ANDRE BEGIN

When I meet up with friends that I haven’t seen in a while, and they ask me what I’ve been doing, when I tell them that I have been writing rom-coms, it always seems to put a smile on their faces.

It could be because they are a fan of the genre. Or perhaps they know someone who is a fan, and they know the enjoyment they get from them. Either way, romantic comedies are a part of our pop culture that seems to be having a moment right now.

When my friends put the puzzle pieces together, given what they know about me, I can see in their eyes that it makes sense to them.

Most people would probably call me a glass-half-full kind of guy who likes to focus on the positives in life. When you think about it, most romantic comedies need at least one lead character with a strong, optimistic outlook who helps propel the love story. Given what they say about “write what you know,” my sense of hope, potential and possibility are great tools in my toolbox for writing romantic comedy screenplays.

As much as I think people would say I’m balanced in that I can be serious when I have to, I also have a lighthearted side that can appreciate a good joke. I’d take it a step further in saying that my brand of humour can poke fun at the relatable, self-deprecating moments in life, perfect for getting an audience onside with the main characters.

I think the people closest to me would probably say that I am a romantic at heart. That being the case, telling stories about love, hope and lasting connection is probably within my wheelhouse.

Also, those who know me well know how much time I’ve spent watching TV and movies, appreciating the art form throughout my life. Why shouldn’t I give writing for television a chance?

Finally, my friends know how much I enjoyed writing over the course of my career. Writing for the fun of it in retirement does seem like a natural next step. On top of that, writing and editing lengthy documents never scared me. In fact, the more the merrier. Taking all that and committing to some type of long-form writing in retirement would not come as a surprise to anyone.

So far, after completing seven screenplays with the ideas for several more bubbling in the background, I think this activity was a right fit for me.
When a friend smiles when I tell them about my rom-com projects, I take that as a vote of confidence that, knowing that they know about me, going into this art form was probably meant to be.

Time will tell if the industry agrees.

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Sincere thanks for reading!
Have a great day,
André