Screenwriting : What inspires you as a screenwriter? by Conrad Ekeke

For me, it's a desire to pass along lessons learned so others don't make the same mistakes... also to share zippy one-liners in a way which feels therapeutic to express and get off my chest.

It's usually, though not always, that golden, thrilling moment when I "see" the opening scene of my script through six to 10 shots, and then am able to envision the final scene of the script before it fades to black.

Bill, I'll say that's a very pro technique but I buy it. Sue, I think I resemble you in that way of seeing thing abstractly. I usually don't look at the surface. I like picking the very little and perhaps, insignificant things in the things that draw my attention. Brian, wow! :) Teaching/passing down lessons is the best way to improve on anything. That's what has made the world what it is - that's if it's better though.

Is observing and analyzing an important aspect in being creative? For one, I love drawing inspiration from events and creating a story out of them. What do you think?

I guess what inspires is off the wall ideas... like the ancient Navajo folklore of the monster slayer, twin sons fighting monsters then add chinese and Navajo lead characters as the sons and myths along with an alien invasion

Sue, when you watch pride, prejudice and vampires, you'll find out it's inspired of the actual pride and prejudice... I watched Epic and Dr. Sue, the elephant trying to save a tiny world from the jungle upheavals etc. We could name a lot of movies but mind you, I'm not saying their writers were inspired by either of their movies. That's why I asked if being inspired of some other movie is possible and helpful.

I think the tiny people were called the "Who" people. In Epic we can see this upheaval in nature as agents of decay fight the agents of life and growth while in Dr. Sue, it's between the wild animal and both stories are about "not ignoring what you can't see, think of or understand and assume they don't exist..." something like that.

It's hard to answer, because for me is personal journey that inspires me. Back when I was a teenager, we didn't have alot of money to go to the movies, so I created movies in my head, I wrote them and it was entertainment for me as I wrote. Today a poster, ad in the subway, a song, a newspaper article, a story a friend would tell me about something that happened, stories my grandmother told me as a child, ALL these inspire me to write. I do have to say once again, personal pain, wounds from passed and present are at core of most of my stories. Hope I'm not alone on this one, although I think many writers here I afraid to admit it because I just can't believe no one here draws from personal pain to write real compelling characters. ???

Jorge, Jorge you just made me proud and you are not alone ever. Let me share a little experience similar to yours Jorge. In the late 80s, in Cameroon, having a TV was a luxury. You had one, everyone would call you a rich man. Now we were little very poor. Didn't even have seats in our living room and each time I go to watch the TV at a rich friend's house, they'd ask me to return home and bathe before I can come back and watch - it was this famous tortoise ninja cartoon and I could do anything but return to bathe, just to watch a few scenes. Nonetheless I figured one day that it was their strategy to keep me off their clean house and perhaps their peace. The movie lasted only 45minutes and that was just the time for me to run home, bathe, and run back to the rich house to find that the show was over :( what did I do? I made myself some crude toys out of broom sticks, made my own Raphael, Angelo, Donatelo Leonardo... All outta broom stick and started acting my own story from the few scenes I'd peeped through a tiny - very tiny window space. I gave up tortle ninja and started my own, gave my character broom sticks different names and gradually, I built my own imaginary world and I decided to call it the Kwataya... True Story my friend so you're not alone buddy. Today, I can proudly say my rich neighbors sort of inspired me. Lol. It's got everything to do with your mind and experiences - that's way to sum it up.

And Jorge, I wrote my fantasy based on what actually happened in my country around the 14th century. Made a fictional tale out if the non fiction and I named it The Legend of Kwataya: the chariots of the gods. I'm sure if you dig historical facts on the chariots of the gods you would imagine what I mean.

Conrad, thanks for sharing, my friend. It feels good to know I'm not alone. This makes both us, courageous screenwriters. Hope others here, dare to share. What is that American game ? Oh, oh, " Truth or Dare" Thanks again, brother.

Hahahah truth or dare really. And I realized too many writers just feel they woke up one morning and landed on 10. They didn't have to go through 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 etc and that makes them... What's the name again.... Super perfect like they just did it once and it came out best lol. That's the experience when you grow my brother, truth is manure to success and I took that path since in my "broom stick" days :). Well I can't hope for those who choose to assume they didn't climb a ladder from the bottom.

