RYAN CONRAN
 RYAN CONRAN
How did you discover The Wiki Screenplay Contest and how did you decide to enter this contest among all the others?
I discovered Wiki through Coverfly while researching contests with fast feedback and real visibility. What stood out to me was the monthly format - it felt dynamic and writer-focused, like a true test of whether your work resonates. I submitted ECHOROOT - Let Her Grow because I believed it had something honest to say, and I wanted to see how readers would respond without waiting months for validation. Where do you live (City, State, or Country)? Saint Louis, Missouri 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? What inspires your overall journey into screenwriting? The story was born from two things colliding - the rise of real-world biotech, especially de- extinction efforts like the return of the direwolf, and my own experience with grief. I started asking: what if memory could live on through biology? What if something we lost could come back, changed but still rooted in love? But this had to be a film. Growing up, my dad took me to the movies constantly - The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Indiana Jones. That’s where I learned that stories could be bigger than life, and still deeply human. Cinema was how we connected, and this screenplay became my way of honoring that. Writing ECHOROOT wasn’t just about crafting a story it was about returning to that feeling I had as a kid, sitting in a dark theater beside my father, watching the impossible come alive. How do you decide which stories to tell, and what draws you to these particular themes? I follow something I call Echo-Symbolic Mythogenesis - the idea that personal experiences leave emotional “echoes” that later grow into stories. For me, that started with grief, memories, and symbols that kept showing up in my life. Eventually, I realized those weren’t just moments - they were the roots of a much bigger narrative. That’s how ECHOROOT was born. I’m drawn to themes like loss, identity, transformation, and emotional rebirth - because they come from something real. I don’t force stories. I wait for the ones that won’t let go of me. What is your typical writing routine? How do you structure your workday to stay productive? I work full-time as an electrician, so a lot of my writing process happens internally during the day. I’ll be on a job, and an idea hits me - a line of dialogue, a scene shift, a symbol - and I’ll jot it down as soon as I get a chance. By the time I sit down to actually write, the emotional groundwork has already been laid. Nights and early mornings are when I bring those ideas to life. I don’t always have long, uninterrupted blocks of time - but I stay productive by staying present with the story throughout the day. It’s always growing in the background. 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? This script - and the full production bible - took about a month to complete. I started with FADE IN and a single concept scene, then placed myself emotionally inside it and built outward. The process was instinctive and immersive. I didn’t start with a formal outline or board - the structure revealed itself as I explored the emotional truth of each moment. Once I understood the heartbeat of the story, I refined it through focused rewrites and scene reshaping. It came together fast, but only because it had been growing inside me for a long time. How do you handle writers block or moments of doubt (we all have them) during your creative process? For me, writer’s block usually means I’ve drifted too far from the emotional core of the story. When that happens, I don’t force pages - I step back and reconnect with why I’m telling it. I might go on a walk, revisit the music that inspired the script, or even talk through the story aloud. Doubt shows up all the time, but I try to see it as a sign that I care. If the story still matters to me - if there’s something in it that feels true - I know I’ll find my way back. Sometimes it’s not about writing through it, it’s about remembering why you started. What tools or software do you find essential to your workflow as a screenwriter? Honestly? Just the Notes app on my iPhone. As a full-time electrician, I don’t always have the luxury of sitting at a desk or using expensive software. I wrote everything - the entire script, the production bible, all of it - on my phone. Whenever inspiration struck, I’d jot down ideas between jobs, during breaks, or late at night. It wasn’t about having perfect tools - it was about not letting the story slip away. How do you approach competition entries, and what have you learned from participating in these contests? Which contests have you entered...and how has your work been received overall? Have those contests been helpful to you in your writing? I approach contests as a way to put the work in front of real readers and see if it resonates. I’ve submitted to the Austin Film Festival and Final Draft Big Break for 2025, and ECHOROOT - Let Her Grow was named a Finalist in the Wiki Screenplay Contest - my first contest to conclude. I’ve had nothing but positive feedback from early readers, which has reinforced that the story connects emotionally and thematically. Contests are helping me build momentum - not just through recognition, but by giving me the tools and confidence to present my work professionally. |
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Can you share a specific challenge you've faced in your screenwriting and how you overcame it?
