Good luck!

To Whom Is A Writer Responsible?

To thine own self be true? Part of being true to myself is being responsible for my actions; being ethical.

I find myself confronted with a dilemma that I only vaguely anticipated, and not so soon, in the infancy of - “my movie idea”.

Please don’t be put off by my presentational style; I’m an older man who, thru a sort of self-exile, has developed his own peculiar phrasings; sorry this is so long.

I’m not making this up:

About ten o’clock last night, I received an e-mail from a key figure, someone deeply involved in researching the history of the killer whales of Eden, Australia ; a central theme of my movie idea.

I’m not trying to add intrigue to this post, but I don’t think it’s proper to identify this person or quote him/her directly. I have a great deal of respect for this person, who I will refer to as “KF” (as in Key Figure). The last thing I want to do is create, what might be, a further imposition – if it can be helped. I think this is traditional forum etiquette.

KF, in effect, seemed to be telling me that I shouldn’t be fooling around with a historical drama that I didn’t understand; incorporating a story that was already in development as a feature film (news to me – no further details).

I didn’t recognize who the sender was. I found the tone of the e-mail to be insulting, arrogant, elitist, and even a bit juvenile. What right did this person have to tell me what I may or may not write about?

I carefully “composed myself” in an e-mail reply; I may have miss-read their tone? I noticed the sender’s address contained an Australian web domain, so I tried to temper my response to someone who might be very sensitive to their native history.

I thanked them for reading my script (secretly doubting they had) and acknowledged that my understanding of the history was thin and for that matter so was my writing ability (pointing out that I had never written a script before).

About one-thirty this morning; feeling flustered and unable to get into a creative mood, I was on the verge of turning in, when I received a second mail from KF.

KF began with an apology for bluntness. They then offered some insight to their frustration; pointing out previous “Hollywood” attempts and how detrimental they had been to Eden and the chances of the story being successfully made into a quality film. Then KF went on to suggest that my ‘Hollywood treatment” trivializes the “real” story. KF also was kind enough to let me know their script even contains some elements somewhat similar to mine; coincidentally.

KF ended the e-mail by stating that he/she didn’t want to discourage me from being “creative”, but they suggested I leave this story alone.

I love this story of the orcas working with the whalers in early Australian history ( www.begavalley.nsw.gov.au/Cultu...ge.htm ). I think we all enjoy a bit of irony; it is the work of people like KF that led me to this history. Why is it necessary for me to be at odds with someone I hold in such high esteem?

I’ve spent the better part of today in reproach; am I wrong to want to give my project completion? Is there something unethical about my movie idea?

The thought of divorcing my story completely from its orca /man center, seems too much to ask. But, I don’t want to do anything that might even remotely interfere with KF’s work. So, I thought of shelving the movie idea and just going for a novel.

I did more research today. I confirmed, via the e-mail address properties, that the e-mail domain is one that KF has an association with. I’m fairly convinced this is not an e-mail hoax. Further research led to discoveries that made me feel truly inadequate, as a human being, let alone a writer of such a tale. No specifics here, but I discovered that KF is nothing short of brilliant; an accomplished inventor, scientist (and so much more); in addition to their fine historical documentation of this story; dedicating many years to this subject.

I found nothing to diminish my respect for KF, other than the insulting manner in which I’ve been treated (love that irony). But, by my own admission, this insult is just as inconsequential as I am (I am nothing.).

One of the things I’ve learned about myself, after 56 years on this blue planet, is that I don’t like people telling me what to do; what I can or can’t do (It’s a painful character flaw.).

This is my baby; I know it’s ugly, but there’s something (only a parent would understand) that’s beautiful to me. I’ve stayed up nights, sometimes all night long, nursing it thru some though times; shedding more than one tear when it smiled back at me. Maybe I imagine, like most parents, this child growing into a fine respectable presence. Who is KF to deny a parent’s dream for their child? The cold cruel world will have its turn at that, soon enough (maybe a year or two).

Having “journaled” this out; I see nothing ethically wrong with pursuing my movie idea. I need not worry about my “little baby” posing any threat to KF’s far more realistic dreams. And neither should KF.


In the mid-seventies, Paul McCartney sang:
“You'd think that people would've had enough of silly love songs
But I look around me and I see it isn't so
Some people want to fill the world with silly love songs
And what's wrong with that?
I'd like to know”

Well, my initial response to his song, way back then, was, “OH NO! Not another one of these stupid love songs!!” (yes, really)

Well, I and the world survived “Silly Love Songs”; that one and countless others since.

I’m sorry that KF is offended by my “silly little script”. With respect and best wishes, I accept their right to rant. The people of Eden, the orcas and KF with the pending feature film, have all survived such trivial indignities from the past and I have no doubt they will survive my silly love song; and countless more “odes” in the future.

“Love doesn't come in a minute
Sometimes it doesn't come at all
I only know that when I'm in it
It isn't silly, no, it isn't silly
Love isn't silly at all”


If you’ve made it thru this far, you deserve the right to comment; am I right; wrong; comments??

(I’ve just made a hasty update to my movie idea web page; latest revision #3. It was not quite ready (it’s such a mess), but . . . I have made changes to the names, as was promised previously in this thread.)

One last thought, most screen writers have a hiacrhy system and demand that you channel your resourses thought a course on screen writing . . . or oyu'll never get in the door. . . Or so I've heard, that is, in Hollywood. . . then again I'm not too sure of other flim types seeing as there are no rules. . . but the way you are talking sounds as if your going into the L.A. concept of frame there. Most know my stand point on this issue, but looking into the course aspect.