Interview with Hadassah Raven (aka H. Raven Rose)

Hadassah Raven is an exceptionally talented writer. Over the last year she has written and revised five feature films (one a collaboration), a reality television pilot episode and a short play.
But she hasn't always been this prolific. In fact, there have been times in her life where she has experienced extreme writers block. Through experimentation with both hemispheres of her brain she was able to begin to unlock her own creative potential. She now shares her techniques to enable other writers to do the same....

The Interview with H. Raven Rose

Damien: What inspired you to become a writer?

Hadassah: Hey, Damien. It is such a pleasure to spend this time with you and your readers. Thank you so very much for connecting with me in this way. Asking about my inspiration for becoming a writer is a great question. I always read… a lot. As a girl, I generally read a book a day. Being a reader was probably a great indicator of my love of language. Loquacious language. I really do love words and talking. I love communicating really… as a teen I wrote for my local newspaper and for my high school paper. In my family of six children we were always putting on plays and musicals and playing in ways that involved writing. For a while as an adult, I wasn’t writing. I painted and was a mixed media artist, another form of communication. I do love making splashy vivid colorful art and creating and had art in a gallery for a while. Then I noticed I was “writing” actual words on my paintings. I realized I had something to say and consciously chose to return to writing as my self-expression. The simplest answer to your question is that a writer is an aspect of my being. Being a writer is what I am and do. I always knew I would be a writer when I grew up, although I am still growing up :-).

Damien: I understand that it took you 8+ years to write your first feature film script? Tell me what the process was like and what did you learn from it?

Hadassah: The eight years it took to write that first movie script were torturous in some ways. It was horribly painful to have a dream, a goal, and a vision coming from within and be blocked in achieving that dream. Essentially, writer’s block is a lot like having something stuck in your throat. I was creatively gagging on this block, well, really a series of multiple blocks, and it was painful to experience. Being stuck for me was really frustrating emotionally and energetically tiring. In some ways, I felt like a failure, incompetent and, well, like I was weak or a bad person. My word was so important to me. Many people knew I had been working on a screenplay. A few years earlier I’d had a column in a La Jolla California monthly newspaper and the fact that I was working on a screenplay was in my byline. It became personally embarrassing to me that I hadn’t finished my movie script. I felt like a liar, a fraud and a cheat. It became spiritually vital, a matter of ethics that I complete that screenplay yet I had no clue how to do so.

I also had and have a love of self-development and transformation work. What happened was that I would go a certain way down the writing path, whether in writing plays, part of a memoir or that first script, would run into a block and then would “decide” that my inability to write meant I wasn’t a writer. I would run into a block, not recognize it as a block, and stop writing. Then I would switch my focus to psychology and transformation work. I actually got a number of different training and certifications, which were useful. I coached others but I noticed was that the desire to write, the passion, the draw, the raw, fantastic, orgasmic energetic energy drive to create a body of word work, never left. It couldn’t leave because it was emanating from my heart and soul. I would eventually notice the drive and return to writing.

To finish that first script I had to become conscious of my writing process and apply tools, techniques and strategies from self-development, including coaching, to achieve the goal. The year I finished my first script was the year I got trained and certified as a Covey Coach. In that training we peer coached around a long-held dream or goal. My goal was to complete my first script. Using the Covey Model we looked at and reframed my limiting beliefs around my ability to complete a feature film script. Together we established what I would do and my deadline for accomplishing my goal. I also used the NLP concept of modeling, that I had learned in various transformation experiences with Anthony Robbins, to analyze and take apart a previous experience where I had an ambitious writing goal and had achieved it. I knew that I needed to model, copy, the steps involved in my previous experience of setting and achieving a goal in order to duplicate that same success. I realized that to finish this script I needed to create a physical space in which to write, block off enough time on my calendar to do so, bring together all of the resources I would need and then focus solely on this project until it was completed. When I analyzed my previous experiences in accomplishing writing and other goals I realized that I was most successful when I really narrowed my focus and really concentrated on the goal at hand.

