David Duchovny’s “Bucky F*cking Dent”

Last Monday, David Duchovny discussed his latest novel “Bucky F*cking Dent” at the New World Stages in New York City for Hudson Union Society.

Duchovny spoke about a side of him that most people are not used to…his literary side.  The actor best known as Agent Fox Mulder (The X-Files) and Hank Moody (Californication) received his education from both Princeton and Yale, majoring in Literature.  He didn’t know what he was going to do with his degree, except maybe become a literature professor.

Instead, while at Yale, he became interested in acting.

Now, he’s returning back to his literary side.  For those who are writers, his talk is very inspiring and funny.  For those stuck in a rut, it’s good to know we’re not alone, especially when a critic enters your mind of how you’re not good enough.

Here is the audio from his talk.

I originally was not going to attend this event, but when Hudson Union Society sent me an email saying I could go for free, I decided to go.  You could say that was the universe encouraging me to go.  I had no idea that this would not be a talk about Duchovny’s acting career, but a discussion on being a writer.

The main thing I learned from Duchovny was this…write for yourself.  Don’t write for anyone else.  Just write for yourself.  Tell your story, don’t let others tell your story for you.  You have an opportunity to be the narrator in your story and tell your own tale.

Looking at this site and my novel, I realized that sometimes I let my mind think of what other people want and what they want to read.  I waste so much time trying to figure out what to write for other people that I forget why I write to begin with.

I shouldn’t care what other people want, because I stop being true to myself as a writer.  I have to focus on telling the story I want to tell.  I find that people are more inspired from what I write when it comes from a true place.  People can sense your passion and admiration.  It gets them inspired as well.

Writing from a cold place…one that is reporting and uncaring…I’m not telling those stories anymore.  I am going to remain true to myself as a writer.  Thank you, David Duchovny, for reminding me of who I am.  I am a writer.

For those who are writers, I highly recommend listening to the audio from his talk.