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Screenwriter Interviews
MovieBytes Interview:
Screenwriter Lance Oliver
An interview with screenwriter Lance Oliver regarding the Screenwriter Showcase Writing Competition.
Q: What's the title of the script you entered in this contest, and what's it about?A: Adventures of Aaron, The Mighty Toon. It's about an awkward and painfully shy college kid who discovers he has the body of a toon. Aaron is desperately in love with his classmate, and must overcome many of his fears to win, and to save, the love of his life.
Q: What made you enter this particular contest? Have you entered any other contests with this script? If so, how did you do?A: Screenwriter Showcase had a good review on this website, and I've never entered it before. As a serious screenwriter with no contacts, contests are the way to go just to get read.
This script also entered Storypros - it reached the Semifinals, but unfortunately, fell short. Heartbreaking.
A: Screenwriter Showcase did a fantastic job, not only with the deadlines, but also answering some of my questions regarding my win and were very responsive.
Q: How long did it take you to write the script? Did you write an outline beforehand? How many drafts did you write?A: I don't outline, I write long treatments, up to 40-50 pages long so that I can read the story with more flow before I write my first draft. The winning script was the fifth draft. This script flowed more easily and quickly than any of my other scripts. I felt good about it.
Q: What kind of software did you use to write the script, if any? What other kinds of writing software do you use?A: Final Draft version 7 is my very dear friend.
Q: Do you write every day? How many hours per day?A: Five to six days a week if I can. Anywhere from 1-5 hours a day. I have to work a full-time job that is my passion's enemy.
Q: Do you ever get writer's block? If so, how do you deal with that?A: The only writer's block I ever get is when life gets me down. Often, I wonder if I will ever make it in this business, and when those thoughts get me down, I write a bunch of crap.
Q: What's your background? Have you written any other screenplays or television scripts?A: I've written many screenplays - the first few were god awful, of course, but they've gotten better and better. I've written all my life, but mainly for school newspapers, business plans, or technical papers, you know, the boring stuff.
Q: Do you live in Los Angeles? If not, do you have any plans to move there?A: No, and this is the most painful question of the new year so far. Don't ask.
Q: What's next? Are you working on a new script?A: Always working on a new script. The next one will be ready to enter into contests by April. Wish me luck...I hate failure.
Posted Sunday, January 3, 2010
