We are sparked by a vision that is both within our grasp and somewhere just beyond our full knowing.
We are fueled by embers of drama, romance, mystery, horror, fantasy, comedy, and adventure and further propelled by the promise of something wonderful. Our curiosity leads us through the greatest and worst of human behavior, the struggles of everyday relationships, and the mountainous climb toward spiritual and moral integrity.  Our main characters are deeply flawed yet deeply inspired to keep moving forward. In spite of a seemingly zig-zagging road of trials, which is often paved with major failures and minor successes, they persevere. Literally and metaphorically, our protagonists rise and fall, time and again, as though nothing can stop them. These courageous and determined "people" are our focus, not just because they provide us with interesting tales to tell, but because WE are motivated to share a unique and insightful narrative with others. Outwardly, we aim is to inform and entertain; inwardly, we strive to elevate the global perspective.
We do this by honoring individuality and separation, while fostering oneness and unity. Assuredly, we delight in highlighting the traits of uniqueness if only to subtly promote all that we have in common--namely "love."  Love, we observe from study and life, is both a great redeemer and an awful reducer. We recognize that love's many facets--as revealed in family, friendship, childhood, and ambition--all serve a dichotomous purpose to supercharge us toward our highest of highs, and then to buckle our knees to our lowest of lows.  Alas, we screenwriters don't just write from what we know and see. We also write from things we aren't aware of and cannot see, things that are hidden deep within ourselves. Thus, if we are ever to fully enlighten the outer world, we know we must brave the pulling back of inner layers to revisit heart-pounding fears, bitter failures, and soul-worn battles. It's here where our deepest reasons for telling a particular story reside, along with the revelation that we are being "pushed" by something unrealized, unfinished, or painfully broken. In the thin layer just beneath that one is anger and sadness, fear and frustration--and so much pain. Truly, it's the grief-laden stuff that stings the longest and deepest, and never seems to go away. It's also this same stuff that our subconscious is ever trying to resolve or remedy, in the fantastical wish that things would have turned out differently.  In essence, our writing stems from our own long-standing woes, and whether we want to risk that deep dive or not, it is the most efficient means of delivering an authentic message of universal truth that our audience can relate to. And so, if we are ever to tell a masterful story, we must also reference time-honored Story principles of those who have paved the road before us. Learning how to cohesively stack the story blocks within every Plot, Scene, and Act lends the highest regard for the Masters and greatly enhances our evolution as screenwriters and reverent apprentices of Story and Character Development. This is the path toward mastery.
                                                                        --T. Bear (Oct. 18, 2024)