ED BADAL
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 PictureED BADAL
What inspired you to write a script rather than a novel or short story?
I’ve always enjoyed visualizing my ideas in my head like watching a film. A novel feels a little too slow and detailed and a short story feels like you are forced to gloss over or edit out certain things for the sake of brevity. I enjoy the challenge of writing features; it feels like a good middle ground.

Was there a specific film, TV show, or personal moment that first made you say, “I want to write like that”?
My original inspiration was to write a cathartic piece about a grindhouse revenge type of film (think Law Abiding Citizen meets Hostel). It felt like a way to express my thoughts and ideas about all the injustices in the world. I fell in love with the process and have been doing it ever since.

What’s your writing routine like? Do you follow a strict schedule, or are you more intuitive about when and how you write?
I write when I have time, first and foremost. With a family and a regular W2, I don’t always get sizeable chunks of time. I keep
meticulous and copious notes and only start writing once I feel the core elements of the story are locked in. I don’t like writing in short bursts because I can’t really settle into the story and find myself as emotionally invested as I prefer to be.

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 always start with a high concept idea. Some sort of ‘what if’ question that feels compelling or intriguing. From that, I develop a general sense of what I want to convey in the story and use that to develop a basic structure. Then I build out beat sheets and outlines as a sort of brainstorming session, then I pare back when I understand how each beat or scene has true impact on the story. From there, I flesh out my world, characters, motives, events, and once I have that, I start building out scenes. I’m really focused on character driven stories. In my opinion, the plot should always follow the characters because it’s human choice that dictates outcomes. The things we do in this life are all driven by choosing to do them and I believe the best stories are the ones where you explore why people do what they do.

How do you handle writer’s block or those inevitable moments of self-doubt?
I just stop! I usually have a hundred other things I’ll need to tackle at any given moment, and usually just experiencing life will trigger some insight if you’re paying attention and keeping the story simmering in the back of your mind. For me, completing a story is the goal, so if I’m moving toward that goal (even with baby steps), there isn’t really any self- doubt. I write for me and if others enjoy it as well, I’m pleased as punch.

What tools—software, methods, rituals—do you consider essential to your writing workflow?
I use a free software called WriterSolo for formatting and PDF export. It saves me a ton of time with formatting and it’s very easy to use. I’m very grateful its available and free.

Do you write with production realities in mind, or do you let the creative vision lead first and adjust later?
I try to keep in mind production realities, budgets, etc., especially at the onset of a project. There’s a story I want to tell on the screen but like any product, if you don’t have market viability, you’ll get nowhere. If your cost of production is too high, you’ll get nowhere. Rather than rely on CGI or crazy stunts or shots that would cost a lot to shoot, I rely more on character driven drama. I like creating compelling, conflicted characters that are put in impossible situations. This tension is the ultimate appeal of what it means to move through life as a human being. Explosions are cool, but the essence of the human experience is the emotions we feel as we experience life and how that drives us to certain actions.

When a scene isn’t working, what’s your go-to strategy for fixing it?
Rewrite, workshop, walk away—or something else? I take a step back and ask myself, “what is this really trying to achieve?” If a scene isn’t revealing plot, character, or both, it’s usually a waste of time. If I can’t get a scene to do either or both of those things, I scrap it.
How many scripts have you completed? How many have you started and not completed (we all have those)...and why are they still unfinished?
I have 9 completed features with another 3 in the process and another 20 or so potential high concept ideas that just need to go through the refinement process I mentioned earlier. I have way more ideas than I have time to develop them. I usually finish what I start because I won’t start something I don’t think will make a good finished product.

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’ve placed and won several other competitions with a few of my finished scripts, but it was more about seeking feedback than hoping to win anything. The recognition is great, and if it leads to representation, then that’s even better. But the feedback for me validates where my head was at as I was writing and developing the story. It tells me if I was on the right track or if I missed something crucial. I enjoy detailed notes and especially commentary on how the reviewers felt as they read my work. I’m here to manipulate your emotions out of you and if I can do that, I consider my job well done.

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’ve reached out to a few literary agencies and had some read requests, but nothing I’d call serious. I do keep busy with my family and work life, so a full-steam-ahead career in writing isn’t quite on the horizon yet (those bills won’t pay themselves). Most people I talk to make it sound like a terrible rat race and that the odds of succeeding are very slim. So, I temper my expectations and enjoy the process and end products. I’m not very good at self-promotion, so it just doesn’t come naturally to me, and it feels like more work than I care to put in at this point. I guess what’s why I need a manager!

Have you pitched to producers or taken meetings yet? What have those experiences taught you about the business side of screenwriting?
No pitches and no meetings yet. To be honest, that feels like something out of reach for me, no matter how good a writer I
become. I’m simply not as tapped into the writing world as the hundreds of thousands of others out there actually trying to make a living doing this. I’d love to see interest in my stories, but I’m also trying to be realistic. The business of screenwriting feels
cutthroat, and I had an Emmy award winning producer friend of mine tell me that pitching execs your stories and sizzle reels is 90% timing anyway. I guess the lesson is to be patient.

What do you see as your greatest strengths as a writer? Your greatest weaknesses?
My greatest strength is to take a poignant concept and create an emotionally and morally complex story around it with conflicted characters that show us a little bit about what it means to be human. My greatest weakness is that I’ve no real business or networking sense to be a financially self-sustaining writer. I’m more of a truth-teller than a script- seller.

How do you balance your writing with your “day job”?
It isn’t easy. Family and job come first, always. And even then, I need to reserve blocks of time. I don’t do well in 15 minute increments. But I usually try to find time in the evenings after everyone has gone to bed so I can have quiet time (or with some music to set the mood) and I can devote 1- 2+ hours that way. Sometimes I find that I can knock out a first draft in 2 weeks,
sometimes it takes over a month. The idea is to keep at it when I can and never let something go cold. Momentum is key, even if it comes in waves.

What message or emotional response do you hope audiences walk away with after experiencing your work?
I particularly enjoy putting my audience into a position where they must examine their own moral code, to force each person to be introspective. I want audiences to have strong emotions about the characters they care most about, and I want them to walk away with a little more understanding of what it means to be human.

What are you working on right now the world needs to know about?
I’m working on a dramatic thriller (think Prisoners meets Phone Booth with the moral complexity of Sicario) and a historical drama about the Catalpa rescue. Behind that, I’ve also got an epic historical romance that takes place during the Fall of Kabul in 1842 (think The English Patient meets The Last of the Mohicans).

Where do you see yourself five years from now as a screenwriter—and how do you plan to get to that place?
I hope to have honed my craft even more and to have a manager that can handle a lot of the business side of things. I’d also hope to have an agent out there pitching some of my ideas around (since I don’t have access to any decision makers). How do I get there? That’s the million-dollar question. Until I figure that out, I’ll keep writing and sending out my little messages in bottles into the sea of literary management until some receptive and enterprising person decides to take a chance on me.

What advice would you give to any aspiring writer hoping to follow in your footsteps?
You’ve got to have a good concept, something that inspires you to tell that story. If the quality isn’t there, you won’t get anywhere. Love your characters and your audience will love them too and be sure to challenge your characters. Put them through the most difficult experience of their lives. Maintain tension and pacing at all times. And above all, love what you do. If you don’t love it, it is just a waste of time.