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You are here: Home > Writing in Education > Writing at University > Writing in Practice > Previous Issues > Writing in
Practice - Vol 1 > Interrogating Writing Practices: Perspectives from the Screenwriting Industry

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Interrogating Writing Practices: Perspectives from the

Screenwriting Industry
Author: Craig Batty and Stayci Taylor

Craig Batty and Stayci Taylor draw on interviews undertaken with screenwriters, script
editors, script executives and script consultants, relating their perspectives not only to
issues speci c to screenwriting and screenwriting pedagogy, but also to the discipline of
creative writing more broadly.
Abstract
Thisarticlecontributestothedevelopingbodyofresearchonscreenwritingpracticebyoutliningasetof
perspectivesfromthescreenwritingindustrythatspeakofwriters,theirpracticesandtheircreativeworks.
Drawnfrominterviewsundertakenwithscreenwriters,scripteditors,scriptexecutivesandscriptconsultants,
theseperspectivesrelatenotonlytoissuesspecifictoscreenwritingandscreenwritingpedagogy,butalsoto
thedisciplineofcreativewritingmorebroadly.
Takingasourapproachtheargumentthatsomeworks"aimedathelpingscreenwriterswiththeirscreenplays
[areseenasbeing]beneathacademicvalue",whilstasthesametimethereisaneed"nottotheorizepractice
perse,buttointerrogateandintellectualizepracticeinordertogeneratenewknowledgeandnewwaysto
practice"(Batty2014),ourintentionhereistospeakdirectlytocreativepracticeconcernsbypresenting
viewpointsfromthefield.
Wehavethemedtheseconcernsintothefollowingdiscussions,whichwepositasusefulforpractitioners,
educatorsandstudentsalike:ScreenwritingandEducationScreenwritingandtheHumanConditionBecoming
aScreenwriterBeingaScreenwriterandScreenwritingandCollaboration.

Keywords:screenwriting,screenwriter,screenplay,creativepractice,screenwritingpedagogy,scriptdevelopment,
screenwritingindustry,interviews

Introduction
Screenwritingisanareaoftenneglectedwithinthebroaderdisciplineofcreativewriting,andtosomeextent
mediapracticeandscreenproduction.Thereareanumberofarticlesscatteredthroughoutrelevantwriting
andcreativepracticebasedjournals,suchasNewWriting:TheInternationalJournalforthePracticeand
TheoryofCreativeWriting,TEXT:JournalofWritingandWritingCoursesandtheJournalofMediaPractice,
buttheyarejustthat:scattered.Ineditedcollections,screenwritingisoftenonlyrepresentedbyoneortwo
chapters,ifrepresentedatall.BooksfocusingonthepracticeofscreenwritingtendtocomefromAmerica,
thoughexceptionstothisfromaUKperspectiveincludeMoritzsScriptwritingfortheScreen(2001),Battyand
WaldebacksWritingfortheScreen:CreativeandCriticalApproaches(2008)andNelmesWritingthe
Screenplay:TheExpertGuide(2012).
In2010,theScreenwritingResearchNetworkestablishedtheJournalofScreenwritinginanattempttoremedy
thelackofcriticalattentionpaidtothisarea.Thejournalhasbeensuccessful,nowpublishingthreeissuesa
yearandshowcasingtheworkofauthorsfromaroundtheworld.Thatsaid,eveninthisjournalthereisnotso
muchworkthatfocusesonscreenwritingasapracticeonworkthatdiscussescreativeandindustrial
processesfromthepointofviewofintentionaboutthepractitionerscreationofnewwork.Manyarticlescan
beseenashavingamore"filmstudies"typeofapproach,which,asHarperhighlightsinrelationtocreative
writingandliterarystudies,isnotwritingbasedresearch(2007:19).Thedisciplineofcreativewritinghasin
recentyearstakenconsiderablestepstoaddress"authentic"creativepracticeresearch,withkeyauthors
includingGraemeHarper,JeriKroll,JenWebb,NigelKrauthandDonnaLeeBrien.Theirworks,whichinclude
authoredandeditedbooks,bookchapters,journalarticlesandeditorshipofhighrankingjournalssuchasNew
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Withthiscontextinmind,ourarticleseekstocontributetoadevelopingbodyofresearchonscreenwriting
practicebyoutliningasetofperspectivesdrawnfromthescreenwritingindustrythatspeakofwriters,their
practicesandtheircreativeworks.Drawnfrominterviewsundertakenwithscreenwriters,scripteditors,script
executivesandscriptconsultants,theseperspectivesrelatenotonlytoissuesspecifictoscreenwritingand
screenwritingpedagogy,butalso,wesuggest,tocreativewritingmorebroadly.
Ifsomeworks"aimedathelpingscreenwriterswiththeirscreenplays[areseenasbeing]beneathacademic
value",whilstasthesametimethereisaneed"nottotheorizepracticeperse,buttointerrogateand
intellectualizepracticeinordertogeneratenewknowledgeandnewwaystopractice"(Batty2014:2),then
whatweofferherespeaksdirectlytocreativepracticeconcernsbypresentingviewpointsfromthefield.
Furthermore,because,aswehavehighlighted,screenwritingisanemergingfieldinacademicdiscourse,it
feelsfittingthatthisarticleshouldappearinthefirstissueofthisnewjournal.
InterviewingasaWriterlyPractice
Interviewingisapopularqualitativeresearchmethodinthesocialsciences,andtosomeextentthehumanities.
Intheareaofscreenwriting,interviewinghasbeenapopularapproachadoptedbythemainstreammarket,
wherethegrowingcuriosityaroundscreenplays,filmmakingandtelevisionproductionhasbecomemuchmore
common.Aswellasbeingusefulformarketingpurposes("Themakingof",forexample),theinterview
approachcanalsoinfluencehowscreenwritersthemselvesdeveloppublicprofiles.
ExamplesofpublishedcollectionsofscreenwritinginterviewsincludeScottsScreenwritersMasterclass:
ScreenwritersTalkaboutTheirGreatestMovies(2006)andOwensStoryandCharacter:InterviewswithBritish
Screenwriters(2004).Whatthesebooksdonotdo,however,issynthesizetheinterviewsintocommontopicsof
discussionnordotheyusetheinterviewasamethodbywhichtoconnectideas,themesandwriters.Kallas
InsidetheWriters'Room:ConversationswithAmericanTVWriters(2014)isalsostructuredasindividual
interviews,thoughshedoesprovideaconclusionthatreflectsontheinterviewsanddrawsoutsomeoftheir
keythemes,includinggender,workethicandtheroleoftheshowrunner.
HarpersInsideCreativeWriting:InterviewswithContemporaryWriters(2012)offersamoreintegrated
approach,wherebytheinterviewsareusedasabasisfordrawingoutthemesthataresynthesizedintoa
framingofeachchapter,afterwhichtheinterviewsaretranscribed.Assuch,thisarticlesimilarlyaimstoweave
togetherdifferentvoices,viewpointsandexperiencesfromthescreenwritingindustryinanattempttodrawout
keythemesandhighlightnotonlywhatisrelevanttotheareaofscreenwriting,butalsowhatmightcontribute
tocreativewritingdiscoursemorebroadly.
Theinterviewsweuse,undertakenbetween2009and2010,arepartofaprojectconcernedwithdiscovering
thetypesofpracticeandprocessthattakeplaceintheworldofscreenwriting.Unlikethecollectionshighlighted
above,itwasnotenoughtosimplyinterviewscreenwriters,butalsonecessarytointerviewthoseworkingwith
screenwriters,suchasscriptdevelopers,scripteditors,scriptexecutivesandscriptconsultants.Fourteen
interviewswereconductedintotal,togethergeneratingalmost25hoursoftranscribeddata.Focusing
predominantlyonthoseworkingintheUKandtheUS,thoughwhoseexperiencesspanotherpartsofthe
world,intervieweeswereaskedabouttheroletheyplayedintheindustry,howtheycametobeintheindustry,
someoftheprojectstheyhadworkedandwereworkingonandtheirviewsonhowtheindustryoperates,from
theangleoftheirrolewithinit.
Byhavingarangeofperspectivesfromtheindustry,itwashopedideaswouldemergeaboutnotonlywhat
screenwritersdoandhowtheydoit,butalsotheroleandstatustheyandtheirscreenplayspossess.This
speakstoMacdonaldsnotionoftheScreenIdeaWorkGroup(2010)agroupcomprisingprofessional
workerswho,together,areinvolvedintheconceptualizationanddevelopmentofascreenidea(screenplay,
treatment,TVbible,andsoforth)whichthusfunctionsasawayofunderstandingwhathappenswhen
creativeideasandtheirwriters/creatorsareplacedinspecificindustrialcontexts.
Wedrawontheinterviews,then,asawayofinvestigatinghowscreenwriterscometobeintheindustry,and
whentheyoperatewithinit,whattheirprocessesfornegotiatingitare.Wehopethatthesediscussionswillbe
ofinteresttocreativewriters,educatorsandstudentsmorebroadly.Assuchwetakeaholisticapproachto
interviewanalysis,drawingoutconcernsthatspeaktothebroadernotionofwriters,theirideasandtheir
practices.Theseconcerns,intheordertheyarepresented,are:ScreenwritingandEducationScreenwriting
andtheHumanConditionBecomingaScreenwriterBeingaScreenwriterandScreenwritingand
Collaboration.
ScreenwritingandEducation
Acommonquestionposedinanycreativediscipline,"Canthesubjectbetaught?"oftenbringsaboutvarious,
sometimesfractious,responses.Theperceivedinnatenessofcreativitymeansthatforsome,talentcannotbe
taught,merelyfacilitated.Inscreenwritingeducationandtraining,becauseaspectsofcraftandindustryoften
takecentrestage,responsescanbedifferenttothoseincreativewriting.
Atthetimeofinterview,HeadofDramaforBBCNorthernIreland,PatrickSpence,revealedthatheisnotafan
ofscriptwritingcourses.Forhim,
Youcanlearnandlearnandlearnaboutthingsthatworkandthingsthatdon'tbywatching
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filmsandtalkingaboutthem,andthoseareallimportantbutreallyyouarenotawriter
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unlessyouhavewrittentwentyscripts(2009).

