The Life of a Screenwriter
As one myself, I’m always open to writers of all kinds having a spot on my show. In fact, my first episode was with a screenwriter and director. So yeah, writing has a special place in my heart. Often, I look back on what it means to be a screenwriter and I look at some of my guests.
Episode 39’s Rudy Salas explained the importance of keeping the audience engaged from the beginning. “The second that you don’t answer their questions right after the intro scene, you lose them because now they don’t know what’s going on.” Rudy knows when he has their attention, he has to keep it. Which is why he relies on devices like foreshadowing to carry the plot forward. People are typically not going to watch something they don’t fully understand.
Episode 27’s Adrion Trujillo recognizes how valuable criticism can be. “I feel like criticism is a skill.” Criticism opens the door for growth and insight for a writer. When you criticize one, you must first understand what they are going for, hence why Trujillo emphasized the need for empathy in a critic. “Put yourself in the mind of a writer,” he says. Criticism without empathy becomes basically bullying. Too many people look for any opportunity to bash the writer without even trying to put themselves in the latter’s shoes. Such behavior is counterproductive and does little to help either party.
Episode 1’s Ezekiel Clare found the influence of outside surroundings. When Clare was still a student at Purchase during the Pandemic, they found themselves falling in love with the campus after a considerable time in isolation. The realization of how something can make you feel a certain way without even really trying is what inspire their film, “Sow A Little Tenderness”. It’s true, art imitates life and the experiences you have in life can bring out the best fictional ideas.
When looking at the life of a screenwriter, it can be really rewarding, but at the same time it’s a super arduous journey. No true reward is guaranteed for your hard work, and everyone wants to be the next Aaron Sorkin or Shonda Rhimes. However, we writers are a bit of a lost cause. We know the risks and likelihood of success, and we keep pushing anyway.