Home Base: New York, NY
Bio: I was a speechwriter in college before working in equities, and then stumbling into filmmaking via my close friend and writing partner, Chris Lowell. I recently co-wrote and produced my first feature film – Beside Still Waters. It will be released this November by Tribeca Film, and is a project I am deeply and wholly in love with. It’s been an incredible ride, from fundraising (a cross-country tour with my co-writer), a whirlwind production (shooting the whole thing on film in 18 days), a wonderful festival run (including the Audience Award and Jury Prize at last year’s Austin Film Festival), an insane crowdfunding campaign (13th most-funded narrative film in Kickstarter history), and finally distribution.
Why I Write: I think the answer would be the same for most writers, but I write because I have to. It’s not something I find particularly easy (blank pages are objectively terrifying), but it’s something I feel compelled to do – promulgate stories that have some richness or authenticity or depth to them. I also like words, so that helps.
What Inspires Me: Struggle. Imperfection. Vulnerability. I’m also lucky to be surrounded by a group of close friends whom I find incredibly talented. Part of writing is wanting to prove that I belong among a group of people I love and admire.
My process: I write longhand (the internet is anathema to productivity). It keeps me from tapping the delete key, which keeps the forward momentum through a draft. There’s also something fundamentally satisfying about a pen scratching, and ink spilling across the page in little squiggles that can somehow convey the most complex and grand ideas.
When I’m working with Chris, we outline a script together and then write full drafts completely separately. It allows us to produce the most material and affords us opportunities for exploration and discovery.
My Writing Schedule: I write every day. Some days it’s just a page of freeform, or a nonsense poem on the back of a postcard to someone I miss. During my better weeks, it’s first thing in the morning. When things get hectic, it’s at any moment possible. Having a writing partner keeps me honest about deadlines, which is a huge help.
What’s Worked: Learning to treat writing like a profession and not some ethereal magic. My first few months as a writer were lost sitting in cafes awaiting a muse. The moment I started actually doing the work daily, my writing began to improve. Blank pages are just too difficult, and there are too many opportunities for distraction (often in the guise of research), so structure is essential. That said, when I’m writing well, it still feels like ethereal magic.
Shameless plug: Take the next thirty seconds, and check out www. bswfilm.com – this film was an absolute labor of love, and I’m so incredibly proud of it – and look for it on November 18th!
Logline: A movie about Drinking and Dancing. Laughter and Secrets. Sex, Drugs, Mischief & Regret. A movie about Friendship.
Press Links:
http://deadline.com/2014/08/chris-lowell-beside-still-waters-tribeca-film-822027/
http://moviemezzanine.com/atlff-review-beside-still-waters/
