STEPH KOWAL
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Where do you live (City, State, or Country)?
I’m originally from Canada but I’ve been living in Los Angeles for the last 8 years!
 
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?
‘Adulting’ was essentially inspired by my own true story as a struggling millennial in her 30s and my unique relationship with my sister. (Or what my therapist would call, my “borderline unhealthy codependency”…)  Basically, I got stuck in parking garage one day and decided that it was the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to me and I would never speak of it. And then I wrote a script about it and told everyone I know. Naturally.
 
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?
Since this was the first script I had ever written, I had to idea what I was doing. I wrote out my idea in paragraph form as if I was writing out a journal entry of what happened, and then I furiously studied a Bob’s Burgers script that my husband had once gifted me, and it slowly started coming together. I hyper fixated on this for a couple of weeks and then bam! A script! 
 
What is your ultimate ambition as a writer?
My ultimate ambition as a writer is to write female characters for television that don’t fall into the familiar tropes that we always see on TV. Growing up, I never really saw myself represented on screen and I never really realized how limited women can be in their portrayal, especially in comedy. So I want to just write what I know - women!
 
Which film or television writers inspire you? Why?
The television writers that inspired me the most growing up were Larry David & Jerry Seinfeld followed quickly by Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day & Glenn Howerton and of course, Mindy Kaling. These folks wrote what they knew. They make themselves laugh. This is ultimately the compass that I follow for my own writing - if I don’t think its funny, it’s not worth it. I write what I would want to watch, and I firmly believe that this is the only way to reach an audience in an authentic way.
 
What’s your all-time favorite movie or television show?
My all time favorite TV show is Bob’s Burgers. I’m 36 years old and still watch it every day for the umpteenth time. This is of course followed closely by Curb Your Enthusiasm, It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia and Seinfeld.
 
What advice do you have for writers hoping to win a contest or place as a finalist as you have?
I think what I’ve learned is that you just have to write what you know! Write a story that you would want to read. Read it over in a week and make the necessary revisions. Read it over again and again until everything snaps into place and you’re proud to put your name on every word of it. (Let’s be honest, you know where the holes are - fill them!)
 
What else are you working on that the world needs to know about?
I’m proud to say that I have partnered with an independent studio named Studio Smokescreen to make ‘Adulting’ into a reality! We have an animatic ready to show the world and a live Kickstarter ready to help finance the pilot. Please check it out and consider coming along this journey with us!!!
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/studiosmokescreen/adulting-animated-series-pilot?ref=recommendation-projectpage-footer-discover-more

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