JULIE KOROGODON
 JULIE KOROGODON
Where do you live (City, State, or Country)? Ridgewood, NJ Your script stood out among hundreds of others. What was the inspiration for your story and why did you write a script instead of a short story or a novel? My story is rooted in the idea that many people are enslaved in one form or another and I wanted to expose that bondage using an intense, two-hander family drama inspired by my own experience. My main protagonist in the story loses two fingers in a horrific accident, and I also lost two fingers in an accident as a child. My secondary protagonist is a young virtuoso pianist facing extreme pressure as he headlines at Lincoln Center, and my son performed at Carnegie Hall and I saw how he faced incredible pressure at a young age and what life would look like growing up had he pursued it. How long did it take you to write your script...and what is your writing process? Do you outline...use index cards...white board...or just start with FADE IN? It took six months which sounds short but it was an intense process. I started developing it in July of 2024 in a TV writing workshop led by writer-producer Wes Jones (Billions). We met weekly online. The process was like a bootcamp, and I think the pace motivated me a great deal. I had a beat sheet / outline done by August. I worked on one act at a time, handing each one in as I finished it, getting notes, then revising. My “first” draft was done by October (it was more like version 1.5 since revisions happened along the way). The submitted draft was done by Christmas of 2024. What is your ultimate ambition as a writer? My goal as a writer is to share my voice to improve the way people relate as humans despite some very radical differences. The title itself touches on this. It comes from the New Testament “one anothers” (love one another, forgive one another, etc.) and the idea is that each episode has as its theme one of these one another. It also speaks to the characters, being divided – each one seen as a distinct other – despite a dire need for unity. My ultimate ambition in writing is to highlight that core need for connectedness and hopefully offer insight into the fragile workings of humanity to increase empathy in our society. Which film or television writers inspire you? Why? Coming from a theatre background, I have a host of playwrights whose work I admire, as well as TV and film writers. I’m attracted to intense drama, with emotional and/or psychological turmoil. I love works by David Mamet for their raw and brutally honest portrayal of the struggle in common, everyday relationships. In terms of TV writers who inspired me, one example is Bill Hader’s work on Barry, bringing us into the mind of a character that arguably no one should like and somehow making us cheer him on to escape his life of crime and brutality. In terms of film, Woody Allen started me on a course viewing movies not just as entertainment but as art that can actually change a person’s point of view after viscerally experiencing the journey on screen. What’s your all-time favorite movie or television show? There are so many that I love, like Good Will Hunting, for example, which I found profoundly inspiring for what Affleck and Damon achieved so early in their careers. However, if I have to pick one that left the greatest impression on me as a writer (way before I even thought I could write) it would have to be Woody Allen’s Hannah and Her Sisters for the tender bonds it tests in every scene and its ability to paint vivid and deep portrayals of not just three sisters but the supporting characters around them. What advice do you have for writers hoping to win a contest or place as a finalist as you have? My advice would be to find good teachers and mentors and be open to the wisdom and instruction that they can instill in you, and to apply it. And when you think “what’s the point?” or “this is too hard” just imagine how you’d feel if you stop trying and look back later in life and wonder “what if I didn’t give up?” In the “words” of Michael Scott quoting Wayne Gretsky on a white board in The Office, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” What else are you working on that the world needs to know about? (be sure to include any links you want the world to check out) I’m working on a family drama called What Phoebe Findswhich is my final pilot in the UCLA Graduate Program in Writing for TV that I complete in a few weeks. It follows an auction house expert who discovers a world-renowned find that can either seal her future security or destroy her relationship with her teen daughter. Once it’s ready, I’ll share info at my website www.juliekorogodon.com which offers a snapshot of my works to date. |