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Headvocatesthatstudentsshouldpushbeyondthecurriculum,arguingthatifwithinoneyear"youhaven'tin
yoursparetimewrittenatleastoneninetyminutescript,youarenotawriterIdon'tcarewhattheysay,you
arejustnot"(2009).Spencewentontoarguethataccordingtomostgoodliteraryagents,representationwill
behardtofindunlessthewriteralreadyhasabodyofworktoshow.Theseworks"canallbeunpublished,but
youhavegottobesomeonewhojustchurnsitoutwhojustwritesandwritesandwrites"(2009).Helater
clarifiedthatwritingcoursescanbeuseful,butonlyiftheyforceyoutowriteconstantly,notmerelyspeculate
aboutwritingfortheduration.
ThisisaviewsharedbytelevisionexecutiveCatherineOldfield,whowhenquestionedaboutthevalueof
educationforthosesteppingintothescreenwritingindustrysaid,"Idontsee[somethinglike]MediaStudiesas
essential.IthinkitisgreatforanoverviewbutIdontthinkitpreparesyouforworkinglife.Iwouldnotrateitin
termsofgettingintotheindustryaboveanyotherdegreebecauseitis[academic]itisnotpractical"(2009).
Thereis,nowadays,muchmoreemphasisonpracticalskillsand,inthecaseoffilm,mediaandscreenwriting
courses,adesireforstudentstoworkonprojectsthattheycansubmittoindustrytalentprogrammesand
competitions.Thesameistrueofcreativewriting,withagrowingnumberofopportunitiesforstudentworkto
bepublishedandperformed,bothinandoutoftheacademy.Nevertheless,OldfieldsopinionaboutaMedia
Studieseducationgivesusausefulinsightintothepotentialviewsofotherprospectiveemployers.
ScriptconsultantandauthorLindaSegertalkedabouthowherDoctorate,intheareaoftheologyand
storytelling,contributedgreatlytotheskillssherequiredforherjobyetitbecamesomethingshehadto"hide"
inordertogetwork:
Ithink[myDoctorate]hurtmeatthebeginning,andthatswhyItookitoffthersumfora
while.Hollywoodparticularlytendedtobekindofantieducationtheyfeltthat[]ifyouhad
anacademicdegreeyouwerejustinanivorytower.ButonceIhadshownIwasntinan
ivorytowerandIwasverypractical,thenIstartedbringingitinandmyfeelingwasthat
peoplewhoworkparticularlyinscriptconsultingshouldknowalotaboutscripts,theyshould
beverywelleducatedaboutscripts.Andsothereisanadvantagetorecognizingthat
educationisarealbenefit.Andeventhoughitmaynotbeperceivedasabenefit,Ithinkitsa
realbenefit(2009).
Segermakesavalidpointhere:thatforsomeonebroughtintoworkonprojectsbecauseoftheirknowledge
andexpertise(inthiscase,knowinghowscriptsareconstructed),educationalachievementsmightbeusedto
theiradvantage.Furthermore,asSegerwentontoexplain,educationissomethingawritermightgobackto
againandagain,toacquirenewknowledgeandlearnnewskillsthatmightbeofvaluetotheirindustry,
potentiallymakingthemevenmoreusefulandhighlyregarded.
Withasuccessfultrackrecordofinternationalscriptconsultancybehindher,Segerdecidedtostudyforher
thirdMastersdegree,graduatinginFeministTheologyin2000.Sheundertookthisdegreeoutofpureinterest,
and"whatfeministtheologydidfor[her]workwasitmade[her]thinkmoreofthesocialcontextthatexists
aroundalldramaandallstories"(2009).Shesaid,"Youbegintorealizethatmanytimeswedothingswhich
dontseemveryrelevanttoourworkand[then]allofasuddenyouthink,mygosh,Ithinkmyworkismuch
betterandbroaderandmoreencompassing"(2009).ForSegerthisresultedinanevenbetterunderstandingof
screenplays,whereshelearnedtoassessstoriesinlayers.ThisisanaspectthatscreenwriterMichaelLoman
alsotalkedabout,remindingusthataswellashavingtheabilitytowrite(craft),writersneedthings(concepts,
culture,politics)towriteabout(2009).
Onthetopicofhowscreenwritingmightbetaught,thereseemedtobeacommonfeelingthateducatorscan
onlydosomuchthattherestis"innate"tothestudentwriter.Forexample,Oldfieldbelievessomethingscan
betaught"structure,howtopace,allthosethingsandthevisualtricks"butsomethingscannot:"Idont
thinkyoucanteachdialogueyoueitherhaveanearforitornot"(2009).Screenwriter,composerand
installationartistDaveTolchinskyagrees,believingthat"success"inscreenwritingcomesfromamixtureof
knowingthecraftandgoodluck.Hesaid,"Ialwaysteachfromtheperspective[of],hereiswhatIwoulddo,
hereiswhatIthink,hereiswhatIthinkisnotworking",butalwaysacknowledgesthat"somanythings[are]
boughtandsoldandmadethatyouwouldneverexpectandso[]Iam[also]alwaysteachingfromthe
perspectiveof,craftteachesusthis,butyoumightexperiencesomethingdifferent"(2009).
JohnBernstein,astoryeditor,filmconsultantandacademic,thinksthatteachersofscreenwritingaredoing
theirjobwhentheeducationtheyprovideisintellectuallystimulating,preparesstudentstodeveloptheirown
voices,andhelpsthemtobecome"aconnoisseur,ifyouwill,ofhumannature"(2009).Thisisaninteresting
point,onethatpositionseducationinacultural,politicalandpersonalcontext,andthatcaneitherbe
complementarytooratoddswithscreenwritingeducationthatadoptsamore"howto"approach.Italsospeaks
toEppsconcernthattoomanyscreenwritingstudentswantto"hitthejackpot[]insteadoflookingto
examinethemselvesandtheworldthroughwriting"(2010:102).Inabroadercontext,thiscallfor
"understandingandexperiencingthroughwriting"mightbeusefulforalleducatorsofcreativewriting,where
contentisprivilegedoverform.
StoryanalystandauthorChristopherVogler,whosebookTheWritersJourney:MythicStructurefor
ScreenwritersandStorytellers(1992)isoneofthemostwidelyusedtextsinscreenwritingcoursesaroundthe
world,isveryawareofthissocalled"division"betweengoodideasandgoodcraftskills.Speakingofthose
whohavebeencriticalofhisapproachtoeducatingfuturescreenwriters,hesaid,
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thinkthemout,evenputthemonpaper.Peoplewouldpreferthemtobeintuitive,butthat's
goingtolimitthenumberofpeoplewhocangetintoitandunderstanditandIaminterested
inconsciousness:makingpeoplemoreconsciousofthosepatternsofthetechniquesofthe
language(2009).
AswithMcKeesnotionofscreenwritersbecomingmastersoftheformbylearningtherulesfirstbeforethey
canbreakthem(1999:3),Voglerseeshisworkassomethingtobeadaptedandusedmerelyasaplatformon
whichtobuild:"Onceyouknowwhatthepatternsarethenyoucanstartchallengingthemandlookforother
waystosolvethepattern,tosolvetheproblem,dotheequationdifferentlyandstillendupwithhappyanswers"
(2009).
Onthesubjectofherdoctorate,Segerverymuchsawstudyingascombining"theknown"with"the
experienced"or,combiningcraftandtechniquewithhumanityandculture.Sheseesveryclearlythat,"drama
carriesthemesdramatically,throughemotionsandactionasopposedtothroughpreaching",andsoby
studyinghumanitythroughthelensofdrama,shediscoveredthatthemesarebestexpressedviacharacters
andstory,notoration(2009).Thissubsequentlystrengthenedherabilityofworkingwithwriterstotelltheir
storiesinpowerfulandeffectiveways.
ScreenwritingandtheHumanCondition
Thenotionofstorytellinginrelationtothehumanconditionemergedstronglyfromtheinterviews,asalludedto
above.Voglerwasoneintervieweewhospokefrequentlyofthisconcern.Retellingthestoryofhisinvolvement
withtheanimatedfeaturefilmTheLionKing,heattributesmuchofthefilmssuccesstoitsabilitytospeaktoa
varietyofpeoplefromavarietyofcultures:
Ijustthinkitwasabletoattackthatuniversalthingthatpeoplelikeofajourneyandariteof
passage:thedevelopmentofacharacterthroughdifferentlevelsofbeingachildandbeinga
teenager,andthenhavingtotakeonadultresponsibilities(2009).
Speakingaboutstoriesmorebroadly,andacknowledgingtheinfluencethatJosephCampbellhadonhiswork,
Voglerbelievesthey"giveussomethingtocompareto",andthatthesituationweseeacharacterin"canbe
seenasalittlelikeyoursituation,soyoumeasureyourself:howamIdoing?IswhatIdobetter,ordoIneedto
learnsomethingfromthebehaviourofheroesfromthestory?"(2009).Throughimaginingandexperiencingthe
thematicsituationofastory,audiencesprocessthemeaningoftheirownlivesinparallel,"plugginginvalues
fromtheirownlifeandstoringupobservationswhichtheywillthenuselater.Weneedallthehelpwecanget,
navigatingamysteriousworld"(2009).
ScriptcoordinatorandCSIstaffwriterChrisBarbourspokeaboutcrimescreenwriting,andhowthisgenretaps
intothehumancondition.Hesaid,"Itsveryhumantowanttocategorize[goodguysandbadguys]becauseI
thinkitsjustveryanimalistic.ItslikeIwanttoknowrightaway,areyoufriendorfoe?"(2010).Inhisview,
audienceslovecomplexcharacterscharacterswhocrosstheboundarybetweengoodandbad,testingthe
audiencesmoralsandvalues.Crimescreenwriters"areabletosee[]commonthreadsandcommonfears,
[andknow]thattherereallyarenogoodguysandbadguys(2010).HewentontosayaboutAmerica
specifically,
Weloveourheroes.Wealsolovetearingthemdown.Sothatprocessisfascinatingtome
causewehavenoabilitytoseegreyareasandthats,Ithink,[what]ourjobis.Ithinkalotof
writersliketopointoutthatthingsarenotgoodor,youknow,theyrenotallonething(2010).
JamesGraham,aplaywrightandscreenwriterwholikestotellstoriesbasedonrealpeopleandrealevents,
hopesthathisoptimismtowardshumanityshowsinhiswork.Herevealed,"Igenerallyseehopeinallmy
characters[because]thereshopeforusall",andunlikehisperceivedbleaknessofmanyscreenwriters,
especiallyBritishones,"Igenerallyliketoshowthosesidesoflife,especiallywhereitsoftensomiserableand
youjustthinktheresnopointincarryingoniftheresnosalvation"(2009).
Onthetopicofusingdramatoinformandhelpevolvehumanity,LomansalutestheworkofAmericanTVshow
creatorNormanLear.Hesaid,
Ofallthetelevisionwehadseenbeforethatwaskindofsillyandfrivolousandlighthearted,
NormanreallyfeltthatthetopicsthatreallyneededtobediscussedinAmericawerethe
topicsthatpeopledidnotspeakaboutinpublic.Theydidn'ttalkaboutbigotryinpublic.They
didn'ttalkalotaboutabortionorsubjectslikethatinpublicandhefelt[]thatthefirstway
tobegindealingwithimportanttopicsinAmerica[was]totalkaboutthem.Andsohereally
shockedtelevision.Norman'searlyshow,AllintheFamily,wasnotlikeanyshowwehad
everseen(2009).
ThisideaofascreenplayasavesselforexploringthehumanconditioncanbenicelysummarizedbySpence,
whodrawsscreenwritingintothewidersphereofcreativewritingwhenhesays,"Thatiswhatmostwritersdo:
theyaskalotofquestionsandtheysuckoutofyouthestuffoflifewhichtheythenputdownonthepage"
(2009).
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Culturaldifferencesandhowtheyarereflectedthroughscreenwritingwassomethingelseintervieweestalked

