Interview (Part 6): Sophia Lopez

My interview with 2021 Black List writer for her script A Hufflepuff Love Story.

Sophia Lopez wrote the original screenplay “A Hufflepuff Love Story” which landed on the 2021 Black List. Recently, I had the opportunity to chat with Sophia about her creative background, her script, the craft of screenwriting, and what making the annual Black List has meant to her.

Today in Part 6 of a 6-part series to run each day through Sunday, Sophia gives advice on how to learn the craft and try to break into the business.

Scott: What about dialogue? I asked this question. A lot of writers are like, “I don’t know.” It’s either you have it or you don’t. From a teaching standpoint, that’s depressing for students to hear that. Do you believe that people can learn to develop their skills at dialogue and if so, how do you find the voice?

Sophia: Absolutely. I mean, what do I know? But I definitely think, yeah. There was a professor when I was in school who told us to go sit on a bench in the middle of campus and listen to people’s conversations, and even try to write some of them down and transcribe them, so we could get a feel for how people actually talk.

Because like I said, I would be writing a scene where I’d be like, “I’m so sorry that your mother died two weeks ago in an accident that happened prior to the plot of this movie.” That kind of stuff. I needed the audience to know things, so I tried to put it all in one‑packed dialog thing. Then I remember this professor being like, “No. [laughs]

Sweetie, no. That’s not it.” She told me specifically, I’ll never forget this example, because I was like, “Oh, you’re so smart.”

She was, “If someone’s mother just died, I’m not going to go up to that person and say, I’m so sorry your mother died in a tragic accident and I’m really here for you if you need me after the funeral tomorrow afternoon at 4:00 PM.” I’m not going to say that.

I would say, “Hey, how are you doing? Let’s get a cup of coffee.” That’s all I’m going to say. Or like, “Hey, you want to get some coffee?” Then I was like, “Oh.” That little tweak definitely opened my eyes and I still think about it six years later or whatever it is.

Scott: That handling exposition is so key. I teach my students I say, “If you cut the conversation here and leave it dangling, now you create curiosity.”

Sophia: So true!

Scott: Final question: What advice do you have for someone who wants to learn the craft to try to make it as a Hollywood screenwriter?

Sophia: It’s so difficult because everyone’s journey is so different. For me, personally, the big thing was learning structure. That was, for me, huge.

Once you learn structure, you have the freedom to write, and consistently write things of quality because you have the structure nailed down. I know that there’s different…There’s sequence structure and three‑act structure. TV shows, sometimes, they’ll do five‑act structure, or four acts and a teaser, or whatever.

It’s not like you have to learn one and stick to it, but learning the theories and also the hero’s journey. Learning that and those charts where it puts familiar movies like “The Lord of the Rings,” through the hero’s journey, and “Harry Potter” through the hero’s journey. Learning those things were all helpful for me personally.

Also, surrounding yourself with people who are positive and believe in you, and are awesome, because I think there’s been so many times while I’ve been trying to pursue writing, where I’ve felt so discouraged. I’ve definitely been buoyed by my family and friends and the amazing people I work with. There have been so many mentors and people who have championed me and helped me and taught me. My manager John Zaozirny and my agents Matthew Doyle and Sara Nestor are always there for me and I feel really lucky.

It’s also cool to go through it with people who are in the same boat and pursuing the same goals. So you can all support each other. Because it’s hard. You get rejected a lot, so it’s definitely nice to have people who are on your side and rooting for you, and visa versa.

Scott: Those are valuable words of advice. William Goldman said, “Screenplays are structure.”

Sophia: Mm‑hmm.

Scott: I’m reminded, because there was an anecdote I heard back when I went to college. I took a music class, and the professor was talking about Igor Stravinsky. An amazing composer who broke a lot of conventions. The student asked him one time and said, “Maestro, don’t you feel constricted by the eighty eight keys of the keyboard? Don’t you wish that you could…?” He said, “No, no.” He says, “That’s my universe.”

Sophia: Yeah.

Scott: “Within that, I got total freedom to do whatever I want, but I know this is essentially the structure. Within that, I can do anything else I want.”

Sophia: I totally agree. It’s like, “Rules give you freedom,” ironically in this way, for me at least. Also, it’s so much easier, because when you have ideas, you know what to do with the ideas — how to structure them.

It’s not just like having ideas and throwing them into the abyss. You know where you can go with it and where you can take it, and what might be the obvious way to tell the story or what might be a different and fresh way to tell it. If you know the conventions, you also know how to subvert the conventions.

Scott: Right.

Sophia: Because a lot of people are like, “I don’t want to be too conventional. I want to do something really mind‑blowing.” But it’s like, “If you don’t know the conventions, you can’t do anything mind‑blowing, because you don’t know what the conventional way is to begin with.”

Scott: I have to ask: What do you love most about writing?

Sophia: It gives me a way to process everything in subconscious ways. It’s almost like, when I’m writing, I’m meditating on something going on in my life, my friend’s life, my family, or whatever. I’m processing it and externalizing it via fictional characters. It’s not too personal, but it’s extremely personal at the same time. It gives me freedom to explore thoughts, feelings, places and people.

I love it. It’s my life. I don’t know. I don’t have a good answer. [laughs]

Scott: That’s a great answer because it’s personal to you.

Sophia: Yes, that’s what it is. That sounds good. Let’s go with that. It’s personal.

For Part 1 of the interview, go here.

Part 2, go here.

Part 3, here.

Part 4, here.

Part 5, here.

Sophia is repped by Verve Talent and Literary Agency and Bellevue Productions.

For my interviews with dozens of other Black List writers, go here.