|Adam.Starks|
Doing a Q&A with a complete stranger is new to me… and I have to admit, kind of thrilling.
In my attempt to hear from more diverse voices, a friend of mine suggested I connect with Adam. Because of time constraints, we ended up communicating solely by email. No zoom, texts, or calls. Just a few back and forth emails and then Voila!
From his brilliant advice to writers to themes that excite him, I thoroughly enjoyed his answers. I even learned a few things, including what a handpan is…
RS: Given we’re in uncharted waters and I know nothing about you, I challenge you to write me a logline that gives me a taste of who you are as both a human and a writer. What would you make sure you included?
AS: Husband, father, and a perfectly imperfect student of life who sees the world one scene at a time.
RS: Where did you grow up?
AS: I grew up in New England. Specifically, Springfield, MA (the birthplace of basketball). It’s funny though, because whenever I say I’m from Massachusetts people always assume Boston and ignore the other 99% of the state. Lol.
RS: Fondest Childhood memory?
AS: Riding in the car on the weekends with my family, listening to old school stuff like Chuck Mangione or Earth Wind & Fire. I couldn’t even say where we were going necessarily, but it didn’t matter. My daughter is the same way. She likes to just hop in the car and go (so long as she’s not the one driving, of course).
RS: Is there something that might surprise people about you?
AS: Wow… that’s a loaded question. Lol! I think what surprises people the most is my age. No one ever gets it right the first time. Not even close.
RS: Your voice is what distinguishes you from all other writers. What do you feel is distinct about your writing?
AS: I’ve always been a fan of writing the way I see the scene edited in my head. Some writers keep their voice simple and to the point, but I like flourishes and calling out visuals as they come to me. Some people tend to balk at that, but I personally don’t just write scripts for them to ultimately end up on the screen, I also write them for the enjoyment of the reader.
I used to work for a network and the scripts that always stuck with me, I felt, took that approach. Film school (or books) only teach you the basics, but you hone your voice by reading other works and emulating the things you gravitate towards.
RS: Do you have any superstitions when it comes to your process? I.E., need to have the same beverage every morning, write in the same place, longhand first, then on computer, etc.
AS: When I’m settling in for a day of writing, I have a whole ritual I perform that was inspired by THE WAR ON ART (a great book by Steven Pressfield). I meditate for 10 – 15 minutes, then settle in at my desk, write down any lingering fears, doubts, or anxious thoughts I have on separate post-its. Once I’ve done that, I then sacrifice them to my muses by ripping them apart and leaving it in a pile just outside of my periphery.
RS: What was your first writing job and how did you land it? And what did you do to celebrate the moment?
AS: Season One of ON MY BLOCK. At the time I was part of a writing team and, luckily, we had great reps (who still rep us individually to this day) and a great comedy sample. We met with Lauren, Eddie, Jeremy, and Dooner and had a super laid back and funny conversation about a myriad of things. A few days later we found out we got the job. Honestly, I can’t remember what I did exactly to celebrate in the moment other than tell my wife.
RS: Are there particular genres you gravitate towards? Is there one you want to tackle, but don’t think you’re ready for yet?
AS: One thing I have always been adamant about is not pigeonholing myself into one genre. It’s just something I personally don’t believe in. Genre’s a funny thing because I believe there’s something in everything (drama in comedy, comedy in horror, horror in drama, etc.) I tend to use whatever genre tool is needed for the specific project… like a Swiss Army knife. It suits me to be as complex of a writer as I am a human being.
RS: What are some favorite themes you love to write about?
AS: With my own development, I like to write towards themes surrounding societal issues. However, I don’t like the on-the-nose approach. For me it’s always about subverting the expectation of what is going to be on the page so that the theme is only apparent as an aftertaste — that final “ah-ha” moment, which then (hopefully) makes you want to read it again to pick out the subtleties.
RS: What’s your definition of a perfect writer’s room?