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about.SpeakingagainofTheLionKing,Voglersaid,"It'sjustbeenamazingasItravel,everywhereIgo,
peoplesay,wellthat'sreallyaChinesemovie,orthatsreallyaJapanesemovie,orthatsreallyanAfrican
movie,orthatsreallyanIsraelimovie.Everybodyclaimsitasreflectingsomethingintheirculture"(2009).
FromSegersexperienceofworkingwithscreenwritersfromaroundtheworld,"Theconceptsofthecraft
remainthesame,butthewaytheycomeoutvariesfromculturetoculture.Itrytopreservethosecultural
elements,andyoucansortofcapitalizeonthempullthemup"(2009).Asinternationallyrenownedscript
consultants,bothVoglerandSegersaidtheywereawareoftheneedtoavoidAmericanizingstoriesfrom
cultureswithdifferenttraditionsandideologies,eveniftheirwriterswantedtomakefilmsthatwouldappealto
theWesternmarket.
LomanspokeabouthistimeasanExecutiveProduceronSesameStreet,achildrensTVshowthatwasre
formattedforvariousterritories.Hestressedtheimportanceofbeingsensitivetothevaluesofthecountry,not
justintheshowscontentbutalsointhewaysthatproductionteamsworkedtogether:

InChinayouwanttomakesurethatyouareworkingwiththeheadwriterandyouhaveto
makesuretosaveface,soifIweretocriticizethescriptsthattheheadwritercameupwith,I
wouldhavetobeverysensitivetoallowthatparticularwritertosaveface(2009).
HerecalledaninstancewherethewomaninchargeofanimationontheChineseversionofSesameStreet
broughttothetablestoryboardsinwhichthecharactersallhadWesternfaces.Whenaskedaboutthis,she
toldLomanthatthiswasthewaytheydothingsinChinathatWesternfacesarenormalinanimation.Loman
recalledhisconversationwithher:"Isaidtoher,wellhowareChinesechildrengoingtofeelpositiveabout
themselvesifyouareholdingupthemodelofbeautyandsophisticationtobeWestern?"(2009).Fortunatelyfor
Loman,twodayslaterthewomanreturnedwithrevisedstoryboardsusingChinesefaces,whichhefeltwasan
accomplishment.
BecomingaScreenwriter
Whenaskedabouthowtheycametobeinthescreenwritingindustry,intervieweesgavearangeofresponses.
Someofthemalwayswantedtoworkintheworldoffilmandtelevisionothersworkedinsimilarareasofmedia
andwritingandsomefoundthemselvestherealmostbyaccident.Thisisaninterestingareatoexplore,not
onlybecauseittellsusaboutpathwaysintotheindustry,butalsobecauseitallowsustoreflectonwhatother
disciplines,whetherrelatedorunrelated,canbringtotheworldofscreenwritingindeed,totheworldofcreative
writingmorebroadly.
Somethingwritersareoftenaskedaboutininterviewsis,whendidtheystarttowrite,andwhendidtheydecide
topursuewritingfulltime?Interestingly,intermsoftheirplaceinthewidercreativewritingcommunity,manyof
ourintervieweesrevealedthattheirearlywritingliveswerepreoccupiedwithformsotherthanscriptsasthey
developedtheirstorytellingskills.Spencestronglybelievesthat"real"writershavealwayswritten,andwill
alwayswrite,nomatterwhat:

