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The question I've heard the most throughout my life - not just in Hollywood - is what something means. Now, more than ever, in our pathetically politically correct society, people just can't be honest and straightforward. It makes learning - and, therefore, progressing - that much harder.
Ever since we were children, we were lied to. Our parents lied to us about life, death, religion, themselves and other people. They lied to us about what was going to on, what went on and what was going to happen to us throughout our lives... and even after our lives would be through. Whenever we caught them in a a lie, they told us "It was for your own good". They were right. It taughtus to get used to being lied to.
As we grew up, other people lied to us. Fake phone numbers, empty promises, false professions of love and loyalty, unpaid wagers and flat-out jerking us around filled our developmental years. "I'll call you" meant "I'm not going to call you" or it could mean "I might call you" or it could mean "I intend to call you, but who knows?"
So, what did we learn from this treatment? We all developed two horrible traits: the hesitancy to trust, and the time-wasting habit of trying to figure out what people mean.
I consider myself a "face-value" type of person. I say what I mean and I mean what I say and I don't care who's bothered by it. Being lied to "for my own good" bothers me infinitely more than any offense I might feel from the truth. I don't say "I'm sorry" because it's not an apology, and I rarely apologize because I DID mean to do or say whatever it is people might get mad at me for. An apology should come whan you're wrong and you correct yourself, not when you're sorry for opening your mouth because you didn't like the consequences.
And the magic question is: "What does this have to do with writing?"
Well, meaning has plenty to do with writing. It has to do with foreshadowing, subtext and dialogue. Characters are people, and people lie... but you already knew that.
Actually, what I wanted to talk about was The Biz.
In our Hollywood pursuits, we waste A LOT of time trying to figure people out. Not only are we trying to figure out the characters we create and how they matter to the stories we write, we also try to figure out the characters that we encounter in real life and what their real meanings are.
Now, the bottom line: Nothing means anything. Just like William Goldman said "Nobody knows anything" I'm saying "Nothing "means" anything".
So, now you're free. Stop wasting time trying to figure everyone out and just get on with your work and your life. Stop wondering what the hidden meaning is behind the deafening silence of your telephone, which you hoped would spring to life with at least one call from all those scripts and letters you sent out. People will tell you "No call means NO". No, it doesn't. No call means nothing. If someone doesn't call you, it could mean he didn't get the message, didn't get your script, hasn't had time to read your script, read your script and didn't like it, read your script and didn't like it enough, read your script and loved it but isn't going to buy it, got fired, went into rehab, checked into a mental hospital, checked off the planet, quit the business to start his own ostrich farm or just plain got too busy. You don't know, and you shouldn't drive yourself crazy thinking about it... unless you're going to write about the craziness.
If they don't call, they don't call. You will never know why.
Sorry.
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