The hardest challenge wasn’t writing the script - it was the silence after sending it out into the world. That waiting period, wondering if it connected with anyone, was excruciating. When you pour your heart into something, silence can feel like rejection. What helped me overcome it was remembering why I wrote ECHOROOT in the first place - not for instant validation, but because the story needed to exist. And eventually, that silence broke. Recognition started to come in, and it reminded me that patience is part of the process - and faith in your voice is everything. If you are balancing your “writing time” with a “day job”...how are you managing that? It’s not easy, but I make it work through late nights and early weekends. I work full-time as an electrician, so writing happens when the world quiets down - after the job is done, when I can really hear the story again. It’s about discipline, but more than that, it’s about drive. If a story matters enough, you find the time. And I always do. Where do you see yourself in five years as a screenwriter? In five years, I see myself in a theater watching ECHOROOT on the big screen - with my dad beside me. I want to be a working screenwriter, developing original projects that are emotionally rich, visually bold, and thematically resonant. I’m not chasing fame - I’m building stories that last. If I’m still telling meaningful stories, collaborating with people who care deeply, and seeing those ideas reach the world, then I’ll know I’m exactly where I’m meant to be. What is your ultimate ambition as a writer? My ultimate ambition is to create stories that leave an emotional imprint - the kind that stay with people long after the credits roll. I want to build worlds that are visually powerful, thematically rich, and grounded in real human experience. Stories like ECHOROOT - deeply personal but universally resonant. If I can tell the full trilogy and see it brought to life on screen, with audiences feeling what I felt while writing it, that would mean everything. I’m not just writing to entertain - I’m writing to move people, to help them see something true in themselves. The film and television industry is constantly evolving. How do you see the role of screenwriters changing, especially with the rise of streaming platforms and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence? Have you used A.I. in your writing; if so, how have you used it? Streaming has opened new space for bold, original storytelling - and screenwriters are more vital than ever because audiences are hungry for depth, nuance, and emotional authenticity. As for A.I., I see it as a tool, not a replacement. I’ve used it occasionally to brainstorm or reflect ideas back to me. I don’t believe A.I. can replicate the human soul behind a story - and that’s what great screenwriting will always need. Which film or television writers inspire you? Why? Fran Walsh and Peter Jackson inspired me early on with The Lord of the Rings - stories that feel mythic yet deeply human. George Lucas gave me the sense that a single vision could create an entire universe. Spielberg taught me how emotional storytelling can live inside spectacle, and Tarantino showed me that voice and rhythm matter just as much as plot. These writers all shaped my love for cinema - they built worlds I believed in, and made me want to build one of my own. What’s your all-time favorite movie or television show? The Princess Bride. It’s timeless. Somehow, it balances sincerity and satire, love and loss, humor and heart - all while being endlessly rewatchable. It’s one of those rare films that reminds you why you fell in love with storytelling in the first place. What advice do you have for aspiring screenwriters? Don’t wait for permission. Don’t wait for the perfect time, the perfect tool, or the perfect idea. Start writing - even if it’s messy, even if it scares you. The only way to find your voice is to use it. And protect the part of you that still believes - in the story, in yourself, in why you started. That belief will carry you through the silence, the doubt, and the rewrites. Just keep going. The page is always listening. What else are you working on that the world needs to know about? (links to your projects?) ECHOROOT - Let Her Grow is just the beginning. I’m currently outlining and developing the next two films in the trilogy - The Burn That Stays and The Final Bloom. Each expands the world emotionally and thematically, diving deeper into grief, memory, biotech, and identity. This isn’t just a story - it’s a living myth, and I’m building it from the root up. More to come - but the seed has been planted. Where can the world find you online? (Social media links, etc.) Instagram: @echoroot.film Email: [email protected] |
