Screenwriting : How do make this happen? by Somay Gupta

I've written scripts like that, and I have script ideas like that, Somay Gupta. I pitched my scripts even though they feel risky and controversial.

Hi, Maurice Vaughan That is courageous. I have taken a big break from writing lately. I have been focusing primarily on my work as a developer data scientist and computer scientist. Writing is something I love and even in a busy schedule I try to make space for it. There are a few hours each day where I am completely free and I use that time to record ideas or thoughts for future writing. Recently I have been exploring horror not typical horror but a mix of genres and approaches that feel different and sensitive. It is exciting to experiment with these ideas while balancing my other work.

I write them anyways because my scripts are for me first. Screenwriting is a form of therapy for me. If someone likes my script then awesome. My film Let The Rain Come is pretty intense mental health film that would require a huge budget but alas I wrote it anyways.

https://www.stage32.com/profile/1180686/Screenplay/Let-The-Rain-Come

That's great, Somay Gupta. Did you read this blog: "How To Find Time To Write A Screenplay (Even With A Full Time Job)" www.stage32.com/blog/how-to-find-time-to-write-a-screenplay-even-with-a-...

I guess I started writing as same reason as yours Mike Schreurs

That was really thoughtful and meaningful Maurice Vaughan . You never miss an opportunity to help others in any way you can.

I appreciate it, Somay Gupta.

Mike Schreurs love this take! and i do the same thing.

Somay Gupta definitely agree with what mike said — write it anyway even if its just you who will read it.

To add to this, i do think the resistance to share something sensitive might be because fear (of judgement perhaps). times like this, anonymity might give us confidence to share.

I often write things that may be too personal. It may be just a way for me to analyze myself. Who knows. Controversial subjects are not something I write about too often, but society's mores change with the times. Perhaps, today's controversy is tomorrow's trend. Write it. It just may need to sit unseen if that's where the wind is blowing.

Phoebe Anasco I think I should write it anyway, at least. Get the idea or script executed at the script level first. Pitching can always be done later.

This is something I use to say to other writers too.

Dodi Hochez We all shouldn’t worry much about script judgment and just write what we want. People barely remember who the scriptwriter was anyway.

I agree with others that you write what you want.

Yeah big time

"Write what stirs in your chest, even if it shakes your hand. The words you fear most are often the ones that free you. Do not wait for the world to agree with you—its approval will come and go like seasons. Ink is your fire, silence your cage. Better to burn on the page than to wither unwritten."

I believe we should never be afraid to express what’s inside of us.

Even if we’re not entirely right or wrong, even if it doesn’t touch others the same way it touches us. I started writing because it gave me a feeling of freedom.

Why not be ourselves? Sharing what lies deepest within us is what truly reveals who we are.

I write because I’ve had a bad day.

I write because something upset me.

I write because I saw an old woman dancing alone in the street.

Anything can become a spark. Don’t limit yourself.

I don’t believe in risky or controversial. There’s good projects and bad ones, and if you’re devoted enough to make any content. Your aim should always be making the best work from yourself. The highlighted terms have semblance more to our society I feel when they wish to run away from honesty of its repugnant past or its intention in stories to dilute it down to a lie.

Jermar Jerome Smith I used to avoid risk in writing, thinking it safer to stay quiet. Later I realized people in this fast world rarely even pause to ask who the writer was. On paper, nearly every limit has already been broken; controversy is not the enemy. The real risk is irrelevance: if your script doesn’t speak to the market or your storytelling fails, it won’t sell. But when we do write, it’s on us to shape the story with care. Because what we put out doesn’t just entertain, it enters society. It should remind people not just what is possible, but what is right, a flame that stirs justice while refusing to bow to silence or convenience.

Minh Nguyen No script is too sensitive. The only real question is how you craft it. How much pain do you pour. How much joy. How much fear. How much truth. A spark can light a lamp or burn a house. That choice is always in the writer’s hands.

What we often avoid as sensitive is just life itself. The deeper taboos now live in the human mind. Trauma. Shame. Unspoken desires. But even those exist in the world and if they exist they can be written.

