Writing and pitching TV shows is just like throwing a boomerang. Kinda.

 

Confused? Fear that I’ve lost the plot entirely? Pull up a chair and let me tickle your ear-drums.

 

In the last post I touched briefly on the topic of failure – that writing is often about failing and picking ourselves up after that failure. As writers we have to learn to turn that frown upside down re-frame this; so we don’t think of it as failing, but as another chance to further work on our craft.

 

For reasons best not explored, this got me thinking about boomerangs. If you’re like me, you’ll be surprised to discover there are two kinds of boomerangs: returning and non-returning – although I have a sneaking suspicion that the latter is actually called a stick. In any case, it’s the retuning boomerang that we usually think of.

 

I was always taught that the earliest boomerangs were used for hunting by the indigenous peoples of Australia (a story which is probably untrue) and it occurred to me that the very fact that the boomerang returned was indicative of failure. Surely if the boomerang hit a target, the impact would chance its trajectory – preventing it from a clean return.

 

And I guess in a very long winded way that this is a metaphor for the pitching process. The act of creating our project and pitching it is very similar to throwing the boomerang. Most of the time we’re gonna miss, but the boomerang will return to us. We then get another chance to refine our technique; to hone the craft, before we take another shot. Time after time we’re gonna throw those boomerangs and they’ll come straight back. But eventually, once we master the technique, we’ll throw one and it’ll strike its target. We’ll make the sale, get the option, get accepted into the program… whatever it is you’re aiming for.

 

You just have to accept that it’s gonna take time, dedication, and constant self-evaluation of you and your work.

 

Just make sure you’re throwing a boomerang and not a stick.