Lewis Benjamin Peck, Finalist

Lewis Benjamin Peck, Screenplay Finalist, LISP 3rd Quarter 2020

When did you start writing? How often do you write?

I first knew I loved to write was during my A-Level media course aged 17. We were tasked with creating a trailer for a film and after we completed it, I really wanted to write the screenplay to it. It was awful, but it gave me the encouragement to do my research and hone in my skills at university.

I’m always writing no matter where I am, I make notes on my phone for bits of dialogue or a future idea when I’m out and about, or I’ll be up until silly o’clock writing my screenplays. Basically, my mind never switches off when it comes to my work and I’ll always have my phone or laptop close to me in case inspiration strikes.

If I’m not writing TV pilots or feature films, I love to write short screenplays for my production company to produce. So far I have four short films and a five episode web series produced, all of which you can view at www.lbpproductions.com.

How does it feel to have your work recognised?

Amazing! It’s a very personal thing to give your work out to be judged, and while you have to have thick skin in this business, there’s no better feeling than to see it do well in competitions and receive such high praise.

What's the best thing and the hardest thing about writing a Screenplay?

The best thing by miles is seeing the reactions from your audience once it’s completed. My fiancée is usually the first to read them and I’m always so impatient waiting for her feedback, I remember her telling me she missed her bus stop as she was so engrossed in my screenplay. Late last year I had a screening for my web series and I really can’t describe how amazing it is to hear them laugh and clap.

As for the hardest part, I find keeping focus incredibly difficult. I find every few pages I’ll end up on Facebook or playing a game or doing something rather than writing. Then there’s the issue of thinking of a new idea while you’re currently writing another and wanting to start the new idea. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve started writing one and moved on to another. I probably have a good 20 unfinished scripts on my laptop right now.

How did you come up with the idea for your LISP selected screenplay? Is there a story behind your story? And, how long have you been working on it?

Turquoise all came about during lockdown, I thought about how people on their own must be struggling with the isolation and it really just sparked this idea. Overall it took a couple weeks to write, the first draft was written in just a few days, but once I finished it I found a deeper meaning in the story and gave it a few more edits.

Lastly, do you recommend writers to give it a go LISP?

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