The Shawshank Redemption is one of my favorite films. From a writing point of view, it inspires and makes me want to sit down and write the next great script. Within every person, greatness exits. But to achieve that greatness, persistence, hard work, patience, rejection, a little luck and a lot of hope all play a part. The quote above from The Shawshank Redemption is something I cling to daily. There have been times in this crazy journey of writing, my hope in producing anything of quality was often tested…and continues to be tested.
I am in the midst of a massive re-write for my screenplay LET IT SHINE. It is the 3rd such re-write. I began this sweet story 2 years ago about a 10 year old girl and her relationship with her 20 year old brother. After the 2nd re-write, the story expanded with more characters and bigger themes. I’m about 20 pages away from completing the 3rd draft. In reflecting back, I realize how much I had to tear down from the previous drafts to find the story I was trying to tell. Every writer in their journey fights healthy doses of procrastination, but in the end, it takes a great deal of persistence, hard work, patience and yes rejection in order to 
achieve something worthwhile. What about your life? What great thing are you trying to achieve in work, marriage, friendship, health, etc…? I cling to the hope that my writing has value – to not only myself but to others who read it. Isn’t this something we’re all looking for? Some form of validation. That your life matters.
Sometimes hope is all we have. And The Shawshank Redemption emphasizes this theme throughout. Another great line and theme from the film is spoken by the soothing voice of Morgan Freedom who narrates throughout. “Get busy living or get busy dying”. If you have not seen The Shawshank Redemption, I strongly recommend it. It’s a tough film, but well worth it. Take a couple minutes and watch the clip below. Listen to the words wash over you. Listen to how the music fills you with that sense of awe and wonder about a story that ultimately is about friendship and the brutal journey these two friends endured. Watch the majestic cinematography/the images. All these elements come together, wrapped in awesome hope…
And finally, here’s another bit of hope…..more words of wisdom that I remind myself of daily:
Hope that is seen is not hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
Romans 8:23, 24
Wonderful reminder to all of us to maintain our hope even in the worst of times, and one of my favorite Scripture passages, and apropos for the application. All of our writing is an act of faith and hope that even when no one options our movie or buys our manuscript. Nothing is wasted in God’s economy. Blessings, Always, Donna
Thanks for this Romeo. Rewatched Shawshank last night. It is truly an amazing film. Hope: Stay dangerous!!
Hey Romeo – thanks for sharing the wonderful clip from the movie, and the inspiring, yet challenging quote from Romans. Sometimes it’s the “waiting” that gets us bogged down, but in the waiting, we need to “get busy living” as an act of faith that keeps our hope alive and puts us in position to receive what we are hoping for.