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[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/fablehouse.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Cassie-Doyle-2-feat-res.jpg” alt=”Cassie Doyle screenwriter” title_text=”Cassie Doyle screenwriter” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
There are a few ingredients to a successful screenwriting path that are critically overlooked by the public that simply sees a writing credit and the finished movie:<\/p>\n
Okay, maybe that\u2019s not every screenwriter\u2019s specific path, but that\u2019s how Cassie Doyle<\/a> did it.<\/p>\n Cassie is a screenwriter who has written prolifically over the past five years. Specifically, she has thrived in the niche of Christmas-themed movies for the Lifetime network. She has written The Christmas Contract<\/a>, Radio Christmas<\/a>, A Christmas in Tennessee<\/a>, The Road Home For Christmas<\/a>, and most recently: The Christmas Aunt<\/a>. She spoke to us about her process as a screenwriter, her path into it, and the collage of components that come together to make a good movie work.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n I\u2019ve read through your Instagram critiques of movies and television that came out over the past year or so. My informed hunch is that outside of your own screenwriting, you\u2019re also an avid movie-watcher\/critic (I am in total passionate agreement that Bo Burnham\u2019s Inside<\/a> is a must-watch). What have you seen recently that blew your mind, and what have you seen that made you go, \u201cOh no, everybody needs to turn this off and shun it immediately.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n “I recently watched The Man from U.N.C.L.E.<\/a> on a plane\u2013it\u2019s from 2015 I believe\u2013and that one really blew me away. It\u2019s a reminder of what a really good heist\/spy\/action thriller can look like. There are so many mediocre ones\u2013I also watched Uncharted<\/a> on the same plane\u2013and also The Lost City<\/a> on a recent plane, and although they aren\u2019t spy thrillers, they are sort of in that same genre of action\/mystery. I delved into why they aren\u2019t very compelling; when you look at their scripts, they are interesting and pretty solid and yet, the movie feels so mediocre. And I think a lot of that has to do with the details that many studios feel are probably not important. The Man from U.N.C.L.E. has so much cinematic style\u2013it has a very purposeful way it\u2019s edited that makes it unique and also it has a soundtrack. So many films these days don\u2019t have a soundtrack. It\u2019s crazy. I think these little things show how you can elevate a script and conversely, deflate one.”<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n You\u2019ve written five Christmas tv movies in just about the past four years. Thematically, there\u2019s often an element of small-town charm mixed with a sense of a community bonding together over a shared conflict or goal, like a town coming together to stop a real estate developer. How does the development process work for one of your scripts – does the network approach you looking for a certain type of movie, or do you write a script and then pitch it?<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n “I started out writing the first few movies as a script and pitched it to them that way\u2013I feel like you have to do this when you\u2019re first starting out. Now, I pitch concepts; but even then I feel like if you really want to sell something you should write the script first. In terms of concept, people watch Christmas movies to feel cozy and warm; so writing a movie about the hustle and bustle of the city wouldn\u2019t really work for this specific genre.”<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/fablehouse.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Cassie-Doyle-1.jpg” alt=”Cassie Doyle screenwriter” title_text=”Cassie Doyle screenwriter” show_bottom_space=”off” force_fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”13px” text_letter_spacing=”2px” text_orientation=”center” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Cassie Doyle<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Your professional niche thus far has been writing films with a plot centered around Christmas. How did you find yourself in the realm of Christmas movies?<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n “I was an assistant at A+E Networks<\/a> for two years. My boss was the head of scripted content at Lifetime<\/a> and I read about 200 Christmas script submissions. After the 95th one, I found myself saying, \u201cI can write a better Christmas movie than this.\u201d And so I challenged myself to do it. I came to my boss and was like hey, I have two Christmas movies\u2013I\u2019m not sure I can do anything with them because I work for a creative company, but she was insistent that I submit them to Lifetime and that she would make sure they would be \u201ccarved from my contract\u201d so to say; so that I own them and not the company. This is something that\u2019s important to think about if anyone is working at a creative company\u2013read all your contracts and make sure you independently own your own work. After that I was really lucky, Lifetime only greenlit six original Christmas movies at the time and they picked both of my scripts. I owe a lot to the supportive team at Lifetime\u2013my boss, my colleagues, and even the higher-ups were all so encouraging.”