An interview with screenwriter and contest winner David Ebeltoft, part two
And now, part two of our interview with screenwriter David Ebelhoft. If you missed part one, you can find it here.
Interview, part two:
 SMS: Do you have a writing routine?
DE: I usually dedicate two to three nights a week to writing, research, and development, but I try not to force anything. I used to feel guilty that I was not spending my 6pm-1am shift hunched over my keyboard composing mind blowing scenes and thought provoking ideas. Sometimes when I forced myself to write I just couldn’t and on average composed a page an hour that in the end felt contrived.  So I switched the routine, spending one of those nights watching films and reading scripts online. I recently started reading a script and then watching the film right afterwards, which I have found very amusing and informative.
The only problem I have with a writing routine is that my script doesn’t develop when I want it to. I work all night for a breakthrough and then the following day, during my day job, is when I get the epiphany I was hoping and working towards. To preserve these ideas, I start an email at work, either on my desktop or on my blackberry that I keep open and fill with the random notes and ideas that pop up. At the end of the day I send it to my personal email address and start my next scheduled writing session with these ideas. I also hide notebooks around my house, near my bed, in the kitchen, and near the john because I’m never sure when a good idea will arise. I used to assassinate a lot of great ideas because I couldn’t find a pen.
SMS: What are some of your favorite screenplays?
DE: I think Groundhogs Day, by Danny Rubin & Harold Ramis, takes the cake. It is dark and poetic but makes you laugh the whole way through. I like that the script contains smidgens of Sir Walter Scott poems; Rasputin inspired death scenes, and good old American holiday absurdity. I also really enjoy the Cohen Brothers’ Raising Arizona and The Big Lebowski, Charlie Kaufman’s adaptation of Confessions of A Dangerous Mind and Shane Black’s Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.
SMS: How has placing in contests changed your writing career? Have you been contacted by any agents/managers/producers? If so, did anything come of it?
DE: It made me realize that my writing can compete with the other work out there and that, with a little more polishing, it can be picked up and produced. The contest circuit seemed like an extended obstacle course, and after you climbed the wall and tip-toed through the tires you either get an award or realize that you need to work harder for your next trial, or as in my case, both.
A production company was considering the script before I entered it in competitions but it was not picked up. We kept communication lines open and since placing well in some of the festivals they wanted to continue talks. I shared some of the changes that were inspired by the festival feedback and reviewers opinions and they’re excited to see the next version (cross fingers here).
SMS: Do you have any books on screenwriting on your bookshelf (or that you regularly get from the library)? If so, what are they?
DE: I own an earmarked and uber-highlighted copy of Screenwriting From The Heart
SMS: Name one thing that you have done in your writing career that you think has helped you the most.
DE: Before I entered the screenwriting competitions my writing career was limited to a ménage-a-trios between a Microsoft word document, a 2-liter bottle of Coke, and myself. The contests have given me exposure in a world that I had no affiliation with before and gave me a chunk of courage to continue my writing adventures.
SMS: What advice do you have for screenwriters that are entering scripts into contests where they repeatedly get rejection letters?
DE: It’s hard to receive rejection after rejection, especially since most contests post the winner lists online, but I like to remember that it’s just one festival’s, and in many instances, one reviewer’s opinion.
I was going to give up on the whole process when my first rejection notice came through. In the pre-printed comment form, reviewer AR-1, hastily scribbled two lines, “People don’t die in comedies. And, Cut To’s not listed since 1970.â€Â After my weeklong cursing of AR-1’s parents, siblings, pets and friends I realized that he/she was right, my script was not for their festival. It didn’t mean it was bad, it was just not compatible with what they we’re looking for. Which is why I re-tooled my goal for the script and focused on more constructive criticism as the reward.
I would recommend two things if your rejection notices keep piling up: 1) set out with a goal and enter the contests that cater to that objective and; 2) know where your script belongs. My script didn’t belong in AR-1’s competition, and if I would’ve properly researched the festival beforehand I would’ve seen that they were looking for the next blockbuster script, not the independent dark comedy that I sent them.
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That concludes part two of our interview with David Ebelhoft. Stay tuned for part three.
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