The only times in your career as a writer that you’ll be able to write what you want are at the beginning and the end, if you’re successful.

Two of the best ways to get good at something is to do it a lot and to learn from the best. Few television series have captivated and engaged me in quite the same way as Black Mirror. So, while I don’t have any immediate ambitions to write screenplays for television or movies, I feel I can learn a lot from someone like the show’s co-creator Charlie Brooker. And even outside of screenwriting, the quote above is rather poignant.

In the Beginning

When you first start your career, maybe you’re already passionate about a certain topic or genre. You’re free to write about that, even if you’re not especially good at it. Or perhaps you’d rather spend your time exploring a broad range of subjects and types of writing. You’re certainly free to do that too.

As a child, I thought I wanted to be a cartoonist. Inspired by greats like Jim Davis (Garfield), Bill Watterson (Calvin and Hobbes) and Gary Larson (The Far Side), I thought I wanted to get into comic strips. And that involves a wholly different kind of writing than what I do today. Not to mention the ability to draw, but that’s neither here nor there. As I started my professional freelance writing career, I took an interest in technology and consumer electronics. So, I pursued that, because I could. I don’t do as much of that today, and that’s okay.

Trapped in the Middle

What you’ll find, and what Charlie Brooker implies, is that when you’re in the “middle” of your career, the kind of writing you do is influenced by so many other factors. Other stakeholders can dictate what you write. Maybe, you’re writing on spec or you have investors to appease. Or managers who provide assignments. Or you take on certain jobs and projects, because they’re what pay the bills. You’re no longer as “free” to do what you want.

True, I have a latent interest in filmmaking and screenwriting. However, it’s not something I’m actively pursuing on a professional level right now. If I had moved in that direction early on in my career, instead of blogging and technology, things might look different now.

The End Is the Beginning?

By much the same token, you have the same kind of “freedom” toward the end of the career “if you’re successful,” because you may not feel the same kind of pressure to “pay the bills.” Or you’ve proven your merit to such an extent that stakeholders give you free rein to write whatever you want.

In the case of Black Mirror, it falls neither at the beginning nor at the end of Charlie Brooker’s career. While he certainly got to flex some creative muscle, he still needed the approval of various higher-ups to get the episodes made. And I, for one, am very grateful that they made this series. Hopefully, they have more episodes on the way.

For greater insight into the writing process from Charlie Brooker, check out this video from Behind the Curtain. It’s where I nabbed the quote highlighted above.