When a writer struggles with writing captivating description, we tell them to turn to poetry. When a writer struggles with one short story, we might tell them to work on another project until inspiration returns. But rarely do we assign scriptwriting as a cure for a writer’s troubles.
Perhaps that’s because it feels so far outside the realm of prose and poetry, but that doesn’t mean the scriptwriting experience doesn’t have valuable lessons to offer writers of every genre, length, and medium.
To explore this topic, we were lucky to interview Megan Markham and Mallory Vance, two core team members of Phoenix Tears Productions.
Writer’s Atelier: So many writers nowadays might be burned out due to all that’s happened in the world, but they may still have a desire for creative release. Would you say scripts are easier to write?
Megan Markham: For me, they are. I write scripts and poems more often than short stories or novels, so it comes more naturally to me. I think it feels very different, and so if you are burnt out and want to try something new, give it a shot!
Mallory Vance: No, it is not easier, but the format is very different, and sometimes it will spark your creativity in a new way. For me, it is not easy, I’d never say that. I can write a short story very easily, but it might be easier for someone else. I’m of the personal opinion that all writing is hard, but trying a new format can feel like something brand new and exciting.
WA: How can writing scripts help a writer in their craft overall?
Markham: When you’re writing a script, the action and setting have to be so well described that a director, producers, and actors know the important details of what you wrote. Additionally, I always say that hearing your work out loud is incredibly valuable, so if you write a script and your dialogue is clunky, you can immediately tell that when actors read it out loud. This is one of the reasons that Ten Minute Tuesdays (which we mention later) are so valuable for writers.
Vance: It requires you to be extremely focused on character and can vastly improve your dialogue abilities since a script is often mostly dialogue.
WA: What makes a great script?
Markham: The answer for this can vary a lot, but I read all of the Ten Minute Tuesdays shows and have judged junior script writing competitions, so I do have a personal opinion. For me, it’s all about premise and producibility. It’s hard to produce something that requires a realistic surface of the moon set, but if the script takes place “on the moon” and lights come up on a bare stage where actors mime being in space suits, that could work. And then an interesting set up for why the characters are here. I’ve heard in novel writing, it’s always gripping to land right in the action, but that’s not always best in a play where the lights come up and the audience might need to be guided a little more gently into the story.
Vance: That feels like an impossible question. For me personally, it is clever dialogue and a character-driven plot. Like with any media, your personal preference plays heavily into it. What might seem good to me might not float someone else’s boat, so the best script is what you want to see and what you enjoy writing.
WA: How did you two get started in show business?
Markham: I’ve been doing this basically my whole life. I wrote my first script when I was 10 years old with a few other students at my elementary school, and then we put on the show that winter. I also auditioned and was cast in that show. I’ve been following that career path since—write a show, and then try to be in it.
Vance: In 2010, a musician friend of mine asked me to write the script for a musical she was putting on. I had been writing basically all my life but had never done anything with scripts I wrote until then. Haven’t stopped since, though!
WA: Phoenix Tears Productions holds Ten Minute Tuesdays, a monthly production of several ten-minute plays based around a theme. During the pandemic, they were held virtually. Can you tell us a little about what Ten Minute Tuesdays are like?
Markham & Vance: Ten Minute Tuesdays is a creative space for actors, writers, and directors to get their feet wet and grow their skills. We don’t expect perfection with the shows, really, we are trying to create a space where people feel comfortable trying new things.
WA: When is the next Ten Minute Tuesday call for submissions and deadline?
Markham & Vance: Our script call for 2022 opens November 1, 2021, and closes December 1, 2021. There is a possibility it will open up or extend, but we start producing in January, so at least those scripts are picked in early December, so people can start working.
A very big thank-you to Megan and Mallory for taking the time to talk with us! Will you be submitting a script for Ten Minute Tuesdays 2022 this November?
Phoenix Tears Productions is a women-run, small, Orlando-based theatre company dedicated to promoting new voices in performance arts and to providing them a platform to express their creativity. Along with their convention shows, they also produce shows in various venues around Central Florida, including the Orlando Fringe Festivals. They produce two ongoing projects, Ten Minute Tuesdays and the Death Day Players. To learn more, visit their website, or find them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Patreon, and TikTok.
Megan Markham is the artistic director. In 2009, she auditioned for Mallory Vance and Lena Gabrielle’s musical The Final Battle and was cast as Young Lily Evans. Since then, she’s been in over fifteen productions with Phoenix Tears and has been involved with Phoenix Tears since before the phoenix cried. She’s written multiple shows with the company including Stardust Kingdom, Scientific Method, and Infected & has co-written The War: An Immersive Audio Drama, Fictional First Dates, and Patron’s Pick for Murder. Megan has a Bachelor’s degree in Film and Art History from the University of Central Florida.
Mallory Vance is the executive director and founder. As a child, she convinced—or, in the case of her younger brother, coerced—her friends and family into performing her shows, singing songs, and shooting short films. In the early days, Mallory was even in some of her productions, but she was never quite happy in the limelight. Then, in 2009, at a Harry Potter fan conference in San Francisco, Mallory met Lena Gabrielle. Together, they decided to write a full length musical adaptation of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The Final Battle, and Mallory’s passion for directing, was born. She founded Phoenix Tears Productions with Ginger Potter in 2014. The rest, as they say, is history.
