Authoring & Playwriting

Hey, Lauren Hackney. I'm looking forward to the AMA!

I've written two scripts from real life experiences. I got so many tears out when I wrote them that I thought I was 'all fixed'.... until my first verbal pitch last week and I ended up sobbing during it. They say write what you know... until you sob like a baby in front of industry professionals! Great post as always Kat!

Generally, I can’t always tell what exactly inspires me — sometimes a new, weird “what if” just starts floating around in my head.

But I do remember the first spark of some ideas.

For example:

The story Back from Oumilas inspired Eugenia Kallistia.

A paleontology documentary about extinct marine creatures inspired The Oceanic War.

Animals with dormancy phases inspired The Eclipsians.

And my love for neuroscience and medical books inspired The Silent PFC War.

A movie that I anticipated, but found disappointing. I began to outline my own version of the story and it grew into something of my own.

That’s a good way to develop new scenarios Michael Dzurak

A tiny change can flip the entire story upside down.

That’s exactly what I did in my story The De-Evolution Game: one small change spawns a new existence and an entirely new reality.

The whole idea was inspired by the timelines in Mr. Nobody.

I was Unable to sleep at 2 a.m., I found myself in a philosophical debate with my own mind. By 3 a.m., a thought struck about existence, and how everything derives meaning through its connections. In a sudden clarity, I formulated the fundamentals of the universe in a single equation, jotted it in my diary, and by the end of the day, had it published with a DOI. Sleep never stood a chance.

I personally believe the most fun that you can have creating a sci/fi story is to break the rules of physics. Of course, there are certain aspects that will have to follow basic rules, but once you start getting creative and building YOUR world and universe, break the rules and unlock your imagination. Let it run wild. Once you do that, YOU can be the one to decide what the rules are. What aspects fit and work and which ones don't.

It's better to do too much and then dial it back later on rather than wishing you had thought of something earlier in the process.

For me, scientific plausibility isn’t a must-have unless the story is actually trying to teach or reflect real-life science. If it’s meant to convey real concepts, then yes, accuracy matters.

But outside of that? You don't really require it. Scientific realism is like hot sauce: not needed, but if you use it right, it can make the whole sci-fi concept way more tasty and appealing.

Personally, I like to make my stories scientifically plausible to attract the attention of scientists and philosophers — but I also let imagination grow freely and wildly.

Sam Clevesy Shaurya Mishra

For me I get involved with my character's story's that get go where no one has gone before and they take me along on wonderful trips.

Yes, that’s so fascinating.

I think the relationship between an author and their characters works both ways — you give them life, and they teach you something in return.

Sometimes I feel as if my characters are real, as if they come from another planet or even the future, and they chose me specifically to tell their story.

I know it might sound like daydreaming, but that’s what happens — we become truly attached to our characters. Edwin Norman Turner

That's awesome Suzanne Bronson ! We need to have an initiation ceremony. I'm thinking Klingon pain sticks.

May be just the blood wine Leonardo Ramirez

Haha Suzanne Bronson - nice one!

that's great Suzanne Bronson What are you looking at writing?

I think an audio drama Lauren Hackney

My first film I composed felt like diving in headfirst into the unknown....just like the first record I produced...just like getting on that stage in front of the mic for the first time. Stepping out of our comfort zone is always a good thing. It's what makes us grow and takes us further than where we previously thought we could go.

Happy Halloween, Kat Spencer! One of the scariest writing leaps I’ve ever taken is when I tried to produce a feature script that I wrote. It was my first time trying to make a feature. I didn't end up making the movie, but I learned things from it.

Dropping casino-level money on a pro pitch deck and sizzle reel.

Looking back the biggest risk I've taken somewhat recently was RoP's table read back when it was hot-off-the-press fresh (I was so excited to finish it that I submitted it like an hour later). I knew it would have a lot of issues because I admitted to just having fun when I wrote it, and oh boy did it become clear how many bugs it had xD it was embarrassing but much too late to undo it, and bless them, the actors still did great with my mess of a script and one even said that it was good to see that I was just focusing on what I wanted to write rather than to people-please. Since then I've decided that's what I'm gonna do even if it makes it harder for me in the long run.

