Are you a screenwriter? A writer? Then you are a private chauffeur

You are the one who drives. You are the one tasked with getting your clients to their destination, where they have chosen to arrive. In the back seat, your clients are the characters of your story. They are the true creators of the story. You are their employee. Or their assistant. They are the bosses. They know better than you.

You must be attentive, considerate, without being deferential. They don’t like hypocrisy or manners. They don’t need you to save them, nor to condemn them. They need you to listen to them, to understand them. And you must not reveal all their secrets, even if you know them. I remind you that you are merely an employee.

With time, your gaze and your questions sharpen, and you learn to decipher a gesture, a sigh, a smile in response to one of your questions. You can become one of the best chauffeurs there are. Those who never boast. They know what they owe to their passengers. To their bosses. But they also know that the characters need them. That they are complementary. They know it’s not a power dynamic, but a relationship of complementarity.

You must learn to let the characters guide you, to trust them. They can be the best bosses in the world. They know the road. You bring them your expertise and your professionalism. Your uniqueness as well. The feeling of serene power you experience when you drive is irreplaceable.

And when you arrive at the destination, when your clients reward you with a sincere smile, perhaps even a pat on the back before leaving you, the smile that grows within you is priceless.