Mark Twain’s tip (…for making more films)

It seems you all liked Ernest Hemingway’s tip from a couple of weeks ago, liked so here’s another creative productivity tip from another famous author.

In fact, it’s probably the most important lesson I ever learned for increasing my creative output, and it comes straight from your Huckleberry (Finn), Mark Twain.

Ready? Here it is:

“If it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning.”

What does this mean? Who’s eating frogs?

You, me, all of us. Because a frog is simply the hardest thing you have to do in a day.

You know you eventually have to do it. But the tough part about eating frogs is, the longer you stare at it… the harder it is to eat.

But if you eat it immediately, it’s unlikely your day will get any harder after that.

Frogs for Filmmakers

(No that’s not a charity I’m starting)

Ask yourself this incredibly important question:

What’s the thing I know I should be doing every day to advance my filmmaking, that I avoid doing because it’s so damn hard?

That’s your frog.

I know the answer for me (and most filmmakers) – writing.

Writing is the creative equivalent of going to the gym. It can take a lot to get us there, but afterwards we always feel grateful we did it.

Think about what you have to gain from writing even a few lines or story beats of a film every single day. In a year you’d probably have a feature film script. Or a dozen short films you could start shooting.

And what did that cost you? 365 breakfast frogs. And don’t worry, we’re talking about the cute little tiny frogs, not the big ugly toads. You can toss back a little frog like that in 15 minutes.

But if you wait until after breakfast and work and the 1000 other “easier” things get done first (well they seem easier, in reality they’re just less scary), you’ll never swallow that frog. You looked at it too long, and all you see is a big ugly toad.

Changing Frogs

When I was trying to start an editing career, I had another frog – networking.

I hated it. I wanted nothing more than to curl up in my room and work on my own little projects. But I’d been doing that for years. It was time to get myself in front of different people and show what I had to offer. So every morning, right after I got out of bed, I swallowed that frog. I’d reach out to 2 people, no matter what.

And how long did this take? Never more than 20 minutes. Sometime it only took 5. But if I put it off even for a minute, I’d rationalize my way out of NOT doing it.

By the way, this type of outreach is directly what led to me getting my first freelance editing gig.

Too simple?

But what if you have multiple answers to that important question I posed to you earlier?

Don’t worry, Mr. Twain has thought of everything:

“And if it’s your job to eat two frogs, it’s best to eat the biggest one first.”

So what’s your biggest frog when it comes to filmmaking?

Leave a comment to this post and let me know. Then swallow it tomorrow morning, first thing.

Favorites this week:

🎙️ Podcast: What Went Wrong – Tombstone

One of my favorite podcasts. They research and break down the production troubles and successes of iconic films. Their recent 2-part episode about the making of the Kurt Russel & Val Kilmer starring film, Tombstone, was fantastic.

I didn’t realize they made the whole film in a crazy race with Kevin Costner’s own Wyatt Earp movie, each trying to be first to the box-office. Or that the original writer/director was fired early in the shoot, and Kurt Russel essentially directed half the film. It’s a must listen for anyone who’s a fan of the film.

💬 Quote:

“The purpose of a storyteller is not to tell you how to think, but to give you questions to think upon.” – Brandon Sanderson

Let’s make some movies.

-Kent