I’m finally back to writing my FILM blog. Besides being busy with the editing/publishing process of the next edition of “Film Production Management 101” (how exciting!), I’ve also been busy dealing with my mom’s stroke which she had this summer (not so exciting). She’s doing OK, BTW. Now, every stroke is different and my mom’s was certainly baffling to a number of us on the journey so far. What is interesting, though, is that I’ve learned two amazing discoveries about writing:

#1 – The ability to read and the ability to write are in different parts of the brain.

#2 – The ability to type and the ability to handwrite are in different parts of the brain.

You see, my mom can’t read or type (i.e. use a keyboard), but she oddly, can handwrite. And once she’s written something, she can’t read it. It’s kind of like handwriting with a blindfold on. Both strange and amazing, isn’t it?

Whod’ve thought reading and writing were so separate in the brain? Whod’ve thought that you could prove that writing on a computer is different from writing with pen and paper? My mom has proved it.

The inspiring element to this journey (beyond my mom’s spitfire dedication to re-learn to read), is that starting even from her hospital bed, she started writing. All those stories and children’s books she wanted to write over the years but never found the time, she wrote. Sure, they are messy handwritten first drafts but they are complete first drafts, story arc and all. And her spelling isn’t nearly as bad as she thinks it is.

Basically, she was forced to ignore the self-editor voice that gets in the way of writing with all kinds of corrections and judgements… because she couldn’t read what she’d written. Her only choice was to write forward. To shelve the self-editor voice. And she did. When she re-learns to read, she’ll have a body of work ready for editing and second draft. But it will be there. Pages and pages.

Makes you reflect that if you’re having trouble writing into a story on keyboard, it’s worth trying pen and paper. Mix it up and don’t let your self-editor have voice. Put on a literal or figurative blindfold if you need to. Be inspired by my spitfire of a mom and get that first draft written.

Cheers & a productive writing session to you,
Deb

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Where is Deb?

Mon. Sep. 16 – Guest Speaker at GEMS ETVP (Emerging TV Producers) Program, Vancouver BC

Tue. Oct. 8 – Guest Speaker for Telefilm at the Sustainable Production Forum (SPF24), Vancouver BC

And FYI, the third edition of “Film Production Management 101” is coming to bookstores and online in January 2025, but available now for pre-order (e.g. on Amazon, Amazon Canada, Indigo-Chapters).