Our word “expert” comes to us from the Latin word experiri, which translates to the infinitive verb “to try” or “to attempt.” To be an expert means you are someone who is attempting to do something.

It’s okay to get tired and burnt out from everything. Our fuel is our feelings, and that fuel burns out during stressful times. Don’t try to ignite the flames when the gaskets will blow and the engine will never work again.

My boys don’t know what’s really in the ocean; they’re ignorant to the dangers - sharks, unimaginable depths, etc. When they run into the ocean they don’t think, “I hope I don’t get bit by a shark today” or “what if I get caught in an undertow and drown?”

Yesterday I hopped on a Zoom meet-up with fellow screenwriters across the globe. It was great to not only talk to other screenwriters but to listen to their current situations and stories. We didn’t share drafts of a work in progress. We didn’t give each other feedback on what could be done better. We didn’t prod into stories to find cracks in logic. We just talked…like human beings rarely do.

Efficient writers get things done. They get a lot of things done. But are those the right things? Are those the write tasks and strategies that will help you reach your goals?