Screenwriting : Ask Me Anything (AMA) 4/28 to 4/29- How do you stick yourself in the lava to bring your most vulnerable self into your writing? by Meg LeFauve

Congratulations on all your success, Meg LeFauve!!! :D Thanks for having this AMA. Question: Do you think every script needs a theme, or do you think a script can just be a story where a lot of fun stuff happens?

Thank you for making yourself available for questions today, Meg LeFauve!

Was the experience of putting yourself in the lava different while writing an original story vs. adapting someone else's world and characters like Captain Marvel?

Hello Meg, thank you for your time in this endeavor. I want to let you know that I felt Inside Out was an incredible movie. I find a lot of times that when I'm writing, it's really easy to have a good first thirty pages and a last thirty pages, and maybe a solid fifteen in the middle, but the rest of it - it's really hard to keep the fire on. What is your advice for those moments in your script that you have to keep the pressure on but also make filler? If that makes sense?

Greetings and Salutations Meg! At this point in your wonderful career, do you ever find yourself experiencing imposter syndrome? If so, how do you combat that?

Meg, your podcast THE SCREENWRITING LIFE is like a Master Class in each episode. Cannot thank you and Lorien McKenna enough for the great advice you and your guests share on the craft of screenwriting, and the insights into the life of a writer! I find myself quoting you and referring specific episodes to my writing friends, Did this just yesterday!

Thank you for being part of the community, Meg LeFauve. When you're writing animated stories or a high concept story outside of the "real world" how often are you drawing on your own lived experiences to humanize the characters and ground the story?

Question: When you come up with a concept or plot first, what's your advice for creating the best protagonist for it?

Maurice Vaughan QUESTION: Do you think every script needs a theme, or do you think a script can just be a story where a lot of fun stuff happens? ANSWER: great question. For me there is never any "have tos" or rules. If you can write an kick ass story that is tons of fun with no theme and everyone is clamoring for it -- hurrah. I do ALSO believe that even if you intentionally set out to HAVE NOT THEME it's in there :). I could read your "no theme" story and have deep in depth convo with you and see it - all the metaphors and sparks of your theme will be sitting in the story. I don't think you can help it! It's just part of how storytelling works. I once tried to actively CHANGE MY THEMATIC (bc we tend to create along the same theme(s) - perhaps stories have different answers or perspectives on that theme but there can tend to be one or two we circle each time). Me trying to change my theme didn't work for me. The story was just flat and then as I dug it out guess what happened -- there was my theme again.... Also - FOR ME - theme the way I mean it is not a social/political message (great to have those in your story just not what I am talking about). I am talking an emotional thematic -- and that is traveling in your main character. It is the access point for the audience. It creates connection and catharsis for audience. So for me - it's the gold i am digging for....

@Ashley QUESTION: Was the experience of putting yourself in the lava different while writing an original story vs. adapting someone else's world and characters like Captain Marvel? ANSWER: yes because you start with that IP story/that world/the themes that are bubbling in there... Of course if I have wanted/agreed/fought to adapt IP then my personal theme-- or themes I love to write in-- are probably in there. No, it IS in there. Sometimes at first I may not be able to identify it, how it is in there, but I feel it.. If the IP is held by a studio/producer, to get the job you will have to say what theme you are drawn to and why (and the more personal the better - bc that's why YOU are the only one who can write this). Often this thematic in is often the key to getting the job. It's what makes them believe you will deliver. .....Also -- unless you are a writer/director, you will be working with thematics of other creators -- especially a director. The director ultimately sets the thematic - what is personal to her/him/them. What is beautiful about theme (and lava) is that if you've dug deep enough then that theme becomes universal, about the human condition, so we can all relate.

Thanks for the great answer, Meg LeFauve! I usually have themes for all of my scripts, but I outlined a script that doesn't have a theme. After reading your answer, I think I need to dig and find a theme. Thanks again!

