CHRISTIAN MAXWELL

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CHRISTIAN MAXWELL

What inspired you to write a script rather than a novel or short story?
When the idea for “Here Come The Warm Jets” first came to me, it was a visual and aural experience. I could immediately see the episode unfold before my eyes: the characters, the action, and hear the soundtrack. It was also attempting to tell a complex story – so in order to combine all those elements, it had to be written as a teleplay.

Was there a specific film, TV show, or personal moment that first made you say, “I want to write like that”?
Devs
Hereditary
Mr. Robot
The Parallax View
Utopia (UK)

What’s your writing routine like? Do you follow a strict schedule, or are you more intuitive about when and how you write?
If I’m writing on spec, my writing process is completely intuitive. I sit down at the computer, and write whatever comes to mind; over time, themes and subtext emerge, and reveal themselves. That ‘revelation’ then shapes what I write in subsequent drafts. When I’m writing for myself, I rarely follow any kind of routine. I write whenever inspiration strikes: in the shower (but I dry off before I start writing) or if an idea wakes me up in the middle of the night.

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?
If I’m collaborating with a writing partner, or being paid (and there’s a deadline) – then I prefer to work from a very detailed treatment with a scene-by-scene breakdown, and sample dialogue. Under those circumstances, I adopt a much more structured writing routine, so that we’re focused, we can meet our deadline, and deliver a great script.

How do you handle writer’s block or those inevitable moments of self-doubt?
I usually re-read something I’ve written that I’m unequivocally proud of, and that usually provides enough motivation to continue moving forward (until the next moment of self-doubt).

What tools—software, methods, rituals—do you consider essential to your writing workflow?
The right music, and minimal distractions. I basically write what I picture the film or television episode looks and sounds like. I usually chose to listen to the music that I imagine would be playing on the soundtrack, of the finished film or television episode. (For “Here Come The Warm Jets” I listened to Massive Attack’s “False Flag” while I wrote it.)

Do you write with production realities in mind, or do you let the creative vision lead first and adjust later?
In a feature spec, if the story requires action, special effects, etc. – then I follow wherever the creative vision leads. For television, I’m more practical. I try to scale things down, and keep the need for special effects to a minimum.
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When a scene isn’t working, what’s your go-to strategy for fixing it? Rewrite, workshop, walk away—or something else?
I’ll consult someone whose opinion I trust, listen to their feedback, then spend some time away from the script, while considering the feedback (and hopefully gain some new insight in the process). When I start writing the scene again, I’m approaching it from a new angle and with fresh ideas.

How many scripts have you completed? How many have you started and not completed (we all have those)...and why are they still unfinished?
(10) Feature scripts (2 spec adaptations of William Gibson novels and stories)
(6) One-hour drama pilots.
(1) Half-hour comedy pilot.

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?
My script “Here Come The Warm Jets” was a finalist in the Winter 2025 Diversity Outreach Competition. My spec tv pilot “The Esoteric Library”, and a spec feature adaptation “Count Zero”, have reached the finals of the Big Apple Film Festival Screenplay
Competition, and Barnstorm Fest, among others. My strategy has always been to enter contests, and hope for a prominent
placement which will raise my professional profile – and bring my work to the attention of agents, managers and producers.

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?
I network whenever the opportunity presents itself. My background, biography and loglines of my work are posted on several sites: Stage32, By Storm, The Black List, Scrybe.to and Film Freeway. I’m not one of the show-runners on “Alien: Earth”, or directing my feature script “The Shaman”, so clearly my efforts to promote myself have been seriously lacking (so far).

Have you pitched to producers or taken meetings yet? What have those experiences taught you about the business side of screenwriting?
Pitching, and taking meetings has taught me the importance of finding like- minded (or at least compatible) individuals to work with, cannot be overstated.

What do you see as your greatest strengths as a writer? Your greatest weaknesses?
A development executive read my spec tv pilot, “The Pilgrimage”, and told me that she reads hundred of scripts of year, and hadn’t read anything quite like “The Pilgrimage”. She singled out one sequence, she found simultaneously funny, strange and completely frightening. She meant it as a compliment, but I also suspect that same quality may also be off- putting for some people. It may be both my greatest strength, and my greatest weakness.

How do you balance your writing with your “day job”?
Luckily, my inspiration usually strikes during ‘off-hours’. (Which is very considerate of it.)

What message or emotional response do you hope audiences walk away with after experiencing your work?
A colleague, who’s read most of what I’ve written, described me as an American Alex Garland. My work will make you re-examine the world around you, leaving you feeling simultaneously uneasy and exhilarated.

What are you working on right now the world needs to know about?
I’m multi-tasking. I’m doing revised drafts of a spec feature, and a spec pilot: “The Shaman” (Feature): Teri Ann and Wendell seek revenge on the members of a dangerous cult. In their quest for vengeance, they strike a Faustian bargain. “The Pilgrimage” (TV pilot): Dr. Leah Dunlap-Murphy, vanishes during a trip to Martha's Vineyard. Her husband and brother begin a desperate search for her that involves oracles and malevolent unmarked vans.

Where do you see yourself five years from now as a screenwriter—and how do you plan to get to that place?
I’d like to see my feature scripts, sold, in pre-production, and having some creative input in their realization.
In television, I’d like to be a show-runner – but I realize the first steps would be selling my spec work, and/or getting staffed on an existing show.

What advice would you give to any aspiring writer hoping to follow in your footsteps?
1. Don’t follow in my footsteps, chart your own course.
2. Grow a thick skin.
3. Develop a healthy skepticism.
4. Write a lot – develop your own voice.
5. Learn from your mistakes.
6. Be persistent.