frasier, Fawlty Towers and Blackadder, refining my comedic palette after spending a little too long with the likes of Ed, Edd and Eddy and Ren and Stimpy (which admittedly also say alot about my sense of humour). I’m sure this sort of progression is pretty natural, but for me, it was an exciting process at the time. I enjoyed that I was discovering and enjoying these more mature shows, an activity which continues to this very day.

2) I’ve Constantly Created Stories In My Head Since Childhood

A natural by-product (not side-effect) of enjoying shows like Batman: TAS and its superhero brethren meant that I ended up having a pretty large collection of toys and figures. I’m not going to beat around the bush here – I have every Batman: The Animated Series figure (except one. CURSE YOU RARE TRI-WING BATMAN). Anyway, I played the heck out of those toys, and naturally, developed long ongoing storylines with characters of my own creation (that all happened to look like Batman).  Most of these stories were shameless rip-offs of actual storylines on the show or other similar shows, but I was a kid, and the FBI weren’t going to nab me for copyright infringement.

Once I grew out of playing with them, leaving them up on display instead, I needed some other outlet for telling (or shamelessly retelling) stories, and that’s where I found my mind. Over 7 years, any time I was alone, either walking somewhere, wandering around shops or just taking a shower, my mind would go to this story world. Looking back, I realise that I basically created an entire Universe with a surprisingly rich mythology, even if some of the story elements were a little dumb or overwrought with teenage angst. Before I went to Uni, I wrote it all down into one document. That outline is 36 pages and counting, and needs some serious editing, but I’m still immensely proud that my younger self was able to come up with a TV show that complex and share it with basically no one.

3) Everything Suddenly Clicked

So after my carefree childhood and my overly-caring teenage years, life decisions were on the horizon and that was a terrifying prospect I’m still not entirely convinced I paid enough attention to. But then I wouldn’t be here writing this, and you wouldn’t be here reading (thank you, by the way). Some Sixth Form tutors started talking about UCAS, whilst I was off in my own world, head-banging to Queens of the Stone Age and scraping by on my homework. For me, the A Level options I had chosen were the closest I’d come to deciding what I wanted to do with my existence – whatever taking German, Media Studies, Drama and English Language even says about a person.

Deadlines approached, and, after browsing various Universities for courses, pretty much entirely through UCAS, nothing was sticking out. I knew I was good at Media Studies, and enjoyed it the most alongside Drama, but really it seemed like – “OHMAHLAWD, THERE’S A SCRIPTWRITING COURSE AT BOURNEMOUTH?!?!” Basically, my mind flipped out and suddenly things kinda made sense for the first time ever. Every creative Media Studies assignment, all those Drama devised pieces, all the days with Batman... I applied, and knew I wanted it more than anything else, choosing some other media-related courses I didn’t care too much about as backups (sorry TV Production). That rare moment of self discovery isn’t something you get with many professions...

4) I Love It (Possibly Too Much)

On the surface, it may seem like I’ve just talked you through how I became a writer, but that’s because the why all comes down to this. It sounds like the ultimate cop-out, but I’ve come to realise how rare doing something you love for a living actually is these days. And, the truth is, in many ways I’m not even a writer yet. I’ve got the education, the passion and the portfolio, but now comes the hardest, but definitely the most rewarding, part. Getting my work out there, joining bigger and bigger projects and making a name for myself was never going to be easy, but for all the headaches, depression and stress it causes, I wouldn’t want to do anything else with my life. Most of the writers I’ve met and worked with would probably say the same.

In many ways, this is why this blog exists. Some writers have a blog in the same way that they have a bowler hat – it was kooky and fun for one day, but they either don’t want to or forget to commit to wearing it regularly. An hour or two of work just to keep those writing juices flowing is more invaluable than you would think – it instils a sense of discipline that I actually enjoy, and through expressing my thoughts and advice, I’ve been able to make greater sense of the work I do and the work of writers in general. So thank you, Batman. For all of this.

James Cottle, after studying Scriptwriting for 4 years, is now an embittered real life freelance writer, and seeks to unlearn everything he knows. But he needs your help... Follow him on Twitter @Jxmxsc and share this blog to help spread his anarchic plight for reform amongst the writing masses.