Who: Jana L. Williams
What: Writer, Photographer
Source: wordsmythe
Say that somebody reading the site has a dream of one day becoming a screenwriter themselves, what would you say to them?
DO IT! Don’t listen to anyone who says you can’t…read, write, think, watch films and do it. Allow yourself several screenplays finished before you actually will feel like you know what you’re doing. But no carpenter ever creates a Windsor armoire their first time out…so comfort yourself with the thought that screenwriting’s a craft, and keep writing.
Which screenwriters do you admire?
Billy Wilder for sure. Tom Stoppard most definitely. Emma Thompson (the actor/writer) is fabulous.
Have you ever written with a partner? If so, can you describe some of the advantages and disadvantages of having a partner in terms of the writing process and the business aspects?
Yes, a couple of times. Once with a director that I admired and my very first script was written with a writing partner. Writing with someone else is tricky; there’s no getting around that part. I am basically someone who resists writing with a partner…I hate having to explain my ideas first. And writing out a long or important scene and then having someone say ‘Oh, that’s not how I envisioned it,’ sucks! On the other hand, a writing partner can really keep your nose to the grindstone IF you have trouble making deadlines – even self imposed ones. So there are advantages. I don’t turn down the opportunity when it arises; but I do give it careful thought before I leap into it.
As an artist, you must find criticism is both difficult to take and also very necessary to your development and refinement. Do you have any advice to other writers for taking constructive criticism well?
I think the best writers all come to the same place eventually; you have to separate the ‘story’ from your ego. You get to a place where you will do anything to further the quality of the story you’re telling – and so putting your ego on the back burner becomes critical to absorb the story insights a valued critique can give you. Some people just get to that place quicker than others. That said, be really careful who you let fuck around with your story. Not all critiques are created equal. Some ‘coverage’ is so shoddy it’s not worth the energy it took to email it. Every writer needs to develop a really good bullshit detector and the first component of that is learning to discern who CARES about your story enough to give you honest and heartfelt feedback. It’s rare…but essential to moving the story and the craft of writing forward.
Can you recall any really negative criticism – how did you handle it?
Yeah, from a local (Vancouver) source. I had sent in a script for coverage and the feedback I got was really snippy; there was just no other word for it. I don’t know if it was the subject matter for my script that got up their nose – or whether it wasn’t ‘polished’ enough or what. But there was very little useful information in what I got back; and the implication was why I even was bothering to write. I was really bummed for while; but then I got mad! Once I got mad, I was ready to sit back down at the computer and poor all that energy into a rewrite that really rocked! Really, it is so easy to slag other people’s creative efforts. I always try to acknowledge the hard work that goes into simply finishing a script. So many people start, but so few get to the end of it.
What was the best critique of your work you have received?
An anonymous reader from Telefilm – I wished I known her name. It was for my script, FEELS SO NEAR, and I was applying for rewrite money to work with the director on the project to clean up the script. The producer wasn’t really supposed to show the comments to me – but he did; and boy was I jazzed. I could not have written it better myself; but it was so much more meaningful because it came from a completely anonymous source, moments like those are rare; savour them.
When you begin a new script, are there rituals you perform to get started?
I walk miles while I’m trying to flesh out a story. I also do all the preplanning that I advocate in my Screenwriting Essentials workshops & DVD. It’s my theory that all that LEFT brain structure stuff you do ahead of time frees your RIGHT brain to create once you start to write.
What are you watching these days on TV?
Don’t hemorrhage over this but I don’t own a TV…I have an impressionable 7 year old! So I use my DVD player a lot. It’s great because I can pick and choose TV shows and see an entire season without the ads. The only way to go. Battlestar Galactica, Six-Feet Under, House (sometimes).
Last few movies you watched? Quick thoughts.
I’m far more current with movies, Star Trek (yawn – although Spock was cute!) Departures, very, very sweet & funny Japanese film, Summer Hours (yawn) very, very French – everyone still smoked!
What are you reading these days?
A travel journal, Congo Journey, Hammered, Elizabeth Bear (sci fi) and Lizard Cage, Karen Connelly (great poet – fantastic book that I’d love to adapt to film). Also recently read Ann Patchett, Run AND Truth and Beauty…. both fabulous novels!!
What are you listening to?
Sanskrit chant (Heidi Groschler/ Hirdaya) for me and Raffi for my 7 year old…my god he’s catchy – don’t go there!!
I ask this with every interview: The dessert island scenario. You’re trapped on an island and you can only have one film to watch (say the professor made you a TV and DVD player), what is it?
It would so totally depend on my feelings the day I was marooned, The Usual Suspects, Monsters, Inc (really, laughter is TEN times more powerful than scream) or Shakespeare in Love (it’s beautiful, incredibly funny and so well written).
Well in the words of Macbeth, this is the “the be-all and the end-all—here, but here, upon this bank and shoal of time, we’d jump the life to come”. Thank you Jana.
Thanks so much G, I have really enjoyed this!
Tags: Jana Leigh Williams, screenwriting, Script Writing, The City Spotlight
