#PowerOfStory #ArtFilmWeekend

For the past three weeks, I have had the honor and privilege to work with some amazing people at the Sundance Film Festival, and it was a wonderful experience! Within these three weeks, I attended a panel titled, 'Power of Story: Art of Episodic Writing'.  The panelists included Issa Rae (creator of Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl and Insecure), Gina Prince-Bythewood (writer for The hit TV show A Different World as well as writer/director of Love & Basketball, The Secret Life of Bees, and Beyond The Lights), Larry Karaszewski (creator of The People vs. O.J. Simpson), Marti Noxon (writer for shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Grey's Anatomy), and Jill Soloway (creator of Transparent).


This was a panel that was definitely beneficial to any and every writer.  There was also a live stream viewing at the Festival Base Camp for those who couldn't make it into the Egyptian Theatre.  Therefore, anyone interested had the opportunity to hear the discussion on writing unforgettable characters and reaching large audiences in these changing times.


During the discussion, Gina Prince-Bythewood made a comment that I really admired.  She basically said that even though they say to choose your battle... when it comes to your voice... you have to fight every single battle.  I appreciated that advice because your voice is what makes you stand out and what makes your story authentic.  If you let someone change that about you, then (in my opinion) that story is no longer yours.  Let's use Issa Rae for example.  Her voice is bold and honest and represents the side of Black women that we haven't seen since the 90's.  That same voice is what helped her start from her hit webseries on YouTube to eventually creating a hit comedy series on HBO.  She kept her style of writing and her content has made such a huge impact on a large audience.


So with that being said, remember to always keep your voice and if you don't know what that is yet, do what one of the panelists recommended: "Write what you want to see."

As I always say, never give up on this interesting path you have chosen to take... no matter how long it's been.  If it's in your heart and you don't see yourself doing anything else... KEEP WRITING!