AS: A perfect writer’s room to me should (at the bare minimum) represent your characters and the world of the story. If your characters are of a certain ethnicity or from a certain economical background, etc, the room needs to be made up of writers who can relate to the real-world aspects of the story.
There should never, ever, be a room of, let’s say, straight men writing about the LGBTQIA+ experience. It’s not just about representation, it’s about authenticity and respect to the characters and the audience.
RS: Do you have advice you’ve been given that you feel is worthy enough to hand down to emerging writers?
AS: I’ve developed an acronym that I share with emerging writers and continue to use throughout my career:
DUHH.
Discipline – Simply, you must write if you want to be a writer. No excuses.
Understand – This industry (or any other, for that matter) owes you absolutely nothing. If you want it, you must go get it.
Humility – You don’t know everything, nor will you ever… and that’s OK!
Hunger – Your education is never complete. You should always remain hungry for knowledge.
It may sound silly, but it’s really such a simple concept that has helped me stay grounded in who I am and the journey I am on. I even have it tattooed on me.
RS: In this oversaturated market, what types of shows do you feel we don’t need more of and what kinds of shows DO we need more of?
AS: As much as I like shows like The Crown and The Tudors and The White Queen, etc… I’m always left wondering, not why they are being made, but why no one is bothering to produce shows surrounding kings and queens from other parts of the world.
Maybe they’re out there and I just haven’t come across them, but could you imagine how epic a retelling of Shaka Zulu would be if given the GOT treatment? I’m sure there are a bunch of reasons (aka excuses) as to why studios won’t take the plunge, but you’d be surprised by what people will support if you just provide them the option.
RS: Where do you think we’re headed as far as the TV landscape and are you optimistic?
AS: There’s been such an explosion of content across different online platforms that I think it’s going to be almost impossible to sustain linear programming. Appointment television may become obsolete because being able to stream shows on demand has created a bottleneck in the free time that would’ve been normally reserved for primetime viewership. I mean, technically, we’re already there.
The influx of content, however, has allowed for more diverse voices and stories that would’ve otherwise been historically shut out of the broadcast system over concerns of what attracts the most advertising dollars.
So, I truly, truly believe our world, creatively, will continue to open and we will find audiences for diverse stories in all parts of the world… and that, to me, is very exciting, because it’s going to hopefully give diverse writers more opportunity to generate enough content to fill that demand.
RS: What’s a favorite word you use (or sometimes overuse) a lot in conversation?
AS: One sec as I go back through my answers thus far… lol. I honestly have no idea, but it’s probably a curse word.
RS: Is there a word you feel people in our business overuse?
AS: Not necessarily a word, but when people feel the need to just leave an initial at the end of an email. I see it all the time. Like… really? Is it that hard to write your first name out?
RS: If you had to relive one, which would it be: Elementary or Middle School? Why?
AS: Middle school for sure because thats when I began playing basketball. If I knew then what I know now… who knows. You know?
RS: Did you always know you would be a writer? Was there a back up plan?
AS: Actually, I wanted to be an artist for Marvel growing up, then an animator, then a cop, then an actor, then a writer. Of course, I had other jobs and stuff, but those were active goals that changed as I got older.
RS: According to Google, there are twelve common Archetypes: The Innocent, Everyman, Hero, Outlaw, Explorer, Creator, Ruler, Magician, Lover, Caregiver, Jester, and Sage. Which archetype do you think you fall under and why?
AS: It’s a copout answer, but all the above. There are bits of each in me. I guess that’s just how I’ve been written.
RS: What hobby do you rely on to unwind?
AS: It all depends on the day. I’m still a gamer, I still love to go for drives, and I recently decided to learn Japanese and how to play the handpan.
(RS: For those of you (like me) that may not know what a “handpan” is: It’s an instrument — like two metal half shells; It’s classified as a subset of the steelpan — like a drum — used a lot for sound healing and stress relieving.)
RS: Are you a collector of anything? (e.g., tchotchkes.) If so, what? And if not, IF you started a collection, what do you think you’d collect?
