Meredith Cole will be teaching The Fundamentals of Screenwriting this summer. Her class begins July 7. There's still time to enroll in this and other classes — check out our complete schedule.
Is there a particular book or essay (or screenplay) that made you want to write?
It's hard to remember when I wasn't a writer. I used to dictate stories and songs
to my mother before I could even write. My early screenplays were very much influenced
by some of the Indie and foreign films I saw in the 90's (Slacker, My Life
as a Dog, etc), but I learned more about plotting and story arc from Hollywood
films. And Ruth Rendell, Laura Lippman and Agatha Christie are just a few of the
writers that inspired me to try writing a mystery.
What's the number one thing that distracts you when you're trying to write?
My family is number one. But I think it's easy for anything to distract you when
you're writing, so you have to become very focused in order to get a book or screenplay
finished. I give myself deadlines (and now my editor gives them to me) in order
to finish a project. I break the project into small pieces (outline, word count),
and give myself for goals for each day. I try to put aside time each day to get
it done. But it's not easy — especially when school is out for the summer!
If you could write from any location, where would it be?
The beauty of writing is that you can do it anywhere. I loved writing in Paris when
I lived there. I didn't finish much, but I got a huge number of ideas for stories.
I enjoy writing in cafes, especially ones that have other writers bent over their
laptops and notebooks. I find it inspiring, and, unlike home, the noise doesn't
really bother me.
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