Roger Wolfson On Reasons to Write That Book

Last year I was watching an interview with the brilliant Roger Wolfson, the screenwriter, and he was discussing his writing and how it has changed throughout the years. Something which Roger said during that interview really spoke to me and that was about the fact that he had long had an idea for a book to write, and that he still hadn’t gotten around to it. I thought this was hilarious given the fact that most of us have an idea of a book we’d like to write, and we have never done it. That is probably a touch more acceptable for an office worker or council worker, than it is say, for an author.

Following the lockdown in February I decided to take the opportunity to finally write my book, and here is why I would urge any of you who wish to do it, to get on with it sooner rather than later.

Regrets

I am not expecting to arrive at the end of my life with no regrets, there will always be things which could have been done better or worse. What I don’t want to do however is to look back on things I didn’t do which I wanted to. If I make a trade off and learn to regret it then fair enough, but I refuse to get to the end of my days and look back at something which I could have done but didn’t.

Just for You

What I have found since I started the book is that I don’t really want it to become a career, or more to the point I don’t care if nobody likes it. There is something incredibly rewarding about creating something like this, writing your very own project and knowing that you investing the time and the energy on telling a great story. This is why I am so keen on getting the book finished, so that I will always have this little piece of work which is just my own. There is something very rewarding about this and I would implore any of you to have a go at creating something amazing, it is well worth doing and you will feel immense pride at having done so.

Explore Yourself

It doesn’t matter how old you are, there is something about writing a book which is an exploration of who and what you are. Telling a story, no matter what kind of story, very quickly becomes this personal thing and you begin to allow your own thoughts and feelings enter into the narrative. This is something which you won’t be able to control but rather something that is released as you put words on the page. I have learned an awful lot about myself in the last 6 months, more than I ever really thought possible to be honest, and that is because of the way in which those feelings come through on the page. If you have a desire to write that book, then now is the perfect time to go ahead and do just that.