Not necessarily because of the power, but because of the stories that exist behind them.
Lately I've noticed a pattern in the projects I'm developing. Whether it's a modern crime family operating in the shadows of New York or an ancient dynasty ruling from the banks of the Nile, I keep finding myself drawn to the same themes:
Legacy
Power
Loyalty
Succession
Secrets
The cost of holding onto a crown
The funny thing is that two of my newest concepts are separated by thousands of years. One explores a hidden sixth mafia family emerging in modern New York. The other follows the scandalous rise and fall of the Ptolemaic dynasty before Cleopatra became history's most famous queen.
Different worlds. Different eras.
Yet at their core, both are stories about families fighting to build, protect, and reclaim empires.
As writers, have you noticed recurring themes in your own work? What subjects do you keep returning to, even when you don't plan to?
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Azel, when I'm writing, I keep coming back to themes such as perseverance (people refusing to give up on their dreams) and family (whether it's a biological clan or a found one)...to say nothing of music or some other art as a way of liberation or of self-expression.
Great question...thanks for posting!
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Much like Jim here, most of my scripts are centred around family. I'd say it speaks to me as a person, a lot of my life and my writing is influenced by my family and the experiences I share with them.
Equally, as I was noting down some ideas the other day, I noticed that my latest few scripts I've been working on have all been about success - what it means to individuals and the price/ cost of it. It wasn't even intentional but it's clearly there.Perhaps that speaks to where my mind is at right now - pondering what success means to me.
Ryan Watts do you feel that screenwriting as a profession makes you doubt in your success?
In the last couple of months going from actually writing a script and working on five others, I believe I have developed a slate. I write character-driven thrillers and dramas that explore power, legacy, trauma, and the families or institutions people must survive.
Every project has:
Identity
Genre
Hook
Theme
Direction
So yes, my slate may contain:
Kidnappers
Letters
Murder
Dancing
Mafia and Egyptian royalty
But they all come together pretty awesomely.
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Azel Carstens that's a very good question. The main conclusion I've drawn so far is that success is individual. One person may view completing a script as a success while another won't be satisfied until it is on the big screen. But I suppose you could say that for any career path, some people always strive for more while others are content with where they are. In my mind, there's nothing wrong with either if you're happy.
I think whatever you do, there will be moments where you doubt yourself, so I don't think it's screenwriting in particular, but defining what success means to me has certainly been something in the back of my mind over the past few months.
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I get what you're saying Ryan Watts , I keep on measuring my own success on exactly like you put it.....why is my script not on the big screen, what is wrong with it....with me even. But I like what you're saying muuuuucccchhhhh more! What if I only look at what made me happy......and to answer that, I'm actually bloody succesfull. Because I'm happy, with life yes, AND how my screenplays make me feel. Awesome reply!