Go Ahead And Ask! Interviews About Screenwriting (and Pie) Volume 3

By Paul Zeidman

Got a question about screenwriting?

-What makes for a good script?

-What are some Do's and Don'ts when it comes to writing a script?

-Are screenwriting contests worth it?

-What's your favorite kind of pie? (okay, not technically about screenwriting, but still a very important topic)

There are just some of the questions posed to over 100 experienced professionals within the screenwriting community - from writers to filmmakers to consultants via interviews on the screenwriting blog Maximum Z.

While there may be a wide range of answers, they're all about one thing - helping you become a better writer, offering invaluable guidance and information. In addition to offering help for writers, each interview also provides recommendations of works that showcase good writing, as well as suggestions of numerous kinds of pie to enjoy. When it comes to writing a script for film or TV, a play, a comic book, or a webcomic, there are going to be lots of questions.

This book can help, so...Go Ahead and Ask!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Paul Zeidman
• Release date: Oct 7, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005960193

Paul Zeidman

Paul Zeidman is a screenwriter based in San Francisco. When not writing, rewriting, or reading scripts, he enjoys watching movies, reading comic books, running half-marathons, and making what could possibly be the best pecan pie west of the Mississippi.Born and raised in the suburban wilds of southern New Jersey, Paul has been writing original material from a very early age. Little did he realize that his love of writing and subsequent love of all things cinematic would someday combine to launch his screenwriting career.In addition to writing actual scripts, Paul has worked as a reader for the Austin Film Festival and Vail Screenwriting Competition, and created the screenwriting blog Maximum Z, named one of Screenwriting Spark’s Top 25 Screenwriting Blogs and Script Magazine’s Website of the Week.

Book preview

Note from the Author

The initial plan was for there to be one book with all the interviews I’d done for my blog Maximum Z (maximumz.blog). At around 100 interviews, that book would have been approximately 700 pages long, which would not necessarily fall under the category of light reading. That book then became two, with the first featuring the initial set of interviews that got this ball rolling, and the second with all the ones that came after. While the first book was now a little more manageable, the second would still be somewhat of a hefty tome.

And then there were three, with each featuring a collection of interviews offering tips, advice, and a whole lot of other info that any writer – film, TV, comics, and beyond – could heed and use to their advantage. Websites. Contact info. Examples of solid writing across multiple media platforms. A veritable treasure trove of incalculable value to aid writers in their ongoing quest.

Not to mention an above-average assortment of pie recommendations.

It’s been a fantastic journey, and I hope you enjoy reading about it as much as I’ve enjoyed bringing it to you.

Thanks for reading!

Paul

Kyle Andrews

Originally posted: Mar 5 2021

Kyle Andrews is a Screenwriter, Actor, Producer, and Writer Advocate living in Los Angeles. As a writer, Kyle has written for or worked with several film hubs and online screenwriting resources. As an advocate, his Kyle’s List has helped several up-and-coming writers attain success in the industry. He is currently in development on three features, two as producer and one as writer.

What was the last thing you read or watched you considered exceptionally well-written?

There’s so much thoughtful, inspiring, engaging, and downright special (yeah, I said it) content out there at the moment, sometimes it’s difficult to narrow that down to just one or two. So, I won’t!

Lately I’ve been watching a lot more television than film. This past weekend I binge-watched TED LASSO and I’ve never been left so deeply inspired by such a lovable goofball. For dramatic flavor, RAISED BY WOLVES reminds me a lot of how I felt watching both THE LEFTOVERS and the reboot of BATTLESTAR: GALACTICA, and I really wish more people would take a chance on it. WANDAVISION is also fantastic—though if folks enjoy a Marvel show that takes risks, I’d encourage them to check out FX’s LEGION (also on Disney+).

I listen to a lot of audiodrama podcasts (a term that encompasses comedies, dramas, sci-fi, horror—basically any fictional podcast). The production/entertainment values are wildly disparate, but some of the standouts I’ve listened to in the last few months include THE MAGNUS ARCHIVES; NORA; THE MISTHOLME MUSEUM OF MYSTERY, MORBIDITY, AND MORTALITY; and 1865.

There have also been a number of exceptional scripts I’ve read from undiscovered writers recently, and I’ve got those up over at my Advocacy page: kylefandrews.com/advocacy

How’d you get your start in the industry?

