Show Notes
With our first round of voting for our top 26 short films underway, Kinolime Head of Development, John Schramm, sits down with Stephen Fingleton, Director of The Waif (the winning script of our inaugural feature film competition) and The Survivalist (2015), to learn about his writing process, tips & tricks, and the importance of practice. Hear about rumored rituals from directors like Quentin Tarantino, David Lynch, and others!
Initial Concept Development:
The first step is selecting an idea that can connect with an audience, often validated by pitching the concept to others to see how they respond.
Identifying a "conflict engine" is essential for generating the scenes and structural beats of a story.
Structuring and Planning:
Many writers use physical tools, such as index cards, to map out scenes and identify connections between them.
Generating story beats can be achieved by filling in the gaps between known plot points, such as the beginning, middle, and end.
Creating a treatment—essentially a visual "blueprint"—is a common practice, though some writers prefer to explore the story directly through a draft.
Writing Environment and Tools:
Writers often employ specific techniques to manage fatigue, such as Pomodoro timers, working in public spaces, or changing environments to refresh their perspective.
The "Long-Form" Struggle:
The writing process is a skill honed over time, and writers are encouraged to "fail quicker" by completing projects rather than spending excessive time on a single draft.
Resistance, or "the eastern winds," often manifests when a writer is close to finishing, leading to self-sabotage or the desire to quit.
Feedback and Growth:
When receiving feedback, it is important to look for common denominators across multiple sources rather than reacting to a single person's opinion.
True artistic growth comes from cultivating self-critique and continuing to work despite the inherent challenges and rejections of the industry.
Key Takeaways:
- central theme is the importance of "distraction-free writing," which may involve using minimalist software, dedicated writing hardware, or physical locks like "kitchen safes" for phones.
Full Transcript
[00:00]
It's all about distraction free writing.
[00:01]
I think that's what we're getting out here.
[00:03]
Everybody is like, I mean, if you can write
