Interview:

Steven Zelman is a screenwriter based in Los Angeles and is originally from Boston but doesn't miss the snow. His bittersweet comedy Stupid Love has placed as a finalist in three contests. Steven has written in many genres from family comedies to adapting texts for thrillers from Japanese and Russian and  developed animation for television. Currently he is in Asia developing local and international projects for film and television, working on rewrites for independent producers, and will soon be scuba diving off the shores of heavenly Kho Phi Phi, home of the 2000 film "The Beach."

Is “STUPID LOVE” your first script? If not, what else have you completed?

Stupid Love Is not my first, I have written several family comedies, thrillers, animation for television and currently adapting a thriller from a Russian novel.

Why did you write "STUPID LOVE? And how long did it take you to write it?

I wrote it after a cross inspiration from a previous idea about troubled teen and a co-dependent ex girlfriend that got me interested in love crushes and growing up as a teen girl. It took me about three years with long breaks in between. Now I finish scripts in less than six months. I was a writing baby when I started Stupid Love.

Describe your process; do you have a set routine, method for writing?

Describe your process; do you have a set routine, method for writing? Each script is different but generally I go from  brainstorming, to reading and watching similar material, compiling notes and idea, pitching and discussing the idea with colleagues, outlining, first draft,  then get as many notes as possible before rewriting to completion.

What inspires you to write?

What inspires you to write? Life, movies, great books.

Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?

Travel, romance, making a difference for others, getting out in nature away from my computer as much as possible.

Do you feel that screenwriting contests are worthwhile for writers and why?

Placing in contests especially ones that provide notes allow you to see where your script stands among others in the industry. The more prestigious the contest the more you can compare to the best of the best.

Who is your favorite screenwriter or writer and why?

Coen Brothers, Charlie Kaufman, Stanley Kubrick, Jean Jeunet, Fellini.

Any advice or tips you’d like to pass on to other writers?

Don't write in a closet. Talk it out and get notes from other writers, it will save you endless time and improve everything you write. Other than you just have to let the bad stuff flow then work hard to make it shine.

What’s next for you?

What’s next for you? Finishing the book adaptation of a political thriller, working on a crime thriller, pursuing a TV staff job and in Bangkok now developing international concepts and local animation material.