Writing When You Have Nothing to Lose

Writing When You Have Nothing to Lose

Alan Watt

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Have you ever experienced great loss? Whether it was a parent, spouse, or friend, the experience pulls you sharply into the present moment.

Nothing else matters, not the barking dog, the unpaid bills, not even your hopes and dreams.

We become utterly aware, in our bones, that despite all of our wishes, fantasies, and protestations, our loved one is never coming back — at least, not in the flesh. He or she will exist only in our memory and imagination.

It’s a shocking moment, because we live our lives with the sense that there is always more time.

In the moment of loss, we are reduced to our primal selves.

This is the same place that we create.

When we approach our work from this place, we are unafraid to express ourselves completely. We become unshakeable in our willingness to be truthful on the page, and suddenly, our simple, unadorned writing springs to life.

Learn more about marrying the wildness of your imagination to the rigor of structure in The 90-Day Novel, The 90-Day Memoir, or The 90-Day Screenplay workshops.

Join my one-day story workshop to master your outline.

Alan Watt

Writing Coach

Alan Watt is a bestselling novelist and filmmaker, and recipient of numerous awards including France’s Prix Printemps. He is the founder of alanwatt.com (formerly L.A. Writers’ Lab). His books on writing include the National Bestseller The 90-Day Novel, plus The 90-Day Memoir, The 90-Day Screenplay, and The 90-Day Rewrite. His students range from first-time writers to bestselling authors and A-list screenwriters. His 90-day workshops have guided thousands of writers to transform raw ideas into compelling stories by marrying the wildness of their imaginations to the rigor of story structure.
Alan Watt with L.A. hills behind

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