MovieBytes Interview:
Screenwriter Nancy Smith

An interview with screenwriter Nancy Smith regarding the Broad Humor Writing Competition.

A: "HORSING AROUND" Romantic Comedy Screenplay winner - 2007

When a bookish professor impulsively marries an equestrian who loves her horse, he neglects to tell her he's afraid of animals. When they move to a rundown farm, he's forced to deal with her horse, her ex-boyfriend and his own worst fears or risk losing her.

A: I entered this contest because the screenplay categories were appealing. Usually all comedy is lumped into one category. At Broad Humor there were several comedy screenplay categories.

About the same time as the Broad Humor Contest, I entered the Women In Film Mentor Program. I was fortunate to have Sara Parriott Graham named as my Mentor. Sara and her partner, Josann McGibbon, did "RUNAWAY BRIDE," "THE STARTER WIFE," among others and are currently working on "DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES." After meeting with Sara, we decided it would be a good plan to write the book I had planned which covered the same material as "HORSING AROUND" and market it first. Both projects are based on my husband's and my early life on a horse farm. So I set the screenplay aside for the moment and have been working on the nonfiction book.

I have entered other screenplays in other competitions and been fortunate to do well.

A: Broad Humor is run by excellent people who understand event management and the film business. They met and exceeded all commitments. At the time, they added in a reading of scenes from the top scripts and it was very informative and a nice bonus to hear your words read aloud by actors.

A: It took me about a year to write the script. I don't do what I call a hard outline. I know the end, the act breaks and the characters, but I try to leave room for the characters to surprise me. Consequently my writing has been called quirky. I kind of like that. But I probably write a few more drafts than others.

A: I'm a believer and user of Final Draft. I tried another software first and I spent all my time trying to figure it out instead of writing. I won Final Draft as one of the screenwriting prizes at Slamdance and have used it ever since. It was easy and intuitive to understand.

A: I write a couple hours minimum almost every day. I tend to do all the things necessary in the non-writing part of my life (errands, groceries, etc.) in the morning and early afternoon. Then I sit down to write without having to think about all the things I would have to do later. If I want to write until 2AM, I'm free to do so. It also helps that my husband teaches in the evenings, so I have quiet time then.

A: When my project isn't moving forward consecutively, I'll skip forward and write a scene out of context.

If I'm really stuck, I go back and look at the underpinnings of what I'm doing because there can be a fault there that blocks the forward flow.

Usually when my mind's relaxed, the answer to problems pop up.

A: I have written quite a few screenplays. There's only about 6-7 that I'll let out the door now though.

My early background is in horse sport event management, newspaper and magazine articles, and equestrian competition. In Los Angeles, I worked mostly as a production assistant and production coordinator on film and TV projects.

I studied screenwriting at UCLA Extension. I've done seminars and classes on screenwriting at The Writers Guild, Paley Center for Media, Women in Film and AFI.

A: Live in Los Angeles and I did move here specifically to work in Film and TV.

A: I'm currently finishing the nonfiction book. I just finished putting up my first website - www.nancyravensmith.com

As for screenplays, I have several ideas waiting for me to finish the book and begin. My next project will definitely be a script. I have some serious recent interest in one of my other screenplays, so my fingers are crossed for it.

Posted Saturday, November 13, 2010