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A Writing Lesson from Citizen Kane · The Daily Writer

• 0:07
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the Daily Writer, where we share a lesson each day to help you cultivate the habits for creative success.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_00: These lessons are inspired by great artists, authors, and thinkers, both past and present.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_00: For more, you can visit us at dailywriterlife.com.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_00: Citizen Kane is universally recognized as one of the greatest films of all time.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_00: Orson Wells and his collaborators created a masterpiece that was well ahead of its time in storytelling, cinematography, and special effects.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_00: Yet for all its achievements, it's also one of the saddest movies ever made.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_00: The film tells the story of Charles Foster Cain, a wealthy businessman who began his career with good intentions, but over time he tries to control everybody around him, and in the end he dies alone with a mansion full of treasures and a heart full of bitterness and regret.
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_00: In a powerful scene late in the movie, Cain's former friend and employee, Judd Leland, tells a reporter that's all he ever wanted out of life was love.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_00: That's the tragedy of Charles Foster Cain.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_00: You see, he just didn't have any to give.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_00: Let me ask you a profound but simple question.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_00: Do you love to write?
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_00: We're not talking about whether you love having written.
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_00: We're talking about the actual work of writing.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_00: Do you love the creative process?
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_00: Do you love the opportunity to set down words on a page or a screen, knowing they can make a difference for somebody?
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_00: Do you love telling a story, teaching something new, or knowing that you helped someone with your words?
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_00: If the answer is yes, great.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_00: If the answer is a no or not so much, consider the reasons why.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_00: Is it because writing is hard or unpleasant?
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_00: Is it because somebody long ago said you weren't a writer?
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_00: Could it be that inner critic trying to convince you that you're not worthy?
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_00: Even if writing feels hard and some days you don't love it so much, remember the amazing benefits that come from writing.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_00: And keep in mind the words of Ray Brad and keep in mind the words of the great science fiction writer Ray Bradbury.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_00: He said, You must write every single day of your life.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_00: You must lurk in libraries and climb the stacks like ladders to sniff books like perfumes and wear books like hats upon your crazy heads.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_00: May you be in love every day for the next twenty thousand days, and out of that love, remake a world.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_00: One of the great ironies of Citizen Cain was that Charles Foster Cain was a newspaper publisher.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_00: He started his journey with a love of words, and he used those words to serve people.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_00: But by the end, he was an empty shell of a man with no love to give.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_00: And the single word he spoke right before he died, Rosebud, pointed to a time in his life when he felt most secure and loved.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_00: So today, as you sit down to write, may your heart and your pen be filled with love.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_00: Hey, thanks so much for listening to the Daily Rider Podcast.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_00: We really appreciate your support and hope you enjoyed this episode.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_00: You can find more at DailyRiderLife.com.