The resources I needed were my laptop, typed/scribbled script notes and ideas, partial rough draft, pens, paper, printed produced scripts, a TV/VCR combination and videos of the films produced from those printed scripts and a few of screenwriting how-to books. At that time I hadn’t finished my undergraduate degree in screenwriting and so I needed reference books on screenwriting to understand how to write a proper movie script. I put all of those resources, including the e-mail from my sister asking if I’d finished my script, on my California king-size bed. The bed became my office.

I cleared my calendar (I had been coaching others and teaching workshops or giving talks) to make the energetic (time or physical energy resources) space I needed to accomplish my goal. Creating energetic space is really vital for me, even if I have all of the other resources for creating and writing in place… it is just not possible for me to write or create if I don’t make the energetic space to do so.

My coach, Sue, was an important support for me. I had a deadline and accountability. Sue was expecting me to let her know that I had accomplished my goal by the agreed upon date. Accountability is one of the most important parts of coaching others and being coached. Being held accountable for an action, by another human being, is often a vital part of getting things done. Many people don’t accomplish as much as they might because there is no outside accountability.

Then I devoted myself to writing until I completed the script. In thinking back I know it took several weeks. I really didn’t do anything else except write or watch videos or read produced scripts that inspired me. Every action I took was related to achieving my goal. I remember having little contact with other people, including friends and choosing to stay home and write instead of going to parties. I’m not sure my friends understood why I wouldn’t come out of my house or get together. I really dropped out of sight because that was what it took for me to accomplish my goal. I had learned about the concept of WEIT, again from Tony Robbins… one of my greatest teachers, which is doing “What Ever it Takes” to accomplish something. For me, WEIT meant that I needed to forgo everything that was not part of accomplishing this screenwriting goal. At that and this point in my life I will sometimes make those hard choices, taking a short-term loss of something, whether a bit of fun or whatever, in order to accomplish an important long-term goal.

After several weeks I finished that script. It was a monumental moment for me. I had so much energy, excitement, passion and enthusiasm. I felt so good about this. Because it was a heart and soul’s desire I felt a tremendous sense of gratitude, peace and joy in completing the script. It was like coming home to the self that I knew that I truly was… I was now being a screenwriter and not just planning to be a screenwriter or talking about it. In completing that first script I learned that I could do this, I could complete a 120-page map for a movie. That accomplishment point of reference led me to know that I could do it again and again.

Damien: You are now quite prolific creativity wise, tell me about some of the writing projects you have worked on over the past year?

Hadassah: The last year brought me a number of fantastic projects, which were mostly inspirational and spiritual. I wrote five feature film scripts for other people. Four of those movie screenplays were spiritual and/or metaphysical in nature. It was amazing; I did not seek out these projects. They came to me word of mouth or synchronistically. One project Amazing Grace is based on the true story of the slave ship captain John Newton, who trades in human flesh and has a spiritual epiphany and later goes on to become a minister and pen the hymn Amazing Grace. Another spiritual scripts I collaborated on allowed me to learn about history and the spirituality of the Paiute Indian mystic and prophet Wovoka, creator of Ghost Dancing. One script, Even in Death I Worry About You, is a mystical and metaphysical Catholic story about a father who suffers and has a series of mystifying experiences after his 21-year old daughter dies and communicates with him from beyond this world. I also wrote a corporate video script, a new play for myself called Café Latte, and Cha-Ching! a really fun, somewhat bitterly humorous, romantic comedy film script. It was really fun to write and rewrite that script. I wrote a spiritual script called A Legacy. I also ghostwrote and collaborated in writing the Clear Mind book with workshop facilitator/transformation guru Paul Bauer of DreamsAlive.com. The book accompanies his alpha theta frequency CD and has exercises designed to elicit higher awareness states, attune the listener to present moment awareness, and facilitate transcendence of the emotional pain and challenges of daily life. Spring 2005 I was a Writer and Producer for the pilot episode of Xtreme Entrepreneurs a win-win entrepreneurial reality show shot in Houston in May. I was on CNN Business Radio Houston with Executive Producer Stuart Weinstein and interviewed by both H-Texas and Houston’s KHOU Channel 11 News, along with other crew, for a print article and television broadcast. That was all great fun. I love promoting the work I am involved with, although that project is in turn-around at the moment until investors come on board. I had other minor projects, including editing children’s fiction and the like but my favorite projects are writing feature film scripts.

