Screenwriting : What has inspired you to write a screenplay? by Phillip E. Hardy, Prolifique

Some of my best inspirations occur at fast food establishments. Or was it the heartburn that evening? Either way, works for me.

I worked on many films where I was either a script supervisor or a reader for the production company. I always wanted to write one myself, but due to a lack of confidence, I shied away. Easier to critique the work of others. But one day, I read a script so horrible, I simply said "Hell, I can do better." Looking back, that shouldn't have been the source to give me the push, but it was, and what can you do?

Now I have many screenplays under my belt and just received some incredibly positive coverage from Sarah Cornelius through the coverage services offered here through the Happy Writers. More wind in my sails.

James: nice share.

Thank you Phillip E. Hardy, Prolifique

For me, inspiration comes in all sizes, shapes and flavors at any and all times and from all sorts of seeds. Music - story songs in particular - often suggest a story. Often stories evolve from current events and/or the news to which I often apply my own weird sense of humor. Sometimes it shows up in an eye-dropper, sometimes in gallon cans and occasionally in a 55gal drum. Many times I begin a new project inspired by vast inspiration only to find that I only have half vast inspiration - more common than I'd like.

For me it's an old fashioned broadsheet newspaper. By the time that I have put it down - I have inevitably taken a few clippings and contemplated kicking around a new screenplay.

most come from things around me. the torn, broken, mixed up world around me gives me so much material. I am also into social justice and equality ( I hope all of us are.) so my scripts tend to lean that way.

Sometimes the inspiration is there but the confidence isn't (right, James?). That's when a good coach can really help!

Very true Sandy Cumberland

I'm in the anything and everything camp. Last idea came from a Colombian EFL student. Once I had inspiration come after finding out the only thing in the ice cream freezer at a 7-11 was lime popsicles. Often it comes as a result of feeling some of my favorite actresses are being criminally underutilized and wanting to give them better choices. Sometimes it's therapeutic because I take a life choice and play "What if?"

Think these threads you're starting are fantastic, Phillip E. Hardy, Prolifique. Inspiring some thoughtful discussions.

James: Thank you very much. I appreciate your post.

Most of the time my wife will catch me in extremely deep thought when a certain song comes over the radio while driving, and she snaps me out of it with "Penny for your thoughts?" This is usually my opening and ending scene that I just discovered. After that I hit the pages to fill in the middle!!

I saw a news clip of a funeral for a police dog killed in the line of duty and I thought it would be a challenge to write a story with a police dog as the Hero character.

Like Dan I am a newspaper man. After reading my Daily Telegraph - I have half a dozen stories niggling away in my conscience asking to be told. And as is the way - some take root and begin to demand to be told.

The nightly news is a gold mine.

Doug: Also threads I read in Facebook are pretty funny. One of them inspired me to write my new script.