Interview: Will Simmons (2012 Black List)

One of the best ways to learn the craft is read what professional screenwriters have to say about it. To that end for the next few weeks, I will be featuring interviews I have conducted with Black List screenwriters.

Today: Will Simmons made a splash when he wrote the 2012 Black List script “Murder City” which was subsequently acquired by Aldamisa Entertainment. He also has three other projects in the works: “Romeo,” a modern day re-imagining of Shakespeare’s play, “Defenders,” a science fiction thriller pitch bought by Warner Bros in June 2013 based upon a Hugo Award-winning novel, and “Day Men,” based on a comic book series about a group of mortals entrusted with protecting vampires while they sleep during the day.

Here are inks to the six installments of my April 2013 interview:

Part 1: “For me, The Usual Suspects is part of a holy-trinity of seminal films that every screenwriter should study. The other two are Blade Runner and Chinatown.”

Part 2: “A writer’s currency is a finished screenplay. And there’s no better way to master your craft than by buckling down and writing pages.”

Part 3: “I know everyone has their own process, but for me, pre-production is essential for effective storytelling. Characters and plot dynamics can evolve throughout the draft, but you need to have control over your narrative before you begin scripting.”

Part 4: “This fast-food style of storytelling is bad for movies. Catharsis comes in many forms and we don’t need a manufactured or formulaic third act for the conclusion to feel satisfying.”

Part 5: “If you’re about to spend months writing and developing a script, you want to be certain that the central concept is worthy of your time. So I look for ideas that haunt me and keep me up at night.”

Part 6: “Take risks. Your writing should be personal and dangerous. Reveal yourself on the page. Don’t hold back.

Will is repped by UTA and Energy Entertainment.

Twitter: @willsimmons_.