Working Up

by Dwayne Phillips

I have unlimited authority over very few matters. Recognizing all those items for which my authority is quite limited makes my life easier.

A few years ago in a prior universe, I had some authority over matters at work. I played a role in some relatively important decisions. I soon recognized that my role was limited to creating the first draft of a decision. Everyone else in the organization who was “above” me, could change my draft at will.

I had the authority to create the first draft.

After the draft, my job was to change the draft as directed by other persons. At first I resisted all these directed edits. Finally, with some assistance, I learned the limits of my authority.

Knowing my limits was quite liberating.

I had the responsibility to communicate the decision to others, but not the authority to create the decision.

I’ve recently read some memoirs of author Larry McMurtry (see here and here). McMurtry had success both as a novel writer and a screenplay writer. He watched other people change his writing for the screen. He also changed the writing of others for the screen.

He had little heartburn with what people did with his writing. He accepted the limits of his authority. That is not easy to do. I am guessing, since I have never won a Pulitzer, that when you win a Pulitzer you puff out your ego and demand a bit more authority over what those screenwriters do.

Writing is an odd thing to do—especially fiction writing. We make up people and events and such. Then someone else takes our idea and makes up people and events and such.

Peace comes easier, at least for me, when I let the story go.