Ifyouareawriter,youaresomeonewhojustneedstowrite.Probablyyouhavebeenwriting
sinceyouwere12yearsoldyouhaveprobablyjustbeenwritingandwritingandwriting,you
justdon'tquiteknowwhy.Whetheryouarekeepingadiaryorwritingshortstoriesorwriting
articlesorwhatever[]thatishowyouexpressyourselfand,youknow,thereally,really
goodwritershavefacedasmuchrejectionandknockbacksanddifficultiesasthelessgood
writers,theyhavejustkeptgoing(2009).
Grahamrecalledhisearlymemoriesofwritingand,inhindsight,innocentpracticesthatwouldlaterbecomehis
professionalcareer:
Irememberfromaboutfourorfivewantingtowriteshortstories,andIwouldforcemymum
to[]foldsheetsofpaperandstaplethemtogetherandmakeabook.AndthenIwouldjust
write,write,writeinthebook,andjustreadthem.AndIremembergettingmyfirsttypewriter
whenIwaslikesixandwritingshortstories.Thenanelectrictypewriter,thatwasamazing,
andthenacomputer,butthenIkindofforgotaboutitforawhile(2009).
Growing up seemed to be an obstacle to writing for Graham, and it was only when he went to university that he
started to write creatively again. He said, "I missed the creative process of creating stories" and so whilst studying,
he began "using the facilities like studio spaces, stages, [and the] vast amount (sic) of actors who were willing to
work for free, and just started writing plays" (2009). Grahams rst full-length play was based on his and his
communitys experience of the coalminers strike in late 1984.
Tolchinskystartedhiscareerasacomposer,duringwhichtimehedevelopedaninterestindialogue,whichhe
begantocaptureinhismusic.Onceattractedtothenotionofspeechandvoice,whenhewenttofilmschool
hebecamemuchmore"interestedinthemusicalityofthewaypeoplespeakwhentheyarestructuringstories"
(2009).Ashasbeenwrittenaboutinregardstoscreenwritingstructureandmusicalrhythm(seeBattyand
Waldeback2008),Tolchinskycombineshismusiccareerwithscreenwritingtodevelophisinterestsin"notjust
howdoyoutellastory,buthowdoesitfeellikemusic[]Ifyoutookoutthewordsandyouputnonsense,
woulditstillsoundlikethat?"(2009).
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JamesMacakAssistantProfessorofScreenwritingatEmersonCollege(Boston,USA)beganhiscareerasa

