You Asked ... Melissa Rosenberg,"Twilight" Series, "Dexter"

We are thrilled to have Melissa Rosenberg as our November Featured Screenwriter.

The head writer and producer for Showtime's Dexter, Rosenberg also wrote the screenplays for the Twilight series (from the novels penned by Stephenie Meyer). Dexter is currently in its fourth season. Twilight: New Moon, the second in the saga, opens November 20.

Rosenberg launched her screenwriting career with the box-office smash Step Up, and has hours of TV credits, including Ally McBeal, Party of Five, Boston Public, The Outer Limits and Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.

She earned her B.A. in dance and theatre from Bennington College in Vermont, with a goal toward becoming a choreographer. When she moved to Los Angeles, she pursued a different avenue: writing.

Rosenberg, who says she approaches the blank page "with terror," believes it's essential for a writer to learn the craft of screenwriting.

"Talent is one thing," she says, "but it's useless without craft. Take as many classes as you can, with as many different teachers as you can. Go to lectures by screenwriters, talk to screenwriters, create a writing group, and always, always keep writing and getting feedback. I'm still learning about the craft and don't plan to stop."

Rosenberg shares more tips and discusses her writing process for both TV and film in her answers to queries from the StoryLink Community.

Those whose questions were chosen will receive a The Dialogue: Learning from the Masters DVD (Winner's Choice) from The Writers Store.

When working on popular adaptations, how closely do you work with the authors of the source material? I'm an avid fan of both Dexter and Jeff Lindsay's novels, and while they work concurrently, there are definite differences between the paths several of the characters take. – Dana Hahn

Regarding your first question: on the first movie, Twilight, I actually was (unnecessarily) protective of my writing process and tried to maintain some distance from [author] Stephenie [Meyer]. I had a larger-than-life idea of who such a successful writer might be and was afraid my “voice” might be subsumed. I quickly realized, though, that I had nothing to fear; and that in fact she was a tremendous resource and a valuable collaborator. I utilized her increasingly on New Moon, and even more so on Eclipse, mining her for ideas, insight, backstory, and most importantly, feedback. She became not only an important part of my writing process, but also a dear friend.

As for your second question - the first season of Dexter, we used the first novel as the framework for the season. But, because there were 12 hours of television to deliver, we did a lot of inventing and filling in, creating character arcs, twists and turns that developed the characters away from where Jeff Lindsay was taking them. So the series and the books have landed in pretty different places.

Working on such successful movies and television series must bring on the additional pressure of trying to maintain that success and expectations. What do you do to "kick it up a notch" when what you write is already at the top? – Stephanie

The pressure could easily become paralyzing. If I focused on the outside world’s expectations, or even my own, I’m sure I’d go nuts. So I try to focus on the work at hand, the here and now – the story in front of me. It’s surprising as a writer to be getting such wonderful attention and support. But ultimately, you wake up the next morning to face the blank page. It’s very humbling. Getting a lot of attention doesn’t mean you’re getting any more brilliant ideas.

I was wondering where your inspiration for the writing of Dexter episodes come from. I have been watching Dexter from the start and I find that he is one of the most unique characters I have come across in a long time. From his need to kill to his "love" for his wife and kids. He is a very different character from the normal cookie cutter range I have seen in other television shows. You do an excellent job of writing this show. Keep up the great work. – Mario

Thanks for your kinds words, Mario. Sitting around the Writers’ Room with my fellow Dexter writers is where the inspiration comes from. We stare at the empty dry-erase boards, we bang our heads against the wall, we offer up terrible idea after terrible idea until someone’s bad idea gives someone else a good idea, then the other writers jump on that train until it’s developed. Our ideas for Dexter episodes are often borne out of the question: “What journey can we take Dexter on next?” Dexter’s series-long arc is an exploration of what it is to be human. A great Dexter episode explores some aspect of humanity and Dexter’s off-kilter perspective on it. That’s when we know we’ve got a good story.

