"I’m from Los Angeles, and grew up with two parents who were screenwriting partners. I watched my parents get jobs together and get fired together, look for work together and be unemployed together, almost sell a script together, and then not sell that script together. I didn’t understand as a kid what could possibly keep them going on this rollercoaster of heartbreak. It felt volatile and cruel, considering the other person in their partnership couldn’t pick up whatever slack was being led to dangle by this taunting industry of sorrow (I was a really dramatic child btw). I realized then, to my great dismay, that I also wanted to be a writer. I had denied that internal phone call for a long time, given all of this. But now I suppose I understand what kept my parents going all those years writing- if you don’t do it, that phone just keeps ringing and ringing and it's very annoying. My goal with writing starting out was simply to get some peace and quiet.
I still have the same difficulty I’ve always had with it- which is that perpetual feeling of having a homework assignment due. Wanting to turn every experience into something translatable, and thus missing out on the experience itself, as I dissect it in real-time. Feeling badly for not doing an idea the justice of perfect execution, for muddying it up with my humanness, then remembering that the humanness is what I was seeking in the first place, being mad at myself for forgetting that, finishing it, experiencing the solid minute of elation, the most wonderful satisfaction imaginable, and then hearing the phone ring again, and it’s my internal boss telling me I’m not done ( then remembering I’m never done, of course, and so on and so on).
ScreenCraft has been a wonderful resource for me. I felt when I was first starting out that the most important thing to have was representation. If I had that, I would finally be able to relax (ha) and then I’d get some writing done (ha ha). At a certain point, I remembered I just wanted to write, and that’s what I did. One of the projects I wrote ended up receiving second place in Coverfly’s pilot writing competition, and Tom Dever and everyone at Screencraft has treated me like I received first place ever since. They just believed in my work. They’ve stopped at nothing to get me represented at a company that aligns with my goals. The positive reinforcement of having them on my side, plus the endless action around building a larger network of support for me is something I could never have given myself on my own, as much as I’d tried.
Coverfly’s pilot writing competition got me generals at major networks and production companies, one of which I was able to spin a job out of. Coverfly is an access point and I’d recommend getting involved with them to anyone who feels like they're not being let in the door.
I’m working as a Creative Executive on a couple of shows (one is at Fremantle, and one is being produced by Brad Falchuk) and I’ve completed two script since quarantine, and starting a third today (I swear!) but mostly I’m looking forward to starting my new relationship at 3 Arts and feeling supported. Whenever I’m focused on “how will I ever get noticed,” I’m not writing. Screencraft helped me get noticed, so I’m looking forward to keeping my attention on the writing part.
Advice to aspiring writers… I feel like the correct answer is just “write.” And I agree with it. But I think I would add “and be soft with yourself when you aren’t.” If for no other reason, do the second part because it makes your writing better."
- Moira O'Neill