In my estimation, there are paltry few professions that are not worthy or honorable, that do not provide an important service. As a writer, I like to think that my work contributes in some way, but I also realize that my actions seem to sit outside the system of day-to-day, tangible, stuff-that-makes-the-world-go-‘round life. I take from the system, that’s for sure. But do I give back? I go to the post office, and someone helps me. I go to the mall, and someone helps me at each store. But do I help anyone? Perhaps it is this nagging sensation that we perpetually sit outside an important societal loop that points us toward “making it”—meaning, if we attain a certain level of readership, an audience if you will, at least a portion of society will benefit from some type of enjoyment, entertainment, and education derived from what we do. And thereby all that time we spend doing it will be justified.

Say what you will about the quality of the movie, but Dead Poets Society has a quote that I’ve always held onto whenever I’m feeling particularly useless. While trying to rally his students, John Keating, Robin Williams’ character, says “…medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.”

We all have our roles. As writers, ours just sits a little further removed from life, death, sustenance, and shelter on the ol’ Maslow’s hierarchy of need. So sometimes we can feel a little silly.

But putting that quote in here sure sounds like I’m exalting our profession over others, doesn’t it? Why not though, right? I’m allowed to be biased. Besides, it’s all just spin. An engineer or doctor might contextualize the same quote differently and have their jobs come out on top. But it’s not a competition—in fact, quite the opposite. Isn’t a big point of life to do for one another? And here we have an economic structure in place that at least toys with the notion of assisting one another while doling out paychecks. Writers just want to be a part of that. Don’t we?

Of course, most of us will say that we at least want to make enough money not to have to schlep suds at the local watering hole in order to keep writing. But delivering beer is a crucial service. So what I think most of us are talking about is the desire to be at least successful enough to enter the socio-economic/service loop in a manner and at a place we subjectively find meaningful and interesting—while being afforded the opportunity to keep doing what we love. We want, at the very least, to write successfully enough to keep writing while benefiting others.

In sum, I write movies. And part of the reason I write movies is to get a ticket of admittance to a life cycle from which I feel my writing movies has excluded me.

If that makes any sense, then you’re gonna love some of my plots.