Not only that, but when the narrator lost her Zoom connection I offered to step in, and my decision ended up being well received by everyone, so much so that I got the okay to narrate TER's table read and got good reviews for that as well :) not to brag but in elementary school I was recognised for being a good oral reader so it was nice to know I still got it xD

Another valuable lesson RoP's table read taught me was truly understanding the rationale of the Dunning-Krueger effect. When I first learned about it, I knew it as "you don't know that you don't know something." The next dimension of that is the application; when you don't know what you don't know, naturally you have next to no barriers from doing something. When you know a lot, you're always thinking about it from every angle, and oftentimes that bites you in the ass more than it helps you, which is why the people who don't think as much get further ahead. Being an anxious type, I'm 100% guilty of overthinking and therefore staying right where I am. But with RoP's table read putting all the script's flaws on display to several different people, even though it was embarrassing during and after the fact... I realised I didn't actually care that much. It was fun, and really it's so much easier not caring if you're gonna embarrass yourself. Now I'm even more excited to write BoFS and narrate its table read :D

What a great post! Thank you Kat Spencer writing about true life events was a big leap. Turns out, writing about them is a lovely way to heal too. So it's a two-for-one!

Scriptank.com appears to have been de-commissioned.

I have.

Thank you both.

If you want to read a script with lean-n-mean action description, read Shane Black's THE LAST BOY SCOUT.

Rachel Mensch LOL - I know. How dare they take our creative ability to overwrite ! It's a joy and a privilege we writers claim with our right to skip sleep and meals (Francisco Castro)!

See you in therapy Rachel.

Thank you Lauren Hackney! I agree - I also need to remind myself to "keep it short and sweet with a screenplay" because switching from writing novels to scripts messes with the ability to embellish and flower it up. LOL. I like both, but switching is confusing for me!

ooooh Brian Nguyen - "give the script a firmer tone" - I like that!

Debbie Seagle Yes. Our writing is who we are.

Hey, Lauren Hackney. "20 Steps to Planning and Writing a Memorable Scene" www.stage32.com/education/products/20-steps-to-planning-and-writing-a-me...

@maurice - that's a good one! I think will be my next one to watch!

Visual juxtapositions I create inspire me deeply as well. I often work with independent images—fragments that carry their own meanings. When they collide, something unexpected emerges: a tone, a rhythm, sometimes even the spine of a scene. Occasionally, a single image is so charged it births an entire narrative.

I agree with you Eshref Alemdar , a single image can tell a whole story.

I completely agree — sometimes a single image holds the rhythm of an entire story.

It’s fascinating how these fragments can meet and create something new, almost like editing a film before it exists.

What a beautiful approach to creative work! Turning impressions into visual collages before writing can unlock such powerful storytelling. The way you weave photography, design, and narrative is truly inspiring—keep exploring those visual landscapes!

Thank you so much, Phuc — that means a lot!

I really believe that visuals can open doors words alone can’t. It’s a bit like discovering a hidden rhythm between image and story.

I’d love to hear more about how you approach your own creative process too.

Thanks for your effort

Good luck everyone! I hope to read more success stories from Stage 32!

Quaint turn of phrase: "Either you jack in with critical thinking implants, or you get lobotomized by algorithmic sludge". I pondered writing a movie where the audience prod each other with electric cattle prods at key points in the drama - or any other time they feel like it. I think the idea has legs.

Hi, C.J. Night. I’m a Stage 32 Lounge Moderator. I wanted to let you know that I moved your post from the Screenwriting Lounge to the Authoring & Playwriting Lounge since it's more about books than screenplays. Let me know if you have any questions.

The courage of mind and the audacity to write something like this — a rarity today.

Authoring & Playwriting Lounge isn’t exile — it’s a quarantine for minds that burn too bright.

No one dies there.)))))

You have a spark strong enough to burn through the screen.

Energy without pose — a rare element.

If we think who else carries such energy —

Tarantino. Guy Ritchie. Tarkovsky. Villeneuve. Eggers. Aster. Peele. Noé.

Each has their own form of madness.

Yours — is alive.

Stick to being authentic to you because you'll build your audience based on your 'flavour'. You sound very interesting, entertaining and full of knowledge. I say, keep creating, keep putting your work out there and see who it attracts. Good luck and keep the community posted!