Chat with Screenwriter Robin Swicord

April 11, 2001

Read our chat with Robin Swicord, a successful screenwriter who has written Practical Magic, Little Women, Matilda and The Perez Family. In addition to screenwriting, Robin has credits as a producer, actress and director.

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Submitted by Xochitl Oseguera 4/12/01

Meta Tags: chat, chat transcript, Robin Swicord, cyberways, screenwriter

Meta Description: 4Empowerment presents screenwriter Robin Swicord.

Description: Read our chat with Robin Swicord, a successful screenwriter who has written Practical Magic, Little Women, Matilda and The Perez Family. In addition to screenwriting, Robin has credits as a producer, actress and director.

Event Name: 4Empowerment

Guest Name: Robin Swicord

Client Name: Talk City

Event Id: 22341

Event Date: Wed, Apr 11, 2001 08:00 AM

Cyberways: Welcome! Have questions about what it takes to write a successful screenplay? How do you make characters interesting or create believable dialogue? Wonder what you should be doing now to prosper in the future as a screenwriter? Now you can chat with screenwriter Robin Swicord to get the inside scoop on what it really takes to write a produce-able script. The chat is about to begin. Start sending your questions now and prepare to explore the world of screenwriting, Hollywood, and the path to become a successful screenplay writer.

Robin Swicord: Hello. This is Robin. Do you have any questions for me?

Janeth: Do you have a set schedule for writing?

Robin Swicord: I write first thing in the morning because my mind is clear and I have good energy. When I was first starting to write, I wrote at night because I had to work during the day to support myself, but when I began to make money with my screenplays, I switched to a day schedule. Sometimes when the day hasn't gone well, I sneak back at night for a surprise attack and do a little more writing.

Stacey: How do you come up with all your ideas?

Robin Swicord: Ideas come to us through observation and thinking. Something will capture my attention or my imagination and I will find myself thinking about it. Sometimes I will think about it in terms of a story or sometimes I'll have an idea for a character and if I find that I can't stop thinking about these people or this story, I'll begin to make notes and outline a project.

Lori: Do you have a website? How much do you use the Internet while writing a screenplay?

Robin Swicord: I don't have a website and I almost never use the Internet for writing. Occasionally I will use it to order a book that relates to my research or sometimes I will search for a piece of information that I'm too lazy to go to the library to find out. Mostly I use my computer for word processing.

JimB: What do you love most about being a screenwriter?

Robin Swicord: The wardrobe. That isn't original. Another writer said that, but I've quoted him because it was so truthful! The greatest thing about being a writer is you make your own hours and you don't have to get out of your pajamas.

Speaker: Do you find that you've identified with any of the characters you've written about? And if so, which ones?

Robin Swicord: I identify with every character that I write about, even the really mean ones and even the really smart one and even the really nice ones.

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