<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n I\u2019m talking on the micro inside-a-single-day level here: What does your writing process look like? How does your day play out with structuring a script, writing it, or outlining a plot?<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n “I\u2019m a hot mess in terms of structure to my day. I used to be a lot more disciplined, but since COVID I\u2019m kind of all over the place. Thinking about yesterday, I wrote out a to-do list which included a watch list, brainstormed some ideas for a movie I want to write. This is the very early stages so I\u2019m trying to figure out the overall plot. Then I hopped on a phone call about a pitch I have\u2013we attached some talent to the project. Then I had to write out a thoughtful email in concerns to that pitch. And I\u2019m also working on writing things up for my travel website from my recent trip to Europe. I also have two Airbnbs that I manage, so I had a couple things to answer\/do in regards to that.<\/p>\n I would say that\u2019s pretty typical.”<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/fablehouse.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/the-road-home-for-christmas-01.jpg” alt=”the road home for christmas cassie doyle movie” title_text=”the road home for christmas cassie doyle movie” url=”https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt10700392\/” url_new_window=”on” show_bottom_space=”off” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”13px” text_letter_spacing=”2px” text_orientation=”center” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n “The Road Home for Christmas”<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n As someone who has written several movies centered around a specific holiday with a certain tone – for example, it\u2019s unlikely you would be able to throw a plot twist into one of your films about a series of Christmas serial murders – where do you draw creative inspiration to write about a theme you may have done before but to do it with a sense of inspiration or creative fulfillment? <\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n “There are always creative challenges to these films; most of the time it\u2019s how can I make this super compelling and interesting to watch within the budget. I wrote a road trip Christmas movie<\/a> that was fun but challenging because of all the locations you need. So having to think about how to reuse certain locations or sets, limiting speaking characters, etc. to make sure the movie could feasibly get done was rewarding. In Radio Christmas there was a twist ending to it that was really fun to write and watch\u2013I enjoy writing Mystery so that one was creatively tough to figure out, as all mysteries are. I remember one time\u2013I was still working at A+E\u2013I got a couple co-workers to sit down with me at my cubicle to help me bounce ideas off of them, because I was stuck at a certain point.”<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n You are a world traveler and have been\u2026well, kind of everywhere. Do you find your travel experiences impact your writing?<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n “Absolutely. And in different ways than you might think. I wrote a summer camp pilot called \u201cSleep Away\u201d based off of my experience doing the Full Moon Party<\/a> in Thailand. Basically, everyone at the hostel stayed there for five nights and we kind of did everything together\u2013including playing a few summer camp-type games and so I named all the characters after the friends I made in Thailand.<\/p>\n And in more obvious ways, I\u2019m writing a global spy\/action type mystery right now and without giving too much away, I found out recently that something that\u2019s important to my movie is hidden in a town in Sri Lanka I\u2019ve spent a lot of time in. So, yes, it helps a lot.”<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n What do you feel is most important to establishing a quality script? Is it structure, voice, emotional impact? <\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n “Like I said before, film is so collaborative\u2013you can write the best movie ever written but in the hands of bad actors or a bad director, it\u2019ll seem super cheesy and weird. And vice versa. I also think certain aspects are important to certain genres. Plot doesn\u2019t really matter in a coming-of-age film\u2013it\u2019s about characters and dialogue. But, plot is crazy important when you\u2019re making a who-dun-it like Knives Out<\/a>. So it just depends.”<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n I want to go back to Cassie Doyle: Origins. When did you first realize you wanted to be a professional screenwriter, and what path did you take to get there?<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n “I\u2019ve always been a storyteller, I\u2019ve been journaling since I was 12. But when I was 16, I wrote a novel or novella really. And it was terrible. I really didn\u2019t care about writing the flowery stuff. It was mostly dialogue and specific action lines. I cared more about what the camera was doing than going into paragraphed tangents. So, that\u2019s when I realized that I was a screenwriter only.”<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n What kind of goals do you currently have creatively? Is there a specific project that you\u2019d love to write or a collaboration you\u2019d love to be a part of?<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n “My short-term goals are to get hired in a writer\u2019s room for a tv show. And to keep making movies.<\/p>\n