ELLEN PUFF
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Ellen Puff

How did you discover The Santa Barbara International Screenplay Awards and how did you decide to enter this contest among all the others?
I discovered the SBISA through FilmFreeway and was immediately impressed by the credentials of the Oscar-Emmy-WGA award-winning judges. I also was thrilled to read that
every word of every page of my screenplay would be read and analyzed by established Hollywood film and television professionals, not interns or graduate students.
 
Where do you live (City, State, or Country)?
I live in cold, but lovely, St. Paul, Minnesota.
 
Your script stood out among hundreds of others. What was the inspiration for your story and why did you write a script instead of a short story or a novel? What inspires your overall journey into screenwriting?
 I read a fictionalized account of my protagonist and realized that the best quotes were taken from her autobiography, so then I read that and fell in love with her story and poetic style. I also read an excellent biography, archival newspaper articles, and used my imagination to dramatize her life. I knew that this had to be a script. The action and scenery begged for this format.
 
How do you decide which stories to tell, and what draws you to these particular themes?
I am drawn to true life stories because I am inspired by the real achievements of women who worked hard and accomplished much. Their stories need to be told, not only to encourage young girls and women, but so that everyone will recognize the significant contribution that women have made throughout history.
 
What is your typical writing routine? How do you structure your workday to stay productive?
I like to write for a few hours at a local coffee shop in the morning, take a swim to clear my head, and then edit in the afternoon. The noise of the coffee shop actually helps me to focus!
 
How long did it take you to write your script...and what is your writing process? Do you outline...use index cards...white board...or just start with FADE IN?
“West With The Night” was my first screenplay, and it took nine months to complete it. I have adapted literature for the stage in the past, so I wasn’t afraid to try a screenplay format. I used a chronological approach to the story, basing it upon her life, along with additional fictionalized scenes of her writing her autobiography. It was important to me that I stay true to her voice, even with the scenes that I wrote.
 
How do you handle writer's block or moments of doubt (we all have them) during your creative process?
I haven’t had writer’s block – yet! I try not to succumb to doubt. There’s not enough time in the day. If something doesn’t sound true or seem right, I cut it.
 
What tools or software do you find essential to your workflow as a screenwriter? 
Final draft software is the only tool I use. Once I have made several edits, I print out the script, let it sit for a week, and then read the hardcopy. Seeing it in the printed format often reveals the errors. I am a horrible speller!
 
How do you approach competition entries, and what have you learned from participating in these contests?
You win some. You lose some. I’ve learned that the most important thing is to keep writing.
 
Can you share a specific challenge you've faced in your screenwriting and how you overcame it?
 Finding the time is the challenge. I currently work as a sub teacher, so I am fitting my writing into my day by writing early in the morning or late at night. Coffee helps!
 
Where do you see yourself in five years as a screenwriter?
 God willing, I see myself supporting myself as a writer.
 
What is your ultimate ambition as a writer?
 To sell a script, or two, or three …
 
The film and television industry is constantly evolving. How do you see the role of screenwriters changing, especially with the rise of streaming platforms and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence?
 I am an English teacher, and I have read too many college application essays written by AI. They are too perfect and have no heart. Nothing can or will replace the creative, unique voice of a 
writer. A good story will last the test of time. Streaming platforms, evolving culture, emerging technologies are changing the delivery of the product, but the product must appeal to the heart, mind, and soul of the audience.
 
Which film or television writers inspire you? Why?
 Andrew Davies whole career inspires me, and Dawn DeNoon, a friend who has been hugely successful as a TV writer. She is the nicest person in the world and works so hard! It is so encouraging to see that good people can win!
 
What’s your all-time favorite movie or television show? 
Casablanca hands-down. The dialogue is to die for. The Miss Fisher Murder Series was a favorite tv show of mine. The issues the writers tackled were serious, but they had fun with the dialogue too!
 
What advice do you have for writers hoping to win a contest or place as a finalist as you have? 
Keep going. Don’t stop. Work. Coffee. Work. More coffee. Work more.
 
What else are you working on that the world needs to know about? (links to your projects?)
“Souvenirs” – the true story of Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun, French painter of Marie Antoinette
“The Retreat” – a Rom-Com (a departure from my first two screenplays)
“Miasma” – an adaptation of a murder mystery set in London 1930s
 
Where can the world find you online? (Social media links, etc.)
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellen-m-puff-046277127/

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