Screenwriting vs. Bicycling

This is no chicken and egg story, the bike came first in my world. In the last 30+ years, my bikes took me from Upstate New York to Chicago and around the upper Midwest. I rolled along the Oregon coast, through Texas y’all and into the pine hills of Georgia.

Then came screenwriting. In fact, my first screenplay attempt, “Me and the Devil Blues,” a retelling of the Robert Johnson myth set in 70’s Chicago, was pretty much written on my bike. Today, especially when it comes to rewrites, it’s where most of my “aha’s” occur. Maybe it’s the physical exertion that lets my mind wander. Maybe it’s the alone time, and I can ponder free from distractions (if you don’t count vehicles, people and animals). Or maybe it’s just that I can combine two passions into one.

While they exercise different muscles, bicycling and screenwriting are eerily similar:

You either do or you don’t – no one tells you to ride // no one tells you to write
It’s a marathon not a sprint – you crank the pedals over and over to move forward // you tap the keyboard over and over and over
Think about the long term but be ready to turn on a dime in an instant
You get better at each in small increments by doing it day after day
Both bring moments of exhilaration – you reach a peak and look down on a valley below // you find a way to say something without dialogue
Both have moments of pain – not being able to find the right words can feel like a half mile ride over cobblestones
A sense of accomplishment – when you stop the timer at the finishing line and count the miles you rode // type the words: FADE OUT

Most importantly with both, for me, it’s as simple as ENJOY THE RIDE!

Write On!