Ask the Author: Neal Rabin
Answered Questions (5)
Neal Rabin
I thought about one of my favorite books, Herman Hesse’s Siddhartha. Hesse structured the evolution to Buddha tale as an archetypal Hero’s journey, but it is also a classic story about deep, lifetime friendships that we all hopefully have. Siddhartha and Govinda were childhood pals, after all—their paths may diverge, but their lives remained intertwined.
I also love cheesy and classical old “buddy” films—Laurel & Hardy, Hope & Crosby, Martin & Lewis, even Farrell & Wahlberg. As a former comedy writer, I know that humor is one of the most powerful pathways into the human heart. The combination of both thematic elements became a rich opportunity to create an entertaining mix of inadvertent hero’s journey sprinkled with enough humor to make the inevitable misadventures both entertaining and relevant.
When I work with younger entrepreneurs and business people, common questions I receive are: “Am I on the right road?” or “What’s the right decision at this juncture?” That dovetails into a life question around the same issue. Have I chosen the “right” path? Siddhartha constantly asks that question, and it’s a rich theme for my own life as well. And so...
I also love cheesy and classical old “buddy” films—Laurel & Hardy, Hope & Crosby, Martin & Lewis, even Farrell & Wahlberg. As a former comedy writer, I know that humor is one of the most powerful pathways into the human heart. The combination of both thematic elements became a rich opportunity to create an entertaining mix of inadvertent hero’s journey sprinkled with enough humor to make the inevitable misadventures both entertaining and relevant.
When I work with younger entrepreneurs and business people, common questions I receive are: “Am I on the right road?” or “What’s the right decision at this juncture?” That dovetails into a life question around the same issue. Have I chosen the “right” path? Siddhartha constantly asks that question, and it’s a rich theme for my own life as well. And so...
Neal Rabin
I use all of my life experiences past and present. I read - books, newspapers, current events. I have been a student of history which I think gives me some legitimate insight into both the past and the multitude of possible futures. I'm in nature a lot since I'm a surfer. I find tons of inspiration in those moments floating in the water waiting for a wave, watching the occasional dolphin or seal pass by my zipcode.
Inspiration is an ethereal concept. I heard Philip Glass talk about it once. He said he sits at his desk each day, which he pictures as floating above a river of ideas and imagination. He figures as long as he shows up each day, in close proximity, inspiration will show up too! I like that picture.
Inspiration is an ethereal concept. I heard Philip Glass talk about it once. He said he sits at his desk each day, which he pictures as floating above a river of ideas and imagination. He figures as long as he shows up each day, in close proximity, inspiration will show up too! I like that picture.
Neal Rabin
Another novel about the flat earth.
Neal Rabin
Write. Write whatever strikes your fancy and entertains you! Don't worry about re-writing a piece until you get to the end. Keep moving forward. Then re-write, re-write, re-write. There was only one Mozart.
Neal Rabin
Writer's block is code for 'uh oh, I don't know what to write at this point in time.' It might be a particular passage in a book, short story, company speech, letter to your mother in New Zealand, or the difficult email you simply don't want to write or respond to! When that happens, and it does, I have a couple remedies. First, I look for things to create inspiration. That could mean reading something similar as a reference source, or putting that troubling passage aside and working on something different. I don't like banging my head against the same door for hours on end hoping it will open. I look for different ways to get inside - there might be a side door I haven't even seen. Often changing the task - writing something else - will gin up the impetus to tackle the harder job. I also try and break what can seem like a daunting task into smaller chunks. I learned this from playing an instrument. If you listen to an entire guitar solo from say, Eric Clapton, as an example then try to play the entire thing in one go. You will become incredibly frustrated. Break that same solo down into 1 musical phrase at a time and you can master it in time.
Don't get me wrong, sometimes I distract myself from the task by whatever means necessary: call a friend, make up something that must be done NOW, which is really never true, or take my dog, who's always ready for a walk, outside. What I do not do is leave my desk. Think of it as local temporary avoidance. Writer's are rarely at loss for words, we may not always know which ones to put in the correct sequence to solve a particular problem, but we will get there eventually with perseverance. That means just show up each day, and it will happen.
Don't get me wrong, sometimes I distract myself from the task by whatever means necessary: call a friend, make up something that must be done NOW, which is really never true, or take my dog, who's always ready for a walk, outside. What I do not do is leave my desk. Think of it as local temporary avoidance. Writer's are rarely at loss for words, we may not always know which ones to put in the correct sequence to solve a particular problem, but we will get there eventually with perseverance. That means just show up each day, and it will happen.
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