I’ve been writing screenplays and stage plays for 20 years, since I was a high school drama nerd and indie video store manager in my hometown in Massachusetts. At the risk of being too honest, this is where I admit writing wasn’t really my pursuit—I just enjoyed doing it while I focused on trying to be an actor, a much safer career choice. I ended up at Emerson College where I got a BFA in Acting with a playwriting minor, both of which taught me a great deal about craft…and very little about how to actually apply it all to the real world.

After moving to LA a little over a decade ago I had some moderate success acting in commercials but didn’t start finding real momentum until I started writing and producing my own projects. After a short film I co-wrote, coproduced, and starred in got some traction at a few festivals I was approached by a competition and coverage service to help run their contests and manage their reader staff. That gave me the freedom to start meeting kind and generous industry pros while stretching my writer legs. This led me to where I am now: advocating for screenwriters, developing scripts and writer skills, lining up a few feature productions, and writing for myself and on contract.

Is recognizing good writing something you think can be taught or learned?

Any skill can be taught or learned, so long as someone puts in the time, has a level of humility and self-awareness, and is willing to admit they don’t know what they don’t know.

When it comes to recognizing good writing, I would hesitate to make it too binary a distinction, that you either can or you can’t. I think the most important thing is to recognize your own approach to what the author has written is inherently biased, subjective to your own experience and perspective, and—most importantly—not canon. Criticism free of judgement is how you empower artists to flourish.

For me, the most important thing is to recognize whether the writer met the goals they set out to meet, if doing so was an engaging experience for me as an audience member, and if not, how best to help them achieve those goals.

Anything else is just, like, your opinion man.

What do you consider the components of a good script?

Earth, Wind, Fire, Water, and Heart. Go Planet.

The thing I look for most is how a script ties its various components together. The threading of the various aspects of character, plot, theme, relationships, personal history and backstory, setting, and even tone and genre together in a way that makes sense as we come to learn about and experience them for ourselves, and grow as we watch them succeed or fail (or both).

Another thing writers hear a lot is don’t be boring, and like, yeah, that’s generally good advice. But how do you avoid boring your reader? Interesting characters, smart dialogue, fun action are always useful—but for me, it’s making the threads of the story as dangerous as possible. When a script is connecting with a reader on a visceral level, it’s because we care about the people we’re reading and we don’t know whether they’re going to get out of it.

And danger doesn’t always, or even typically, mean physical—it just means the stakes behind it are life and death, even in comedy. For instance, a character in unrequited love might feel like they’ll die if their love interest ever found out; the opportunity for a potential yes gets overshadowed in the misery of all the ways they could say no. Get some real tension in there and we’ll care what happens regardless of the answer.

What are some of the most common screenwriting mistakes you see?

Writers make the mistakes that fit their level of experience, so every mistake is common in that sense. For a newer writer, it’s thinking that formatting is the biggest concern and not spending enough time in the pre-work before diving into the script itself. For a pro, it’s leaning on habits that may no longer be serving them.

Not following through with actually marketing the script is another concern. Personally, I look to elevate the craft whenever I can, and I love seeing writers who do the same—but our art form is one that is only going to be appreciated by a handful of people. Figuring out how to get the script made into a visual piece of art is something I encourage writers to focus on, at least for a bit before they jump into the next great script idea that they’ll lovingly craft and not pitch to anyone.

I run into plenty of basically ready scripts, but the writer has no idea how to market their work—or worse, throws obstacles into their own way through assumptions. Instead of trying to pitch what they’ve got, they spend their time writing new scripts and their money and energy competing for the approval of anonymous screenwriting competition readers with indeterminate levels of experience to soothe their ego.

Combine that time, energy, and money into learning how to pitch your work and grow your network and you might actually see the results.

What story tropes are you just tired of seeing?

I’m actually a huge fan of using tropes if a writer is able to subvert it with purpose and puts it in a new light. Which on some level makes it not a trope, I guess?

That being said, I don’t consider misogyny, racism, ableism, or the like to be tropes, but rather a deeper indication of something inherent in the writer’s worldview. It’s very easy for me to tell the difference between a character with these qualities and a script that actively or passively engages in these things. I tend not to make time for these works and I let those writers know it.

What are some key rules/guidelines every writer should know?

Script rejection is not about you, it’s about them and their current needs.

