We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Parker Whitmore. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Parker below.

Alright, Parker thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

It starts by immersing yourself in the craft — living and breathing the thing, whatever that “thing” is. I don’t care if it’s acting, accounting, or Ecuadorian bullfighting — making a commitment to the realities of what it takes, and is going to take, to learn anything worthwhile is as important as learning it outright.

It’s about cultivating the correct mindset. In the case of my writing, that’s driven by consumption. Books, movies, and television — reading and watching as much as possible, because you’re then able to graft this subconscious language onto your creative abilities and tastes. By living in that world of narrative you begin to understand what makes a good script, book, or story. Period.

Regardless of how cliche it sounds, I understand now that consistency is key. Writing is a craft. It can be taught and you can get better. Now, not everyone can be a great writer, but anyone can write to their own level of greatness. Which I know is a very esoteric, “Anyone can cook.”, type of thing to say — but if you practice the medium you grow in spite of yourself. It’s that simple.

Of course, there’s value in studying the craft — reading books on writing, dissecting movies, or watching video essays — but you can only do so much of that before it becomes counterproductive. A lot of writers, myself included, fall into this trap of spending so much time learning HOW to write that they forget TO write. We procrastinate. And it’s tricky, because you’re procrastinating in healthy ways. The truth is — even healthy activities can become a form of procrastination, which has been the biggest obstacle that still stands in my way. Recognizing that was a major hurdle.

In the end, it’s about striking a balance between doing things that are good for you and making sure those same things can’t keep you from your work. Although the Ecuadorian bullfighting seems a bit more straightforward…

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

This is an anecdote I share often, but, ultimately, I’m one of the many Midwesterners in California, chasing a dream in Hollywood. And frankly, I’m just trying convince my grandmother that moving to the West Coast was the “right” idea.

I went to school for film, and after a pretty intense game of attrition was able to find work in Los Angeles, but with an asterisk. I’m not a working writer. Sure, I’ve received some awards and won a contest or two, which is great affirmation, and proves that there are folks — complete strangers — anyone other than my mom, girlfriend, and goldfish — who think that what I have to say makes sense, and I’m still trying trying to wrap my head around that one, so I’ll leave my shameless plug for the end.

I began my career as a contributing writer and interviewer for ‘Film Threat’ and ‘We Got This Covered’ — two online publications focusing on film, television, entertainment news, and independent artists. Then, was fortune enough to find work at one of the world’s largest talent agencies, WME (William Morris Endeavor), and even that success didn’t happen overnight.

There’s always anxiety about when the next project will come or when success will arrive, and I’ve had plenty of moments where those doubts have got the better of me, but over time you learn how to stay positive. That’s been crucial to any success I’ve had thus far, and remains one of my biggest strengths.

I believe that great storytelling can thrive in any environment, scope, or setting. Whether it takes place in an Iowan cornfield, Shawshank Prison, or the Death Star — good stories can exist in any medium, anywhere.

Remember that shameless plug I mentioned? So far so good, grandma…

Awards and Accolades:

Second Rounder | Austin Film Festival Screenplay & Teleplay Competition (2024)
Quarterfinalist | BlueCat Screenplay Competition (2024)
Winner | Top 10 Finalist | Shore Scripts One-Hour TV Pilot Contest (2023)
Quarterfinalist | Final Draft Big Break Screenwriting Contest (2023)

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

It’s funny, I used to believe the most rewarding aspect of being a writer was that I could have a similar impact on audiences as the stories I love continue to have on me. I would think, “This story changed my life, so I want to create something that will change someone else’s life.” Which I’ve come to see as a tad pretentious and self-aggrandizing. Because it is.

The way I see it these days, writing isn’t about making an impact on others — although that might be a necessary symptom — it’s about articulating the world, how you see it, and human nature. You have to say something, and mean it.

In truth, I’m my first audience. If I can nerd out about whatever it is I’m doing, then all I can hope for is that others will too. You must share in that fandom, and believe it will carry you. Where humility meets confidence, you’ll find success. Not that I know what I’m talking about… You’ll also find a lot of black coffee and late nights, but we’ll save that for another interview.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

That the entertainment industry is, at large, a business. Yes, we’re all here to express ourselves. Yes, we’re all here to create art. And yes, we’re all here to sort of, in a way, change the world. But ultimately it IS a business. It’s a moneymaker.

Los Angeles is where art meets commerce. It’s called the film and televsion industry for a reason. If it was solely about art and money wasn’t involved, that’d be an entirely different thing. The truth is, writers, directors, cinematographers, authors — whoever — they still need to feed their families, pay their mortgage, and buy a Christmas sweater for their goldendoodle.

It’s sobering to suddenly realize that any of this is about money, as much as it’s about art. Yet, when you can thread that needle then everything else is gravy. You can have a legitimate career — but only when you find the balance between those elements.

That was a hard lesson to learn, but it’s what has allowed me to think more strategically about having a career instead of a hobby. You have to make your passion palpable. Full stop.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.parker-whitmore.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/parker-whitmore/

Image Credits

Mackenzie Cole