Meet Makena Metz

We were lucky to catch up with Makena Metz recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Makena, so happy you were able to devote some time to sharing your thoughts and wisdom with our community. So, we’ve always admired how you have seemingly never let nay-sayers or haters keep you down. Can you talk to us about how to persist despite the negative energy that so often is thrown at folks trying to do something special with their lives?

When I was just starting to write in college, I was very impacted by getting constant rejection letters. Every time I opened my email, I held a breath (I didn’t know I was holding) to learn if my work had been accepted to an opportunity I wanted. Most of the time, it was not.

For years, I beat myself up. My thinking would cycle from “My stories must not be good enough” to “My writing must not be good enough” to “I am not good enough.” Standard or even automated rejections would make me upset, ruining my day, and putting me in a bitter mood. What was I doing wrong? My writing had been selected a few times for different opportunities, so I knew I was somewhat decent at it. But I just wasn’t getting picked.

Then I stumbled upon an article about reframing rejection. It told me to aim for 100 rejections a year, and every time I got a rejection, to put a marble in a jar. At the end of the year, you count them all up, and that number is how much you submitted that year. So, I bought a jar, and some marbles, and got to work.

At first, every rejection stung. Every “no” was a mean-spirited “you should quit writing.” But then, something amazing started to happen. I began to take the rejections less personally. Every time I got one, I let myself savor the feel of the marble, the clink it made going into the jar. And then I had ten. And then twenty.

My rejections soon became a game, and I even created a color key with my marbles. Every rejection would be a pattern, and every acceptance a clear marble. At the end of the year, I counted them up. My rejections far outweighed my acceptances. But I had submitted more than I ever had before (over 100 times). And the unexpected side effect was: I was surprised with multiple acceptences.

This process taught me about persistence. As a writer, it’s important to be persistent about submitting work, and be consistent about your writing practice.

Now as a writer who publishes consistently, I encounter the other side of the coin – people who just don’t like my work. Yes, we do all that writing and submitting and hoping and editing and just to publish something that people don’t like to read? Well, art is subjective, and everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

I cope with the haters by knowing that I am a fan of my own work, and even if one person connects to a story I’ve published, then I’ve done my job as a writer. Just like rejections, not everyone is going to love your work, and developing a thick skin is important as a writer. But a thick skin may be the wrong term – the process isn’t about distancing yourself from people, it’s about learning that what someone thinks about your work is not a reflection on YOU. That takes practice, time, and a community of people who have your back. Writer friends are essential to have a persistant writing and submitting practice.

I persist writing in spite of the haters and nay-sayers. This mindset is what being a writer really is about – and it’s something you have to actively practice. Now, I try not to let anyone’s opinion bother me, and keep on typing away.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

Hi! I’m Makena and I am a writer for the page, screen, and stage. I am an interdisciplinary artist, meaning I write in lots of different mediums. I write comedy and dramady, usually in genre fiction like magical realism, sci-fi, and fantasy, and I like to write about misfits, weirdos, nerds, and outcasts. I also am a songwriter (lyrics and topline), teach writing, and do work as a developmental and copy editor. You can check out my website for pricing on those servies!

I started writing in college, after I got diagnosed with a chronic illness. I was taking a class with fabulous Chicago playwright Mickle Maher and I started using writing as a coping mechanism – as therapy. Soon, I fell into the writing hole, never to return. After graduating college and moving back home to LA, I found New Musicals Inc. which teaches the niche craft of writing musical theatre. Around that time, I also started writing screenplays, and working with various collaborators both on musicals and feature films. A few years later, I’m still working on writing for theatre and film, and we go into quarantine. I was diagnosed with a tumor in my knee six months earlier, and after my surgery two weeks before lockdown, I realized I had all the time in the world on my hands. While recovering from my knee surgery, I decided to write a book. The summer of 2020, I wrote my first novel, and in November, I participated in NaNoWriMo to write my second. I used my prose, theatre, and screenwriting samples to submit to graduate school – and I decided to go to Chapman University.