I guess spending my childhood alone and bullied I had to entertain myself a lot. I've spent a lot of time in my head and it's just carried on into my adulthood and is now a part of me. I enjoy watching, reading and listening to stories and I enjoy being part of the process.

Yes Cherie, those experiences, I think, are building bricks to what we've become so far. I want to believe you're proud of that lonely past now as its not easy to erase in you magnificent thinking mind uh?

Proud? I hated my childhood. I hated school. Proud isn't the word. I missed out on so much. But it is what it is and I am what I am. I'll feel proud if I actually make a living from writing. But I'm sure not gonna go around telling people how great and talented I am and how amazing my work is. That's for other people to decide.

Cherie, I'm inclined to think that you wished you'd had the opportunity to go back and change certain things about that past but no, no you can't. Perhaps you'll only fix what you would spoil now and that's only maybe. You hated your childhood but I suppose from your first comment, you mentioned, it pushed you to live more inside your head. Well, I wouldn't know how you lived in there but if I'm correct, you developed a passion in writing even to a negligible degree. I won't say it's thanks to your childhood that you're hoping to make a living out of writing. I would suppose it's that passion you developed in your head whose roots are the childhood experiences you hated. Also, I wouldn't view true writing talent as a talked about issue either. Nonetheless, I don't think it should be about talent display, whether you or other people have to say you're good doesn't matter, way as I see it. What should matter in true writing and talent should be in the writing. What you've written and how importantly you and/or others can benefit from it. You as a writer should get appraisal to about just 10% if it where me to decide. "A true hero doesn't live to even celebrate his triumph".

See I don't really believe in talent either. Just a collection of personality traits that are helpful to your chosen artistic pursuit. Some people are good at making the most of them. Others don't have those traits and have to work harder to train themselves. That is also possible. When you talk about believing in your talent all I read is people expressing their egos. That is different to believing in yourself enough to try something to your best ability no matter your traits. There's a difference to what you speak of and what I speak of as I see it. Ego is vanity. Since when the hell was that ever a good thing? It's not the same as self belief.

Hi Conrad. Day 4 of the 'Challenge to post content' through the month of April, so I'm here to respond to your post. Firstly, I'd l'll say I really like the posts you upload, but most of all, the way you respond with eloquence and respect towards those who may not offer the same. I commend you. Now, what inspires me as a screenwriter? I'm inspired by many things. When starting out, the screenwriters who inspired me, Steven E de Souza, John Fusco, Ben Hecht, Ed Neumeier. I thought 'wow, those guys write stories that I really like to see!' So now - many years later, and fortunate to be in contact with a couple of those screenwriting heroes, as a writer now myself, I write what I would go and watch. What could inspire me could be anything really. A brief story in a newspaper. A painting in an art gallery. Something profound I might hear from someone I pass in the street, making me think it could belong to a particular character in a future script. My first novel, http://www.amazon.co.uk/My-Name-Not-Jacob-Ramsay/dp/1512384240/ref=asap_... 'My name is not Jacob Ramsay' was inspired by an actual event at a school I once taught at. We were getting so many children from war-torn countries, refugees, some fleeing hostile environments or simply a family deciding to move to another part of the world for a new job. Their stories and journeys inspired me. Some happy, many tragic. Seeing, hearing smelling, touching, tasting.... Our senses should inspire and affect us daily. How a writer goes about translating that to the page is another matter. Success to you, Conrad. Ben