When adapting a novel for the screen, especially one as loved as Twilight, how do you determine what parts go into the film and what parts don't? Especially under the potential wrath of crazy fans? – Kelsey

The most important element to bring from the book to the screen is the emotional journey of the characters. That should never be sacrificed. There are important scenes and plot points that enable those characters to go on that journey, and they become the framework of the story. As to what parts don’t make it in… I guess I’d say… in a novel, conversations that last for chapters can be utterly compelling. Certainly that’s true for the Twilight books. But film is a visual medium, and you want to keep it engaging visually. So it’s probably those conversations that tend to get pared down the most, condensed or cut.

So much of the way Dexter is written is internal thought processes, and the "dark rider" who seems to be an alter-ego of Dexter operates almost as an additional character. I'm wondering how difficult it was to write to this character (the dual-faceted Dexter)? – Deborah

I love writing for Dexter’s character because he’s so complex, and has such conflicting elements to his personality. His secret, alter-ego is the source of so much of the show’s humor. But his voice-over can also be the hardest part to write – it often distills a scene or an episode or an emotional arc down to its most minimal form. It’s like writing haiku; the fewer words the better. But those words need to say so much.

When creating smoldering romantic chemistry between characters, what are some of the most magical/powerful equations between dialogue and action that absolutely "grabs, locks and loads" the female audience? What the heck is the secret to writing romantic chemistry? – Joann

For me, I guess it’s about what’s not said in a scene. The subtext. It’s also the conflict between two characters; the obstacle keeping them apart, together with the longing drawing them together. But of course, you can’t actually write chemistry. I could write the sexiest scene ever, but if two actors were cast who didn’t have chemistry, the scene would still fall flat. I – we – got very, very lucky with Rob [Pattinson] and Kristen [Stewart] for Twilight]!

When did you start feeling the inspiration to write screenplays? How many other scripts did you write before Step Up and how many drafts did you write for Step Up before selling it? – Giselle

I always loved writing, even as a kid. But I didn’t understand until my late 20s that it could be an actual career for me. That came from working around “the business” and meeting other writers. Once I saw that it was possible, I began to pursue it. I’d written many screenplays before Step Up, but none of them were ever produced. I did, however, have the good fortune to work steadily in TV episodic drama, so most of my writing was in television prior to Step Up.

Do you find it more challenging to write from original ideas, or to adapt from another source, such as a novel? And why do you feel this way? What steps do you take in both processes? – Louise

I don’t think there’s anything harder than starting from a blank page. Adapting a novel comes with its own set of challenges, which vary in difficulty depending on how cinematic your source material is (mine, for Twilight, was terrific). But even if your source material gives you nothing more than a title, that’s still more than if you were inventing it out of thin air.

How closely do you map out the entirety of the season for a show such as Dexter? Do you have a theme for the season or is there more fluidity that occurs as the writing progresses?– Eden

We map out the entire season when we first start meeting in February. We figure out where we want to end, then work on creating the stepping stones to get us there. But many, many things are invented over the course of the months it takes to write a full season. These things often change the course of events. But we always know what our end goal is.

As a writer who has written for both film and T.V., what do you see as the main differences in writing for those two mediums? As a writer, how do you have to jump mentally and technically from T.V. writing zone to feature writing zone? – Bill

T.V. writing is much more collaborative. You have a staff of writers who sit around in a room all day inventing a story. It’s energizing, exhausting, inspiring, hilarious, and frustrating. It’s a little like being on a submarine together. At one point you’re going to hate each person in that room, and they’re going to hate you. It’s like family that way. In the end, you love them all, but it takes navigating a lot of personalities, and that takes energy.

Writing features, it’s just you alone in your little office with your keyboard. You don’t have to listen to anything but your own creative voice. There are no office politics to deal with, no feelings to hurt, no one to piss you off. Then again… there’s no room full of talented, creative people at the end of the hall that you can run to any time you’re stuck.

I love doing both equally, but both come with their own sets of challenges. Jumping back and forth has been perfect for me. Just when I need a break from the writing room, I get to go home and write a feature. Just when I start getting lonely in my little office, I get to go back into that writing room with some of my favorite people in the world - writers.