So the real weight is not whether you can write it. The real weight is when your story leaves you will it heal will it ignite or will it destroy.

Yeah sure. Currently I am writing a live-action sitcom pilot that explores themes of Christian deconstruction and the evils of prosperity gospel all the while poking fun at how conservative Christians handle neurodivergency and "gifts from God". Offended yet? Well. There it is.

For those wondering what I was even trying to write, it wasn’t just one script. There were many things. One of the biggest was a book on work culture. Not against it, not an attack on anything, just an honest, insightful take. But I resisted. I held back. Every time I resisted. That’s the real point.

G.R. Barnett Go for it. What you want to write is important and real

Somay Gupta, I explore lots of themes in my songs. Some of the songs are just funny. Some are just slices of life. Some of my songs are based on my real life experiences. Some songs are ones where I speak out against racism, social injustice, homophobia and so on. I am a straight white American male. However, that does not make me any better than anyone else. I could care less what labels society places upon a person. I look at the person`s heart. That shows up in more than one of my songs.

Wyman Brent That a big art right there. It’s complex. Happens in everything. Film. Song. Sketch. Look at today’s world. I quote a song. Everyone knows it. But remember back then. Thirteen years ago. Gangnam Style came out. It was new. Fresh. Crazy. Almost everyone. The whole world heard it. People didn’t understand the words at first. They just danced. Laughed. Shared it everywhere. And still. Years later. Everyone knows it. I’m quoting none other than Gangnam Style. On the surface. People think it’s just funny and catchy. But it carries deeper meaning too. It’s a satire of flashy lifestyles. Social status. Absurd trends.

The Korean language itself is unique. The rhythm. Wordplay. Expression. Shows how language carries meaning. Culture. Humor in ways you don’t always notice. Even a fun pop song can feel layered and insightful.

Somay Gupta, you make an excellent point with Gangnam Style. Language can definitely carry meaning. I write almost all of my songs without thinking in advance what that they will be or how they will sound. That is part of my creative synesthesia. All of my around 400 songs are written in five minutes or less. Many of them carry my beliefs in them.

I write down my ideas, even those which I consider impossible. I have collected more than 2,000 ideas. If something is useless for a screenplay, perhaps I can use it in the dialogue in a play. Or use in something else.

YES! I wrote a tv pilot about paedophiles that I still feel will get me assassinated one day. But art requires bravery not consensus. In my opinion, at least.

One of my life's works projects, Karma Dealers, is a rare time I plan to allow myself to get political and highlight real-world issues and I know for a fact it'll get me in trouble. But one thing I've come to really appreciate in recent years is that as a writer I have to defend free speech and ironically in order to protect my insulation privilege, I have to suspend it and likely even give it up entirely. Like many people I spend way too much time online and so I'm more plugged into the happenings of the world than I would like, which has had the added affect of making me realise just how messed up things are everywhere and particularly in the west, where I live.

I don't consider myself an activist in the least, nor do I feel like all art is activism or vice versa. First and foremost, I'm an artist who seeks to entertain, not change the world. But at the same time I have come to appreciate that if I don't talk about the things that truly get my goat, then no one will, and everyone will suffer.

I'll respond in two parts, as I feel you're referring to two different points here.

1. “…too sensitive to fully share…” – back burner it and trust your instincts.

2. “…they feel risky, controversial, or just too personal…” – for these, that what gives me inspiration. I’ve written two screenplays that would be deemed risky and confidential. I felt empowered writing them.

Video game script about all the baddies in D.C.

I’ve designed title cards and wrote scripts. Although they need so many details. Some are TV series that continue where the movies left off.

Göran Johansson I agree with you — nothing we write or imagine is wasted. I’d add that this applies beyond art to any profession and to life itself. Whether you’re a songwriter, coder, teacher, or parent, we get a finite number of chances. Creating, failing, and trying again teaches us who we are, sharpens our skills, and shows us how to execute better. Every idea and experience eventually becomes useful

Michael David Yeah, this is relatable, very true. I often see people in fields like acting, directing, screenwriting, songwriting, or dancing come off as more courageous. Performing or putting your work in front of others, no matter the topic, always gets judged. To be in a field where there is constant judgment, you first have to be brave.