Ben, first of all, I've bookmarked the link to your first book and I definitely will read it. I must say, I admire the mindset you possess, it's magical and it's everything most writers aspire to achieve. I hope someday my writing or ideas inspires people... Hey wait a second... I think my writing and ideas inspires me and other people. Wow! I just realized that just now. Before, I would watch and re-watch a movie to be inspired but now, I just have to look at most of my own characters I've developed to do just that. Wow... You're an eye opener my very good sir :) ;). Cherie, I'm convinced at this stage that you really don't like or prefer to read egocentric comments that are directed towards self accomplishment or boastful talents. Again, I say, it doesn't matter what anyone says he/she's good at. What matters is how good they do what they're supposed to be good at. Whether one has to work harder than they ought or not, achievement is paramount to our understanding of all endeavors "There are too many roads to Rome". some see the longer and less traveled path, some see the shorter and crowded path, others just get there and probably don't know how and all this means one thing - they're there and they wanted to be there, else, they won't make that first step in building these paths. If you created a route to some place where most people wanna pilgrim to, they'll remember you for creating that route but it won't mean some other already existing routes ain't used by even those who appraise you for what you've done. They may like to know the story of how you found or created that route and the question is, who's gonna tell them that story? You were alone and now you're in a place where everyone looks up to you to know where you came from with what you've created. I bet your route won't even cough out a word of that story and if you prefer to keep your story to yourself for the sake of not wanting to be ... BOASTFUL, you'll be commended for your good works and no one will learn so they too can create their own paths. No matter how you put your own story my dear friends, Cherie and Sue, it remains your story and it will be an experience that will teach, guide and help if not people, but the world, someday. There's no such thing as vanity according to my own philosophy. Vanity is only meant to discourage hard workers and to give up on becoming what they dream of or desire. I buy what I create for quotes but if you so believe in ego being vanity, it might just boil down to this writing career you wanna make a living out of as being vanity itself and if I must advice anyone under such thoughts - one word - ABANDON - will set them on their tranquil course and they'll wait and wait for someone to say you did a great job and no one will cough out a word. I'm not saying they can't say it when they don't know your story, no. What I'm saying is that your story is the root of your being where you are or on the path you're on. It drives you on, whether you know it or not. "Because you're ignorant about something doesn't mean they don't exist". However, you must be entitled to your views about ego displays and all but we must all view every step in creativity as a learning process. Everyone. ;)

Sue, there you're right 00% "new media has turned us all into blathering self-promoters." The competition is tight and bottle-necked. Just to get your script read, you need a whole CV of what you have achieved and the things you can do and how best you do them. To me, I think it's a positive way to impart trust and self confidence in your work. Getting your readers/audience to see the vision you have etc. Sometimes, these thing are meant for our own good even if we have to hate them. All paths lead to screenwriting ... ;)

Hahaha haha Sue, you can always enjoy it. All there is to do is just sulk on lol. The only way forward is forward.... :) But I doesn't have to end here. Invite me to read your posts ;)

Conrad, you are an amazing human being. Your philosophy is inspiring and everyone here in way or another have step forward and greatly contributed to the thread way beyond.. We have stories of pain, bullying, loneliness, I definitely relate with Cherie more than anyone here in the bullying, aloofness part, however I believe that is those healed scars from our pass and present, because our journey has not ended, I truly believe the scars make us all better writers, whether someone needs to validate that, it still remains to be seen, but our journey, some me at least, it's only halfway, for others it's just beginning. The main thing is to continue writing, stories from the our hearts and souls, but we must do it with passion, we enjoy the process and do it first because we enjoy it. We gotta put the time in and I guaranteed you, that we will get better and better and before you know it, you'll have 7 - 9 screenplays to pitch. Conrad, you are a blessing to this community, brother and this alone is a success story, in my humble opinion. Here's a quote for all you fellow writers. " I write like I breathe: without it, I would die." Nina Mason

Well Conrad we very much disagree on some fundamentals. Vanity creates monsters. Vanity creates delusion. Neither state is healthy. There's positivity and then there's naivety. Positivity doesn't equal wisdom.

Hahahah Jorge thank you and YES! that's the spirit. Here's a word of power I just made for you, for them and for me: "Look" back" to remember "les" but to "empower" more, for each step ahead will alway cause you to look back after you've crossed it". Jorge, you inspired me to make that quote up and I hope you understand the details of it. It means everything why you keep moving forward and the more why you are where you are now ;)

Cherie, in my humble opinion, positivity is an integral part of wisdom. They don't compete, way as I see it, they complement one another. To be wise means to be positive and if wisdom surpasses all knowledge, logically speaking, positivity does too... Well I look at it from common sense as it's like finding a wale in the middle of the desert, that's how I'll view a negative minded person who is wise and if positivity has anything to compare with, it won't possibly be wisdom. But I have a question for ya... Do you know of anyone wise who isn't positive in his/her attitude?

Conrad, many thanks for that poem, brother. Your positive mindset is contagious . Keep it coming. Lol.