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journalist.Hisloveofwordsandstoriesledhimtowriteplaysinhisfreetime,whichheconsolidatedby
studyingforanMFAinPlaywritingattheYaleSchoolofDrama.Hewaslaterselectedforaninternship
programwithTVwriterDavidMilch,whicheventuallyledtohimworkingonBeverlyHillsBuntz,aspinoffof
Hill Street Blues(2009).Aswewillgoontodiscussaboutcollaborationandcredit,issuesuniqueto
screenwriting,Macakrevealedasteeplearningcurveinhisscreenwritingapprenticeship:"Iwroteanepisode
andtheyrewrotepracticallyeverythinginitexceptmaybemyname,butIlearnedalotthatway"(2009).
StoryandscriptanalystMarcWeinbergtalkedabouthisroleasareaderassessingscreenplays,whichforhim
wasaveryvaluablewaytolearnabouttheartandcraftofscreenwriting.Inhismind,mostscriptanalystsare
alsowriters,andsoreadingupto500scriptsayearisausefuleducationinwhatworksandwhatdoesnot
(2009).ScriptconsultantssuchasSegerandVoglerdonotidentifyaswritersthemselvesrather,theirskillsare
inassistingothers.Thatsaid,botharehighlyregardedscriptconsultantswhoseworkwithhighprofilewriters,
directorsandproducershasconfirmedtothemwheretheirstrengthslieinthescreenwritingindustry.Butfor
scriptanalystssuchasMacak,thisroleseemsmoreofameanstoanend,wheretheultimategoalistohave
onesownscreenplaysproduced:
OnaverageIwouldsay[Iread]10scriptsaweek,which[is]aterrificeducationforwriting,
becauseyoudontlearntowritescreenplaysbywatchingmovies.Certainlyithelpsyou,but
yourereallyonlygoingtolearnbyreading.Youllfindpeoplewhoseworkyouadmireand
peopleyousay,theresnowayImevergoingtowritelikethat(2009).
Inthebroadercontextofcreativewriting,thisremindsusthatnomatterwhatformoneiswritingin,itisalways
influencedbyavarietyofpeople(officiallyorunofficiallyrelatedtotheproject),avarietyofcontexts(personal,
cultural,political)andavarietyofotherdisciplines.Itisnotnecessarilyobviousinscreenwriting,butthereis
alsoastrongsensethatwritingisalwaysconnectedtoreading,whichmaybeliteralandinvolveothertexts,or
whichmaybethe"reading"ofasituationorphenomenon.AsPoperemindsuswhendiscussinghow,inan
educationalcontext,criticalreadinginformscreativewriting,"evidenceofcriticalunderstandingisasimportant
asademonstrationofcreativecapacity"(2006:130).Inthisregard,wesuggestthat"reading"appliesoutside
oftheacademy,too.
BeingaScreenwriter
AccordingtoVogler,"Therewillalwaysbeaneedforprofessionalstorytellers"(2009).Whypeoplewishtotell
storiesastheirprofessionissomethingintervieweeswereaskedabout.Barbourwashonestabouthisneedto
tellstories,notingthat,"beingbeholdentofans[]isprobablyapatheticaltotheartist,butwe[screenwriters]
arekindofentertainersin[]thetraditionalsenseofthatword",andneedanaudience(2010).ForTolchinsky,
similarly,asascreenwriter"youwanttoaffectpeople,youwantthemtohaveanemotionalintellectual
response,youwantthemtostaythere"(2009).
Forsomescreenwriters,thedrivetotellstoriesandtoentertaintranscendsdiscoursesaround"high"and"low"
artthatmaypervadeotherformsofcreativewriting.Graham,forexample,refusestomakethisdistinctionin
hiswriting.Bythishemeansbothform(theatreversustelevision,forexample)andcontent.Hesaid,"Idont
consideronetobecheapandonetobemoresubstantial"(2009),andcelebratedthefactthatheisnot
shamedbytheideaofentertaininganaudience.Ashehighlighted,"Ithinktoomany[young]people,
particularlyintheatre,notTV[]focustoomuchontheintellectual,orthethemeortheirowncraft,ratherthan
actuallythinking,God,someonespaidtoseethis"(2009).
Havinghadtheluxuryofbothfreespacesandactorstoperformhiswork,importanttoGrahamwasthe
realizationthatuponleavinguniversity,itwouldbehardtosustainthemomentumtowrite:"Suddenlyyoure
kickedoutandyouarentreallyawriteranymorebecauseyouhaventgotanythingon.[]Itwaslikeaculture
shocktoknowthatitsnotgoingtohappenquickly[that]youregoingtohavetoworkhard"(2009).Aswith
manygraduatingstudentwriters,Grahamrealizedthat"therewere1000youngwritersouttheredoingthe
sameas[him]",andthatifheweretostandachanceof"makingit",he"neededtoworkmuchharderatitthat
writingagoodplaywashardandinsteadofjustdoingthesethingsveryquickly,[he]neededtotaketimeto
actuallyjusthole[himself]intooneplayandspendtimeonit"(2009).Thisispreciselywhathedid,writingthe
playAlbertsBoy,whichwasperformedattheFinboroughTheatreinLondon.
Onthetopicofwritinganddiscipline,andtheneedto"keepgoing"inordertoimproveonespractice,Graham
admitsthathe"alwaysthoughtthebestplayyoudprobablyeverwritemighthavetobeyourfirstone,because
youreunknown[and]theresarisktoputanythingon",andthat"itgetseasierthemoreplaysyouwrite,toget
moreputon"(2009).Segerhadadifferentviewaboutthis,believingthat"ifyoureallyworkhardyoucan
achievecompetencyin5years[]masterytakes10to20years"(2009).Variousfactorscomeintoplayhere,
suchasform(screenwritingversusplaywriting)and,wemightinterpret,acknowledgementthatalthougha
writermightfindit"easier"tohavetheirworkproducedastheyearsgoon,perhapsthemostrawand"risky"
writingcomesatanearlierstageintheircareer.
Segeralsothinksthat,"Theresalottobesaidforlongevity",andthathardworkoveranumberofyearsmight
resultin"peoplewhowillsupport[yourwork]becausetheyknowhowhardyouveworked"(2009).Barbour
sharesthisview,believingthatsuccessfulwritersareoftenhardworkerswhohaveprofessionalattitudesand
practices,notnecessarilytalent.Unlikethosewhodonot"makeit"becauseofalackofdiscipline,"insanely
successful[writers]areabletowriteonascheduletheyreabletogettheirmaterialouttheretheyreableto
beprofessionalaboutit.Youmaywritesomethinggreatintenyearsthattheycandointenminutes"(2010).
