Me:
Back in 2015, I was in church with a jotter and a pen, writing out scenes from The Flash. Some kids around me read what I’d written and said things like, “I remember this scene… I can see it… I love this part from The Flash.”
At that time, I didn't even know what screenplay was. But that moment hit me.
I realized my writing was vivid enough for people to see what I was describing. That was the spark. I thought, If I can recreate scenes like this, then I should be able to create my own.
A few days later, I started my first original script, “The Alien.” Honestly, it felt a lot like The Flash. I was still new, and everything I wrote was heavily influenced by what I had watched.
Weeks later, I scrapped it and started another: “The Tomorrow’s Vampires.” That one leaned more toward Teen Wolf. Again, not quite original yet.
But I didn’t stop.
I kept writing… and rewriting… and yes, burning scripts. Over 15 of them. I knew I wasn’t there yet, but I also knew I was getting closer.
Fast forward eleven years, and writing feels very different now.
These days, I don’t force stories the way I used to. I follow my characters. I let them decide what they do, what they say, and where the story goes. It all starts with a simple idea, and then you just stay honest to it.
That’s been my journey.
I hope I didn’t bore you. I’d love to hear yours.
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My playwriting class was when I learned a very rudimentary form of scriptwriting, and my uncle said that screenplays are all about what you can see and hear, so that's where I started. I got hit with really bad writer's block in like 2022 that's still going, but I still wanted to write, so I figured I'd try screenwriting since playwriting was so much fun the one time I did it. I'm still kinda rough but I do wanna keep going~
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Banafsheh Esmailzadeh I apologize I haven't been able to reply to you earlier. That’s actually a really solid foundation to start from. Your uncle wasn’t wrong at all, thinking in terms of what can be seen and heard is basically the core of screenwriting.
And honestly, writer’s block happens to almost everyone, especially when you care about getting it right. The fact that you still want to write despite that says a lot. Switching from playwriting to screenwriting is a smart move too, they’re different muscles, but they feed each other.
Rough? Absolutely not. You only are still figuring out your voice, which is exactly where every good writer starts.
What kind of stories do you find yourself wanting to tell?
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I think for me, it wasn't really about discovering screenwriting—it was realizing there was a format for something I had already been doing.
My ideas have always been very vivid. I don't just think of stories, I see them—movement, emotion, moments playing out almost like I'm watching them.
So even though I'm newer to screenwriting as a craft, I'm not new to being creative. This just feels like learning a new language for something that's always been there.
Now I'm just focused on translating what I already see in my mind into something others can experience the same way.
It's less about "learning to write" and more about learning how to capture what's already alive in my head.
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I tried to mimic a movie I liked and it went ok enough to try and continue.
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No worries Aj Alowonle, and thank you :) I actually only ever wrote that one play, I primarily write novels which is what I'm blocked for currently ^^; but since then I've also dipped my toes into drawing and writing my own comics which is also working a different muscle (and it's equal parts relaxing and challenging lol). Hopefully I'll work quicker with all of them (and get back to novels; the one I was working on needs to be finished before I can start on its prequel's pilot episode).
I definitely find myself coming back to the theme of getting what you want without necessarily being ready for it (often because it's on a bigger scale than you expected), which I recognise is a strange way to tell stories lol, I think this is due to my anxiety often making me think about different scenarios in that vein. I also really like messy love triangles and grand adventures, and of course most of what I write is surreal in nature, often with a sort of old world charm because I'm a nostalgia addict. Generally speaking though I like to challenge myself to be more like a chameleon since I do play against type, too (one of my novels isn't surreal at all but nonetheless quite dark and complicated, almost like a psychological thriller? I don't even know lol but it was the most challenging project I've worked on so far)
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Alisha Mull That’s very interesting. I like how you described it as learning a new language for something that’s already alive in you, it really makes sense.
And I think every good writer can relate to that. Especially when preparing their first drafts.
Thanks for sharing
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Michael Dzurak That’s a good one, honestly. I can really relate to that.
It even gets better if you find the original screenplays of your favorite movies and read them, it gives you a real sense of how everything translates from script to screen.
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Banafsheh Esmailzadeh That’s really cool, especially how you’re exploring different mediums like novels, comics, and even drawing. It makes sense it’d stretch your creativity in new ways.
And I like that you’re not boxing yourself into one style, being able to switch tones like that is a strength.
Hope you break through the block soon and get back to finishing that novel.
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Thank you so much Aj Alowonle, I’ll keep working hard~
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The church jotter story is a good one. You saw that people could picture what you wrote. That's the real sign. Most people never get that feedback. The shift from forcing to following took me a long time too. Thanks for sharing yours!
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I took some screenwriting classes in college. Prior to that, I tried writing a script and had the basics, but it lacked structure and it was kind of messy, so thankfully the screenwriting classes made me a better writer.