Nathan Woodward QUESTION: I find a lot of times that when I'm writing, it's really easy to have a good first thirty pages and a last thirty pages, and maybe a solid fifteen in the middle, but the rest of it - it's really hard to keep the fire on. What is your advice for those moments in your script that you have to keep the pressure on but also make filler? If that makes sense?

ANSWER: MAKES TOTAL SENSE and is something that I've seen so many (all?) writers wrestle with. First acts are easy AT FIRST. They are blue sky, look at all the fun stuff, lets get started! Then we wander in the forest of the second act and then - if we are lucky - we have a third act climax we love (of course sometimes we dont't have that either!). The way approach it is -- after my "vomit draft" or days/weeks spent researching/writing/discussing - I will look at the CHARACTER JOURNEY to create my structure. Bc I believe every structure turning point is actually a CHARACTER turning point - you are actually tracking with structure the TRANSFORMATION of a character....I usually graph that character transformation onto a line so I can see it from 30,000 feet. Where do we meet the main character/who are they - what is world they inhabit and how do they see it/how do they perceive themselves? -- What is their inciting incident -- What is main relationship - where does it start? -- What is end of act one? what is the mc's goal/want and plan to get it? Then I will write down a possible pg 45 point, which is the middle of 2A. This is where the character is but also what they might DO at this point - to show they are changing/learning/responding/creating storyline. If you have a clear antagonist that character will of course also be involved (and you can graph them in the same way - where are they on their structure points?). Then I write down a midpoint -- then I write down a mid-2B point - or maybe the mistake around page 85 that is what sends my mc down into end of act two. What is end of act two - how is this the "death" of some perception or character aspect that I set up in act one for character and how is it the birth of a new aspect of character? THE WHOLE OF ACT TWO HAD TO HAPPEN TO GET ME HERE - so that is who I can go back to those mid-2A and 2B moments to see if I can make them better - juicer -- all built on character transformation. Then of course there is the climax action of the character which PROVES the transformation. ANOTHER THOUGHT -- if I have a dull mid 2A or 2B I will also go see what is happening in the RELATIONSHIP(S). bc that is probably where it is flagging/sagging. AND IF ALL ELSE FAILS I go to what someone told me the Cohen Brothers did in their early career -- not sure if this is true but I like it :). "what is the coolest/most unexpected thing that could happen right now". And if it makes it hard to know how the heck your character will get out of it - all the better!

Jarrett Frierson QUESTION: At this point in your wonderful career, do you ever find yourself experiencing imposter syndrome? If so, how do you combat that? ANSWER: OH YES. EVERY DAY. I know multiple Academy Award winners who have said "I am waiting for someone to knock on the door and tell me it was a mistake and give the Oscar back". -- Did you see that Sarah Polley's daughter pranked her by pretending to be the Academy doing just this to her! I THINK IMPOSTER SYNDROME IS PART OF BEING A CREATIVE BEING. It's woven in. We ARE SEARCHERS AND RISK TAKERS AND QUESTIONERS AND HAVE WILD IMAGINATIONS! And we are VULNERABLE AND RAW AND OPEN AND CONDUITS. I don't see how being all that doesn't equal imposter syndrome. I ALSO think that as you get more and more experience the imposter syndrome is there but you know it like an old friend. Can say hello and please take a seat. I'm doing this... And you have enough experience that you CAN do it and that when you fail YOU DON'T DIE. and you LEARN. .. It's still never easy - for me there is always an intense unease as part of my process... but I also think that there is a gift in it -- if you can see it - because it's sometimes acting as an ALERT -- and you can use that alert to beat yourself up, make you stop and give up - OR you can use it to say "am I missing something? am I not going deep enough with the story? Am i bailing out in this story bc I am afraid of being true to what would happen.? OR is the alert of imposter syndrome actually a way to avoid -- Is the lava getting too close to the surface, too hot? The only answer to either or any of these imposter syndrome situations is WRITE.... advice I need to give myself today :).

Hi Meg LeFauve! Thanks for doing the AMA and I love the podcast! I'm curious when developing the secondary characters, what's your approach to knowing which ones you need? For example, in INSIDE OUT, you already have this great ensemble in headquarters and then later Bing Bong comes in and takes the story in a whole new direction. How do you determine when you need to add a character like that versus pairing down on characters? Thanks again!

