REBECCA BLONDIN
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 PictureREBECCA BLONDIN
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 contest via a “This Week on FilmFreeway” emailing. I look for contests that offer high-quality feedback and analysis, and I found your website to be refreshingly transparent and honest.

Where do you live (City, State, or Country)?
San Francisco, CA

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’ve always enjoyed ancient myths, and I’m particularly fascinated by the concept of ‘the muse. I wanted to explore how a muse figure would navigate our modern world. About five years ago, I came to the realization that script- and screenwriting were a good fit for my writing style, and so decided to test it out with a story about an immortal Greek muse named Eleanor.

How do you decide which stories to tell, and what draws you to these particular themes?
In elementary school in the 1980’s, I wrote a book for a writing contest called “Poems of Mythical Creatures,” and ever since I have been drawn to creating stories that have mythical or fantastical elements in them. I also really enjoy a good adaptation/retelling.

What is your typical writing routine? How do you structure your workday to stay productive?
When I stopped public school teaching to be a stay-at-home-parent, I thought I would have gobs of time to work on my writing. HA! I was so wrong. When my kiddos were young, my writing time was very limited and so I had to work in short, concentrated bursts. With my kids older now, I find myself still working that same way: carving out 1-2 hours a day of writing time and focusing in to be as productive as possible.

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?
I am a huge fan of spreadsheeting to organize my writing, especially for television scripts. (Spreadsheets for character arcs and story lines, spreadsheets for each individual episode and each season… I love spreadsheets.) Including all the background research and concept development, “Eleanor Evermore: Pilot” took two years to write, plus six months of tweaking & rewrites after getting feedback from the first round of sending my pilot script out to contests.

How do you handle writers block or moments of doubt (we all have them) during your creative process?
I am pursuing screenwriting late in life after a couple of other careers, and BOY do I have moments of doubt. I wish I could handle them more gracefully than I do, and I wish I could offer solid advice. I take solace in knowing that everything I write is strengthening me as a writer, even if it may never reach a broad audience.

What tools or software do you find essential to your workflow as a screenwriter?
Scrivener for script formatting, Google Sheets for spreadsheeting, online thesauruses, a very robotic screen reader to hear how my writing sounds, Google and the public library for research.

How do you approach competition entries, and what have you learned from participating in these contests?
I tend to enter 5-10 contests a year to not get overwhelmed. I purposely look for ones that offer quality feedback and analysis. I don’t have much access to folks in the industry, so I find the feedback from competitions very valuable. Lately, I have been emailing contests to ask if they allow people to resubmit (updated) scripts in subsequent years… quite a few do. Then if I receive higher scores or more advanced feedback, I know I’m improving as a screenwriter.
Can you share a specific challenge you've faced in your screenwriting and how you overcame it?
I am lousy at following the standard story structure of a TV show, and I have been dinged for it often in the feedback I receive. I really have to fight the urge to be a non-conformist in this area, and it is an ongoing battle and a work in progress.

Where do you see yourself in five years as a screenwriter?
Within the next five years, I would like to have 3-4 polished scripts in a portfolio and be able to find and secure an agent.

What is your ultimate ambition as a writer?
My writing career has moved at a slow pace, so I continue to set more and more goals for myself as I go along. My real ambition is to keep writing in some capacity or other for the rest of my life.

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?
Firstly, I see Generative AI as a threat to the creative community at large, but I also suspect that the tech industry has erroneously put all its eggs in the Generative AI basket. As for streaming platforms, they do offer a lot of opportunity for work, and I applaud the efforts of the Writers Guild, SAG-AFTRA, and other union groups who continue to fight to make sure those working for streaming platforms aren’t exploited.

Which film or television writers inspire you? Why?
I have consumed a lot of television in my fifty years on this planet, and I think the era of the ‘famous television writer’ is a 21st century phenomenon. Many of the shows I grew up with, like Cheers, Fraiser, Friends and even Seinfeld had 50+ writers on their teams over the years…very much a group effort. It is impressive that such a large group of writers knew the nuances of their characters & stories so well that they were able to create 10 years’ worth of consistent, cohesive episodes.

What’s your all-time favorite movie or television show?
Arrested Development

What advice do you have for writers hoping to win a contest or place as a finalist as you have?
If possible (and within your budget), get some feedback on your work from a couple different folks who work in the industry. (Some screenplay contests offer feedback freely; others charge an additional fee.) Once you’ve put yourself in a good headspace for receiving constructive criticism, read through the feedback and extract those nuggets of wisdom and good advice that you feel will improve your script. Take the time to revise your work and then send it out again. Some contests even welcome updated scripts you’ve submitted before. It doesn’t hurt to ask.

What else are you working on that the world needs to know about? (links to your projects?)
“Eleanor Evermore” (TV drama pilot)  https://filmfreeway.com/EleanorEvermore

A (full-length feature) modern adaptation/retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion called “Self- Persuasion” https://filmfreeway.com/Self-Persuasion

​ A comedy sitcom titled “The Psychopomps” is in the works

I also write short fiction, including this piece:
https://atticusreview.org/walgreens-on-california-2/\

Where can the world find you online? (Social media links, etc.)
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-j-blondin
Bluesky @BeckyBeWriting.bsky.social https://bsky.app/profile/beckybewriting.bsky.social
FilmFreeway https://filmfreeway.com/RebeccaJ.Blondin