In grad school, my new classes opened my writing world. Thanks to my amazing teachers Jim Blaylock and Anna Leahy, I started writing short stories and poetry. Meanwhile, I was still working on scripts for tv and film, musicals, and plays, plus books. Something about grad school created a new thirst in me to get my writing into the world. And now? I’ve been published in over 25 literary magazines, dabbled in essay and flash fiction, written songs for Disney and Paramount, had my plays read all over the country, and consistenly gotten my writing produced.

What I like about being a multidisciplinary artist is that I get to indulge my ADHD brain that likes to multitask to get dopamine spikes (plus I encourage young artists to think about multiple revenue streams). I like to think about my writing practice like a stove: some burners are simmering, some are turned to high, and some are off. Some are cooking stew, some cook rice, and some are boiling water. This could mean: I have an idea simmering for a new play, but I am in edits on a short story that’s getting published, and I’m actively writing my next pilot. I also really believe in taking time off from writing, so that your brain can process ideas, recharge, and look for inspiration in new avenues.

Now, I’m focused on publishing and producing work, editing other’s work, and moving towards getting into a writers room for television. I also really love teaching and mentoring young people through various writing organizations and really believe in the philosophy of “lift while you climb.” After all, writers are not each other’s competition – we’re each other’s community.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

The first thing I did that impacted my journey as a writer was take risks. Whether that was submitting to an opportunity, to saying yes to a 48 hour play festival, to having my friend read my book, taking risks is something that I’ve seen pay off in my career. Yes, taking risks are scary, but as a writer, the whole career is basically built on that. So feel the fear, process it, let it go, live in the moment, and take a risk.

The second thing that’s impacted me is writing consistently. I really hate the saying “write everyday,” because as someone who is disabled and chronically ill, that is sometimes impossible. I think the less ableist thing to say is, “write consistently.” For me, that means making a writing schedule, or prioritizing writing projects in order of due date, or even just taking time to brainstorm an idea in the shower. Writing consistently (and submitting your work consistently) has impacted my career in a positive way.

The third thing is using writing as catharsis. Know the phrase, “Write what you know?” I think “write what brings you catharsis” is actually more accurate. You’ll find that common themes will start to appear in your body of work because at the end of the day, writing is a form of therapy, of exorcising the demons from your brain. I for one know that if I don’t write, the voices in my mind will start to revolt. So I go back to my keyboard, and write a sitcom that’s somehow helping me process my childhood trauma. Weird, but it works!

For people who are early in their writing journey, the best advice I have is to say YES to everything. If someone asks you to submit work? Say yes. Someone asks you to write with them? Say yes. Someone asks you to write and act in a one woman show? Errr- cautiously, say yes.

You miss all the shots you don’t take, and trust me, you’re a better writer than you think you are. You can improve your craft, your mindset, and use writing to tame your demons. So stop staring at the blank page, and write.

Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?

For me, my writing community and collaborators have been instrumental in developing my career. In various educational settings, my cohorts have supported each other inside and outside the classroom. Having people to share your work with and get feedback from, or even just commiserate about the industry with are essential to overcoming challenges.

I also love being part of organizations like The Dramatists Guild, Maestra Music, The Society of Composers and Lyricists, and Women in Animation because community is built in. ASCAP has an expo every year and a musical theatre fest at the Wallis. At events like those, you connect with people and build relationships and feel less alone because they’re doing what you’re doing – trying to survive as a writer. Meeting people who have dealt with the same issues and are able to share their experiences and advice are essential to growing as a writer.

Working with collaborators does a similar thing. It gives you a board to bounce ideas off, an active problem solver, and someone who challenges you and pushes you to do your best. My collaborators have given me the confidence to speak my mind, apply for opportunities, and I’ve been able to learn and grow from working with those trusted people.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Headshot – Huebner Headshots

Equinox – Strange Horizons

The Tea Shop – For Page and Screen

15 Min Musicals – New Musicals Inc.

Large group picture – First Time Composers, Paramount/MTV

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