As a screenwriter, do you have a creative Mt. Everest waiting for you to climb? Artistically speaking, what are you doing to challenge yourself? Two years ago, I watched a documentary about controversial writer J.D. Salinger. I decided it would be a real challenge to write a spec script about him and I came up with what I thought was an interesting angle. That Salinger’s character would have increasing interaction with the characters he created, including Holden Caufield and Seymour Glass. Initially, I was way out of my comfort zone but this became a creative turning point for me. Since then, I’ve tackled several different genres and challenging subject matter. What are you working on? I'm working on adapting a famous novel to see what I come up with.
Screenwriting : What is your creative Mount Everest? by Phillip E. Hardy, "The Real Deal"
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I recently wrote an "impressionistic biopic" that was a challenge, I think partially because it was suggested by other people that I write it, and it wasn't my own original story. But I made it my own (using a lot of creative license, lol) and conquered it! I also took on my first book adaption last summer, which was tough. But I did get paid for it so I figured it would be a good experience (and I can always use the $). Now I'm partnering w my boyfriend to write a script together (page 50 and so far so good, haven't felt like killing him yet!) and I am trying my hand at a tv pilot. I figure anything I do that helps me grow as a writer is a good thing and I enjoy tackling new projects.
Ms. Jody: (That's how we address in Texas). I'm curious what you mean by impressionistic. I've never heard that word used to describe a film story. and all your other activities sound great. And definitely don't kill the boyfriend. You may find him useful later on down the road.
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Phillip that is a newish term used to describe biopics where truth and fiction become a bit intertwined. I first saw it used in a description of the Steve Jobs story. It's basically true, but a lot of creative license was taken and there were things in the movie that were fictional.
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Jody: I got it and I like it. Without previous familiarity of the word, I've done that three time with my biopics about Angela Davis, J.D. Salinger and Charles Bukowski. Of course with any biopic, writers have to recreate what we think people said during historic events etc. I mean what did George Armstrong Custer say when he saw several thousand pissed off Native American charging at him on horseback? I'd venture to guess it was something like "Oh shit!".
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I just finished my Mt Everest...an action (war) script. I was driven to unimaginable heights and all I can say is thank God for the plateaus.
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Pitching my pilot and my dramedy, working on my first script based on a real person, and also penning a short story. Short story the most challenging, simply because I'm not used to the format. Oddly enough thinking of it in the same way I would a script makes it easier.
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@Linda: Congrats on your achievement. In early 2014, an Inktip Producer was looking for a script about "The Six Day War". So I decided to take a crack at it. I studied the encyclopedias, read some articles and watched a crap load of war footage. While watching a video recreation of a Sanai tank battle and reading about an embedded American reporter, it gave me an idea for a major portion of the story. And the other portion follows a holocaust survivor, who becomes a general that has his son under his command. I researched for two full days and started banging it out. The script took third place at last year's (2014) California Film Awards. @Terri: How do you like writing about a real person?
I would like to go out of my comfort zone of Comedy and attempt a political drama. To that end and to prepare I am watching Aaron Sorkin's: "The West Wing" in a marathon session over the last week and taking notes. I want to write mine about New York City. Perhaps centering around the Mayor . Yes That would be my Everest!!
I guess it's writing that perfectly hilarious comedy pilot that's funny enough to be picked up.
Dan - good luck!
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@Phillip so far it's enjoyable, hardest part has been coordinating schedules, my subject is incredibly busy and although she's enthusiastic about the project it's difficult for her to take time out of her daily schedule to sit down with me. Also we don't live in the same state, though we're both on the East Coast thankfully!
I'm currently writing a 30 episode time travel series. It's harder than writing a feature film, it's like writing a novel but much harder because you have to be economic and tactful, whereas as in a novel you just let your writing spew out, flowing. So once I slay this Goliath, writing any feature film is easy. And I intend to write feature films after successful completing this series. Because of its complexity, I deal with themes and elements that are interesting, speculative and imaginative, I am open to the series being animated though I wrote it to be live action. I estimate the whole series to be $10 Billion world wide gross and usher a new wave in humanity's evolution to what we are, space travel and time travel. This series has grit.
I've been contemplating taking a classic novel that I just read and turning it into a screenplay. It's been done with this novel before, but not successfully IMHO. I've also written a screenplay that I'm currently turning into a novel and I've been working on turning my first screenplay into a TV series. I'm doing all this while running my own chiropractic practice and raising two small children (3 if you count my husband ;) )
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Lara: I'll count him as long as I don't have to take off my shoes to do it.