DAVID FELDMAN
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DAVID FELDMAN

What inspired you to write a script rather than a novel or short story?
Film tells stories through images as much as dialogue. That combination has always fascinated me in ways a novel or short story never quite did.

Was there a specific film, TV show, or personal moment that first made you say, “I want to write like that”?
The Larry Sanders show was an early inspiration. Underneath the comedy were complicated relationships and characters that felt remarkably human.

What’s your writing routine like? Do you follow a strict schedule, or are you more intuitive about when and how you write?
Once I begin a first draft, I try to write every day until it’s finished. I like staying immersed in the world and characters.

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?
I outline first then jump in. The outline keeps me on track while still leaving room for surprises once I’m writing scenes.

How do you handle writer’s block or those inevitable moments of self-doubt?
I’ll look at some of the writers I really admire - James L. Brooks, Douglas Day Stewart, Michael Mann or Gary Shandling - and you start to understand that getting to their best work was a process of honing craft over time. In the beginning, you’re struggling with the gap between your ambition and your ability. I’m focused on the best version I can write now.

What tools—software, methods, rituals—do you consider essential to your writing workflow?
I like to write out a scene-by-scene outline in Word and include any thoughts on character, setting, specific dialogue that come to mind. I’ll include a lot of ideas for sound, setting and mood for each scene. Then jump onto Celtx and start writing. I really try not to edit as I go on the first draft – I’d rather see the overall shape first.
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Do you write with production realities in mind, or do you let the creative vision lead first and adjust later?
I have extensive production experience having been an IATSE grip for nearly a decade. That baseline of understanding helps in staging how a given scene will play out or where it would play best. Imagining the blocking and how an actor can move through a physical space really helps propel a given scene.
When a scene isn’t working, what’s your go-to strategy for fixing it? Rewrite, workshop, walk away—or something else?
I’ll step away from the keyboard. Go for a bike ride, take a shower or start cooking– something active that resets my focus. More often than not, I come back to seeing the problem more clearly.

How many scripts have you completed? How many have you started and not completed (we all have those)...and why are they still unfinished?
Closing Costs is actually my first completed screenplay. I’m currently 35 pages into my second. It’s set in a completely different world but explores many of the same themes that interest me.

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?
I’m very proud of Closing Costs. I’ve cast a wide net with competitions and have been fortunate to see the script place in about half of them so far. The feedback has been invaluable – not because I follow every note, but because recurring observations have helped me identify areas where the script could become stronger.
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​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?
Right now I’m focused on screenplay competitions, professional script consultations and connecting with industry professionals. At this stage, my goal isn’t simply exposure – it’s continuing to improve the work while building relationships with people who genuinely connect with it.

Have you pitched to producers or taken meetings yet? What have those experiences taught you about the business side of screenwriting?
Not yet. At this stage, I’ve been focused on writing the strongest scripts I can and using contests and professional feedback to improve the work. I see meetings as the next step, not the first one.

What do you see as your greatest strengths as a writer? Your greatest weaknesses?
I think my greatest strengths is writing characters who feel authentic. I’m intereste in the humor, sadness and contradictions that make people recognizable. My biggest challenge is writing romantic relationships that feel honest rather than sentimental or familiar.

How do you balance your writing with your “day job”?
I’ve been a real estate broker for the past 23 years, so writing has always lived alongside my day job. I’m an early riser, so most of my writing happens between 6-9a.m., with another session in the evening whenever possible.

What message or emotional response do you hope audiences walk away with after experiencing your work?
I hope audiences leave thinking about the choices people make when searching for belonging, legitimacy or purpose. My favorite stories entertain first, but they stay with you because they ask questions that don’t have easy answers.

What are you working on right now the world needs to know about?
I’m working on a coming-of-age story set in a working-class mountain town in Utah that’s dominated by a small wealthy elite. My protagonist is an outsider who lands there following a family rupture. He enters their yearly bicycle race looking for acceptance and instead upends the entire social order of the town. Themes of identity, autonomy and social belonging are universal and especially compelling at this moment in time.

Where do you see yourself five years from now as a screenwriter—and how do you plan to get to that place?
In five years, I’d like to be writing full-time while continuing to tell grounded, character driven stories. The plan is simple: keep writing, keep improving, keep meeting people who connect with the work and trust that consistency compounds over time.

What advice would you give to any aspiring writer hoping to follow in your footsteps?
A lot of people start. Be the one who finishes.