The longtime chairman of UCLA’s legendary graduate program in screenwriting, Richard Walter reflects the writer’s spirit contained within each human being. His latest book, Essentials of Screenwriting: The Art, Craft, and Business of Film and Television Writing, follows in line of his published works that include novels and screenwriting books. The common refrain? Story is everything. We talked with Walter about the importance of telling good stories.

What determines creative and great writing within a screenplay?

Great screenwriting is integrated, that is, every sight and sound (which is all you get to put in a screenplay) palpably, measurably, identifiably moves the story forward and, in doing so, advances the audience’s connection with the characters.

When you compare the recent films, Inception, The Social Network and Fair Game, what techniques were used by each writer to ensure great characters and story development?

I loathed Inception, which struck me as shrill and overbearing. It had no great characters, in my opinion. Never saw Fair Game. Social Network succeeds by making all the characters human; there are no real villains.

What role should television and film (informative, entertaining or commercial) play in educating the public about crucial issues?

It should just try to tell good stories. As soon as it tries to teach lessons, it becomes intellectual and self-conscious and heavy-handed, worst of all, it becomes boring.  No worthy cause was ever helped by a boring movie. Informative, entertaining and commercial are not mutually exclusive enterprises. In the great dramatic narratives since the early Greeks; the best stories work together and manifest a synthesizing influence on the audience.

Why should someone study film/media studies in 2011 considering the economic state of the film/journalism business versus, say, accounting?

They shouldn’t. If they can possibly avoid studying film, they should do so. No one who is not absolutely compelled to enter the arena should take on this elusive and daunting field.

Writers and directors like Steven Spielberg have worked in a variety of genres (action, drama, comedy). How does a writer avoid being type cast into one line of work (comedy or drama)?

You can’t control what others think of you. Forget about everything but what matters to you, plumb your passion and don’t try to gear yourself for how others may categorize you.

How has the role of the entertainment evolved to the present day?

It hasn’t evolved. It’s the same as it was thousands of years ago in ancient Greece. It’s all about story.

What did your professors teach you that influenced you as a writer/teacher?

To salute the courage that it takes to declare yourself an artist to live the creative life, to swap your day dreams for dollars and to traffic in your own imagination.

–interview by Darrell Banks

What’s your favorite story?