Advice For Those Just Starting Out

I Kept Getting Stuck 40 Pages Into Writing A Screenplay, Here’s My Advice To Writers – Collin Watts

Can we take a location or somewhere no one’s seen before or not seen this way and turn it in a new direction?

Filmcourage

Published

May 7, 2025

[Watch the video interview on YouTube here]

Film Courage: Collin, when you’re starting a new project, do you start with an idea? Do you start with a theme, a character?

Collin Watts, Screenwriter: For me, I find a lot of the times it is the concept and the big kind of story elements.

I know for a lot of people it’ll be a character that speaks to them and they expand from there.

For me, it’s always starting with a concept and building my way out from there. If I can try to come up with something high-concept or blending genres together or making a spin on something that was maybe popular a long time ago, figuring out a new way into that story.

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It’s always starting with a concept and building my way out from there.

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I really enjoy contained films, whether it’s Buried, where it’s a guy in a coffin for the whole movie or something where a guy is in a car for the whole movie. I always think it’s fun and it’s kind of a troubleshooting way of Can we take a location or somewhere no one’s seen before or not seen this way and turn in a new direction? That’s the fun and the challenge of it.

From there I think it’s figuring out the characters. It’s figuring out the emotional journeys, it’s figuring out what makes a good…(Watch the video interview on YouTube here).

Watch the video interview on YouTube **here**

About:

Collin Watts is a Los Angeles based screenwriter with a focus on creating genre films with a personal touch. Originally from Illinois, he is a graduate of Florida State University and the UCLA professional screenwriting program.

Collin began his career by writing several successful short films that premiered in over 30 festivals worldwide including “The Wretched” and “Sunnyvale” which both premiered at Screamfest Los Angeles. Four of his feature scripts placed in top screenwriting contests including the Austin film Festival, the tracking board top ten, and the Cinestory Foundation.

Collin wrote his first feature, “HOT SEAT”. The film was released theatrically in 2022, and starred Mel Gibson, Kevin Dillon, and Shanon Doherty.

In 2023, he wrote and produced “THIS LAND,” a topical horror film that was released on VOD from Terror Films.

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