Written by Ali Laventhol
As tv and feature writers, we naturally tune our creative antennae to what other people want, not us.
Often it’s the marketplace. What’s selling? What movies and shows are doing well? What should we write next that matches our credits or breaks us out of a pigeonhole…?
And then when we do get staffed, it’s all about what the showrunner, studio and network/streamer are looking for. Yes, the showrunner’s vision is important, but the studio and network/streamers have a strong say too, and writing staff learn what they want from their notes—more of this character, less of another; more levity, less melancholy. Often the notes become a moving target, forcing you to constantly readjust. Or they’re difficult to interpret. Tawnya and I were on a show years ago where the network note was, “You zigged but we’d like you to zag.” Huh?
My point is, that this business trains you to focus on what other people want, and if you’re not careful, your creative antennae can get stuck in that pattern. It’s a risk. Because when we try to tune back into the ideas, characters or stories that align with our own tastes, we can lose the ability to pick up the signal. And remember, it was our own unique creative spark that prompted us to start down this path in the first place.
So how do we keep it alive?
writing prompts
Here’s an idea: Write something that no one else will see as a little weekly ritual. It’s hard to do this when you’re working in the business—excuses usually stop me! But I’m going to experiment. Perhaps you’ll join me? Just once a week, for half an hour. We can do that, right?
Below are some writing prompts to get you going based on some of the shows Tawnya and I have written on. And remember, no one will see the results. The point is for YOU to connect back to YOU… Get a big ol flashlight out and search around your mind and heart. Dive deep, explore, be curious, don’t second guess yourself.
And most importantly have fun with it!
1: Dinner Scene
Write a family dinner scene in which a fish-out-of-water cousin tries to fit in but doesn’t. Before the meal is over, a family secret comes out that threatens to wreak havoc on one of the primary relationships. [INSPIRED BY BEL AIR]
2: Crush
Write a scene in which two teenagers try to hide the fact that they’re both crushing on each other. [Inspired by MY LIFE WITH THE WALTER BOYS]
3: Pregnancy Announcement
Write a scene in which a character makes an unexpected pregnancy announcement to their friends. [Inspired by A MILLION LITTLE THINGS]
4: Mother/daughter
Write a scene in which a mother and daughter finally fight about things that have been frustrating them for months. [Inspired by GINNY & GEORGIA]
5: Hospital
Write a scene in a hospital waiting room in which a doctor gives a grim surgical update to a group of waiting loved ones. [Inspired by THE NIGHT SHIFT]
6: Diary Entry
In prose, write a diary entry for one of your favorite characters on a show you’re currently watching.
7: Character Description
Write a character description for the most interesting person you’ve met IRL in the last few months.
8: Before / After
And finally, this last one is not from me, but from the brilliant poet Megan Falley: Sometimes the best way to write about trauma is to write “around the wound” rather than directly into the event. Take a situation from your life that you have been afraid to write and write the before and after picture [scenes] of it as opposed to the actual occurrences. How can these two snapshots allude to the in-between?
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One of the best ways to ignite your inspiration is to join the dynamic, collaborative structure of a Script Anatomy class. Feature writers have a great feature development lab coming up with Tom Shepherd, the writer of Dolittle. Check it out!
Ali Laventhol has been Tawnya‘s writing partner for over a decade, most recently as the Co-Executive Producer for My Life With The Walter Boys (Netflix), and Bel-Air (Peacock), as well as several Lifetime movies. She is a long time Script Anatomy instructor.
