Being a successful screenwriter means working hard, and Peter Dukes is testament to this. The writer of several horror movies including The Memory of the Heart, Portal, Escape Room and Tales of Horror shares his advice for how to break through in your career and most importantly stay in the game.

How did your career get started?

I moved to Los Angeles immediately after graduating from CU’s film program in Boulder, Colorado, knowing I’d have to learn basically everything from the ground up. Having a degree in filmmaking is one thing, but turning that diploma and that dream into a sustainable career is something entirely different.

I spent my first few years just putting pieces in place, figuring out what my long term plan was going to be, where I wanted to go and how I wanted to get there. Having a plan is important.Keeps you focused and on point. I didn’t know anyone, I had no money to make films, no press, no brand.It was just me.So where to start? I interned for a couple of different production companies and I spent a year and a half working as a feature agent’s assistant at a busy literary agency that repped writers and directors (among other things) for TV and film. I wanted to know who was who in town, how contracts worked, what it took to get representation etc.

Once I learned what I needed to know about that side of the business, I was ready to get back into the trenches of film production. Being that no one was going to pay me to be a writer or director yet, I began writing, directing and producing my own short films, most of which were on a lo/no budget basis. Each one contained a specific set of challenges so as to help me hone my craft and gauge what my strengths and weaknesses were. I ended up making nearly twenty short films in all, and by the latter half I was able to get investors to come on and help finance the projects. I was getting press too and building a brand. That would come in handy later.

The ultimate goal was to push myself and learn as much as possible, so that when the time came to jump into the feature world I would be ready, and I could use the attention my films were getting as leverage because it’s hard to find producers out there willing to take a chance on a first time feature writer/director. In 2016, the hard work paid off. I sold one of my spec scripts and was able to convince the producers to bring me on as the director as well. I’ve been working steadily on features ever since, always striving to work on projects that excite and creatively fulfill me. My journey isn’t over yet though. I’m still aiming to take my game to the next level. Ready as ever to take on bigger more ambitious projects.

When did you start writing?

I’ve been writing ever since I was a kid. I’ve always loved creating stories, characters, world building and so on. The DNA of a storyteller has always been there. In terms of writing actual scripts, that started in college. My writing journey, in terms of my evolution as a writer, continues to this day.

You’re not going to be Aaron Sorken or Lawrence Kasdan or Vince Gilligan right off the bat. I don’t know anyone who started off as a great screenwriter. It takes a long time to sharpen those skills and to find your own voice. I found my own only after reading as many great scripts as I could find in those early years. New scripts, classic scripts, varied genres, varied writers. Reading a great script teaches you so much. I also just wrote as much as I could. Writing is like a muscle.You need to strengthen it. In time, my scripts became better and better. It’s just a process, like anything else. This is not to say I’ve stopped learning and growing. There’s always more room to grow as a writer, and I imagine I’ll be a student of the craft until my dying days.

Do you have a writing process?

Oftentimes the project dictates what my process will be, pending who I’m working with, the timetable you have to work with and so on, but when it comes to my own spec scripts I’m definitely a writer driven by inspiration. I have to be excited by the story, even if it’s just a kernel of an idea. I’ve never been very good at just sitting in front of a blank computer screen, hoping a great idea just slaps me in the face. I prefer to fully live my life, enjoy my family, enjoy the outdoors, enjoy the world, stay curious, keep my eyes up and open because you never know when and where the inspiration will strike. There’s amazing stories sitting around every nook and cranny out there, sometimes just out of sight, but always present, just waiting to be discovered. You just need to find them. Once I’m truly inspired and lock in on a story I want to write, it’s like a bottle rocket taking flight.

How has your writing changed over time?

I’m playful with my style. I like to try new things. The structure of my scripts, the actual words themselves, as written on the page, are definitely more ALIVE now than they used to be. They aim to engage the reader, pull them in from the first page and never let them go, and to make reading the script itself an experience. This can make a world of difference, and if you’re trying to get busy agents, managers or producers (among others) to read more than a page of your script, this can be crucial to setting yourself up for success.

What do you think was the most pivotal moment in your writing career?

I haven’t as of yet had one pivotal moment. Maybe one day :). So far, it’s really been a step by step process, and it’s taken years. Learning that this career is a marathon and not a sprint is itself pivotal. I think many writers come into the field hoping to make it big quickly, and it can sting when this doesn’t happen. Although such rapid success is by no means impossible, it’s not likely for the vast majority of writers out there. Recognizing that it can take a long time and that this career is a lifelong journey is, to me, an essential stepping stone in the life of a writer.

What is your favorite thing that you’ve written?

Ooooo, tough question. I have different scripts that I love for different reasons. I would say that my spec script, LITTLE REAPER, was the most difficult but also the most enjoyable script I’ve written to date. It was one of the first scripts where I said screw it, took off my pragmatic hat, didn’t worry about keeping the budget low, keeping the cast, locations and FX minimal, and just let my imagination run wild, no matter how big the story got. It was a lot of fun. At the end of the day, enjoying what we do is important. If you don’t enjoy writing, there’s far easier ways to make a living out there. After writing some heavier, broodier scripts leading up to this point, it was the right script for me at the right time.

What is your favorite thing that someone else has written?

Honestly, some of the best scripts I’ve ever read were ones no one has ever heard of, written by writers who hadn’t broken through yet. It just goes to show you how hard it can be to stand out from the pack in this business. Even great writers can struggle to get noticed.

I’ve read a lot of scripts over the years and very few have been the kind where you read the first page and you immediately go WOW, that writer is next level. One of the finest screenplays I ever read was a spec written by an unknown (at the time) writer named Aaron Berg. This was several years ago. He pulled you in with his writing to such a degree that you almost forgot you were reading a script. You were just visualizing the movie, as if watching it play out in real time. It was very impressive work.

Do you have any advice for someone looking to break into screenwriting?

Work hard, keep learning, keep growing and stay proactive. Read as many great scripts as you can and write, write, write as much as you can. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you struggle to get your scripts placed in writing competitions, optioned, sold or produced. Remember, it can take a long time. Such is the nature of this business. If you truly love what you do, let that love carry you through the lows. Remember, you’re not alone. You’d be surprised at how many “successful” writers often struggle too.

Don’t be afraid to put yourself and your work out there. If you don’t, no one’s going to know you’re there. Be yourself. Reach out to people and establish real relationships. They are so much more fulfilling and productive than transactional networking based relationships. Your talent is often not enough. No matter how good a writer you are, the people who you want to do business with have to WANT to work with you, so if you have an authentic relationship in place already, it opens up all sorts of opportunities for you.

Do you have a preferred writing snack?

I don’t actually, ha! I prefer a nice glass of iced tea, always at the ready.