Cole Quirk is a screenwriter, director and playwright that grew up in Blue Bell, a small town outside of Philadelphia. Intent on becoming a prosecutor, she received her BS in Crime, Law and Justice from Penn State and attended New England School of Law in Boston. She then worked in private Criminal Defense in Philadelphia and Intellectual Property Law on Wall Street.

Her passion for writing led to an MFA in Screenwriting from UCLA. She trained in sketch and improv comedy at Upright Citizen’s Brigade NY & LA, Second City Chicago, The People’s Improv Theater NY, and her comedic play I’m Jennifer Mother F*cking Lawrence which she wrote and directed premiered to critical acclaim in the Hollywood Fringe Festival June 2019. She assisted writers on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (CBS), The 100 (CW), Resurrection (ABC), Scream (MTV), and Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist (NBC). She sold a murder mystery feature to The Hallmark Channel and was a staff writer on Justified: City Primeval (FX).

When she’s not writing or directing, Cole is at the theater seeing a musical, which has been a passion since childhood. Her love of fashion led to her volunteering at New York Fashion Week, bingeing Project Runway and working as a stylist for clothing subscription service Stitch Fix. She also taught storytelling at UCLA Extension and currently teaches at De Anza Community College.

Cinematic Talks:

1- Many people take different roads to become successful screenwriters. Walk us through your specific journey!

What unique experiences, or unexpected detours led you to a writer’s room? What specific skills did you gain that helped you that you believe are crucial for success?

Cole Quirk:

I thought I wanted to be a prosecutor, so I studied the legal system in college, did a semester abroad in the Netherlands that focused on domestic versus international justice systems, and upon graduation went right to law school. Looking back, I would have done an internship at a law firm during college to better understand if that path was right for me. Instead, I went right into law not really knowing what to expect. I was hoping for big theatrical courtroom speeches with the judge banging the gavel for my victory as the bad guy was taken away forever. Instead, it was a lot of paperwork at a sad looking desk shoved into the corner of a windowless room. Suddenly, I felt trapped in a career I no longer wanted. Nevertheless, she persisted.

I worked in criminal defense and intellectually property law until I found the fun again taking improv and sketch comedy writing classes. Those led me to a sitcom writing class, showing me that a career in TV was possible. I then applied to graduate school out west, knowing I needed to be in Los Angeles to understand how the whole business worked. I got into a master’s program, moved to LA, did internships at different businesses in the entertainment industry and from there, started working on television shows, starting at the bottom. The rules and skills of improv can easily be applied to all aspects of life, including in a writers’ room. It’s about active listening, thinking quickly, participating in teamwork, and building upon ideas. I highly recommend taking an improv class to anyone interesting in working in entertainment.

Cinematic Talks:

2- What are some surprising aspects of being a screenwriter that most people wouldn’t know about? What’s the most rewarding part?

On the flip side, what are some of the biggest challenges you face in this crazy world of film and television?

Cole Quirk:

It’s surprising how long things can take. You can write on a show that doesn’t premiere for another two years. You can have a documentary, or a feature film, in development for much longer than that. On the flip side, the most rewarding aspect is seeing it get made. You spend so much time talking about something, or writing something, and then suddenly you’re on set and what was in your head is now real and in front of you.

« The biggest challenge is work consistency. »

It’s rare you have a writing job that will give you work for more than a few months at a time, so it’s all about being smart financially, supporting yourself in other ways when you need to, and to keep being creative by making things.

Cinematic Talks:

3- Can you walk us through your creative process? How do you transform a spark of an idea into a compelling script that makes audiences jump out of their seats? What themes are you usually drawn to write about?

Cole Quirk:

A lot of ideas come from real life experiences. They start from a grain of truth and then get heightened into something wickedly funny or twisted into something much darker. Grounding ideas in reality is important for me so that people can emotionally connect to the story and characters. I’m drawn to themes that link to my life, like starting over, a fish out of water, and being an underdog, often focusing on female leads. It’s not easy to be a woman, especially in America, so telling empowering female stories is important to me to provide hope. It’s also to show those that might be struggling that there are ways to move forward, just like the characters do. I also like to give the audience a break from their tough day with an entertaining show. That was what initially brought me to TV. Working in law, unhappy, not sure how to get out or what I could do, so I would go home from a rough day and watch sitcoms. Anything to help me relax and escape, even just for half an hour. It really saved me, giving me a reason to smile, so I’d like to pay it forward.

Cinematic Talks:

4- With the ever-changing landscape of film and television, what are your thoughts on the industry’s evolution in the coming years? What exciting trends or developments do you foresee?

Cole Quirk:

While I can’t begin to make predictions, I do hope that those with their finger on the greenlight button will take more chances. Whether it be on someone with not as many credits or as big of a name, or a story that isn’t celebrity driven, if the passion and talent is there it will find an audience. I want more projects to get made and seen, not shelved for tax write offs. There are so many amazing films and TV shows that we’ll never get to see due to business strategies creatives are not privy to. I hope that upper-level writers will support or mentor those below them. We’re coming in at a time that it’s even more challenging to rise in the ranks due to smaller episode orders and quick cancellations. Let’s help each other.

Cinematic Talks:

5- As a woman rocking it in this industry, what’s it really like to navigate the industry? What unique superpowers do you think women bring to the table? What is your most important piece of advice for young women who are ready to conquer the film and television world?

Cole Quirk:

I can’t quite agree that I’m rocking it yet, but I’m still here, I’m still in it, and that is a win. There’s no clear way to navigate this industry since everyone’s paths are different. Be nice to people, write great material, and stick with it. Our superpower is that we’re underestimated. While that might not seem like a power, it can be enough to fuel women just a little bit more. You don’t think I can do it? Watch me. To those who are still on the outside, if you’re ready, then jump in. Submit your feature to that competition. Shoot that short film and send it to festivals or just throw it up online.

« You don’t have to wait for permission.

Just do it.«