Screenwriting : How many writers focus on social advocacy here? by Susan Kelejian

Hi, Susan Kelejian. Great topic. My main focus is writing exciting, entertaining scripts, but I mix that with social issues and social change sometimes.

Susan, you ROCK!! You run rings around me when it comes to writing with social change in mind.

Every script I've come up with thus far, I've set out to slip in something about social issues and about social change...whether involving people in our present time or our forebears.

With "Intervention!" and "Down to One," I set out to put the spotlight solely on social issues...racist slights in one screenplay and America's justice system in the other. And with "Pixie Dust," I wanted to tackle the continuing marginalization, mislabeling, and objectification of way too many Americans.

Glad you're here on Stage 32...here's wishing you more and more success!

I write with my social change in mind. Getting me into a higher tax bracket, for instance. You know, more personal economic justice.

I think you need to be careful when trying to enlighten your audience. Your message needs to be thoroughly embedded in the theme, plot, and characters, so you don't come across as preachy, which will turn audiences off.

Debra Holland you think I need to, or one needs to? Personally, I have an agenda and dont care about offending audiences, I'm offended, which is why Im creating what I do.

I promote human rights for people with a psychiatric diagnosis. My biggest success is about a nutty psychiatrics doctor. People without any experience from psychiatric care liked the results. My new screenplay has a scientist with Asperg syndrome as the second most important person. While the main character is LGBT.

Myself, nothing causes me to hit the "back" button on my remote faster than preachy films. Whether I agree with it or not, I see too much of it in life. I find it stressful. So, no is the answer. Although, I do try to explore more basic philosophical issues.

My view is that any screenplay written with the intention of educating or enlightening the reader is almost certain to be an unentertaining drag.

In addition to writing I have spent the last 30 years teaching in Title One schools. While working with underprivileged kids, I spent many sleepless nights agonizing over one child or another whose path seemed forged at birth. All too many fell prey to the allure of gangs and drugs. Children are such amazingly beautiful individuals and I wanted

them to see their wonder

So when I write, I do so with those kids in mind. My first novel has a Hispanic heroine and I've seen kids smile when they get to read about someone that looks and sounds like them. Later novels address domestic abuse, bullying, and my series, The Artania Chronicles, about a world of living art, seeks to inspire children to create.

That said, I also try not to be didactic but to write stories that take the reader on a satisfying ride.

Laurie Woodward Sounds great!

i just write simple B-concepts about street justice. Characters taking the Law in their own hands.

After some consideration, it seems that context is the key to it. If you originally spin it as advocacy, and people are interested in it, that's fine. However, if uninvited, its kinda like showing up to a party and being lectured on political correctness by someone. Its about being entertained. If it fits the narrative and path of the story, then I can see it , but more as a result of a coherent story. "The Expanse" had some interesting spins on things, by turning social order upside down, and having living in space change the fabric of society. There were some cool "what ifs" embedded in it. It had a balance, though, and you didn't have characters standing on soap boxes shouting about issues. So, "in context", would be an acceptible way to do it. However, you can easily alienate your audience if it comes across that you want to change their mind. I recently just watched "Night Angel". Season 1 was quite good. Season 2 took a sharp turn, and ended up with an agent who was working to take out an advocate sort of politician, but ended up falling in love with her and when she was killed, allied himself with some one to unveil the plot inside the FBI to kill advocate types. Umm, it went a little preachy and in your face about how evil society was and how it needed to be fixed, etc. For people that agree, then that context is fine. For people that don't, it feels brain-washy. The reviews on season 2 seem to be universally negative, so it isn't just me. I suspect they took the story too far into advocacy territory.

Mike Clarke: I agree that "It's about being entertained." I've had to cut scenes from many of my works because they started to get preachy.

Laurie Woodward. I'm with you on that one. Its not like we don't have attitudes, beliefs and desires to set things right in our own view. It's so difficult to cut scenes that are close to the heart. However, writing from the heart is a different matter. I almost was one of those disenfranchised, rebellious teenagers, if not for some friends and family intervention along the way and a few strokes of luck. I think there is one thing to portray the pain and anguish the kids go through. That's powerful. Reading a speech in dialog or scene to "tell" how to fix it, another thing. Its almost like you want the viewer to reach their own conclusions. Teaching kids must be heart wrenching. I taught in community college for a few years. That is bad enough without them being cute little monsters, lol.

Mike Clarke love your reflection! I live by "attraction rather than promotion" though I do have dual themes. Like so many brilliant films and Tv shows have had, Entertaining, AND with a deeper meaning. I know so many women for example who after watching Law & Order SVU have had healing breakthroughs. Maybe its because I work my day job helping people heal their traumas. But, no on second thought, Ive always gravitated to creating social change through Art. Pretty much blame my second grade teacher who showed us a narrative film about an elderly woman in poverty. That did it.

Susan, this is a coming genre of its own - victimhood.

I think we all write what we know, and if advocacy is close to your heart, then write it. That said, make sure the story rules all. Any messaging or didacticism is okay but should be in the passenger seat, not the driver's seat (unless it's a documentary.)

Wal Friman not sure what you mean as "coming genre"? In my personal experience and my truth and my belief system, it is a powerful way to get out of being a "victim." We can be victimized, but not necessarily feel like a victim. Seen too many transformations, core beliefs investigated and questioned when the power of film has made a difference. Films since the beginning of when films were made, before the "talkies," had social commentary. Also, I'm not asking for snarky opinions here, or who doesn't write or care about this issue, I'm asking how many people write about it, Wal.