@MarthaCaprarotta QUESTION: When you come up with a concept or plot first, what's your advice for creating the best protagonist for it? ANSWER - first thank you for the kind words about the TSL podcast. It's a labor of love for Lorien and I so it's so essential we know it is doing good out there! :). .. I am in the situation you describe right now. If there is something ESSENTIAL to the concept - a climactic moment, a propelling motive, a relationship - then I will start digging there. Why is that so compelling to me? What kind of person would do that? or get themselves into that plot - why would they? What do they get out of it? What are the hiding from/avoiding with that plot? What are their secrets that have bubbled into this action? Why would they get into this relationship -- What is in it for them and what will challenge them. Those are fun places to start -- The true digging will be WHAT IS THE END OF ACT TWO for this character? That is the base of the story and of the character (even if you have a character who doesn't' transform - end of act two is where subtext becomes context). What does the main character learn at the end of act two ABOUT THEMSELVES (not about the situation or other characters). Why is this so MOVING TO YOU THE CREATOR. You need to dig to something that makes you feel vulnerable bc it is so TRUE for you.. Now, that can be hard to bring into your conscious mind but let the character guide you - and go back to the more "fun" questions when it isn't bubbling up. If you have the ACTION of act two - then you can go back to digging into that - what character would get themselves here and why - though it's painful - would this end of act two be THE BEST THING THAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED TO THEM - not from a plot perspective but from an interior character pov -- bc this is their awakening... Lastly - when I worked with Jodie Foster she would build a character from SHAME and FEAR - what the character is avoiding through most of the story -- you could also start there. :). (for you and for your character!)

@NickWalters. QUESTION When you're writing animated stories or a high concept story outside of the "real world" how often are you drawing on your own lived experiences to humanize the characters and ground the story? ANSWER: ALWAYS. I can set out NOT to do that but then the characters remain FLAT. Now I am not always being AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL. That's different. But I am always drawing on what feels TRUE to me - about how people behave and are. Even if that seems counter to the plot or what "should" happen. (that how you get emotional surprises and turns :). We recorded an episode with Jodie Foster for the TSL podcast that will drop in a few weeks -- she talks about this a lot - digging for what's true. That "true" comes from you - your honest experiences and observations of of being a human being. To me that is what elevates the story to art... AND I have not been in a studio meeting that the exec has not wanted to know "what is this about" and they mean emotionally - for the character and for me. You can be writing a story about aliens on a far planet who are opposite of humans - but I promise you whether you want to or not you are tuning in to your humanity and expressing it in this form - sometimes we can SEE that humanity better when it doesn't look "human" . Lastly, my time in animation has mostly been spent in rooms digging into our experiences and humanity - what is true for that director and how they'd like to express it in this story, It's the bedrock.

Meg, thanks for such a thorough answer to my question! And it's reassuring to know that you sometimes find yourself in the same situation as a writer! I'll apply your advice to 2 scripts I'm rewriting that need more fleshed out protagonists with stronger arcs. Will also share your answer with a fellow writer with the same issue. So thanks on his behalf, too!

Thanks so much for being in the community today, Meg. Awesome to have you here. “Inside Out” was such a terrific exploration of emotion - really powerful for an animated feature. When you were crafting the script did you use any external motivation like music or meditation? These are practices I’ve been toying with when trying to create. Thanks!