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forhimcanbeacknowledgedasafulltimeprofession.Forexample,talkingofhisneedtowriteallday,notjust
forafewhours,hesaid:"Iguessitsjustaboutguiltaswellmymumsdoingafulltimejob,mydadworked
reallyhard,andallIhavetodoiswrite"(2009).Assuch,hisroutine"istogetupquiteearly,aboutsix[]and
startbyhalfsix,orevenseven",hismostproductivetimeoftheday(2009).
Spencesaidthathehas"nevermetanyonewhodoesn'tunderestimatehowharditistowriteuntilyouhave
actuallytriedit,noonehasacluehowharditis"(2009).Grahamtalkedaboutthisaspectfromthepointofview
offacingastoryheadon,andworkinghardtoputtheworkoutthere.Jokingthatwriting"isnotbrainsurgery,
itsnotflyingaplaneifitgoeswrong,nobodywillgethurt",hesaidthatthedifficultyoftencomesnotfrom
staringatthecomputerscreenandthinkingofideas,butintransformingideasintoascript.Hesaidthatwriters
oftenthink,"Ijustdontwanttotacklethat",butthatinfacttheyshould,"justgetitout[sothentheyve]got
something"(2009).
Barbouralsosharedthesesentiments,specificallythatofwritersbeingabletofacetheirmaterialthrougha
thematic,"emotional"lens,notonethatfocusesmerelyonanentertainingplot.Hebelievesthat,"thereare
someartistswhoareverygiftedandareabletodetachthemselvesfromthematerialandunderstandwhat
theyretryingtodo",unlikeotherswhoaremerely"tellingonelevelofthestory"(2010).
Intermsofgeneratingideasandlayingthemdownonthepage,asGrahamremindsus,"Youdontnecessarily
generateideaswhenyouresatatthecomputer[]Maybegooutforawalkjustyouinyourhead,butstill
writing[]thinking,andwriting"andthatbythinkingthroughideasinaconducivespace,theprocessofthen
puttingtheideasonthepagebecomes"liketranscribingyourwork"(2009).Tosomeextent,thisspeakstothe
notionofrewriting,somethingthatpracticallyallscreenwritingmanualsadvocate.Inthissense,thinking
becomeswriting,andashighlighted,transcribingthesethoughtsbecomesawayofrewriting,whichinevitably
leadstomanyotherrewrites,performedinlayers(structure,charactervoice,theme,etc.).
ForMacak,"goodwritingcomesfromrewriting"andacknowledgingthat"yourfirstdraftisgoingtobecrap"
(2009).Insteadofrewritingscenesanddialogueoverandoverbeforemovingon,"tothepointofinertia",he
believesthattheonlywayistogenerateafullfirstdraftonlythencanawriterseethesumoftheircreationand
beabletounderstanditsintentions,whichcanthenberedraftedaccordingly.Itthusseemsthatonbeinga
screenwriterandallthatthisbringswithitprocesses,practices,fears,failures,successesmanyofthe
sentimentssharedcaninfactapplytoanytypeofwriter.Theformitselfandtheindustrysurroundingitmaybe
different,buttheworkinglifeofthewriterisnotsodifferent.Themoreobviousdeparturesemergewherethe
screenwriterhastocollaboratewithothers.
ScreenwritingandCollaboration
Ofalltheformsofcreativewriting,screenwritingisarguablythemostcollaborative.Notonlydoesitrelyon
variouspeopletodevelopascreenplay(seeBloore2012),itrequiresevenmorepeopletoproducea
screenplay,duringwhichtimemanychangeswilltakeplace.Itisthereforenosurprisethatcollaborationand
theideaofpeopleworkingcollectivelytotellthesamestorywasanotherthemethatemergedfromthe
interviews.
Lomantalkedaboutteamwriting,acommonpracticeintelevision,andhowthereisoftenaneedtogenerate
"onevoice".Thishasadvantagesanddisadvantages.Forexample,writersmaybehiredtoworkonashow
becausetheyhaveaparticularstyleandvoice,yet"sometimeswhenashowisgroupwrittenyoulosethe
originalwritersvoicesbecauseeverybodyhascontributedtoit"(2009).ForBarbour,whotalkedabouthiswork
ontheshowCSI,collaborationcanoftenleadtoconflict,whichforhimisnotnecessarilyabadthing:"Ifwe
fightallthetime,theresjustsomethingaboutthenatureofthoseconflictsthatareconstructive.Iftheyre
constructiveandtheresenergy,[Im]surprisedatthenumberofpeoplethatIseecontinuetoworktogether"
(2010).
Collaboratingonaprojectreliesonfeedback,andpeopleworkingthroughideasbyaskingquestionsaboutthe
project,andmakinginformeddecisions.Barbourremindsushowwhenreadingsomeoneelsesscript,itis
vitallyimportanttounderstandtheirintentionsandvisionsothatconstructivefeedbackcanbegiven:"Youcant
justsay,thisstorysucks,becausethatdoesnthelpanything"(2010).Asanewwriter,Grahamnotedhowhe
"reliedon[thedramaexecutives]experienceofwhatshethoughtwasnecessarytotellthestoryandwhat
wasnt",andhowhe"hadtobequitebraveandnotpreciousaboutit"(2009).
Tolchinskyisexcitedbythepossibilitiesaffordedbycollaboration:"EveryoneIhaveworkedwith,Ihave
enjoyedthecollaborationbecauseitsexcitingtohavepeople[]comment[onyourwork]"(2009).Hepointed
outanimportantaspectofcollaboration,whichisthatothersshouldnotalwaysbemakingsuggestionsforwhat
willmakeastoryworkbetter,butshouldinfactbe"detectingaproblemanditsuptothewritertocomeupwith
adifferentsolution"(2009).Healsoraisedtheimportanceofscreenwritersbeingwillingtocollaborate,and
theirabilitytofilterfeedbackinappropriateways.Somewritersmightbe"resistanttotakingnotestheydont
enjoytheprocessofcollaborating[and]workingtowardsagreattruth",yetthosewhocannotworkwith
feedbackand"whoareunabletogeneratenewmaterialare[the]peoplewhodontdowell"(2009).
Anotherimportantaspectofcollaborationistheabilitytomanagethepsychologythatgoeswithit(see
Andermatt2003),inwhichpowerisheightenedandthewritersvulnerabilityopentoexploitation.Spence
reflectedonthis:
It'sanoldadageofthescripteditingworldthatyoushouldstartoffeverymeetingbysaying
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somethingnicetothewriter,andIhave,asawriter,experiencedwhatitislikewhen
Shipping & Tax included.
someonejustliterallylaunchesstraightinwith,"Right,hereiswhatiswrongwithyourscript".

