When Passion Is Slow To Burn

TEASER:

FADE IN:

INT. KITCHEN - DAY, 2021

Among half-unpacked boxes, in the far corner of the small kitchen, TAMARA sits, fingers hovering hesitantly over her laptop keyboard, window open to a blank screenwriting page. The program's cursor blinks in a hypnotic, patient rhythm. She takes a deep breath, relaxes, and types.

TAMARA (V.O.) So, this is the part where I place some dreaded exposition.

INT. LIBRARY - TABLE - EARLY EVENING, 2018

Tamara is sitting at a long wooden table with the same laptop, fewer stickers on it, and in better shape. She looks to be in the zone while typing. Very little hesitation unlike when we first meet her.

TAMARA (V.O.) I had made my first posts for INT/EXT on Vocal and I was excited.

A LIBRARIAN makes the rounds collecting books. They stop at Tamara's table.

LIBRARIAN We'll be closing in 45 minutes.

Tamara nods but doesn't look up from the screen.

TAMARA (V.O.) I thought that blogging about my adventures would help me stay on track but I was wrong.

She clicks on the 'SUBMIT' button. Satisfied, she packs up her belongings and heads towards the exit.

TAMARA (V.O.) Because moving to L.A. was only the first of many steps...

EXT. LIBRARY - ENTRANCE STEPS - EARLY EVENING

With a Paul Rudd-like spring to her step, Tamara bounds down the stairway, down to the sidewalk, and off into the Oaklandish sunset.

TAMARA (V.O.) Towards reaching my dream as a screenwriter.

FADE OUT

ACT I:

So, terrible Word formatting aside, for the past three years I’ve been trying to live in L.A. Shortly after moving here my first year and a half found me fighting to find stable employment, transportation, and housing and it sidelined my dream; not fully, but enough for me to lose track of scheduled competitions and fellowships - the very things that would help me advance.

I’ve barely scratched the surface of what I needed to learn, and much of my writing suffered because of it. But despite the hardships and doubts, I still push towards fulfilling my dream of being staffed in a television writer’s room to work my way up to become a showrunner. The desire to create and see it manifest on screen kept me going, even when I’m tired, or haven’t written more than a paragraph in a month.

No matter what, the spark is still there waiting for me to get back to it.

ACT II:

I won’t lie. This passion wasn’t always there. I had lived in the Bay Area for years working in the video game industry. At one point I had hoped that I could forge a path there, but there were things missing I could never see. I was never happy for the longest time I had forgotten how movies, writing, and world-building were my passion until I gained access to a studio’s script and video library.

It got me hooked and inspired me to get my degree in screenwriting and start INT/EXT. When building INT/EXT I couldn’t fully grasp the sheer amount of effort it would take to make it work. Even when attempting to build a following and business, I was woefully unprepared. Using subscription platforms I didn’t know what I could give to a subscriber. In retrospect, I wasn’t brave enough to just try to, so it caved when the pressure to survive kicked in.

Until now.

ACT III:

Working in production and postproduction has helped me learn about the industry but pitching ideas with other writers and learning about the process pushed me through 2020 and brought me back to INT/EXT. The support and encouragement I received since moving here made me remember that writing can be communal as well as a singular process.

I've been inspired by other writers and want to include my members to vote on prompts for a short 5-10 page script for me to write or join in monthly Q&A sessions where I share what I’ve learned about pitching, fellowships, and contests. Attend scheduled writing jams where we can sit and write in sprints and encourage others to reach their goals. Get an exclusive chance to have your name as the main character or a favorite location featured in a short script. Love foreign film? Pick a movie for me to review on my podcast.

A bit of fun and inspiration for anyone wanting to join my journey.