Yesterday I was watching Star Trek, and it hit me: writers really are the unsung heroes of life.
Now, as a writer myself, I’m really not trying to blow my own horn here. There are thousands of writers throughout history that have written far more meaningful stories and even single sentences than I have. No—what I’m saying right now is that almost everything important to us in our media has come from a writer…and I don’t think we really take that into consideration as much as we should.
Not too long ago, I found myself thinking about Meat Loaf (the singer, not the dish). While attending college, I had developed a—not only a liking, but a genuine respect and admiration for the lyrical genius of his songs. I mean, how can you get any more profound than:
“Between the boy I was before, and what I’m gonna be,
there’s a clash on the border / a flame in the sky
Girl, that’s where you’re gonna find me.”
Or another of my favorites:
“The stars would glimmer, and the moon would glow
I’m in the back seat with my Julie like Romeo,
And the signs along the highway all said:
Caution: kids at play.”
These songs, and the feelings they instilled in me, were a large part of my first years away at college. They kept me company; they inspired me; they took me back to long summer nights that were so hot “even the beach was burning.” And they made me feel alive.
But the problem here is, upon further reflection and even just a minute or two of research, it’s clear that it was not the lyrical genius of Meat Loaf I was admiring. It was the lyrical genius of Paul Jacobs and Sarah Durkee. It was the lyrical genius of Jim Steinman.
That’s not to say that Meat Loaf’s voice and stage presence didn’t add to the quality of the songs or the grandeur of the performance. Of course they would not be the same without him. But I like to try and give credit where credit is due, and I think it’s safe to say that only the most hardcore fans of music would really know who Jim Steinman is, while “Meat Loaf” is a more common household name (and not just because it’s also a popular dinner item).
And of course, Sir Patrick Stewart is the person who makes Captain Jean-Luc Picard come alive for us on the screen. But at the heart of things, he is really just the character’s vessel. The traits, the wisdom, the courage, even the things that make him tick, only exist because someone behind the scenes put pen to paper. Someone whose name most of us will never even know coined the words, “If we’re going to be damned, then let’s be damned for what we really are.” But it is Patrick Stewart’s charm and presence that carries the line of dialogue into history. It is Patrick Stewart who is remembered for the character.
Although, I certainly wouldn’t be surprised if I learned Sir Patrick contributed to the writing as well.
In the end, while some writers are also actors / singers / comedians / news personalities, etc., not every actor / singer / comedian / news personality, etc. is a writer. And yet, the characters they create, the lines of dialogue we quote, the lyrics we sing in the shower, the statements that make us stop and think / feel / take action, are all because a (most often) faceless person had something to say.
In other words, when writers demand more money, give it to them. They deserve it.
