Preparation and perseverance are two sides of the same coin. Toss that coin into the air, watch it flip, and the blur between those faces starts to look like one word: “undeniable.”
Being “undeniable on the page” isn’t just about structure and market fit—they matter—but being undeniable starts with rigorous, often brutal, emotional honesty at every level.
For example, I write fiction, sure—but the emotions cannot be fake. If a scene asks for heartbreak, I have to let it break me first. If a character forgives the unforgivable, I have to go find the place in myself where that actually hurts, not where it would make for a clever monologue.
Honesty demands sacrifice:
- It means opening yourself up farther than is comfortable.
- It means admitting where you’ve been lazy, small, petty, afraid, or cruel.
- It means refusing to sand off the jagged edges of the story just to make it an easier pitch.
Should you care if your work will be commercially viable? You better care—you better also believe it yourself. Part of that care and belief is expressed through the relentless pursuit of producing a work that is undeniable, knowing that “undeniable” can lead to “inevitable”—and if you really nail it—“necessary.”
On the perseverance side, I don’t just “hang in there.” I dig in. I don’t “move on” until the universe forces me to. While I wait for meetings or replies, I’m deepening the gravity of the world I built:
- Refining the script again.
- Expanding the lore.
- Building out concept art and visual language.
- Sketching transmedia possibilities so the story can live in more than one dimension.
I’m not trying to be a multi-hyphenate. I’m a World Builder—and not just a “cool concept” builder. I want the worlds I craft to be structurally, philosophically, and creatively mesmerizing. I want an exec to feel like they are stepping into a living mythology—because they are.
Make a covenant with your work and yourself:
- Prepare — Do the spiritual surgery required to make the work undeniable.
- Persevere — Refuse to treat “waiting” as dead time, and use it to build the kingdom until the gates finally open.
How about you all? How do you keep telling the truth on the page—and keep building when the industry moves slower than your heart does?
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That’s a truly inspiring article.
To make a story believable, you need to give real life to the characters, not just treat them like machines that simply execute what you have in mind.
Create a puzzle, but show the logic from A to Z—don’t let things just happen as if by magic.
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Love this, Adam Spencer. I tell the truth on the page by being honest about a scene (is it true to the story, and is it real-life accurate if I'm going for that). I keep working on projects, learning, networking, and pitching when the industry is moving slow.
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Where you talk about emotional honesty - this is exactly what I mean when I say my work is empathically brutal. I do NOT shy back from emotions. I don't dance around the rough stuff. The emotional truth is going to be there, no matter how brutal. I keep doing that by staying true to my own voice. And of course, I keep working. I'm going to keep writing, networking, and building material.
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"Honesty demands sacrifice" - well said Adam Spencer
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Yes....but with far less self importance.
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Sometimes the hardest progress comes from admitting where we’ve stumbled. I bend a knee at the altar of honesty because only by owning my failures can I transform them into fuel for growth. Honesty isn’t weakness; it’s the foundation of resilience and the path to stronger stories, stronger pitches, and stronger collaborations. I loved your title, Adam Spencer. Happy NWC week 3 :)
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Sandra Isabel Correia, this is beautifully said. I really love: “only by owning my failures can I transform them into fuel for growth.” That line alone deserves a place on many a writer’s desks—including my own.
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Meriem Bouziani Well put! Characters aren’t machines executing plot, they’re real lives on the page. And yes to showing the logic from A to Z!
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Maurice Vaughan I appreciate that a lot—thank you. I really resonate with your line about being honest with a scene: is it true to the story and to real life? That’s the exact calibration I’m chasing too.
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Sebastian Tudores Thank you. That line is very personal for me. I know we all bring our own histories to the page, but if people knew the full gravity of what honesty has cost me in real life—both the good and the bad—they’d see how often that price feels like everything. And strangely, it’s usually in those moments, when the cost is highest, that the work becomes worth everything too. Appreciate you seeing that.
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You're welcome, Adam Spencer. Yeah, because if a scene or something isn't true to the story, the reader -- and the audience later -- might notice.
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Michael Elliott 2 That’s a fair point, Michael, and I appreciate you saying it.
I think humility sometimes gets misunderstood. For me, it isn’t about pretending to be small—it’s about remembering I’m fallible. I can be wrong in my words, my tone, or how I come across, and the most valuable thing I can do is recognize that and adjust.
My intention is always to put the weight on the work, not on my own importance. If anything in my post read to you as self-importance, I’m sorry for that. Your comment is a welcome reminder that the closer we are to a given point of focus, the harder it can be to see it in relation to everything else—ourselves most of all. Thank you.
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Elle Bolan, “empathically brutal” is such a powerful phrase. Love that!
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Love this. Also, incredible vocabulary and writing in this post. So well done.
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Maurice: why am I a #2? (spare me the scatalogical references). Who is Michael Elliott 1?
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It's a glitch, Michael Elliott 2. The Tech Team is working on it.
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You should keep the 2, it sounds catchy lol
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It's my truth, AdamAdam Spencer. Thank you :))
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Sandra Isabel Correia, you are most welcome.
Thank you for crafting and championing stories that heal and inspire.
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Adam Spencer I am sorry to hear of the cost but it has obviously earned you what I feel is a much coveted spot - that magical balance between not giving a [%#$&] about what other people think and remaining gracious and with an observational eye on perspective. Good on ya' & much respect. A pleasure to have you here on the platform.