THOM CHACON

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THOM CHACON

What inspired you to write a script rather than a novel or short story?
I want to bring this story to life through film. I also love the craft of screenwriting.

Was there a specific film, TV show, or personal moment that first made you say, “I want to write like that”?
I’m a songwriter by trade. I’ve always seen my songs as little movies. In songwriting I’m (mostly) limited to telling a complete story in three minutes. I simply wanted to tell a longer story. I’m having fun with the screenwriting format.

What’s your writing routine like? Do you follow a strict schedule, or are you more intuitive about when and how you write?
I work as a fly-fishing guide so I tend to have more time to write in the (off season) winter months. I tend to write for a few hours in the morning after I drop my kids to school. During the guide season I write whenever I can. Sometimes that’s at 2am when the kids, my horses and the trout are asleep.

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 treat screenwriting like I do songwriting because that’s what I know. I start with a title (the chorus) then plot (verses) and I know my ending. Then I dive into a one-page synopsis. My short film Borderland is based on a song of the same name that I wrote a few years back. I draw inspiration first by characters then circumstance.

How do you handle writer’s block or those inevitable moments of self-doubt?
Battle through it. I’ve experienced this many times in my songwriting career and the only way I can get through the block is to keep writing. Going fishing or for a horseback ride helps.

What tools—software, methods, rituals—do you consider essential to your writing workflow?
A #2 pencil and a notebook to start. Then my laptop and Word, followed by the screenwriting program, Fade In. A thesaurus and last but not least tons of research including interviews, location scouting, books, google and imagination.

Do you write with production realities in mind, or do you let the creative vision lead first and adjust later?
After working as an actor on a handful of films and a TV show, I realized how important production realities are if I plan on getting my screenplays made. I keep this in mind while I’m writing but not at the detriment of the story.

When a scene isn’t working, what’s your go-to strategy for fixing it? Rewrite, workshop, walk away—or something else?

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Walk away. Even a few hours outside can really help me see the scene with new perspective. Again, songs are similar; hearing a demo with fresh ears can be a game changer.

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 completed five scripts. I’ve started twice that many. The ones I have put aside were not working for one reason or another. In the old days I would try to finish a song even when I knew in my heart that it just wasn’t working. I would paint myself into a corner. I stopped doing that years ago and my production level went up. Those unfinished ideas are fun to pick through when you need a spare part for another project.

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?
This was the first time I submitted to a competition so it’s the first and only recognition I’ve received. I feel fortunate for that. I don’t have a strategy for submitting at this point, I’m more focused on learning the craft and raising money to make my first short. The contest feedback was huge in terms of improving on what I already had.

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?
Before today I had not promoted my screenwriting as I’ve been focused on songs and acting.

Have you pitched to producers or taken meetings yet? What have those experiences taught you about the business side of screenwriting?
I have not pitched yet.

What do you see as your greatest strengths as a writer? Your greatest weaknesses?
Greatest strengths are - my songwriting background and my indomitable passion for storytelling. It could be argued that my weaknesses are the same as my strengths in that I love to write songs and work as an actor, which cuts into my screenwriting time. I have a lot to learn.

How do you balance your writing with your “day job”?
That can be difficult during my fishing season. I have stories to tell so I find the time.

What message or emotional response do you hope audiences walk away with after experiencing your work?
When it comes to writing I often think, “make me laugh or make me cry, just don’t bore me.” Not sure who said that but it’s my guiding light. I write stories about things that keep me up at night. I hope that an audience can come away feeling as moved
and entertained about the subject as I was writing it.

What are you working on right now the world needs to know about?
Great question. I’m writing a story about my cousin, two time featherweight boxing champion, Bobby Chacon. It’s about his post-boxing career when he became punch drunk and destitute, collecting cans in the streets of Los Angeles. It’s about the resilience of the human spirit. I think that’s important right now.

Where do you see yourself five years from now as a screenwriter—and how do you plan to get to that place?
I have two short films to make. After that I hope to be casting John Leguizamo as Bobby Chacon and making that film:) In five years, if all goes as planned I’ll be a better writer than I am today!!

What advice would you give to any aspiring writer hoping to follow in your footsteps?
I think it was Kevin Costner who said, (paraphrasing here) “You might have more talent than I do but you can’t out work me.”