WRITER PROFILE
It’s always great to get together with a large group of writers and investors and keep up to date on what’s new, the screenplay contest, any recent deals, new dealmaker contacts, agents or managers that are looking and simply encouraging everyone to keep going after every dream in this difficult industry. For the hard working writer we want to do as much as we can to continue the exposure and word of mouth in the investment circles of the industry. Another way we do this is with writer interviews that we send far and wide and showcase at all possible meetings and markets.
We want to encourage your writing spirit, motivate you and again give you the accolades you so deserve.
EBO
Written by Larry Coleman
What motivated you to become a writer?
I got the writing bug as a teenager when I picked up a guitar and began learning the craft of songwriting. In my twenties, I began writing short stories. Years later, as an adult, after working in social services, I wrote self-help material, started my small press, and wrote non-fiction books dealing with child custody, codependency, and relationships. Writing screenplays seemed like the next evolution in my journey and my last, first love.
Starting on a blank page is not easy- where does your creativity come from?
My creativity comes from my previous and current interactions with people, so I write a lot of drama, sci-fi, and melodramas. In addition, I’m old enough to have worked with refugees from Rwanda and Bosnia, and my interactions with them shape my worldview. Finally, I also write scripts based on my dream fragments.
Do you write projects knowing that so many other factors need to happen to get it to screen, and does that come into your project creation?
I’m an older writer, so I understand the industry perhaps a little more than most newbies (of which I am one), and I haven’t any unrealistic expectations about how long it’s going to take to get something off the ground. I don’t try to write for the market because what’s popular today can be gone tomorrow in a heartbeat. But I do try to stay current in my writing. I wrote a live-action animated script that seems to be getting some attention, and I’m currently working on my first full animated script; it’s a lot of fun. In short, I know that a screenwriter must be in it for the long haul.
What is your dream for this project, and what other ancillary revenue do you think it could generate?
My dream for my sci-fi short EBO is, of course, to see it made. However, I understand that a short script will not sell for a lot of money, so I’m looking for a different revenue source, which pays off with networking with some fantastic people in the industry and building some writing credits.
How has your experience been with screenwriting contests for this project so far?
EBO was a Finalist in the 2021 International Horror and Sci-fi Film Festival and a Top 100 script in the 2021 Emerging Screenwriters Shoot Your Short Screenplay Competition. EBO also finished as a Semifinalist in the 2021 SWN Screenplay Competition Goldman Award and as a Semifinalist in the 2020 Los Angeles International Screenplay Awards. Other screenplay placements are still pending.
If you could stand in a room full of investor partners looking at many projects, what would you like them to know about you and this project?
I want investors to know that EBO, with its screenplay placements, is already being vetted for them and that it’s worth their consideration. I would like them to know I’m not a one-off writer: I will never draw a blank when asked, “What else do you have?” Finally, I would like them to know that if one particular script does not fit their current needs, I’m sure I might have others that would better fit what they’re looking for.
Do you have any website links for your writing, credits, background, etc., that you would like to share?