Evocation of a Screenwriter

by Jenny Neill

Making a living from creative writing has been a fantasy for me on and off throughout my life. When asked about my current interest in screenwriting, I must give partial credit to my little sister's visit earlier this year. We swapped stories, embellished them, and followed them to hilarious and silly extremes. Between that and jointly weaving a vision of the two of us and our respective significant others living half the year in Seattle and the other half in Tuscany (or New Zealand or London or New York City), I'd caught the creative writing bug again.

When we wove that dream of trotting the globe as writers, I had a fulltime job. On top of the job, I also had volunteer commitments to Seattle Writergrrls. It was a lovely fantasy, but one I doubted I would have the chance to live anytime soon. How would I ever find the time?

Be Careful What You Wish For

At the end of April, I got laid off again. For the third time in four years. Just a few months after fantasizing about having time to write a novel, some short stories, or a screenplay, I had nothing but time. The reality of suddenly having no schedule or deadlines, of actually having plenty of time to write, brought a new angst to me. Did I have stories to tell? The idea of writing creatively was romantic, and safe, as long as I knew it was only a dream.

I trusted in the notion that I have stories to tell. I didn't know exactly what they were yet, but I knew I had some. But, how? How would my stories be told?

As a Technical Writer, I have become comfortable writing to a structure and within the constraints of the various electronic and print media used to produce "tech pubs." Identifying and speaking to a particular audience about a particular product or process I know I can do. Writing a novel? Or short stories? In comparison to technical writing, these forms seemed boundaryless to me. Tackling those forms of writing inspired panic rather than excitement in me.

Screenplays, how often I had heard that screenplays had structure! And the fact that they are written using mostly dialog and that they are stories to be played out on the big or small screen means that a screenwriter has to live within the constraints of the medium. Limits, boundaries—edges that I know I can learn to respect. I decided to try my hand at writing a feature film screenplay.

Learning the Fundamentals

I realized I had a lot to learn about screenwriting before I could write a screenplay. What form does it take? How much or how little of the visual aspects of a movie are written into the screenplay itself? What processes do writers go through when creating one?

I turned to Seattle Writergrrls to start my "Do It Yourself" education by asking questions on the discussion list. That research led me in to e-mail discussions with others who were engaged in the process of writing a screenplay. In one of those dialogs, my correspondent, Allie Gerlach, invited me to join her screenwriting circle.

I know an excellent opportunity to learn and to grow as a writer when I hear it! I learned a long time ago that it is important to have easy access to other creative writers when faced with Blank Page Syndrome. The Creative Expression program I attended nearly 20 years ago was designed to provide a unique and practical learning experience. We experimented with poetry and prose, writing characters, and taking turns adding to a plot idea until what began as a cheesy romance had turned into an exciting action/adventure tale. Our classroom leaders guided us through learning how to critique creative writing and how to listen for constructive feedback from each other, even when hearing such criticisms wounded our writerly pride.

Engaging with the Circle

The fear that I might not actually have a story to tell after all almost kept me from going to my first meeting. What the heck did I know about screenwriting? (Nothing, really!) What would I contribute? (I don't even have a story idea yet!) Have I completely lost my senses? (Wouldn't be the first time!)

Despite my anxieties, I went. The group has four members, including me. Tim Dorian, Allie Gerlach, and Erin Miller welcomed me to the meeting. (Allie and Erin are fellow Seattle Writergrrls.)

We spent the next few hours getting acquainted. Our conversation meandered through a variety of topics: where we each worked, how we met each other, what our favorite movies and TV shows were, which movies we had walked out on, our previous experiences studying screen and creative writing.

Eventually, the discussion turned to why we were there. Each returning member shared a story idea with me, and Allie handed out the current draft of her screenplay. We chatted about previous exercises that had helped develop their understanding of screenwriting, including reading screenplays, watching films, and analyzing what they read or watched.

I left knowing that I still had much to learn and that I would return to the circle soon. My first assignment (one I gave myself) was to come to the next meeting with at least one story idea. Now, back to the story question . . . what story shall I tell?

Analytical, creative, diligent, adaptive—Jenny Neill loves a new challenge. She applies lessons learned with enthusiasm in her continuing quests to sate her avid curiosity.