You will never get anywhere if you don’t let people read your script.

Disagreeing with a note is as important as agreeing with one because it helps the writer clarify for themselves what their intention is.

Invite and embrace constructive criticism and encourage yourself not to dismiss all criticism as unconstructive.

At the same time, respect yourself by recognizing when someone isn’t respecting you and allow that person’s opinions to fade into the background.

Formatting is less about demanding adherence to a strict set of rules and more about making sure a script reads clearly to the benefit of potential collaborators.

Please for the love of all that is holy stop focusing on whether to bold sluglines or use we see or include songs and just tell a good story.

Have you ever read a script where you thought This writer really gets it? If so, what were the reasons why?

Absolutely, often, and with great aplomb, from new and elder writers alike. In these situations, the writer has deeply explored the backstory, invested in the characters’ individual perspectives, and connected the relationship threads between them, their world, and the events of the plot, found the organic rhythm for the story, and presents it to the reader in a way they can engage with, understand, and visualize as often as necessary.

Do all that and no one will care if you’ve bolded shit.

How do you feel about screenwriting contests? Worth it or not?

Hoo boy, this is the most complex question phrased in the simplest way. Having worked within that system, I know first-hand how some writers and their careers have benefited from winning or placing high in them. I have personally worked with contests to help them promote their writers and have connected several with managers, gigs, and a larger network as a result. I’ve even developed a couple of services that certain contests still employ to the benefit of their writers.

I’ve also heard from reps and producers that they’ll receive a Top 10 list of writers from a competition or coverage service and none will get signed because the folks judging the scripts don’t have a frame of reference for what is ready for market. This gets compounded when some writers whose scripts are close but do need some work get an outsized impression of their impact and don’t bring it the rest of the way.

There can also be a lack of transparency that doesn’t serve to build trust. I don’t want to disparage individual competitions, but some of them also pitch relationships they don’t actually have or prizes that they can’t fulfill. There are also a couple full-on scams, but I don’t want to get sued by the sociopaths who run them (they are, thankfully, fewer and farther between than you might think).

I guess my feelings boil down to how an individual writer uses it to their personal benefit. If they can win or make finals and they promote themselves with those victories, then that’s great. If the service has a presence in the community a writer finds helpful, that’s also good. If the writer is newer and they’re looking for basic, no frills feedback, then it can certainly be a starting point for development. For everyone else, I think they’re best as accessories to the main work—fun for adding some flair but won’t provide you much cover in public.

How can people find out more about you and the services you provide?

My website kylefandrews.com includes all aspects of my work including Writer Advocacy and my own acting, writing, and producing.

They can also find me at @kylefandrews on Twitter and Instagram.

Readers of this blog are more than familiar with my love/appreciation of pie. What’s your favorite kind?

I’m more of a cake guy, but if all we have is pie and pizza isn’t an option, then I’m going with pumpkin because it’s savory/sweet, seasonal, and nostalgic—it’s the McRib of pies.

Geoffrey Calhoun/The Guide For Every Screenwriter

Originally posted: June 21 2019

Screenwriter/script consultant Geoffrey Calhoun of WeFixYourScript.com has been previously featured on this site. This time around, he’s answering some questions about his new book THE GUIDE FOR EVERY SCREENWRITER.

What was the inspiration/motivation for this book?

It was inspired from a class I designed when I was asked to teach screenwriting to film students in Ghana, Africa. Unfortunately that class fell through so I took the materials and broke them into seminars, then hit the road teaching at Film Festivals. Eventually, people attending the classes asked if I’d put this in book form. That’s when I realized I needed to create THE GUIDE FOR EVERY SCREENWRITER.

There are a lot of screenwriting books out there. What about this one makes it unique?

Books on screenwriting tend to be one of two things: overly wordy textbooks or focus on a specific area of screenwriting. What I wanted to do was create a book that’s easy to read and comprises all aspects of screenwriting. Thus, THE GUIDE FOR EVERY SCREENWRITER was born. It covers everything from concepts, character design, formatting, branding yourself as a writer, and beyond. All of it done in an easy to access reference guide which gets straight to the point. I wanted to break down the mysteries of our craft into something that anyone can pick up and understand. This is the book you keep on the shelf next to your desk as you’re writing. After reading this book you’ll be able to confidently write a screenplay, even if you’ve never done it before.

Some