AS: Oddly enough, nothing tangible because I don’t do well with clutter. If anything, I’m trying to be a better collector of experiences to create memories that I can always carry with me.
RS: Do you have a favorite scene from a TV show or film that you play on a loop in your head for inspiration or just because you love it so much?
AS: Is it bad if I don’t? The reason being, I have so many things swimming around in my head at any one moment that it’s always hard to pin down specific scenes. If we’re talking about shows or films that I love, that’s a different story… but specific scenes I go back to, no.
RS: What’s a show you watch that goes under the header of “guilty pleasure”?
AS: 90 DAY FIANCÉ and its hoard of spin-offs. I have my wife to thank for that.
RS: I can wiggle my ears (really hard to do) and I can do an impersonation of a puppy’s paw being stepped on. What quirky talent do you have?
AS: I am strangely good at solving riddles and puzzles.
RS: The dinner party question: Most ask, if you could have dinner with three people (dead or alive) who would they be… BUT, what I want to know is who are the three people you absolutely DON’T WANT at the dinner party?
AS: I won’t go for the low-hanging fruit, so I’ll give you three types: anyone who talks with their mouth full of food, anyone who doesn’t cover their mouth when they sneeze/cough, and anyone who doesn’t clean up behind themselves.
RS: What’s something you think is unteachable when it comes to writing?
AS: Discipline. It’s such a valuable skill. You can have the best idea in the world, but if you don’t make the time to plant yourself in your chair and write it, what’s the point?
RS: On my desk, I have a paperweight that says, “What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?” Beyond writing, what’s something you’d like to attempt?
AS: Music writing. Does that count? If not, some other form of artistic expression. Painting, maybe?
RS: Have you experienced the development process (for your own show)? If so, was it everything you thought it would be?
AS: I’ve had the fortune of developing with the network I used to work for before I landed my first writing job. I’ve been around the development process coming from the studio/network side, so I went in with the knowledge of how I would personally approach the process. Because of that, I feel like it demystified everything and allowed me to focus less on the politics of it all and more on creating a good show.
It ultimately didn’t go, but it’s not dead in the water, either. Now, I’m working on developing three other shows in between staffing.
RS: What’s next for you?
AS: I’m not sure and that’s very exciting. The sky’s the limit! In the meantime, I’ll just keep my head down, work on what’s in front of me, and try to squeeze in a break or two.
And finally…
RS: What’s a question you wish I would have asked you and how would you have answered?
AS: What has been your favorite piece you’ve written? My answer: It’s always the one that hasn’t been written.
There you have it. The awesome Adam Starks. Speaking of, “the one that hasn’t been written” — I’m really hoping he takes his own observation about the lack of representation regarding kings and queens from other parts of the world and runs with it… develops his version, his Game of Thrones world.
P.S.
I’m not a fan of getting to know someone in an email vacuum, but for this exercise, it served its purpose, especially given he’s getting ready to leave the country for work.
I’ve no doubt me and Adam’s next exchange will graduate to actual voices. And I look forward to it!
For more Q&A’s go to: www.rebecca-stay.com/blog
Bio:
An Angeleno at heart but a yankee by birth, it wasn’t until Adam began acting that he realized he had found his calling within the film/television industry and eventually fell in love with putting ink to paper in a different capacity… screenwriting. He did the prudent thing and returned to school to study motion pictures and television — an experience which eventually led him to join the L.A. rat race. Once in Cali, he continued to write, produce, and even had a 3-year stint at a network in the original programming department before landing his first professional writing job on On My Block.
Since then, he’s worked on a total of nine seasons of television including: The Tick, Good Trouble, Home Before Dark, Snowpiercer, and Vampire Academy. Somehow, in between all of that, he’s also developing multiple shows for different studios/production companies. One of his personal mottos are “Writers write, right?” In fact, he’s probably writing something as you read this. All work and no play makes Adam a happy man, but helping others succeed makes him even happier.