She Flees to Structure – A Screenwriter’s Refuge When Writing Prose
Featured In: Brevity
This article is featured in Brevity Blog.
What happens when a seasoned screenwriter steps out from behind the camera and tries to tell her own story on the page? In this post, M. Tamara Cutler explores the surprising tension between film writing, which demands total emotional distance, and prose, which asks the writer to show up fully in her own voice. She describes how structure became her anchor while adapting a complex true story and how the tools of screenwriting helped her navigate a memoir that blends fact, memory, and narrative drive.
If you are curious about how cinematic storytelling can shape creative nonfiction, this behind-the-scenes look at her process offers an honest and fascinating window into both worlds.
