When some of the industry’s most accomplished writers all gather in the same room, it’s impossible to walk away without feeling motivated to run home and work on your next project.
If you were unable to witness these incredible writers talk about their craft, we’ve got you covered. To help ignite your spark, we’re leaving you with a few highlights from conversations at our 2021 Awards Luncheon.
1. Making the World a Better Place
With billions of people in existence, it can be easy to lose sight of other peoples’ realities. Stephanie Allain tells us, as storytellers, it’s our job to celebrate our different perspectives and in doing so heal the world.
“I believe this is how we make the world a better place, by telling culturally specific stories that open up the world, that speak to the humanity in all of us, no matter race, religion, gender identity, whatever, these are qualifiers that should be a point of celebration instead of a point of contention.” – Stephanie Allain (producer Hustle & Flow)
2. Just Do It
It can be easy for projects in development to become stagnant. But as David Koepp reminds us, writing doesn’t require any external forces, you just have to put pen to paper… or fingers to keys and start creating your world.
“Writing is the one area of our profession where you need no one’s permission to begin. You don’t need to be handed a script, or a part, or money, you just need to go home and write.” – David Koepp (writer Jurassic Park)
3. Be Courageous
These days, it can feel like most of the stories in the world have already been told. That’s when it’s time to listen to your own voice and tell stories the way you want to hear them.
“It takes a lot of courage to tell a story that hasn’t been told in a way that audiences haven’t seen before.” – Monique Walton (producer Bull)
4. Follow A Good Story
Sometimes writing can make you question who you are. Scott Frank reminds us that the most important thing is to trust the process and follow the good ideas.
“As a writer, I don’t know that I’ve ever known who I really was, I’ve just written all sorts of stories, I’ve just gone wherever a good story is.” – Scott Frank (creator The Queen’s Gambit)
5. The End
The end of your story can be the beginning of many opportunities. So when you’re losing steam on your project, find the courage to keep going.
“Nobody has a job in this business until you type ‘the end’.” – Jim Hart (writer Hook)
Grab a Badge and join us at our 29th Annual Austin Film Festival and Writers Conference to get more tips and tricks!
Visit onstory.tv for a closer look inside the creative process from today’s leading writers and filmmakers.