Interview: Lindsay Devlin (“Devil’s Due”) — Part 6
January has turned out to be a reliable month for Hollywood with regard to one genre in particular: Horror. This year was no different when Twentieth Century Fox released Devil’s Due, a movie that thus far has brought in over four times its production budget in box office revenues.
The movie’s success is one reason I was excited to interview its screenwriter Lindsay Devlin. Another reason is her extensive background working in Hollywood on the story development side of things.
Lindsay and I had a terrific conversation, and I’m pleased to share her many insights into the craft of screenwriting and the movie business, along with her creative process with the film Devil’s Due.
Today in Part 6, Lindsay gives some advice to aspiring screenwriters about how to approach breaking into Hollywood:
Scott: One thing about the script of Devil’s Due, there’s a lot of scenes because it establishes as a quick pace and moves right along. That idea of screenwriting as scene-writing. What do you think about when you’re writing a scene? Do you have specific goals in mind?
Lindsay: Yes. I think every scene has a purpose, and needs to move the story forward. Sometimes, if I’m just on a roll, scenes will just come out of me and it will feel really fun to write them. Then I’ll look back and say, “This is a great scene. It was some really fun dialogue, but it didn’t move the story forward.”
Lately, I’ve become a much tighter outliner. I tend to know what scenes are crucial, where there’s turning points, where are their highs and lows. Each scene should definitely have a purpose. I tend to write them, knowing that there’s almost a mini three act structure within each scene, that they need to have progression within them.
Found footage is a little bit different, because you are cutting in and out of these characters’ lives in a more naturalistic way. I wouldn’t say the Devil’s Due is indicative entirely of how I write all my scenes.
Scott: What is your actual writing process?
Lindsay: I have a home office, but sometimes I just need to go to a busy coffee shop or a library because at home there can be more distractions. I’ve even gone on writing retreats out of town just sequester myself, especially when there’s a deadline.
With both Devil’s Due and Beta, they were both so fast, I was just writing every day, all day long, turning around drafts. It was fast and dirty that way.
We tend to travel a lot, my husband and I. Over Christmas we were in Austria, and Germany, and a few months before that we were in France. We were traveling, and I was writing. I would sort of write in our hotel rooms or on trains, kind of that romantic idea of a writer which I really like.
I would not say that I’m a writer who has sort of a certain time of day I write or a certain kind of structure. It just really depends what the deadline is and how intense the project is. Honestly, some projects are just easier. They just flow easier. I feel I can just sit down, and it comes out really quickly. Sometimes, like the one I’m working on now, is a lot more challenging.
I will totally admit that I’m also a master procrastinator. Sometimes, when I am really stuck, I will close that computer down for a few days and stay away from it. I don’t know if I’m typical or not in that way. I don’t know how many writers do the exact same thing every single day.
Scott: I have a funny question I like to ask writers, and it sounds like this will be a good one for you. What’s your single best excuse not to write?
Lindsay: Oh, I have so many. It’ll be, “Oh, I should really go to the gym, because my health is important.” Or, “Our refrigerator is totally empty. I should probably go to Trader Joe’s.” It will be, “I have this movie I’m working on. I should probably watch X, Y, Z movies or TV shows that are similar.” That’s research, so I’ll go watch those. The list goes on. Like I said, I’m a master procrastinator. I feel a little like Nic Cage in Adaptation that way. But when I’m in the zone, I tend to write quickly.
Scott: On the other hand, what do you love most about writing?
Lindsay: I feel like it’s the time where I’m my truest self. I feel like it connects me to that part of my childhood — pure imagination. Even though it’s frustrating, and hard, and scary to stare at this blank screen sometimes, I can’t imagine doing anything else, I really can’t.
Looking back, I think I’ve always known it, so there’s a beautiful satisfaction in knowing I’m doing exactly what I’m supposed to do. A lot of people can’t say that about their jobs, so I feel truly lucky.
Equal to that, I feel truly lucky that I can do my job from anywhere. When I am traveling or when I want to go home to my parents’ in Michigan for a couple weeks, I’ve got my computer and I can work, and there’s nothing better than that.
Scott: I know everybody asks you this all the time, but I got to ask this last question. Finally, what advice can you offer to aspiring, screenwriters about learning a craft and breaking into Hollywood?
Lindsay: Everybody’s path is so different. Mine was this long, circuitous thing of learning about Hollywood and learning a craft by working different jobs. I think that’s really valuable if people can do it.
I think getting out here in L.A. and working as an assistant, whether it’s to producers, or writers, or agents, it’s totally invaluable. I know everybody can’t do it, but if you can, if you’ve got the passion to do it, and you’ve got some resources, get out here and do that.
I know everybody says this too ‑‑ but the number one thing is to write, if you want to be a writer, because you meet a lot of people who just talk about it or say they’ve been working on a screenplay for years. But you have to actually turn out a product, and not just one script that you’re just sitting on. You have to keep going.
Also, a lot of people think movies are just sort of, “Anybody can do it. Anybody can be a screenwriter.” But it’s a tough, tough craft. It’s like writing a novel. You have to study it. Not everybody can go to film school, I get that. But you can do extension classes, like I did, or online, or read books. Especially, get some freaking screenplays for movies you admire and read them, study them.
There’s structure, there’s craft to it. You can’t just sit down and puke out a script and think you’re a genius. Writing is a muscle you have to exercise.
It’s all about learning and doing and persevering, just like any other career path; but especially in the arts. The biggest thing is just don’t stop. Just because you write a couple of screenplays, if you love it, you just can’t stop.
For Part 1 of the interview, go here.
Part 2, here.
Part 3, here.
Part 4, here.
Part 5, here.
Special treat: The Bitter Script Reader conducted an interview with Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, co-director of Devil’s Due. You may read that interview here:
Interesting to compare the perspectives of both writer and director.
Lindsay is repped by UTA and Mosaic.
Twitter: @DevlinLindsay.
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