Overcome “Lost Writer Syndrome” and Create a New Writer Identity

A few months I ago, I was interviewed for the ASJA’s Weekly Bulletin. I talked about how I was “finding myself” at the Story Expo screenwriting conference held in Los Angeles back in September, 2015. The article ended with something along the lines of “as if she was ever lost.”

On the contrary, as a writer I feel very lost and not afraid to admit it, because I found out that I’m not alone and am on a journey that many other ASJA writers are on too. Inside, I’m still that young girl who daydreamed about writing film and TV scripts while traveling around the world and writing about my adventures.

For you 80s kids, remember “The Facts of Life?” I’m also not embarrassed to admit that I wanted to be Natalie, the aspiring writer who faced her mother and turned down college to experience life and wrote about it. There’s one favorite episode of mine where Natalie sits in a truck stop diner and makes up a story based on the people she meets there. In sitcom world, it was cheesy, but in my teenage head, it was a story about me.

I never told my mother I didn’t want to go to college. I never took the job I wanted and life pushed me in another direction. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the career that I had, interviewed a lot of really interesting people and wrote a lot of fun books with co-authors that I’m proud to know, but it wasn’t the career I wanted. Life got in the way of those dreams.

Yes, I chose certain paths that got me to this point. I could’ve said no to the editorial job I was offered and kept pushing to get a job in television, but I needed any job at that point, so I took it. I figured that working at CBS magazines would open up some door for me at CBS television. It never happened. Yes, I then chose to be married and have children and I definitely do not regret those decisions, but just when I was in a position to start writing on more than just articles to help pay the bills, I became a widow.

For the next 15 years, I raised children and wrote to keep a roof over our heads. But as a friend told me a few weeks ago, I’ll never look back and think about how I could have written one more property management article. She was right.

I determined that the three things that would make me happy for the rest of my life are writing about travel, film/TV/entertainment and ultimately, writing scripts. But I had a financial crisis because I’m in debt, so I can’t give up everything. I’m also known in my industry for so many other things and now I need a new ID – a new me – the REAL me.

For the last year-and-a-half, I read screenwriting magazines, went to a pitch fest for screenwriters, and created my blog, The Virgin Traveler. I focused more of my articles on film and entertainment and started spreading the word that this is what kind of writing, and even public relations work, that I wanted to do. I landed two filmmaker clients and I am in talks with the third. I also landed on the screening committee for a local film festival.

For the third – and most special — part of what I wanted to do, I also started writing a screenplay (which is going more slowly than the other areas) and found a writing partner in the same boat as I am. She teaches during the day and wants to be a screenwriter. I’ve spoken to other ASJA members who are also in the same situation. They have a great writing career, but it’s not what they want to do. They are, for example, writing science articles because being a poet doesn’t pay their child’s college tuition bills.  They have put the novel aside that they want to write because life got in their way.

Creating a new writing identity is hard. I’m known as a property management/real estate writer. I’m also known as a health writer and a celebrity writer, but I want to be known as a screenwriter, as a film/television writer and as a travel writer. I’ve seen other ASJA writers change identities and succeed. When I first met her, Leah Ingram was writing articles on weddings and now she’s known as the Suddenly Frugal expert. I admire her for completely changing her writing identity and doing it successfully.

I’m finding my way to my new identity and, in the meantime, but I’ve learned a few things so far that I thought could help others who have Lost Writer Syndrome:

1. Do one: Do one thing in the area you want to be in. If you want to write about sports, but you’re a fulltime science writer, maybe you can combine the two and write about the science of basketball. Or, start a sports blog when you get home at night.
2. Join groups: I’m in many Facebook screenwriting, film/TV, and travel groups. We network, share ideas and I get inspired just by being around others who want to do what I want to do.
3. Say no: Say no to something on your plate to find time to do the writing you want to do.