Emily J QUESTION: I'm curious when developing the secondary characters, what's your approach to knowing which ones you need? For example, in INSIDE OUT, you already have this great ensemble in headquarters and then later Bing Bong comes in and takes the story in a whole new direction. How do you determine when you need to add a character like that versus pairing down on characters? ANSWER: First, it's a PROCESS. A long process. In the beginning drafts it is all GUT, who shows up when you free write or day dream scenes. In this early work a supporting character you thought would be important ends up being someone you can later cut and a character you put in for a laugh suddenly takes on weight and meaning for the main character and is in the journey more.... I worked on a big studio movie for many drafts before we realized "this main relationship is not it. we have to lose a huge secondary character". -which basically meant rebooting the film. No one flipped out bc this is the process. You will start with too many characters (ie maybe you have bifurcated the main character into multiple characters and you need to put them back into the mc). Or you start with not enough - and the story isn't getting enough dimension or fun or perspective or challenges for the mc. To me that is where it always goes back to -- what does the mc need for this journey - to create the transformation that will happen at the end of act two? What relationships does the mc need to be in to TEST THEM, REFLECT THEM, PUSH THEM, EXPOSE THEM, ILLUMINATE THEM? That for me is always the first question. The other questions you can ask is WHAT WOULD BE FUN. that's more an "outside in " approach but I like to do it! Who would be the MOST CHALLENGING CHARACTER WHO COULD SHOW UP RIGHT NOW? Who would be a character who the audience would love? bc either they are so entertaining or bc the are US or bc the move us or bc they are such a huge challenge... IF YOU ARE WORLD BUILDING then there's lots of time spent with how is in this world - let that be fun, go for it- and later come back and say Okay given our mc and their story - who of these supporting characters would be the most fun and most impactful for our mc to meet and be tested by? AND REMEMBER you can have all these different supporting characters and RELATIONSHIPS (bc that is what you are really creating with supporting characters - relationships for your mc). but the way they don't become NOISE is you spine the story with ONE RELATIONSHIP.. I know some people will disagree and that's fine - -but FOR ME - knowing what the main relationship is helps me keep bringing to back to the Mc and her journey (with IO it was Sadness). I believe the main relationship is the one the audience invests in the most -- what they deeply care about - then you can meet as many characters as you want - have all the fun you want- bc we are holding on to that main relationship as our track. LAST THOUGHT - any character in the movie is IN THE SAME THEMATIC POOL AS YOUR MAIN CHARACTER - they are illuminating the mc and her journey in some way. If not - out they go.

@marthacaprarotta -- instead of "stronger" arcs maybe think DEEPER :)

@samsokolow. -- QUESTION: When you were crafting the script did you use any external motivation like music or meditation? These are practices I’ve been toying with when trying to create. Thanks! ANSWER; MUSIC -- I know writers who do this - and I aspire to it! A director I know only listens to soundtracks in his car -- has to know the comp music for his movie. I love that. I am just going too fast and have too many balls in the air to do it! I tend to be like "I have four hours to write and I gotta GO GO GO" and I sit and write... MEDITATION - I wish. I can't do it - I try and try but I just have too many things going on in my head! BUT YOU HAVE INSPIRED ME. This afternoon I am going to try and mediate for a bit then put on some music.!

This is incredible, Meg! Congratulations on all your hard work and accomplishment.

Hi Meg, thanks for doing this for the community! Do you have any tips on how writers can get to more vulnerable states before/while writing?

So great to see you in the Stage 32 community Meg! What are your tips to overcome writer’s block?

I'm a vulnerable person myself. So, I instantly get in the zone when it comes to focusing on my story.

My question is: how are YOU certain when your story holds up? How do you know when the time for writing is now?

@NIKIHAYES - QUESTION: Do you have any tips on how writers can get to more vulnerable states before/while writing? ANSWER: I had to think about this one :). Honestly I have usually procrastinated so much that the PANIC of the due date makes me vulnerable - but this is not a technique I recommend. At the start of the process (ie early drafts) I usually start in my intellect - get into the water - swim around with what is fun - how will this character move etc. It's when I start writing scenes and the dreamer me comes forward that the emotions rise. The trick is to STAY IN IT vs escape out to intellect. That escape can happen so fast I don't even realize I've done it! but if I am deeply in the story (and it's becoming like me WATCHING the movie!) then I trust that flow -- see where it goes. FOR LATER DRAFTS - I am probably dealing with notes which can get quite intellectual... but I think it's the same process for me. - I let my intellect have it's time - show me some scaffolding - then I go in and write scenes and follow it - even if it's starting to off what we decided was "right" from the notes or what the director and I agreed to - I try to let the dreamer (vulnerable part) have it's time. LASTLY sometimes talking it out with a friend or partner is where the vulnerability will come up. I can start the convo very intellectually but then I get asked a question and POP there it is. (my RAGE rising at the question is a good sign that there is some lava there!). This is the hardest way to get to it bc it's "public" but it can be the fastest and most impactful bc you are on the hot seat. OH AND ANOTHER WAY can be reading other writers work -- and if something strikes me - moves me - that can open doors inside me. Like a Mary Oliver poem. It's also why I have a subscription to THE SUN Magazine- it's writers all sitting in lava and its inspiring to read...

