ANDREW CHING

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ANDREW CHING

What inspired you to write a script rather than a novel or short story?
First of all, I have been a Filmmaker of short films for many years now. More recently, I’ve shifted my focus to primarily screenwriting. My Short Film script was inspired by my Asian-American family experience which debunks the ‘Model Minority’ myth ascribed to Asian-Americans. Also, it is based on the 1 st Act of a Treatment I wrote of the Pilot episode for an Asian-
American superhero series that I had created before the Pandemic hit.

Was there a specific film, TV show, or personal moment that first made you say, “I want to write like that”?
I have always loved great story-telling from Cinema & Literature, so my influences are varied & many. But for me, the best stories are the ones that leave you wanting more because of their uniquely-drawn out characters, good or bad, that you care to know more about and because of their vibrantly interesting dialogue.

What’s your writing routine like? Do you follow a strict schedule, or are you more intuitive about when and how you write?
For most of my career, I have been more of a Filmmaker than a Screenwriter, per se. It is only recently that I have shifted my focus to screenwriting. So, I haven’t developed a ‘writing routine’ (yet).

When you're starting a new script, how do you shape your ideas? Do you use outlines, beat sheets, or dive right into scenes? What inspires your scripts? Characters? Plot? Theme? Action?
When starting a new script, I jot down all of the ideas I already have for the story, any characters, elements or plotlines that have been incubating within my mind. Then I brainstorm or free-associate off of what I already have in my story to see where they might lead to, if anything. I usually start first with writing the scenes that I can already see playing out in my ‘mind’s eye.’
My Life experiences and my dreams/nightmares inspire my scripts.

How do you handle writer’s block or those inevitable moments of self-doubt?
I talk it over with someone I can trust. Also, acupuncture & massage help to calm & clear my mind.

What tools—software, methods, rituals—do you consider essential to your writing workflow?
I prefer using the screen/story-writing app Celtx and I write down any ideas, plotlines, dialogue that might pop up in my head at any time.

Do you write with production realities in mind, or do you let the creative vision lead first and adjust later?
Since I am a Filmmaker, I do keep in mind the production realities. But at the same time, I don’t let them hamper my creative vision, which does come first.

When a scene isn’t working, what’s your go-to strategy for fixing it? Rewrite, workshop, walk away—or something else?
I have one of my peers read & review it, give me their thoughts & suggestions. Another perspective can help you to see the scene in a different light.

How many scripts have you completed? How many have you started and not completed (we all have those)...and why are they still unfinished?
Like most screenwriters out there, presumably, I have several scripts or story ideas left unfinished or not even started. Aside from ‘Life’ getting in the way, they are still unfinished because I have a Masters in Procrastination.
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Have you earned recognition in this or other competitions? What’s your strategy when submitting your scripts, and how has contest feedback shaped your work?
This is the very 1st screenplay competition I have ever entered because S.B. Int’l Screenplay Awards offers a comprehensive professional analysis of every submission, which I could not afford at other contests. Plus, this contest gives you the thorough feedback soon after your submission and gives you the opportunity to improve your script & re-submit it.
I am submitting my scripts to contests which offer feedback and, more importantly, offer winners the opportunity to meet with industry professionals (producers, literary agents/managers).

Have you done anything at this point to promote yourself or your writing (besides entering online contests)? If so, how would you gauge the effectiveness of those efforts?
Only recently have I started focusing on screenwriting and improving as a screenwriter. As I’ve said, this is the 1st screenplay competition I’ve entered, and I find it very encouraging to have won this award.

Have you pitched to producers or taken meetings yet? What have those experiences taught you about the business side of screenwriting?
No, I haven’t yet. Hopefully it will be soon.

What do you see as your greatest strengths as a writer? Your greatest weaknesses?
I believe that my greatest strengths are that I use very visually-descriptive words in my narrative and that I aim for writing dialogue that is crisp and vibrant. My greatest weakness is Procrastination.

How do you balance your writing with your “day job”?
It is difficult if you’re working a f/t ‘day job’ that is tediously mind-numbing and soul- sucking, and your tank is on empty by the end of the day. When I am working f/t, though, I would write on the weekends if I can. But currently, I am only working p/t, so I have more time to write, or procrastinate writing.

What message or emotional response do you hope audiences walk away with after experiencing your work?
My hope for “Spirit of The Dragon” is that it will open audiences’ eyes to see that there is a flip-side harsh reality to the ‘Model Minority’ myth of Asian-Americans being a socio-economically ‘successful, problem-free’ minority group. Through my main character, 9-yr-old Jay Leung, audiences can experience his resiliency in overcoming some of the hardships he is faced with in his childhood as an Asian-American.

What are you working on right now the world needs to know about?
In Q.1. I mentioned that “Spirit of The Dragon” is based on the 1st Act of the Pilot episode of an Asian-American superhero series that I had created before the Pandemic. I am working on the screenplay for that pilot episode. Also, I am writing the original scripts for 3 of my Short Films:
1. A David-Lynchian/Hitchcockian psychological, murder-mystery
2. A very personal Asian-American modern parable
3. A fictitious bio-pic of a famous Chinese opera singer caught in the tumult & upheaval of the WWII Japanese invasion & Chinese civil war in the 1940’s based on my mother’s Life in China during that period.

Where do you see yourself five years from now as a screenwriter—and how do you plan to get to that place?
In 5 yrs. time, I would like to be a working Screenwriter/Filmmaker in the industry, by getting a literary agent or studio representation for one or more of my original films.

What advice would you give to any aspiring writer hoping to follow in your footsteps?
Don’t follow in my footsteps; Make your own footsteps.