Time for an interview!

As part of scriptwriting month, I have had the opportunity to interview members of the community who have a passion in this style of writing. The first of these is with *ebony66136, a writer from the UK who has a natural knack of writing scripts that are touched with humour. Although she writes in other forms too, she has had the opportunity to see her scripts being performed on stage therefore seeing the entire creative process. Here is her interview...




Could you tell me a little bit about yourself?

My real name is Emma and I'm an electronic engineering student at Southampton University, UK. I'm half English, half Welsh, and have a Cavalier King Charles spaniel called Bertie.


When did you start scriptwriting?

I've been writing bits and pieces of general prose since I was about 12, but I wrote my first script in 2006. I guess I felt like trying something new.


What do you consider to be your biggest influences in scriptwriting?

There's a really good community theatre venue local to me called the Corner House. The stuff they put on is really high quality and watching good actors always inspires me to write for them.


Do you have a definitive approach to scriptwriting? If so what is it and how do you go about writing a script?

The scripts I've written are all very short (ten minutes at the most) so there tends to be a single central idea or joke to them. That comes first, and then I flesh out the characters a little in my head and just dive in.


Do you read other scripts at all? Which scriptwriters/playwrights do you enjoy reading the most?

It's a cliché, but I'm a sucker for a certain Scottish play. Shakespeare aside, I tend to prefer seeing plays performed to simply reading them, although I've come across a couple of real treasures on dA.


Is there anyone on DeviantArt whose scriptwriting has impressed you?

~barnabus's Afterlife is a simply wonderful piece, well worth the DD it earned. The dialogue is beautifully human and brilliantly funny at the same time. Though, for pure randomness, I also have a soft spot for ~LilithNightwalker's Utter Nonsense.




‘Afterlife’, by ~barnabus and ‘Utter Nonsense’ by ~LilithNightwalker.



Do you visit the theatre? What was the last thing you saw?

I visit the theatre whenever I get the chance, which isn't nearly as much as I'd like. The last thing I saw was a new musical production of The Menymns, adapted and staged by students at my university.


You have one of the most popular short scripts on deviantArt, and one of my favourite deviations, ‘Blagged’. How did this short piece come about and how do you feel about the reaction towards it from this community?

Blagged is basically a joke in short-play form, and that's how it arrived in my head. I thought of it while walking home one day, laughed to myself, then wrote it out the moment I got in. I didn't quite expect the level of reaction it got when I submitted it, and certainly didn't expect it to get a DD. I'm glad that people had a giggle.




‘Blagged’ was awarded a Daily Deviation in July 2007



Do you have a personal favourite script that you have written? If it is online, could you link us to it?

If I had to pick a favourite, I'd say IT Support ([link]). I know writers always find different things funny to readers, but I still like the computer character. The actor who played him when it was put on did a wonderful job at capturing his "snobbish butler" attitude.




‘IT Support’ had been performed in an amateur production.


You’ve actually had several scripts submitted into festivals. Can you describe how it feels seeing your work performed?

I’d say the best word for it is weird! You realise fairly quickly that you’ve only really written half of each of the characters. The other half gets filled in by the actor playing the part. So it’s never quite like you imagined it.


I know you also write in other forms aside scriptwriting, what kind of things do you write?

I write mostly short stories (with a few longer pieces throw in) and almost all of them are speculative fiction (sci-fi and fantasy). I’ve written about wicked witches, dopey werewolves, time-travelling policemen, bizarre aliens, squabbling gods, secret societies, intelligent computers and space-going snails. (Though not all in the same story!)


What advice would you give to anyone wanting to start scriptwriting?

Just have a go. You don’t have to plunge into ten-act tragedies straight away. Start with little ideas and explore what you can do with them. If you’re keen to see your work performed, find out about your local community theatre and see what they have to offer.


Finally, do you have any future scripts planned?

I’m currently in the process of writing one web comic script and planning another. The first is for an artist on dA. The second is a collaboration with another dA writer. Teamwork is a wonderful thing.


Thank you for reading, and thank you to *ebony66136 for kindly letting me interview her.



Scriptwriting Month Articles and News


Scriptwriting Month Week 1- Exposing Character

Scriptwriting Month Week 2- Considering Audience

Scriptwriting for Animators

Please note- There is only a day left before the deadline of our week 2 contest (Writing a Scene), please ensure you have your entry sent to me by midnight.

Keep an eye out for week three, where we will be discussing formatting and publishing scripts, as well as revealing a very exciting contest!

Thank you

`Beccalicious