creativity

Write every day: The upside of coronavirus for writers is time

Christa Avampato

In the worst situations, I acknowledge how difficult things are and also try to find some kind of value. In New York City (where I live), coronavirus is a serious issue. We all take public transit and it’s a crowded place. A virus that has community spread is not an issue to be taken lightly here. My inbox is filling up with cancelled events, happenings that I was really looking forward to in the coming weeks and month. I understand—it’s for our safety and I know event organizers don’t take these decisions lightly. As a producer, I feel their pain.

To keep myself motivated, I’m reminding myself that coronavirus, for better or worse, is giving me a lot of dedicated time at home and that means I have a lot of time to write, read, and research. I set some very ambitious writing goals for myself this year to complete a number of large projects. I’m committed to making good use of this time. I’m reading a lot, writing a lot, and doing everything I can to keep up the spirits of others during this time.

Has the coronavirus impacted your daily life, work, and writing? How are you doing? Let me know in the comments.

creativity

Write every day: How to know where to begin a huge story

Christa Avampato

For a few months, I’ve been wrestling with an idea for a TV pilot I want to write. The trouble is that it’s a period piece (which are notoriously expensive because you often have to recreate a world that no longer exists) and the story is mammoth. I’ve been making lists of ideas, notes, and sources, but I wasn’t getting anywhere. And then last night, a break through.

I was reading a book about the heroine I want to showcase, and there is a key moment, a turning point where a choice she makes sets in motion a set of tumultuous events. So I’m going to start right at that key moment. I can see it so clearly now—how everything unfolds from there and changes the course of her life forever. The moment is small but the implications are huge.

With mammoth stories, it’s often those tiny moments, that one decision that tunnels into an entirely new world, that should be the beginning.

creativity

Write every day: Write your dreams into existence

Christa Avampato

There’s something to be said for envisioning the life and career we want, and then authentically reaching out to people we admire with whom we want to collaborate. We can create our own kismet. We can make our own luck. What a world!

creativity

Write every day: Feedback on my first feature-length screenplay

Christa Avampato

I’m over-the-moon with the feedback on my first feature screenplay. In 2 competitions, it scored in the top 5% for concept, top 20% for originality, & got high marks in plot, characterization, voice, & for its ability to be sold to producers. One reviewer compared it in concept to the film Hidden Figures and another to the film Mona Lisa Smile, both of which I love. More editing ahead to further improve it to producers, production houses, agents, and managers before I live pitch it in Chicago in April.

Thanks to everyone who’s been cheering me on in this process and special thanks to John Bucher, whose advice on this project (before I even really had any kind of concept at all!) is worth its weight in gold. ❤️🎥

creativity

Write every day: Your weirdness is your best asset

Christa Avampato

I’m working on a presentation I’m giving next week to graduate students interested in product development. One of my slides says, “What’s rare is valuable. You need to own your weirdness because it’s the rarest, most valuable thing you have. You’re the only one in world who has it.” And I stand by that.

creativity

Write every day: Editing is cake

Christa Avampato

Over the years I’ve learned to love editing. It’s cake frosting and decorating for writers. Once I’ve gotten something to work with, I can mold, shape, and add the flourishes that bring it to life. Do you have a way of thinking about the hard work of editing that makes it more enjoyable?

creativity

Write every day: Writing fellowships

Christa Avampato

Last week I submitted my first writing fellowship applications. It will be months before I know any news though just applying felt amazing. Writing our ideas into reality is a powerful act! Have you ever applied for writing fellowships? Have your ever gotten a writing fellowship? What did you think of the experience?

creativity

Write every day: Not all feedback is created equal

Christa Avampato

There’s a lot of emphasis on feedback, and it’s such a valuable gift when it’s specific, actionable, and detailed. I was very fortunate last week to get professional feedback on my TV pilot after as a result of entering it into a writing competition. The feedback came from someone who works in production in the television industry and knows the market well. I was shocked and delighted by how thoughtful and thorough it was, and it was well worth the extra fee to receive it. If possible, it’s incredibly important to get these professional perspectives on our writing as often as we can.

creativity

Write every day: A mammoth week of writing

Christa Avampato

Last week I was an editing machine:

✅TV pilot submission
✅Feature-length screenplay
✅3 writing fellowship applications
✅Science communication conference application
✅2 federal grant application contributions
✅Storytelling show pitch
✅Magazine article pitch (and it was accepted!)
✅Biomimicry article

Now we wait to see if anything comes through. I’m really proud of this work and feel so grateful to have the time and flexibility to do it. To celebrate, I took a much needed break from my screens over the weekend and now I’m back at it!

creativity

Write every day: The tight rope walk of editing

Christa Avampato

I have one more day left of editing on this screenplay. There’s a fine line between editing something to be as good as you can possibly make it and editing the life and energy out it. I’m treading that line carefully, determined to stay on the right side of it.