Banafsheh Esmailzadeh That’s perfectly fine — you get to define your own role and decide what you want to take responsibility for. Of course, sometimes people will hold you accountable for your work, whether you’re a data entry clerk, an artist, or just a human being. But in most cases, you rarely face extreme suppression; your work might get criticized online, or in rare cases, become very popular. Mostly, it’s a mental struggle for the artist — you have to accept the consequences of what can happen and be practical about it.

David Miller That’s actually very good advice. I’d add that as a creative worker, you should always play with storytelling. Storytelling has the power to express the unexpressed and turn ideas into art the way you want. If something is controversial, you can transform the controversy into a different narrative and make it part of the art. Storytelling gives you a big space to experiment, and if you have enough creativity and skill, you can create something truly different — though that’s definitely no easy task.

Jon Shallit Haha true! Seems like every video game secretly wants a little DC villain chaos. Imagine if even the tiniest minigame had Joker sneaking around -cute little mischief everywhere!

Harry Stoller that sounds really creative!

Somay-it's the REAL baddies with slight name changes. From a TRUE story.

I wonder if Stage 32 has censorship or not. Can we all showcase our scripts there, post, and discuss freely? What are the actual guidelines? Feels like a real responsibility.

Hi, Somay Gupta. I haven't heard of any censorship on Stage 32. Members can post their scripts on their profiles. Other members can read the scripts, and producers search profiles for projects. Click the gear symbol in the top right-hand corner and select “Edit profile” in the drop-down menu. Scroll down to “Loglines” and click “Add/edit loglines” to the right of “Loglines.” Members can also post their scripts on their profiles this way: www.stage32.com/loglines (near the top where it says “Add a Logline”)

I like to post pages of my scripts in the Your Stage Lounge (www.stage32.com/lounge/promotion) to pitch them, like First Page Friday, Third Page Thursday, and Sneak Peek Sunday.

Members can do script swaps with other members here in the Screenwriting Lounge or the Writers' Room Lounge (www.stage32.com/lounge/vip). You need to be a Writers' Room member to access the WR Lounge. Members can sign up for their first month of the Writers' Room free here: www.stage32.com/writers-room/plans-vip

@Somay Re question. We should never self censor or hesitate to creatively blaze a unique trail in the ether, (obviously aside any purposeful illegal bias.) Concepts may hit a raw nerve or unwittingly offend some yet often controversial or thought provoking stories can prove popular, raise important questions or be society game changers for the better. Paint by numbers text or appeasing woke agendas kills spontaneity and passion. New topic, in relation thread, rise of sensitivity readers. Do any of you consult one? I’m currently on the fence. Writing is very subjective, the reader interprets material in their own way, irrespective of authors original intent. Also some characters are meant to suck or be a toxic trope to further serve the plot or completely arc later on. With nuanced, diverse & emotional content there can be encyclopaedic possibilities in any characters behaviour. Therefore, I’m unsure if I’d put judgement of character plausibility in one persons hand.

Debbie Croysdale, I create the characters as I feel they should be. Now most of my work is totally family-friendly. No violence, no bad language, no drugs, alcohol or smoking. However, I am developing one crime series called Ron Biohazard. There are some nasty characters. However, I do not run it past anyone regarding how a character should develop or talk or act. I stay true to how I see them.

@Wyman I feel similar & need to birth my own characters. @All Aside my views, I know a few, already good writers, who consult sensitivity readers with regard to portraying niche groups. They say it helps but I’m confused. Niche is surely equally diverse as mainstream, albeit maybe sometimes, in lots of other different ways. I’ll do a masterclass on sensitivity reading to satisfy my curiosity, am I missing something? Updates posted here.

Debbie Croysdale I’ll admit, you’re right in what you said. What you pointed out about not self-censoring and facing both sides of creation is true. Many creators don’t understand this, or at least don’t embrace it. Being a creator means carrying both good and bad, light and dark, because if it’s only good it never feels alive. Even God placed good and evil side by side, because without one, the other has no meaning.