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It'slikebeingstrippednakedandthrownoutthewindow[]soifnothingelse,the
experiencetaughtmetoatleasttryandwinthewriteroverbytellingthemwhatisgood
abouttheirscriptbeforetellingthemwhat'sbad(2009).
Workshoppingisanareathathasreceivedcriticalattentioninthebroadersphereofcreativewriting(Donnelly
2010),withargumentsbothfor(Vandermeulen2011)andagainst(Wandor2008)theworkshop.Inpractical
terms,writersandeducatorslargelyadvocatefortheworkshopanditsabilitytomoveawriterandtheirproject
forwardinsupportiveandmeaningfulways.Inthescreenwritingindustry,theworkshopmaybeformal(the
writersroomorthestoryconference)orinformal(writersgroupsorrehearsedreadings).
KarenLeeStreet,aformerHeadofDevelopmentandnowfreelancewriterandscriptconsultant,spokeabout
herexperiencesofmanagingwritersworkshopsinbotheducationalandindustrial(funding)contexts.Shewas
keentopointoutthatworkshopsarenotonlyaboutgeneratingfeedback,butarealsoaboutmanaging
feedback.Theresponsibilityofthisfallsonthefacilitator,whoshouldbeawareofthepowerdynamicsin
operationandoftacticsfordealingwiththem(2009).Asshesaid,aworkshop"cantjustbeafreeforallof
feedback,thatjustcompletelyconfusesthewriter",andakeystrategyhereistoensurethat"thewriterknows
whattheyredoingwhentheyleave,notthattheyreevenmoreconfusedbytheendofit"(2009).
Oneofthecomplexitiesinscreenwritingisassigningcreditstoproducedwork.Forexample,thereisno
guaranteethatthewriterofthefirstdraftscriptwillbecreditedastheleadwriteronthefinishedproductorin
somecases,creditedatall.Thescreenwritingindustryisawashwithcomplexbattlesforterritory,andnotonly
that,unlikewithmostotherformsofwritingscreenplayscanbeworkedonbyavarietyofpeople,includingthe
cowriter,therewriter,thescripteditor,thescriptconsultant,theproducerandthedirector.
InVoglersexperienceofworkingonTheLionKing,

[Therewasa]"clusterterm"wherethereweremaybetwentynames,[which]says"additional
storymaterialby"andthenthetwentynames.Itreflectshowcollaborativeitcanbe,
especiallyinanimation.Theyhad"writer"and"storyby"andvariouscredits,butwhatthey
oftenhaveonanimatedfilmsisabigcardforallthepeoplewhogiveajokeorascene,or
givenotesorsomethinglikethat(2009).
BarbournotedthatthecollaborativewritingprocesscommoninUStelevisionis"notreallyreflectedbythe
creditsthatyousee[]becauseeveryshowrunnercouldtakeacreditonashowandwheresomedoitalot,
themajoritydonot"(2010).Theshowrunner,whoessentiallyfunctionsastheheadwriterandstoryeditorin
longrunningseries,occupiesaninterestingspacewherecollaborationandcreditisconcerned.AsBarbour
highlighted,thereisoftenan"unwrittenrule[that]theshowrunnerwilltaketheirpassat[thescript]"but
becauseitistheindividualwritersepisode,theyaretheonegivencredit(2010).Thisisusuallydespitea
commonunderstandingthatfromtheperspectiveoftheshowrunner,"Imgoingtogiveyou[the]writingcredit,
[but]Improbablygoingtorewriteyourepisode"(2010).
Onthenotionofwritersbeingcreditedfortheirwork,Tolchinskyrecalledaprojectheworkedonwhere
becausethedirectoralsosawhimselfasawriterandproducedanewdraftofthescriptpriortoproduction,
boththewriter(Tolchinsky)andthedirectorsubmittedtheirdraftstotheWritersGuildforarbitration,tosee
whoshouldbegiventhecredit(2009).Inthiscase,theWritersGuildassessedwhichdraftwasmostlikethe
producedversiontherefore,whichwriterhadwrittenthescriptthatwasclosesttowhatwaseventuallymade.
Thispracticeisparticulartothescreenwritingindustry,thoughforthebroaderfieldofcreativewriting,itdoes
raiseinterestingquestionsaboutownership,authorshipandtherolesthatindividualsplayinthemakingofa
creativework.Asscriptconsultants,bothSegerandVoglersaidthattheyhavereceivedcreditsfortheirwork,
thoughastheybothhighlighted,thedecisionofclientstoattributethemcreditisalwaysoptional(2009).
Conclusion
Writingforthepageandwritingforproductionmakesforadifferentreception,andalsotheexperienceofthat
reception.Forexample,anovelistcannoteasilybeontheshoulderoftheirreadertoassesstheirresponseto
theirwork,butasGrahamsaidinregardstotheproductionofhisplay,CoalNotDole,andhisdrivetowritefor
entertainment:
[It]wasterrifyingtobereviewedforthefirsttimebynationalpapersandtohavepaying
membersofthepubliccominginandfoldingtheirarmsandsaying,impressme,makeme
laugh,andmakemefeelthings.But[it]somehowseemedtowork,theresponsewasgreat
and[the]feelingofsittingatthebackofanaudiencewatchingthemeitherlaughorcryorjust
listentoastoryImtelling.[It]waslikeadrug,soIthought,"Ivegottodothisforaliving"
(2009).
Butinwritingthisarticle,withitsdiscussionsofeducation,thehumancondition,industry,processand
collaboration,wealsodiscoveredthatscreenwritersshareagreatdealwithothercreativewriterswhenit
comestowritingpractice.Withthatinmind,andinrelationtowhatscreenwritingcantellusaboutcreative
writingmorebroadly,anotherquestionposedtointervieweeswas,isscreenwritingcreativewriting?
Debatesonscreenwritingasbothacreativeandanindustrialpursuitarebeyondthescopeofthispaper,but
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wedowanttoendbysharingWeinbergsviewsonthesubject.Thisisbecausehisresponseissimpleyet,we
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LetssayyouhavetowriteTransformers3.Probablynotyourfavouriteassignment,sohow
areyougoingtowritethatscriptandmakeitintosomethingthatyoucanatleastbelievein?
Becauseifyouhavecontemptforit,itsgoingtocomethroughinyourwriting,right?Sohow
doyoufindawaytomakeitsomethingthatyoucareabout?Thatswhy[screenwritingis]
definitely[acreative]arttheresnoquestion.[Cynically,]ifitswelldone,peoplewilllookatit
andsay,wellthatwasbetterthanithadanyrighttobe(2009).
Makingworkthatthewriter,andbyextensionaneventualaudience,caresaboutisathemethatruns
throughouttheseinterviews.Fromdiscussionsofwritersneedingtowrite,todiscussionsofscreenwritingand
thehumancondition,andnowtothisexampleofhoweventhemostcommercialwritingcommissionmightbe
approached,whatisclearisthatnomatterwhatawriteriswriting,theyneedtobeemotionallyinvestedinit.
Whetherascreenplay,anovelorapoem,accordingtotheintervieweesthereisnosubstituteforgenuinecare
andpassionforthestory,itscharactersanditsthemestodrivegoodwriting.