@amandatoney. QUESTION: What are your tips to overcome writer’s block? ANSWER - You know I more often have WRITER'S TERROR then block. I just procrastinate doing EVERYTHING BUT for SO LONG. My head starts screaming WHY AREN'T YOU WRITING!! IT'S DUE!! YOU'RE LATE but still there's something else that needs done so I can avoid (like an AMA as an example! ha! Yes, I am doing this RIGHT NOW on a project) But for both writers terror and writers block the door back for me is two steps 1) sit my butt down and open a document and just write badly. Horribly. the most awful version! Just write SOMETHING. 2) Remember and connect in to the characters. Bc if I don't sit down -- and I don't tell their story - they will never exist. Now if I truly have a block - like writing within a scene or looking at the story from 30,000 feet and not knowing how to make it work I would 1) go sit down with a friend and talk about it - let them ask me questions. 2) take a break - I might be burnt out. 3) do writing exercises that are not directly about the plot I am wrangling but are about my character (Lorien has a great character seminar for this) . I do believe the character knows... maybe we are just too afraid to hear the answers...

@marcelnaultjr. QUESTION how are YOU certain when your story holds up? How do you know when the time for writing is now? ANSWER: I am not 100% sure if I understand the question. please feel free to elaborate! If you mean "holds up" as in send it out to pros to look at -- I do everything I can think of and I've given to to close friends (like my husband) to read and they've asked all the questions - and I've probably done many rounds with these closer note givers until I'm hearing things like "this is a movie". "i loved this part" etc. Then I know it's time to go :).

Meg LeFauve so wonderful to see you here as well as on facebook! What an exciting repartee I am glued to this thread, thank you!!

Marcel Nault Jr. that reminds me just how joyfully I have learned to wallow in the cognitive dissonance of never being certain of anything,

mentally living on the razor's edge with all of the concomitant turmoil simply for the artist becomes the baseline, and there is always coffee.

Let me try to analyze that! Lava is overflowing hot! If you write for Hot Volcanoes...Your stories that you are going to write will be On Fire! Ha!!! Please correct me if my analysis is wrong. You sure are an extra ordinary screenwriter...You are Hot!!! Wow! You are already on the Pedestal!...It's okay everyone has his or her own pedestal to sit...Thanks for sharing!!!

My question is: How much should we focus on budget while writing a screenplay?

I tend to write the story that I feel without paying too much attention to budget, and it usually shows. : ) That being said, I fully expect to collaborate and make changes.

I have been trying to familiarize myself with a more business approach while attempting to keep a creative balance with my future projects. I am hoping that I am not closing doors but rather opening them.

Thank you for sharing your time with us, Meg.

Thanks for your time Meg LeFauve, really interesting to read your comprehensive answers.

Hopefeully, I have not missed the LeFauve Q&A window!

Question: The consistency of a character's actions is important because there has to be a context of how they will react to any given situation (at least I assume so), what would you say is critical to the audience buy-in if there is a reversal in a relationship?

As an example, A is still in love with B and wants her back, B is in a relationship with C. B doesn't know A wants her back, C suspects & distrusts A, B trusts A so defends her to C. The backdrop is that their lives are in danger. It reaches a point where B actively chooses A over C to protect her (partly down to A's manipulation, but it is still B's choice).

Thank you.