Want to Write Interesting Screenplays? Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

Many people say write what you know.  But to write what you know that is also  interesting — that’s not so easy.  Because at the end of the day people want to be entertained — and to do that your own story needs to be interesting and engaging.

One obstacle to writing interesting stories is that it’s very easy, especially in LA, to settle into a lifestyle where you only talk to your small circle of friends, go to the same three bars, and never leave your neighborhood. Yet to really be interesting you have to get outside your comfort zone and constantly do new and interesting things.

For example, every weekend I will try to do something new and different. And it doesn’t have to be expensive or extravagant. Usually I will just type into Google “cheap/free events in Los Angeles” and see what turns up.  For example, last weekend I typed in “cheap great desserts in Los Angeles” and found a fabulous Thai bakery open until 2 a.m. Or I’ll see an art show downtown or go on a hike somewhere I have never been before. Having intellectual curiosity will enrich your life and your writing — and you never know what you might discover.

Also, I try to read as much as I possibly can.  Books, newspapers, blogs, magazines — the stranger the better. One of my favorite magazines is Texas Monthly — and everyone makes fun of me because why would a nice Jewish girl
born and raised in LA read Texas Monthly?  But I love the magazine’s stories, which expose me to information I wouldn’t know from living in LA.

You never know where a great idea will come from.  So the more you read, the more opportunites you have to discover interesting stories that could be the basis for a great script.

In fact, one of my favorite stories is that of the origins of the film PUNCH DRUNK LOVE. It came from a tiny article P.T. Anderson saw about a man who traded in a lot of Healthy Choice coupons. This little nugget ended up being on a tiny part of the movie but if he had never read that tiny article he might never have been inspired to write the movie.

Start right now to read, discover, travel and experience life so you can write interesting stories.