References
Andermatt,P.(2003)TheScriptEditorasPsychologist.ScriptwriterMagazine,13,5254.
Barbour,C.(2010)Scriptcoordinator/StaffwriterChristopherBarbourwithCraigBattyinLA,Interview.
Batty,C.(2014)'Introduction'inBatty,C(ed.)ScreenwritersandScreenwriting:PuttingPracticeintoContext.
Basingstoke:PalgraveMacmillan,18.
Batty,C.andWaldeback,Z.(2008)WritingfortheScreen:CreativeandCriticalApproaches.Basingstoke:
PalgraveMacmillan
Bernstein,J.(2009)Storyeditor/filmconsultant/teacherofscreenwritingJohnBernsteinwithCraigBattyin
Boston,Interview.
Bloore,P.(2012)TheScreenplayBusiness:ManagingCreativityandScriptDevelopmentintheFilmIndustry.
Abingdon:Routledge.
Donnelly,D.(2010)DoestheWritingWorkshopStillWork?Bristol:MultilingualMatters.
Epps,J.(2006)'WritingforFilmandTelevision'inHarper,G.(ed.)TeachingCreativeWriting.London:
Continuum,102118.
Graham,J.(2009)Playwright/screenwriterJamesGrahamwithCraigBattyinLondon,Interview.
Harper,G.(ed.)(2012)InsideCreativeWriting:InterviewswithContemporaryWriters.Basingstoke:Palgrave
Macmillan.
Harper,G.(2007)CreativeWritingResearchToday.WritinginEducation,43,6466.
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Loman,M.(2009)ScreenwriterMichaelLomanwithCraigBattyinBoston,Interview.
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Macdonald,I.W.(2010)Soit'snotsurprisingImneurotic:TheScreenwriterandtheScreenIdeaWork
Group.JournalofScreenwriting,1(1),4558.
McKee,R.(1999)Story:Substance,Structure,StyleandthePrinciplesofScreenwriting.London:Methuen.
Moritz,C.(2001)ScriptwritingfortheScreen.London:Routledge.
Nelmes,J.(2012)WritingtheScreenplay:TheExpertGuide.London:RobertHaleLtd.
Oldfield,C.(2009)DramaExecutiveCatherineOldfieldwithCraigBattyinLondon,Interview.
Owen,A.(ed.)(2004)StoryandCharacter:InterviewswithBritishScreenwriters.London:Bloomsbury.
Pope,R.(2006)'CriticalCreativeRewriting'inHarper,G.(ed.).TeachingCreativeWriting.London:Continuum,
130146.
Scott,K.C.(ed.)(2006)ScreenwritersMasterclass:ScreenwritersTalkaboutTheirGreatestMovies.New
York:NewmarketPress.
Seger,L.(2009)ScriptconsultantandauthorLindaSegerwithCraigBattyinLondon,Interview.
Spence,P.(2009)HeadofDrama(BBCNorthernIreland)PatrickSpencewithCraigBattyinLondon,
Interview.
Street,K.L.(2009)HeadofDevelopment/DevelopmentCoordinator/FreelanceScriptwriter/TrainerKarenLee
StreetwithCraigBattyinLondon,Interview.
Tolchinsky,D.(2009)'Screenwriter/Composer/InstallationartistDaveTolchinskywithCraigBattyinChicago,
Interview.
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Vandermeulen,C.(2011)NegotiatingthePersonalinCreativeWriting.Bristol:MultilingualMatters.
Shipping & Tax included.

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Vogler,C.(2009)StoryanalystandauthorChristopherVoglerwithCraigBattyinLosAngeles,Interview.
Vogler,C.(1992)TheWritersJourney:MythicStructureforStorytellersandScreenwriters.StudioCity,CA:
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DrCraigBattyisAssociateProfessorofScreenwritingintheSchoolofMediaandCommunicationatRMIT
University,Australia.Heisauthor,coauthorandeditorofeightbooks,includingScreenwritersand
Screenwriting:PuttingPracticeintoContext(2014),TheCreativeScreenwriter:ExercisestoExpandYourCraft
(2012)andMoviesThatMoveUs:ScreenwritingandthePoweroftheProtagonistsJourney(2011).Heisalso
ascreenwriterandscripteditor,withexperiencesacrossshortfilm,featurefilm,televisionandonlinedrama.

StayciTaylorisapracticebasedPhDcandidateintheSchoolofMediaandCommunicationatRMIT
University,Australia.Sheisaplaywrightandscreenwriter,havingworkedinmostvariationsofthelatter
includingcreator,storylinerandscripteditormostrecentlyinsoapandsitcomforNewZealandtelevision.
ShecurrentlyalsoteachesscreenwritingtoundergraduatestudentsatRMIT.

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