In this first episode of the Moving Projects webcast, Nate Mancini, Johnny Sikma, and Sam Leuenberger (from the feature film Asleep in a Storm) get together to discuss writing, motivation, and creativity.
This webcast originally aired on Saturday, October 11, 2014, at 7:00 PM EST. You can watch the full 45-minute event here.
Learn More
- You can experience Sam and Johnny’s acting talent in the 2013 feature film Asleep in a Storm.
- For more insights from Johnny Sikma, you can follow him on Twitter.
- Watch more Moving Projects webcasts on this page.
- Watch other videos from Nate Mancini on the video portfolio page.
To keep informed of future webcasts, simply enter your email address below. Nate will send you occasional updates about the latest webcast, film, or event. Plus, you’ll get free, unlimited online streaming of Asleep in a Storm, Nate’s first feature film:
What did you think?
- What was your favorite part of the webcast? Did you learn anything about writing and creativity that you will put into practice?
- What should be the topic of the next webcast? (And if you’d like to be the next webcast guest, contact us here!)
Post a comment below to let us know your thoughts.
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Comments 6
That was inspirational. I’m hoping to get into screenwriting again myself and to co-author with a friend from church and work. A number of my ponderings and questions about the process were addressed. Thanks for the helpful interview Nate, Johnny, and Sam!
Author
Absolutely! Thanks for watching and please let us know if there are any topics you’d like us to go into more depth on in future webcasts.
Glad to hear it was helpful, Mr. Moffett! I echo Nate. Hope life is treating you alright, post Grove City. Keep on with the writing!
I am so glad you focused on writing for this video topic, which is how I express some of my creativity. I spend many hours each week writing articles and content for books and so this video was very engaging to me and also motivating.
For me personally, my creativity/motivation comes from the desire for others to hear truth. I am very much fueled by the anticipation of the fruit or outcome of my efforts. To be honest, writing is just hard work sometimes (a lot of times). It’s not easy to stick with it all the time. It’s just so much easier to relax and watch a movie or take it easy. But what motivates me is the end product. I envision what it would be like to be done with a project – I especially think of the potential readers and always imagine how it might impact them… I try to imagine myself in their shoes, with their mindset so that I can almost guess what they might think when they read a certain portion of my writing. So that really motivates me to press in and keep writing and helps me to stay excited.
I really appreciate what Johnny said earlier on in the video which Nate emphasized further – in similar words, you said that sometimes you just have to STICK with it and remain committed to fully develop the idea and BRING IT TO COMPLETION. Sometimes that is the hardest part. And I like how you hinted at the idea of “look sometimes it’s not going to be fun when you write and it won’t be easy but you have to stick with it.” I have learned that as well and think that’s great advice! I try to write even when I don’t feel like it (which maybe some people would disagree with and say you should only write when your “feeling it”) but for me I can think back and add up all the numerous times I wrote when I didn’t “feel like it” and I can tell you I am so grateful I did! Because all of those bits of time when I pressed in and kept at it have added up to really great progress – progress that would otherwise never have been achieved. So I agree to maybe even consider writing when you just don’t feel like it. Its so key in bringing your writing/book to completion. Maybe soon that will be!
Anyways, great video! Keep them coming and sorry for the length of my “comment” (essay!).
Author
Thanks Chris. I totally agree with you about how hard writing can be, but how ultimately valuable it is. And it’s so important for us to partner with other writers for encouragement, improvement and accountability so we don’t let ourselves get too busy to write.
Thanks Chris. Yes indeed. Writing is a love-hate kind of thing. But you’re right: often when we don’t feel it and do it, we look back and have something we’re pleasantly surprised with. I think feeling is important. It’s what drives us to write in the first place. But feeling is not something we can depend on. Discipline is what carries us through in the end. Thanks for sharing, and best of luck to you!