Damien: What does it mean to be 'in the flow' as a writer?

Hadassah: When a person is “in the flow” as a writer, what I call Writing FLOW, they are in a highly enjoyable State of Awareness in which writing flows, with little or no effort, until a time when they decide to stop writing. Flow is a highly desirable state for any writer to experience regularly. It is the opposite of blocked. In a Writing FLOW State a writer usually experiences unusual productivity, in terms of pages generated daily, while experiencing a distinctive quality, ease and enjoyment, of the writing experience. It is an exquisite magical experience to be in flow. The writer is very focused and organized and time seems to drop away. It is a lot like being in love. You forget about the rest of the world and just won’t want to stop doing what you are doing until you either have to eat, sleep or take a bathroom break. When you are done with any of those activities you just want to go back to your love, your writing work. It is a delicious experience.

Damien: You write under the pen name H. Raven Rose. What are the major benefits of doing so?

Hadassah: I write under a pen name for a few reasons. One, H. Raven Rose is a stronger name. It resonates differently than Hadassah Rose or even Hadassah Raven Rose. Words are like music, they have a timbre and vibration and I wanted to have a signature that stood out and was as powerful and memorable as possible. Part of it is that it separates my screenwriter persona from my private self. I will eventually finish a memoir and I will write that under my actual name. Lastly, frankly, the entertainment industry is still male dominated and it is not necessarily an advantage for a reader to know that I am female. Readers are the gatekeepers that a script must make it past to get to into a studio or production company. When I wrote the series project proposal and pilot episode of Xtreme Entrepreneurs the Canadian executive producer sent the material to someone male he knew in the industry here in Los Angeles. The feedback was great but it made me laugh because the guy immediately assumed I was a man. This is what he wrote. “Wow! Now this is impressive. Don’t know where you found this guy, but he’s got it spelled out just like it needs to be spelled out. I think this is sellable now. Good job!”

Damien: What exactly is writers block and how do you help your clients overcome it?

Hadassah: Writer’s Block is an inability to write or continue writing when the writer has a desire to write. Essentially a person, a writer, will have the desire or mental intention to write but won’t do it. They will procrastinate or avoid it or try to write and find it a slow, emotionally traumatic and frustrating experience. Blocked writers are often stressed out and embarrassed, particularly if they have threatening deadlines. They can feel self-anger and their Writer’s Block can make them tired or low energy. I use a lot of different tools to help clients overcome Writer’s Block. I’ve gotten a lot of training including Covey Coaching training and certification, CTI coaching and training in Gestalt, Psychosynthesis, Rogerian (Person Centered), and Reality therapeutic facilitation techniques. One of my certifications is as a CJEA (Creative Journal Expressive Arts) facilitator. In that training I learned to do Voice Dialogue with clients, a form of communicating with a person’s secret selves, what Hal and Sidra Stone, the married couple and Ph.D.’s in Psychology who created Voice Dialogue, call our sub-personalities. Gestalt facilitation and Voice Dialogue are particularly effective in helping writers break through Writer’s Block. With the Voice Dialogue, either in person or an over the phone coaching session, a Writing FLOW coaching client and I dialogue with the part of their unconscious, the sub-personality, that is blocked. Often dialoguing with this part of self is enough to break through the block. Sometimes a part of self has specific fears about writing or fears about the results of writing. People are often afraid of or feel unworthy of success. Much of this is occurring at the subconscious level or the threshold of consciousness and is only revealed during Voice Dialogue. Most people do not know what is going on in their mind, they are unaware of negative self-talk, in their head and not deeply in their bodies, and don’t experience the complexity of their nature.

