1. Tell us about yourself and your most current project/s?
I’ve been writing as long as I can remember. As a kid I had pretty bad dyslexia which impacted my confidence. I was a very shy kid in my earlier years, but after writing and reading and really finding a passion for it, I was able to grow out of my shell. I started writing short stories, poems, and novels. What started as a lucid dream, spanning thirty days straight, I laid out the foundation for my Young Adult Fiction series, The Adventures of Benjamin Manry. The story combines elements of all my favorite things: The Goonies, Back to the Future, Count of Monte Cristo, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Master & Commander. After I finished writing that series, I self-published, figured out how to get into bookstores and coordinated book signings across the country (I was dressed like a pirate, so it was pretty cool). A little over a decade ago, I switched into writing screenplays and got sucked into the vacuum that is film production. At any given time, I’m juggling a bunch of projects, but the one I’m most excited for is called Back on the Water, which is inspired by true events where in 1924, Bill Havens, Sr. was tasked with the impossible decision to represent Team USA at the Paris Olympic Games or staying home to watch the birth of his son. Twenty-eight years later, Frank Havens boards a ship to Helsinki, Finland to the 1952 Olympic Games, vowing to bring home the gold medal his father should have won.
2. Where did the inspiration/idea come for this for this project?
Ironically enough, I was at a friend’s wedding when the Catholic priest was giving a sermon about the ultimate sacrifice, and talked about love/persistence/perseverance. After hearing the incredible story about the Havens family, I reached out to, shortly thereafter meeting the family for lunch. First came an authorization agreement, then after writing a script that performed well at a few festivals, got the life rights to the story. I raised money for development, built out a team and have been working towards bringing this incredible idea to life.
3. What does the writing process look like for you?
The hardest part about writing is finding the time out of your busy day to commit to sitting down and thinking/brainstorming/writing. Inevitably, there’s a whole lot of research, rewriting, and moving things around in the best effort of ‘doability’, which is a term I like to use when producing. You have to do, what you have to do, to get the story out. I like to do early morning writing sessions when my brain is fresh and there are little to no distractions. You need to make time to pursue your writing. It’s just like finding time to go to the gym.
4. How do you handle writer’s block?
I’ve been pretty lucky to not have really been affected by writer’s block. I think because I dabble with so many different genres or projects at varying stages, I can pretty effectively switch between projects and stay fresh with whatever the new tasks at hand are. By simply being busy and moving from creative project to creative project, it helps me with any stoppages or ‘writer’s blocks’ so to speak.
5. How do you feed your creativity when feeling drained?
I like to read a book or watch a tv series/movie - or sometimes doing writer/filmmaker workshops and having conversations with other people doing similar things - that usually helps refill the gas tank of my creativity.
6. What advice would you give writers’ who feel stuck or uninspired?
Keep at it. You’ll only fail if you quit. Otherwise, every time you fall, stumble, or get knocked down...just get back up. Surround yourself with people that have that mindset, build your team, and then move the mountains.
7. Have you ever thought about giving up writing? If so, what pulled you back?
Great question - I’ve never thought about giving up writing, but I have sometimes dabbled with the thoughts of giving up production. It is soooooo incredibly time consuming. Producing a project, especially a feature film, from idea, to script, to funding, production, post, and securing distribution... it can take many years. It’s back-breaking work. You’ll get about a thousand rejections before getting that one yes, but it’s like golf. It’s a frustrating sport until you get that wonderful shot that lands on the green and ya sink that long putt to convince you to come back and play again later. For me, writing has always doubled as a therapy, so there’s never been any inclination to give up. I guess, if I slowed down on my film production, I’d ramp up on the writing and maybe get back into doing more of my solo projects.
8. How do you keep your voice or ideas fresh over time?
I often will reread and then update an older script or project - try to keep any technology reliant story updated as often as possible. For ideas, I like to keep an open mind in my day to day, whether it is in a conversation or seeing an ad on social media. Every once in a while, inspiration strikes randomly, and you just need to keep your ears and eyes open for anything that comes your way!
9. What do you wish more people understood about the creative process?
The amount of time and dedication that goes into it. I’ve seen so many ‘haters’ just bash a film or a book and give a low rating/review. To be honest, it is so harmful for the project. What that final product contains is thousands and thousands of hours of a dedicated and passionate team that is trying to make something special. It’d be like strapping on pads and a helmet and then running the famous Statue of Liberty trick play against an NFL team, just because you were moments ago, yelling at your TV thinking you could do better...sorry to break it to ya, you probably can’t. Though that just gave me an idea for a new TV series. See what I did there? Cool, right?
10. What is the most honest thing you’ve ever written - and did it scare you?
Because Back on the Water is based on real events and inspired by things close to my heart, I would hands down say that project is the most special to me. It’s raw and honest.
Where can our audience find you and/or your work?
Personal website: www.owenpalmiotti.com
BOTW film project website: www.backonthewatermovie.com
IMDB: https://pro.imdb.com/name/nm6236060
