Interview with Christina L. Hamlett
Interviewed by Jenna Glatzer

A former actress and theatrical director, Christina L. Hamlett is the author of 14 books, 98 plays and musicals, and over 150 published articles.  She writes for an independent film production company and has worked in the cable television market.  She also teaches an online writing course through fictionwriters.com.

What sparked your interest in writing?

Two things, actually. I’ve always been a voracious reader and grew up reading Agatha Christie, Victoria Holt, and the ever popular Nancy Drew Mysteries. (I’m sure if I hadn’t grown up to be a writer, I’d be off solving crimes somewhere.) The second thing was that I’ve always had an active imagination, the result of being an only child in a wealthy family. Since my parents weren’t keen on my idea of them adopting the Mouseketeers to be my brothers and sisters, I resorted to inventing stories about all the fun we would have had if I had gotten my way.

Actually it has had an influence on both my playwriting AND novels. Two of my best strengths as a writer are in crafting credible dialogue and setting scenes which are highly visual. Before anything goes on paper, it has already been rehearsed in my head, giving me a solid idea of what each scene should physically look like and how each character will talk and move.

It was in January of 1980 to the Boston-based publisher, PLAYS, and was a one-act Medieval comedy for high school students called "The Knight of the Honest Heart." The bulk of scripts I have sold the past 20 years, in fact, have been to this same company. The debt of gratitude I owe to owner Sylvia Burack and Managing Editor Liz Preston is immeasurable, for it was from the two of them that I learned more about what makes an entertaining—and commercial—script than from any other publisher I have ever dealt with. Interestingly, my first three-act play (sold to CONTEMPORARY DRAMA SERVICE in Colorado) was entitled "A Yankee Sweetheart in King Arthur’s Court", and my first hardcover novel was a romantic fantasy about Merlin called "The Enchanter." (Is anyone detecting a trend here?)

Describe what it feels like to see a performance of one of your plays. Is it exciting, difficult, scary, etc., to see a director and actors' different interpretations of your "vision?"

Well, after I get over the initial turbo-charge excitement of "Wow! They’re putting on one of my plays," it quickly segues into thoughts of "You idiot! That’s not the right line! Wait a minute—you were supposed to pause there! What if the doorbell doesn’t work? Does the butler know his fly is open? Speak up! You’re mumbling my best lines! Where did they get that ugly couch? And why is there a moosehead over the mantle? I didn’t write a moosehead into this script…."

In other words, my feelings are perfectly normal.

The primary difference is Space and Time—a physically compressed area in which to tell the entire story, coupled with the limitations of a time frame which is dictated by scenes and acts (i.e., "Later, the same day…" or "Ten years later"). It also needs to be remembered that plays are character/dialogue driven, while films are action/special effects driven.

Where would you suggest an aspiring playwright go to learn the basics of the craft? 

The best place to learn about writing for the theater is to actually go to the theater. Familiarize yourself with as many plays and styles as possible. It also helps to read scripts and study their structure. There is a book club called STAGE AND SCREEN, for instance, which not only offers a wide variety of how-to texts on the craft of scriptwriting but sells anthologies and individual plays as well. If your interest is in writing scripts for the big screen (or the small one), this seems like a good time to mention that I teach an innovative on-line class through Fiction Writers Connection. (www.fictionwriters.com), in which students receive extensive, one-on-one critiques of assignments completed over the course of six weeks.

What are some common mistakes new playwrights make?

Weak dialogue is the biggest mistake. What they need to remember is that something that reads wonderfully on paper can sound stilted and unnatural when actually spoken out loud. They also commit the error of making all of their characters talk exactly like, whether they are English gentlemen, Southern floosies, young children or 1930’s gangsters. Following dialogue, the next biggest mistake is writing superfluous background information that is never conveyed through words or action. Such "narrative-intensive" writers would probably be better off turning their talents to novels or short stories.

Payment for plays is a combination of advances + royalties, or outright purchase.

In addition to your 98 plays and musicals, you've also written over 150 magazine articles and 14 books, and you teach a screenwriting course. How in the world do you handle time management?

I’m incredibly well organized. Writing has also always come easily to me, which makes it seem more like fun than—oh, I don’t know—a real job? I am also blessed to be married to a man who is a wonderful cook, which is good because I tend to get absorbed in whatever I’m working on and would very likely forget to eat if he weren’t around to remind me.

My best critic also happens to be my best friend and husband, Mark. An excellent writer and editor himself, he is the first to read every article, chapter, or film scene as soon as it comes out of my printer.

What's one thing you wish you'd learned earlier about the business of writing?

That I could accomplish far more on my own than entrusting my career to an agent. Many new writers make the mistake of believing that the agent is hiring them to write, and accordingly, that their style or interest should be compromised in order to fit the agent’s desired profile. The fact of the matter is that you, the writer, are hiring the agent to sell. Having experienced 2.5 agents (one of them was half-time) who wanted me to just write romance novels because romance was all they knew how to represent, I realized that I’d be doing myself an injustice if I listened to them. Of the 14 books I have sold, 9 of them were negotiated on my own.

Any tips for querying?

Learn how to write concise introductory letters with a strong "hook." Never send a full script or even a partial unless specifically requested to do so. Always research the publishers and producers you want to sell to and strictly abide by their specifications. (i.e., Do not send your musical adaptation of BEOWULF to a company that only does contemporary comedies.)

Anything else you'd like to add for new writers?

In your quest to become rich and famous and pursue high-paying markets, never overlook the ones that pay little (or nothing at all). The priceless exposure one acquires from getting as widely published as possible is twofold: (1) You never know who is going to be reading your work and will seek you out to write something for them and (2) As writers, we’re all in this boat together. Any advice or inspiration you can impart to someone else to not give up on their talent is always worth the effort.

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