The Bricks of Breaking In: Oscar Nominated Screenwriter Allison Schroeder On Mining Your Life Experiences
November 12, 2024
For many writers, the passion for creating starts at an early age. For Allison Schroeder (Hidden Figures, Christopher Robin), this was absolutely true thanks to her English teacher mom. She happily recalled:
“I wrote a mini novella that was a complete rip-off of The Secret Garden. I was in first grade and I drew the pictures and everything.”
In 7th grade, an international writing competition that drew on creativity and critical thinking pushed Schroeder’s writing skills further. She explained:
“There was this competition called Future Problem-Solving. They gave you this world issue like toxic waste or overcrowding and you had to write this story 20 years in the future where the problem had come to pass and you were trying to solve it. I won first place internationally.”
She added:
“It was life-changing in a way, because it’s one thing when your mom says you’re a good writer, but it’s different when that happens.”
College drew Schoeder to theater where she wrote, produced and directed musicals, but she was afraid of making a living as a writer or director. Really good at math and science, Schroeder took that background into a career as a financial consultant in San Francisco. That lasted a couple years.
“I did all the Excel and all the math and realized, no, I needed to try and go for it. So I applied to film school and I applied to the Production program at USC. I got in, and when I was there I realized I could shine and stand out with my writing.”
Breaking In
Once set on pursuing writing, Schroeder worked as a production assistant and wrote in her spare time. Always proactive, she’d go to alumni events and would ask those she was PAing with if they’d read her stuff.
She made little jumps along the way, writing a walking tour of San Francisco and a pilot for an idea an actor had. At one of the USC alumni events she attended, she met a showrunner who became very influential in the growth of her career. She asked to shadow him and get an informational coffee. Schroeder related:
“At that time I was writing two different pilots and a feature. I submitted the pilot for a competition that I won. And I was a production assistant on 'Pineapple Express', which was Apatow. The showrunner knew Apatow really well, so he sort of saw me working which was a big deal. So he offered to read it. It was like a 'Grey’s Anatomy' type show set at NASA.”
Not only did they love Schroeder’s pilot, they offered to take the project in under their deal at ABC. They then asked if she had more. Schroeder was prepared.
“They were like, do you have anything else and I was like, yeah, I have a 'Freaks and Geeks' type show called 'Stick Girls'. They read and they were like, yeah, we’ll take this in. What else do you have? I have this feature and they’re like, okay, we’ll take it to people. Then the 2008 strike happened and everything died.”
Facing Challenges
Early on, Schroeder faced the struggle all writers face, getting that first job. Then came a whole new challenge with getting that next job. She admitted:
“The irony is that I used to live in constant fear that I wouldn’t get another job. It’s something I have gotten much better at in the last four years. I think the catch is that you constantly have to rebreak yourself in.”
How does a writer get through this? Persistence and openness. For Schroeder this meant being willing to do Excel work like from her finance days, along with PAing and working events to help keep her going. Schroeder noted:
“I would get something and then I’d have to go get another job and then I would get something and I’d have to go get another job.”
Opportunities like working with Wilmer Valderrama on a musical soap opera he wanted to do, getting hired for Mean Girls 2 and selling a spec to Paramount about Agatha Christie’s missing 11 days all felt like big breaks along the way, but lulls would always come in.
As to Schroeder’s success in getting hired for Hidden Figures, she remarked:
“I was just trying to pay the bills and was on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship doing Royal Caribbean YouTube branded content for Awesomeness TV when I got the call that I had booked 'Hidden Figures'.”
When Schroeder interviewed for Hidden Figures, they’d read the Agatha Christie sample she sold to Paramount and knew of her NASA background. It was a job that changed everything. Definitely her biggest break.
Read More: Hidden Figures Writer Allison Schroeder & Writer/Director Ted Melfi Discuss Layered Storytelling
Getting Meetings
When starting out it can be a struggle to get meetings with producers and execs. Schroeder recommended writers ask for informationals. She conveyed:
“Asking for an informational, especially in the world now of Zoom where someone can hop on for 30 minutes with you, is your best course of action rather than asking them to read something. Do not ask someone to read something. Ask them to get a coffee.”
If you do make an ask for an informational, be sure you’re asking the right people for the meeting. Schroeder elaborated:
“If you want to be on a TV show you want showrunners, you want co-EPs and executives and if you have a feature, then you want producers, production company executives.”
Be prepared before taking one of these meetings. Have a script ready for the world to see so that if asked, you have something to show. Once you have a strong sample, write the next script. Schroeder pointed out:
“You need to be ready to be a business person, because the whole reason someone’s gonna read you is to make money. Everybody is looking for something they can sell. You need a few pilots. You need a feature or two. You have to have that, because someone may say, I really love your voice, but I need something more high concept. I really love your voice, but I’m looking for network or I really love your voice, but I need a 10 million dollar movie. And then you should be able to go, well, here it is.”
Read More: Kung Fu Writer Richard Lowe On The Power Of Persistence
Drawing On Life Experience
Those early scripts that helped Schroeder get her start had one thing in common: they drew on her own life, her interests and experiences. Leaning into the things that you’ve seen, done and love can make you stand out. It brings originality. Schroeder detailed:
“One of my first scripts was called Stick Girls and it was about growing up on the Indian River in Florida and being kids in rowboats and exploring and then the next one was called Sync or Swim and it was meshing together my swim background with my dance background, so it was really specific to me.”
This personalization is important not just when starting out, but throughout a career, whether with original work, IP or open writing assignments. Schroeder emphasized:
“You need to look at yourself and say, what is weird? What is unique? What is special? Is it where I grew up? Is it a hobby I have? Is it my weird Aunt Janice? Is it a sport I play?”
She continued:
“Every single pitch I do, there is a section of why I should write this. It can be as simple as I literally stay awake at night worried about the world and I dream that I have magic powers and I could snap my fingers and I could save it, so I understand this character feeling impotent in this moment and wanting to do this thing and not knowing how and the idea of being a fish out of water trying to become a hero.”
Read More: Why Your Screenplay? Why Now? Why You?
Ideation
Breaking in is one thing, but the big goal is about building a long-lasting career. As Schroeder’s career has grown, she’s realized her job is less about writing than it is about everything else. She observed:
“It’s really about the ideation. I’ve read some beautiful scripts, but the basic idea isn’t special enough. The premise, the world, the rules of the world. There hasn’t been thought given to it. Or a movie’s been written and you go, but who is going to watch this and why? Who’s going to make it? Who’s going to want to star in it? Get the basic idea of your movie or your pilot really smart. That’s where a lot of the talent is.”
Handling Stress
Some of the best advice Schroeder has received along the way is, it’s not always about you. She encouraged writers to remember:
“When you don’t get a call back or don’t get an email back, you’re like, it’s me, they hated it. And you can start spiraling. Don’t do that. You have no idea and most likely it has nothing to do with you.”
Schroeder reminded up-and-coming writers:
“Make sure this is what you want to do, because it’s brutal right now. I know that’s not big cheerleading, but it’s just this industry is so hard. Make sure this is really what you want to do and that you have had evidence that you are good at it.”
