Greg Lyon

What inspired you to become a screenwriter, and what keeps you motivated to keep writing?

My nephew went to film school and I started writing screenplays for him and his film buddies to make into short films.

Can you tell us about your writing process, from the initial idea to the final draft?

I start with a story idea and flush out a treatment. Mainly getting story points down. If I have enough ideas down on paper, I moved to filling in the script. From there I start polishing.

How do you approach creating characters, and what techniques do you use to develop them?

Generally, everyone has a story purpose. They move the story forward. Otherwise, they are background. Then I let the characters develop themselves. A lot of times, their story purpose drives their character. An example from the Reality Game would be say the Boss. His job is ride Nathan, pushing Nathan’s inner self to despise him. So he has to be a bit of a dick. Not so much that are happy he dies, but enough of a dick to Nathan to understand his deep seated dislike of his boss.

I have read a lot of scripts over time, some for competitions, some for professional development, and others for production. I had just read another VR based story when I thought, why not reverse and bring the VR character into the real world. That is something I had not read or seen before. There are stories where drugs, technology, or such allow you to be someone else like the Hulk. However, I could not think of one where your game avatar comes into the real world. So I wrote it.

What do you think sets your writing apart from others in the industry, and how do you showcase your unique voice?

I don’t think anything in particular sets me apart. There are way more brilliant writers out there, but that does not mean I don’t have stories to tell.

How do you balance your personal creative vision with the needs of producers, directors, and other collaborators?

Unlike many writers, I don’t have any hang ups working with the film makers. If they are buying my script, then they can make changes they want. If story points, characters, etc. are important to the story, I do try to explain the purpose before making changes.

Can you talk about a particularly challenging moment you faced while working on a project and how you overcame it?

The challenge comes in conveying your story and vision to the director(s). All you can do is hope that you are working with a good director that shares that vision. I have clashed with a poor director that did not shoot scenes that developed the emotions of the scene. He just wanted to get the scene shot as quickly as possible without regards to capturing the essence of the scene. Lack of attention to detail.

How do you see the role of screenwriting in the film industry evolving, and how do you see yourself fitting into that future?

AI is going to affect it a lot, but it won’t bring forth the soul of a story. I hope that I can do that.

Find some fellow screenwriters (not friends, actual writers) and help each other reviewing your scripts. Start by getting 3-5 people to give you a beat down. That means being brutally honest with their feedback. Then don’t listen to them. That’s right, don’t listen to them. One may tell you that they like the beginning and hate the ending. Another may tell you they hate the beginning and love the ending. But if all them tell you to not kill Grandma, perhaps you should consider their advice. This is separating the opinions from the consensus.

Finally, what are your long-term goals as a screenwriter, and what legacy do you hope to leave in the industry?

I hope to sell a major motion picture script that tops at least $100 million in the box office. I honestly believe that Reality Game can do that. Not really expecting to leave a legacy behind, just good stories that people enjoy.