It's not everyday that you get a chance to chit chat with a writer. Especially, the writer that wrote hit movies such as Love&Basketball, The Secret Life of Bees and Beyond The Lights. Well, I've been chasing this specific interview for almost a year now and I finally got it! Check out the interview below featuring the talented, Mrs. Gina Prince-Bythewood.
Charisma: How long have you been writing?
GPB: I've been writing all of my life. I've been writing short stories forever. My parents saved one that I'd written was I was nine years old. It was called "The Very Clever Turkey". It was about a turkey who pretended to be a pig on Thanksgiving to protect himself from getting killed for dinner.
Charisma: If you got a chance to collaborate with any writer, who would you choose and why?
GPB: Honestly, no one except for my husband, Reggie. He's a writer as well. Writing is very personal for me. I am telling a story from my head and it would be difficult to share that process but, Reggie and I help each other a tremendous amount. We help provide each other with inspiration and blunt honesty.
Charisma: What advice do you have for upcoming writers?
GPB: It's important to write what moves you, love what you do, be passionate, do research and write, write and write. Never be satisfied! Beyond The Lights took four years and fifty-five drafts and during that time there were a tremendous amount of "No's". Being passionate about the story helped me overcome those no's by fueling my fight.
Charisma: Would you ever consider writing television shows?
GPB: I've done television before. I started on A Different World, which was one of my favorite shows. I also wrote for a show called South Central which starred Larenz Tate and the series Felicity. I sold Love&Basketball while working on Felicity. I wouldn't mind going back to TV if it was cable, but nothing compares to seeing your work in a movie theater.
Charisma: What was the inspiration behind Beyond The Lights?
GPB: I wanted to write a love story and a music film. I attended Alicia Keys concert and while she was singing "Diary", the story character Noni came into my head. From there, I started fleshing out the story and incorporating things from my personal life that I wanted to explore, such things as being adopted and tracking down my birth mother and it not going well. All of that relates to the movie in some way. Example; Noni's mother had her at an early age and was abandoned. Se realized her only escape was through her daughters talent. But putting so much of your own self-worth into your child can be damaging and in this case, almost deadly.
Photo credit: www.blackfilms.com, www.amazon.com