Damien: What sort of results have you been able to get with your clients?

Hadassah: People break through their writing blocks and achieve their writing goals. It is phenomenal. I feel so much gratitude for the opportunity to facilitate people and watch as they break through their creative or writing blocks. Writing FLOW coaching helps people to access, process and release their blocks to writing. People have found that if they have the courage and willingness to explore the blocks, with support and me as a guide using the various techniques I am trained in, they can get into the dark places of their consciousness. Because I have been in those places myself, I am able to go there with other people. There in the dark unknown clients are able to access, process and release the subconscious fears or material that prevents them from achieving the writing goals they desire and deserve. Writers are able to become more productive, stop self-sabotaging behavior and really enjoy the writing process. My clients gain deeper self-knowledge and access greater energy. It gives me great joy to assist a writer in breaking through a block and watch them accomplish their writing heart and soul’s desires or goals.

Damien: You're also in the process of writing a non fiction book entitled 'The Writer's Guide to Writing FLOW: 30 Days to Break Through Writer's Block. When will budding young writers be able to get their hands on a copy and how will it help them?

Hadassah: I am revising the draft of my book and it should be available through my web-site by fall 2006. The book is intended to help any writer explore, access and process their writing block(s). It is intended as a supplement or replacement for Writing FLOW coaching. There are hundreds of thousands of blocked writers who are needlessly suffering and procrastinating, not enjoying the writing process, or not writing as fast as they could be. My book will help any writer, novice or advanced, break through the blocks that prevent them from writing and/or experiencing Writing FLOW.

Damien: Do you have any simple and practical advice for people looking to build the courage to start to write?

Hadassah: Lack of courage to write implies a fear of criticism. It is a healthy desire to wish to avoid emotional pain and hurt. It isn’t pleasant when our writing is criticized. We may fear negative feedback from an outer critic, someone in our daily life, an editor, peer or teacher, or from an Inner Critic sub-personality. We naturally want to avoid the pain we feel when a person or some part of our own subconscious mind, an Inner Critic sub-personality, tells us “you can’t write a movie script,” or “your writing is no good,” or “you’re too old” or the like. A writer can respond to actual negative comments from others and their own Inner Critic in a journal entry. Then they should get on with their writing project. The writing muscle, like any muscle or skill, will get stronger from daily use. If a person really lacks the courage to start writing and is unable to write, they likely have uncleared unconscious material that is blocking them. They may want to explore that material in order to access, process and break through the writing block.

Damien: Do you think anyone can live an inspired life?

Hadassah: Damien, I do think anyone can live an inspired life. I believe that living an inspired life is generally a two-part process. A person must be clear about the Inspired Life Vision that moves, energizes and delights them. Living an inspired life, saying, “yes” to the reality of our Inspired Life Vision takes intention and conscious choice and is immensely rewarding and energizing. We receive our Inspired Life Vision by saying, “yes” to whatever, or whomever, is a part of that Inspired Life Vision and saying, “no” to whatever, or whomever, is not a part of that inspired Life Vision. The second part of leading an inspired life is to access, process and release anything within us blocking an inspired life. Having material to let go of is a natural part of life. Most of us have conscious or unconscious material (thoughts/fears/beliefs, emotions, energy and physical or kinesthetic experience) from the past or present which we can release. Releasing this material creates space for increased delight in our life, greater joy, peace, and love, deeper unity with other beings and our planet and a sense of the magic and potential of each delicate powerful human life.

Thank you so much for this time and opportunity to connect and share Damien, you are one of the most heart-centered, authentic joyful people I know. I very much value you as a human being and as the unique Senn-Sational coach you are. I wish you and your readers Writing FLOW and the fulfillment of your Inspired Life Visions!

Smiles and Divine maGic, H. Raven Rose (Hadassah)

For more information on H. Raven Rose please see http://www.writingflow.com/