Susan Kelejian. The "live by attraction" side shows through, BTW. I hope I wasn't too negative on the opinion about advocacy. You seem to be genuinely interested in helping, and a chosen profession in the field to back it up. Kudos for that speciality btw. Neuro divergency is a difficult thing to understand, especially since the neuro divergent have their own lens, and think/perceive everyone that else is "different". Imagine my suprise when, after being diagnosed with ADD at age 55, and took my first dose of Concerta. A "So that's how the rest of the world sees thing." moment. Having been through the income disparity setting as a teenager when my alchoholic dad left us with no support, and over-achieving to compensate for it, I do have to reflect and even use self hypnosis and NLP to remove some triggers and tics. Given that "too much backstory" scenario, its difficult for me not to build that into my story telling. However if it doesn't make for a compelling story, it gets cut. I struggle with how to pose that sort of experience for a reader or viewer so that they walk in my shoes for a few steps. "Social change through art" is walking a fine line, I suppose. Like walking a middle class, non-neurodivergent viewer through the experinece of being socially ostracized, and then not having the money to pay for a school trip, or buy the bike they need to keep their paper route. For trauma victims, perhaps seeing that they are not alone and how someone else pulled themselves through could be inspiration, like you say. You seem to have picked a challenging journey, and hopefully rewarding one. Good luck. :)

It's a very fine balance when writing this type of material I think. People need to see enough struggle and suffering to empathize with the characters, but theres a point where it becomes rough to read/watch. I wrote my own story of healing from PTSD with psychedelics and the first notes I kept getting was "unreadable" due to the level of interpersonal conflicts being so ugly, but life is really ugly sometimes. I noticed that being involved with psychedelic therapy that the trauma can easily become something survivors want to talk about all the time because its the only identity they know, and facing and overcoming the trauma becomes everything about them, but that also becomes a tiresome identity for those around you who don't understand what a triumph it is to overcome those things. Its just my opinion, but I feel like you can show us some hell, but show the healing and transformation into something peaceful content. Theres only so much emotional taxing films people can handle, since the world is emotionally taxing enough these days.

Mean it as encouragement when I predict it will become a genre. Means it finds its place and you would have yours, if you write this type of material.

For the most part, there comes a time in a person's life that they have decided to be a good person or a scumbag and no film will ever change. Nothing short of a near death experience might change someone, but even that is not always the case. If Schindler's List hasn't changed the entire world's view that being evil is wrong, then nothing will and the proof being that we still have individuals on this planet that want to rule over others with an unbending and unforgivable hand to where they will lie, cheat and coerce weaker minds to do their bidding. We have advanced the ability to destroy ourselves a thousand fold, but still can't find a way to live in peace.

You're ahead of your time. Keep up the fight. It's a worthy cause, but there are a lot of savages on this planet that are still many unevolved humans stuck in the past of clubs and primitive instincts.

Aspiring screenwriters must learn that "write what you know" does not mean "write about yourself". It means do your research.

Norman Welthagen "The problem is the people making the movies aren't qualified to do it..."

You can likewise argue that most aspiring screenwriters lack the aptitude necessary to achieve success as screenwriters.

Philip David Lee yes to your point and example of Schindler's List. Funny that I mention social advocacy issues in film and so much backlash and anger about it here. I honestly am just curious about how many writers focus on it, either as a main plot, subplot, underlying issue, etc. I'm just not into writing films without substance. And since I AM a social advocate and have much of my life spent helping others, I just dont think I'll ever not include some aspect. I will keep going Phillip, and as I spent 30 years away from Hollywood and now am back, I'm still experimenting. So far my work (mainly theater) for decades has been very successful (Recent play has been nominated for the 2025 Pulitzer). In addition, it looks like I will be forming a production company this year and we have been talking about what types of films we will be focussing on. Maybe it will be only slashers and Hallmarkian RomComs... but I know I will slip in something, even in those....

Congratulations on your play being nominated for the 2025 Pulitzer, Susan Kelejian! I hope you win! Forming a production company sounds exciting! Congratulations!

I don't think I've ever written a script that was pure entertainment. All of my scripts deal with social issues and social change, even if it's a tiny bit.

I think a lot of these social issue type things tend to be just part of the background in the beginning of the story, almost invisible to the main character, then gradually builds up as a real problem until it is something they're forced to confront. No one wants to face horrible situations, theyre forced to.

I love that this topic has garnered so much attention! So cool to see that so many of you are looking at the imprint you leave on the world. Kuddos!

Mike Clarke thanks for your comments and your honesty. Much appreciated the way you phrased it.

Susan Kelejian You're definitely someone to watch in the future. Lately, everything I've been drinking has a bitter taste to it. That's probably why my latest film project is titled THE CURMUDGEON. I'll be looking for your next project THE OPTIMIST to come out next year! (Note to readers: Susan has no project titled THE OPTIMIST. I love her focus though.)

The best way to convey our feelings towards injustices in the world is through the art that we create. I think there's two types of art, one meant to entertain and one meant to educate. Some may do both, and those are the most influential ones that stay in our minds and people tolerate more. Entertainment has a funny way of educating the most inexplicable feelings, truths or reactions that we try to make the audience understand. As Oscar Wilde once said, "If you want to tell people the truth, make them laugh, otherwise they'll kill you."

As someone who is a descendant of people who've experienced genocide, violence, trauma, fleeing to another country and having to start their lives from scratch, a lot of my work tends to deal with the perception of self identity. But it also deals with existential questions and the way society functions. Art is a language for the soul that experiences everything with hardly any voice and tries to describe it as best as it can.

Thank you for this post, it really makes one reflect.