When Can You Call Yourself A Screenwriter? — Travis Seppala
Film Courage: When did you start calling yourself a screenwriter?
Travis Seppala, Author/Screenwriter: Probably my second or third script? My first script I was writing about like a personal experience and I was just almost like therapy for me at the time. Then probably my second script I was an “aspiring” screenwriter. I was like Oh this is fun! I want to do this. And probably I got to my third (maybe fourth) script was when I was like Oh yeah, I’m a screenwriter. I’m not getting paid yet but I’m a screenwriter, this is where I’m going. Then my fifth script was a paid script so I was like I already made it come true, awesome! It wasn’t very big pay because it was a small local person. I think I got like $500 bucks or something to write a feature. That never got made. But yes probably, by my third or fourth script is when I went from being an aspiring screenwriter to Yes this is what I’m doing with my life.
Film Courage: Did someone say to you don’t call yourself an “aspiring” writer?
Travis: Oh you will always get haters who say like if you’re not making money at it you shouldn’t call yourself a screenwriter. They are like Oh you wouldn’t call yourself a plumber because you fixed your own toilet. Well I’m still…(Watch the video interview on Youtube here).
