Twitter Rant: Katherine Fugate on What is “Perfectly Okay” for a Screenwriter to Write
Screenwriter Katherine Fugate (Valentine’s Day, New Year’s Eve) offered up a recent Twitter rant on what is “perfectly okay” for a Hollywood writer to do. Reprinted here by permission:
https://twitter.com/katherinefugate/status/519977163991154688
It’s perfectly okay to write a movie where a woman is not raped, killed, murdered, or used as a sex object.
It’s perfectly okay to write a movie that explores our light instead of our dark side.
It’s perfectly okay to write a movie that doesn’t use the word f**k 532 times.
It’s perfectly okay to write a movie in which a gun never appears.
It’s perfectly okay to write a movie with a male lead who is a good guy, has a job and loves his wife and child.
It’s perfectly okay to write a movie with a positive message.
It’s perfectly okay to write a movie in which the black characters are educated, well-spoken, moral, fully dimensional people.
It’s perfectly okay to write a movie that doesn’t open with a dead nude woman.
It’s perfectly okay to write a movie you would like to see, not what people tell you will sell.
It’s perfectly okay to write a movie that the whole family can see.
It’s perfectly okay to write a movie that doesn’t try to be an even more violent version than the last most violent movie ever.
It’s perfectly okay to write a movie with intelligent, vibrant, sexy people who over 40.
It’s perfectly okay to write a movie with intelligent, well-spoken, well-read characters.
It’s perfectly okay to write a movie in which zero characters have a super power.
It’s perfectly okay not to be formulaic but to find your own style.
It’s perfectly okay to write a female character whose sole purpose is not so a teenage boy can lose his virginity.
It’s perfectly okay to write a teenage girl who is intelligent, has a dream, a goal and wants to go to college.
It’s perfectly okay to write a female character whose job description is not supportive wife, hooker or stripper.
It’s perfectly okay for a female character not to be described as classically beautiful or beautiful but doesn’t know it.
It’s perfectly okay to write a movie about normal people with real lives who have an extraordinary moment.
It’s perfectly okay to write a movie in which people are emotionally moved not scared.
It’s perfectly okay to write a movie in which people are not trying to kill each other.
It’s perfectly okay to write a movie in which a black teenage male does not carry a gun and rob people.
It’s perfectly okay to write a movie in which a character is horrified he killed another human being.
It’s perfectly okay to write a movie in which a muslim is not a terrorist.
It’s perfectly okay to write a movie in which a person of any religion is not a hypocrite, pedophile or adulterer.
It’s perfectly okay to write a character who is not a cop, a lawyer or works at an ad agency.
It’s perfectly okay to write a female character who is not always likable.
It’s perfectly okay to write a movie that doesn’t open with two people having sex.
It’s perfectly okay to write a gay man who doesn’t act like a woman or a gay woman who doesn’t act like a man.
It’s perfectly okay to write a male lead who falls in love with a woman his age and not 20 years younger.
It’s perfectly okay to make the overweight character, the black character, the gay character the lead and not the funny sidekick.
It’s perfectly okay to write characters of different races fall in love and never mention it or make it an issue.
It’s perfectly okay to write a male character who likes women and sees them as equals.
It’s perfectly okay to write a male character who didn’t abandon his children and wants to be a father.
It’s perfectly okay to write a movie that breaks every rule and every stereotype.
It’s perfectly okay to write a movie that you are proud of, even if it never gets made. Now that’s a tough one.
It’s perfectly okay to write a movie that will have a small but passionate audience.
It’s perfectly okay to write a movie that does not have a body count.
It’s perfectly okay to write a movie about a boy who doesn’t want to lose his virginity to a hooker but to a girl who loves.
It’s perfectly okay to write a movie where a black woman isn’t sassy, beaten down or a hooker, but is educated and a leader.
It’s perfectly okay to write a movie your father, mother, son or daughter would be proud of.
It’s perfectly okay to write a movie in which a man can control his sex drive, and is capable of saying no.
It’s perfectly okay to write a movie that lifts people up, instead of tearing them down.
It’s perfectly okay to be bold, to avoid all the traps of formula and to forge your own path into writing a story that works
It’s perfectly okay to write women who can’t do it all. Men, too.
It’s perfectly okay not to make your good guys white people.
It’s perfectly okay to make the hero a woman.
It’s perfectly okay not to make the jock stupid, the asian smart, the fat girl funny or the pretty girl dull.
It’s perfectly okay not to describe a woman by her breast size, body shape or looks.
It’s perfectly okay never to mention anyone’s race unless it’s necessary to the storyline itself.
It’s perfectly okay to write a movie that’s a total sell-out as long as you are honest with yourself that you’re selling out.
It’s perfectly okay not to write a man who knows everything about sex since birth but asks, cares and wants to please his lover.
Okay, maybe that last one was just me.
It’s perfectly okay to say no to lazy writing.
It’s perfectly okay to be classy, call the writer you are replacing, introduce yourself, and compliment their work.
It’s perfectly okay to write characters who are educated and intelligent, even if those “big words” go over some people’s heads.
It’s perfectly okay to write a movie to inspire people and make a difference.
It’s perfectly okay to have a female character reject a man and not get stalked, harassed or killed for it.
It’s perfectly okay to say no to a rewrite that you don’t think needs it and tell the exec why.
It’s perfectly okay to take a rewrite job and only fix what needs improvement, and not change more in hopes of getting a credit.
It’s perfectly okay to stop writing a screenplay when you know in your gut it’s not working and no longer your passion.
It’s perfectly okay to write characters with true fluid sexuality and not make them “really gay” or “really straight.”
It’s perfectly okay to serve the truth of your story by not having a happy ending and by having a happy ending.
It’s perfectly okay to have people who are in love, stay in love.
It’s perfectly okay to have old people in your script who are afraid of death, just like the rest of us.
It’s perfectly okay to bring what you have to the table, because there is only one you with your original voice.
It’s perfectly okay to be insecure, neurotic, filled with doubt, think you’re not good enough — as long as you remember you are.
It’s perfectly okay to write Latino characters who are not busboys, gardeners, house cleaners, nannies or janitors.
It’s perfectly okay. All of it. Good night, artists and dreamers. You make the world a better place.
Take a guess which of these tweets got the most favorites and retweets. I’ll post the answer in comments.
You can follow Katherine on Twitter: @katherinefugate.
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