Interview: Alan Roth (2013 Nicholl Winner) — Part 5

Alan Roth’s original screenplay “Jersey City Story” won him one of five 2013 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting. I caught up with Alan recently for an interview. Our conversation turned out to be both insightful and inspirational

Today in Part 5, Alan answers some questions about the craft of screenwriting:

Scott: Let’s jump into some craft questions here. Obviously, that idea, for “Jersey City Story” came from a real‑life experience, but other scripts you’ve written, how have you come up with those story ideas?

Alan: Very much the same way. There’s some personal experience, or some kernel of a moment that has great meaning to me, and from that acorn a tree goes, and then a whole forest.

The story evolves in directions that I never would have imagined when I had the initial inspiration. I often write about locations that I’m familiar with, and that means New Jersey, where we have an infinite variety of characters and personalities.

Scott: How important do you think the story concept is to the overall viability of a screenplay?

Alan: It’s very important. If we indulge ourselves and work with concepts that our audience is not going to relate to then we do ourselves a disservice, because it’s just not going to resonate.

Scott: Let’s talk about prep‑writing. What aspects of prep do you tend to devote the most time and focus to?

Alan: I would say most of my prep time is spent in outlining. I outline, and I revise my outline, and revise it again. My outlines are very detailed, painstakingly so. In many ways, it is the part of the process that I love the most, because I’m building my story.

By the time I write my screenplay, I have a very, very detailed blueprint that I’m able to follow. I’m able to write very quickly, once I have my final outline to follow.

Scott: What about developing your characters? Do you have any tried and true techniques or tools that you use to develop them?

Alan: There’s always a real model that I am following. I deviate from the model, but the model’s always my starting point.

And there’s always a voice I have in my head, and a physical image I have for that character. It’s almost always drawn from someone I know.

Scott: That dovetails into this question, which is about dialogue. In your script, it’s terrific.

Alan: Thank you.

Scott: You have a great ear. Maybe drill down a bit on that. How do you go about finding your characters’ voices?

Alan: My characters speak to me, and I write down what they say. That might sound like an affectation on my part, but it really is true.

Scott: Indeed, there are a number of fairly long monologues in your script, which is unusual for contemporary screenwriting.

Alan: This is what I think. Be guided by convention, and mindful of the rules of the road. But do not be imprisoned by them.

Scott: What do you think about when you’re writing a scene? What are your goals?

Alan: My goals is that something needs to be accomplished in each scene, it has to move the story along. If it doesn’t, it’s probably an indulgence.

Also, any scene of more than a few beats has its own three part structure. Beginning, middle, and end.

Scott: When you finish a first draft, and now you’re faced with the inevitable rewriting process, what are some keys for you?

Alan: Most writers have their own personal readers that they’ll give the script to before they make the leap and send it out, even to their own manager.

I have a few readers whose opinions I trust. My wife, and a teacher friend from college, they get the first draft.

I use that time to step back, and hopefully gain some objectivity about the draft myself.

Scott: What about your actual writing process?

Alan: I write every day. I’m extremely disciplined about it. Only on the rarest occasions will I write for less than three hours a day. The deal I make with myself is that it doesn’t matter what three hours it is. It can be cumulative. Of course, sometimes the three hours turns into five or six. I know I’m preaching to the choir here, but a writer has to write.

I love writing in coffee shops and diners. It’s useful to have some ambient, some noise around me, but nobody talking at me.

Scott: Here’s a fun question. What is your single best excuse not to write?

Alan: My single best excuse not to write is to spend time with my daughters. All considered, spending time with my kids is never time that I regret or I feel like I’ve wasted. Even my screenwriting career is in some ways inspired by them. I want them to know that you never stop chasing your dream.

Scott: Didn’t they go off to university this year?

Alan: Yes, they are both freshmen in college. I’ve been in L.A. the past month shooting the Nicholl script, and it’s easier knowing they aren’t at home anyway.

Scott: Do you think it behooves you to consider relocating to Los Angeles?

Alan: Yes, no question. We may open up a business office in L.A., which would facilitate it all.

My family’s behind me and that’s the most important thing.

Scott: So 5 to 10 years down the road, perfect world, where is Alan Roth?

Alan: Five to 10 years from now, I’m directing my own films. Might as well say I want to jump over the moon too, right? But if anyone asked me to set odds 12 months ago on winning the Nicholl, and then being selected for the Academy’s Lexus grant, I probably would have said I had a better chance of jumping over the moon.

Scott: Final question, and this is one that I’m sure you’re going to be asked more and more as you advance along the way. What advice can you offer to aspiring screenwriters about learning the craft and breaking into Hollywood?

Alan: I had lunch with a producer today. We were talking about me making the full transition to Los Angeles. He said something that a lot of writers don’t hear from producers, agents and managers.

He said, “If you really are committed to this, you have to throw away your B plan. There’s no plan B. Nothing to rely on, nothing to be able to fall back on if plan A doesn’t work. It’s plan A or it’s nothing at all. You have to go all in.”

You have to be completely focused on it and ready to put everything else to the side. If you’re not willing to do that, you’ll be competing against other writers who are willing to do that.

That goes for even the most talented of writers, because there are many extremely talented writers out here, who are ready to pay the price. So the given ‑‑ the given ‑‑ is that you have to be willing to go all in and pay the price.

For Part 1, go here.

Part 2, here.

Part 3, here.

Part 4, here.

Please stop by comments to thank Alan for taking the time for the interview and post any follow-up questions you may have.

Alan is repped by Nate Miller and Dan Halsted at Manage-ment.