WILLIAM ETHERIDGE

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WILLIAM ETHERIDGE

What inspired you to write a script rather than a novel or short story?
The inspiration for pursuing a script was that theis was initially a short film and it rapidly blossomed past a 20 minute short film concept into a 2 hour feature. I want to share what I saw in my head with others visually, not solely through imagination.

Was there a specific film, TV show, or personal moment that first made you say, “I want to write like that”?
Mostly no, however I have a friend who is a playwright whose ability to break the conventions of a traditional stage play script is a talent I admire. I would want to feel bold enough to have what I write break convention while still being understood when translated from page to screen. 99% of the time I just admire other writers skills but never really seek to emulate them.

What’s your writing routine like? Do you follow a strict schedule, or are you more intuitive about when and how you write?
The best I can compare it to is a bidirectional slide. My imagination always comes up with climactic scenes/moments and I have to chaotically structure the narrative from there. It’s a push and pull of weaving the scenes I visualize in detail together, then refining after the fact.

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?
Usually I just jump right into it but more recently I’ve started introducing a rough outline so that I can know what I want the major beats to be in the story. Sometimes if I feel too lost I’ll write the scene I REALLY want to, then work backwards to fit it. My biggest inspiration is usually interesting life events and trying to add a spin or twist on the mundane, i.e. “this guy is a loser, now what if the fate of the world depended on him” would be an idea.

How do you handle writer’s block or those inevitable moments of self-doubt?
The writer's block is way worse than the self-doubt personally. My backwards writing style really is just me being disciplined and focused enough to remember the purpose of the scene I’m crafting or to talk it out with someone. That usually jumps the mental battery. The self-doubt is more handled by figuring out “what didn't land” when I get feedback. There isn't a doubt that I can do it, it’s finding how to adjust the narrative/character to communicate it while still keeping my vision intact. If someone didn’t get it, sometimes it’s a matter of how I crafted it, not always, but sometimes.

What tools—software, methods, rituals—do you consider essential to your writing workflow?
WriterDuet and its readaloud function were possibly the most helpful with my feature script and the others I’m in the midst of. Beyond that just mood appropriate music. If I’m writing romance, more R&B, if it’s drama it may be more instrumental, etc. I need the right soundtrack to put me in the world.

Do you write with production realities in mind, or do you let the creative vision lead first and adjust later?
My brain produces the story as if I’m watching it on the screen and luckily I have enough insight as an actor to consider the options and limitations of a real-life production. The biggest obstacle is it can unfortunately make some of my descriptions a little book-like in its detail because my description of the scenes, actions, and characters are very specific, which in reality would look different or not account for the fluidity of a live performance.

When a scene isn’t working, what’s your go-to strategy for fixing it? Rewrite, workshop, walk away—or something else?
Oftentimes it is rewrite, review, and rewrite again. If it completely doesn’t work it will just be removed all together. I have to think on what the purpose of the scene is supposed to serve, and does it have to be the first way I wrote it, or is it achievable in another way.
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How many scripts have you completed? How many have you started and not completed (we all have those)...and why are they still unfinished?
If we’re not counting scripts for Youtube videos this would be my first full completed script of three haha. One of the completed is an abridged/short version of the feature and another is a fanfilm. There is one script currently I am in the middle of and several stories in the concept phase I’ve yet to script. Why they remain unfinished is because I have been focusing most of my attention on creating a path to getting this first one produced, as it is very personal. Also the story for the second feature I have yet to nail the narrative beats and character voices I want for it.

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 am very grateful to have been a finalist for the Santa Barbara Screenplay Awards Diverse Writers Outreach and was a semi-finalist in the Palm Springs Diversity Screenplay contest. The feedback was a big help in being able to progress the script especially given both contests would overlap with the demographic for the story. It helped note things I wouldn't think to consider from an outside perspective for someone encountering my writing for the first time. The strategy I hold for submitting is if it feels like where I submit would be beneficial to getting my script closer to a final product and if the feedback would support that goal, then it’s worthwhile.

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?
At present my primary exposure has been through contests, the storypeer website for additional feedback, and somewhat making my presence known on Stage32 to connect with other creators. Beyond that I have done little to promote myself as I want to have more completed scripts under my belt. It is not a very effective strategy I will admit, but more people associate me through my social media and acting than my writing.

Have you pitched to producers or taken meetings yet? What have those experiences taught you about the business side of screenwriting?
I did have a meeting with an executive recently for feedback on what next steps to take. The experience did add a greater sense of scale to what production for a screenplay would be like. There’s so many players and steps to go from typing a story to having people want to invest in making it real that are not well understood. When most of your relationship with storytelling is looking at the final product, you have a skewed sense of how much work goes into the business.

What do you see as your greatest strengths as a writer? Your greatest weaknesses?
I believe my greatest strength is my dialogue, worldbuilding, and character. When I find a voice for my character they instantly become easier to write and the ideas for their history and the world they live in expands very fast. My weakness is probably fleshing out arcs within the constraints of a feasible screenplay. Sometimes over writing to provide a visual teeters the line of keeping it as a screenplay, and also doesn’t address some potential plot gaps that may exist. It can be difficult to translate an idea I can explain verbally, to a narrative for someone who doesn’t know me.

How do you balance your writing with your “day job”?
Writing when I have a sense of direction. Luckily I make my own schedule for my job which gives me flexibility, the issue is actually sitting down and figuring out what is next for the characters. Feeling the desire to continue a story instead of tweaking one I’ve already made is much more difficult, but it can be nice to escape to a world of my own design.

What message or emotional response do you hope audiences walk away with after experiencing your work?
As I work through stories and concepts I think there is an undercurrent message about the values of “relationships” as an idea and the multitudes of ways that can show up. I’d want someone experiencing my work to feel a sense of connection to the characters and maybe some introspection on how they would conduct themselves if they were in a similar situation.

What are you working on right now the world needs to know about?
Aside from my podcast, The ACE Podcast, where my cohost and I dissect the narratives in your favorite movies and TV shows. My big focus right now is trying to move into pre- production on either the short or feature version of my script “Live. Laugh. Lust”. After that I hope to shift attention to a more traditional romance story I’ve been kicking around, followed by a survival-drama-monster movie.

Where do you see yourself five years from now as a screenwriter—and how do you plan to get to that place?
In five years, I want to be reflecting on at least 3 of my stories being in some form of post- production. I think starting something can be easy, but completing it is HARD. My plan right now is to continue refining and being more intentional about setting aside time to outline the stories I want for my characters. Then into the cycle of feedback and edits. Hopefully this contest can help with getting representation so that this venture is less independent as I know my strengths can be best served when working in a team dynamic.

What advice would you give to any aspiring writer hoping to follow in your footsteps?
First off, if I inspired you in some way, shape, or form. I’m truly honored. That said, I would not recommend doing what I do, how I do it. Find your voice for your characters and find what each of their stories are, even if it is minor. Find where you connect with the story you’re making. Get feedback from friends and also from strangers. Don’t take all the feedback personally, I’m just like anyone else and my creation is something I’m sensitive about. Take the notes that work for your story, leave what doesn't. Invest in some sort of “read aloud” technology to hear how it sounds during editing. Write what you want, how you want. The formatting and clean up will come along the way. Your idea is probably pretty darn cool, so trust that someone would be interested to see it.