Interview (Part 6): Colton Childs

My interview with the 2024 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.

Colton Childs wrote the original screenplay “Fake-A-Wish” which won a 2024 Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting. Recently, I had the opportunity to chat with Colton about his creative background, his award-winning script, the craft of screenwriting, and what winning the Nicholl has meant to him.

Today in Part 6 of a 6-part series to run each day through Saturday, Colton shares some thoughts on the craft of screenwriting.

Scott: Let’s ask a few craft questions. You talked about how you came up with the idea for Fake-A-Wish. I’m assuming you got other projects you want to write, and then in the past, you’ve written plays and whatnot. How do you come up with story ideas?

Colton: It always starts with a flash — a line of dialogue, a room or specific setting, or a new take on a familiar concept. It’s usually something I need to sit with for a bit. I can’t force it or rush through it. Over time, that flash will develop into character. It’s always character for me. Once that becomes clear, I can color in the world around them.

Scott: You know from my book, I’m very happy to hear that. [laughs]

Colton: I sure do!

Scott: Characters. What about your prep-writing process? I was interested to hear you say that you were about midway through this story writing this, and you still hadn’t quite nailed exactly where you were going with the ending.

Do you not do scene-by-scene outlines, or cards, or work everything out? What do you do when you’re writing, and how much do you need to get done before you start writing in terms of prep?

Colton: It’s different with every script. With a thriller, for instance, I’m more disciplined about structure and following outlines. But for a script like this, which is more meditative, I mapped out a series of scenes, knowing some would get cut and some would be added along the way.

It’s a mix of note cards, outlines, and multiple documents full of notes and random ideas. That’s usually how I work, and then it all somehow comes together.

Scott: Then you talk about characters and how important they are. Are there any techniques, or tactics, or approaches that you have in terms of developing characters, getting to know them?

Colton: A shortcut I sometimes use that might be helpful for emerging writers is to cast your characters, whether with an actor or someone you know. Sometimes it’s a mix of different people, but this immediately locks me into a distinct voice, which is vital. It gives me a clear sense of who the character is.

Then, as I outline and begin writing, I let the characters evolve. I don’t rush that process. I’ll sit with characters, journal, and ask myself questions about who they are. Going to theater school and taking acting classes definitely helped with that.

Edward Albee, one of my favorite playwrights, once said, “I don’t have ideas. I have people. They meet, things happen, they are changed. Find out why these people are in your head. Eventually, they’ll say, ‘Write me.’” That’s always been my approach.

Plot points, action, and endings mean nothing if you don’t know who your characters are. Getting to know them is one of my favorite parts of the process.

Scott: Given that, then, I’m assuming, in terms of writing dialogue, it’s like the more you get to know the characters, the more you start to hear their voices.

Colton: Exactly. Again, it’s a bit of a cheat code to have actors in mind, because the way Kathy Bates would say a line is very different from how Meryl Streep might say it. The way your brother would say something is different from how your uncle would say it.

That helps me differentiate voices early on. Then, as I spend more time with these characters, it stops being Kathy Bates, and instead, it becomes the character — someone unique in their own right.

Scott: What’s your general way of working with themes in your writing?

Colton: I was often taught to view theme as something definitive, but that’s never been how I work. I like to ask questions that I don’t have the answers to, or I’ll fixate on an idea.

The questions I grapple with are often so big that you’re never going to arrive at a definitive answer. When I started writing Fake-A-Wish, I was thinking a lot about coming of age later in life. I found it interesting to explore a character like Cliff, who might still be at the edge of his own becoming in many ways, which feels very queer to me.

Grief and mortality were also central themes I was eager to delve into. You mentioned faith, and I think that ties into those themes as well. “Is it possible to find a sense of spiritual fulfillment without a spiritual practice?”

I don’t have a clear answer to that, but I feel a little closer to one now that I’ve written this script. That’s how I approach theme. I don’t like it to be black and white. If that approach is useful for other writers, run with that. But for me, it’s always been more elusive.

Scott: When you’re writing a scene, what are your objectives? What are your goals? What are you thinking about when you’re writing a scene?

Colton: A question you posed in the lab is something I’m always thinking about: how is this scene moving the story forward? Whether it’s advancing the character’s arc or driving the plot, it has to serve a purpose.

For Fake-A-Wish, like I mentioned earlier, I wanted each scene to feel like it could be a memory. Is this scene definitive enough that it would be ingrained in this character’s brain in the future? I don’t ask that with every script, but for this one, it felt essential.

In simpler terms, is this scene revealing something new about the character? Is it telling me something meaningful about the world around them?

Scott: I really like what you just said. I may bring that to my students. One of my favorite quotes, Ann Beattie has this great quote. She says, “People forget years, but remember moments.”

Colton: Absolutely. When I think about my favorite movies, I rarely think back to plot points or twists. Those are important, and there should be thought put into them. But what I often return to is a moment where a character simply gazes at another. Those moments we’re able to see the world through their eyes in an unexpected way.

It’s usually subtle, but it feels monumental. With this script, I tried my best to create those moments. Sometimes they’re impossible to force, and it’s magic that happens the day of filming when you have a really good actor. But I wanted to lay the groundwork for moments like these to exist onscreen.

Scott: Last question. Do you have a single best piece of advice for screenwriters?

Colton: I forget who said it, but follow the headlights. Especially when you’re starting out. As a perfectionist, I found it terrifying writing scripts at first because I knew they were bad as I was writing them. Or I didn’t have the ending figured out, which kept me from even starting.

But if you know who your character is, that’s enough to get going. As you write, you’ll uncover what they’re going through and where they’re headed. Slowly, piece by piece, the story will take shape. If you keep at it, you’ll eventually reach one hundred pages.

And I’ll add that it takes writing many scripts for your skill to catch up with your taste. That’s one of the most frustrating parts when you’re starting out, because you know that your writing doesn’t live up to your expectations. But to get there, you have to keep following the headlights.

Scott: I think that quote may be E.L. Doctorow who said, “Writing is like driving in the fog.”

Colton: Exactly.

Scott: “You can only see as far as your headlights, but you could make the whole trip that way.”

Colton: That’s it.

For Part 1, go here.

Part 2, here.

Part 3, here.

Part 4, here.

Part 5, here.

Colton is repped by 42 Management & Production.

For my interviews with every Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner since 2012, go here.