The Heart Of A Story: A Discussion with writer Victoria Male
Photo Credit: Jackie Male
If you really think about it, storytelling is one of the oldest professions known to man. It was around before modern-day medicine. In fact, I’m willing to bet people told stories before even rudimentary medicine. Plus, it isn’t going to go away. Almost all of our entertainment is derived from stories. The act of creating fiction is one of which every human being is capable, but which few do well. One of those select individuals is Victoria Male.
Victoria is a Los Angeles-based writer and producer whose entire career has revolved around stories in one way or another and, at this point in her career, she’s gotten very good at it. In February 2024, her script SCULPTED, a fresh take on the Greek myth surrounding Pygmalion, was one of fourteen stories featured on The Love List, classifying it as one of the best unproduced romance-centered screenplays and television pilots of the year. Additionally, she was a 2023 Academy Nicholl Fellowship Finalist and her prose has appeared in various literary magazines, including Oranges Journal, The Chamber Magazine, and Carolina Muse to name a few. Up next on the docket, she is venturing into the audio drama space with ‘Murder Overboard‘ an upcoming series for the PocketFM app. And that’s just a small sampling of all she has done.
Putting down her proverbial pen, Victoria spoke with The FMC about how she became a professional storyteller, her favorite kind of tales to spin, the advice she’d give to other writers, and more.
You have a very diverse resume. How did you get started in storytelling?
First of all, thank you! And thanks for having me here on The Female Main Character!
Oh, you’re welcome!
I always joke that I came out of the womb wanting to tell stories, and my initial way into doing so was by participating in every school play that would have me. I grew up writing tons of stories, but never showed them to anyone. The first piece I wrote that was performed was during my senior year of high school. I wrote a one-act play about a man who ran his pizza place like a communist country. Naturally, it was called Little Stalin’s. [laughter] From there I studied theater and film at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and moved two weeks after I graduated from college to start interning and working in Los Angeles in front of and behind the camera.
That’s amazing! What are your favorite kinds of stories to write?
Oh man, that’s a tough one! I tend to start with an idea and what I want to say with the story, and then I decide the medium to best tell it in–feature, TV series, prose. Those three elements usually tell me what genre will serve the story best, and I go from there. All that being said, I tend to write historical drama and romantic comedy, because I am an unabashed history nerd and I love to try and make others laugh, respectively. That being said, I do have a horror-thriller and a grounded sci-fi piece in my repertoire too! [laughter]
Like I said, very diverse.
At the end of the day, no matter what I’m working on, I’m a feminist writer. Therefore I prioritize centering female voices in their own narratives and portraying men from the female gaze since we’re still facing such a dearth of media like that.
I love a female gaze movie or TV show. I mean, obviously. But ones that really nail it instantly have my heart. Which format do you think is your strong suit?
Right now I would say it’s screenwriting. I’ve written prose before and I’m starting to delve into writing for the stage and audio, but honing the craft of screenwriting has been my priority for the past decade.
Which of your upcoming projects are you most excited about?
I’m really excited about the audio drama I’m currently writing for the PocketFM app called “Murder Overboard”. It’s a really fun, splashy (pun intended), cozy mystery series that makes a great summer/beach listen. With all the heaviness in the world right now, it’s nice to be working on a delightful piece of “ear candy” every day.
And it will be nice to listen to it. To you what makes a good story?
I could write tens of thousands of words trying to answer this question and still not get there. For me, in the stories I tell, I always seek to mix high-concept with genuine heart. Balancing spectacle and escapism with relevant situations and relatable characters is my favorite kind of high-wire act. While I fully agree with the old adage “write what you know”, I feel it’s been interpreted too literally. I find that imagined circumstances different from my own are actually a more effective way to identify and articulate whatever inner predicament or emotional truth I’m working out in a script since there’s a healthy layer of separation. In an age where we’re hyper-aware of ‘messaging”, I believe storytelling is one of the last vestiges of creating empathy without being labeled as having “an agenda”.
That being said, how do you craft your characters?
Usually, I try to boil them down to an essential want or need so I can understand what their story is going to be and what they’re going to learn over the course of it. Once I get clear on those macro elements, (and they sometimes change when I actually write the character) I’ve used all sorts of wild and wacky ways to craft my characters. For my script SHOWSTOPPER which is based on true events, I looked up all the real figures’ astrological signs to help me develop the shorthand for each character and how they’d relate to each other.
I love that. That’s amazing.
Thank you. [laughter] In the case of my comedy pilot, SCULPTED, I was flipping the myth of Pygmalion on its head. Therefore, I felt my job with that script was to take the broad character sketches and tropes that the original myth provided, and then imbue them with more depth and modern sensibilities.
Photo Credit: Jackie Male
When you’re experiencing writer’s block, what inspires you?
Great question. I don’t try to force writing unless I have to. I find movement always helps, whether it’s going for a walk around my block or turning on some music and taking a dance break. I also like having at least a song, if not a whole playlist, that reminds me of the “vibes” of a script or story to turn to when I hit a block. I also will turn to whatever media I’m currently enjoying, even if it has nothing to do with what I’m writing. Inspiration can come from anywhere, so I try not to limit the art I consume. Sometimes the oddest things can provide the breakthrough you need.
That’s very important to remember. You touched on it earlier, but your script SCULPTED was featured in The Love List. It is also a short story. Which came first? How was the adaptation process?
Funnily enough, the script came first! I’ve loved Greek mythology since I was a kid, and wanted to write something that gave me as much joy as Disney’s Hercules and the classic sitcom “I Dream of Jeannie” with my own twist on it. A year after I wrote the pilot, I authored the short story version of SCULPTED. Whereas adaptation can be a tricky business, I surprised myself how quickly the story came out. I think it helped to pick one scene from the larger pilot script and really zero in on all the character, emotional, and setting details I can’t put in a script, but can do in prose. It was really enjoyable to get in my protagonist, Pygmalia’s, head more, and bring her environment to life with more specificity.
Speaking of The Love List, which is this very lovely new addition to the industry, how do you hope the industry continues to change?
I totally agree that The Love List is exactly what the industry needs more of! I was so darn honored to be included in the first-ever incarnation of the list and for SCULPTED to be named one of the best-unproduced romance scripts in Hollywood. I hope the industry continues to tell more female-centered stories with female-identifying artists in the major positions of power. Unbelievably, it’s something we still need to work on in entertainment in 2024.
I agree.
I’d also love to see the definition of what a feminist story is broaden and widen. I can’t help but feel that there’s a very narrow description of what a “strong female protagonist” and what a “female-led” story are. I wish for the feminine experience to be portrayed on screen and on the page in its total kaleidoscopic technicolor. Furthermore, I’d love to see more men written by women. I think it’s just as important as having women write women on screen. Men have been portraying our gender without our input for the better part of two millennia, and I think it’s high time we girls and femmes redress the balance. Honestly, I don’t think we can have a more equitable and feminist society if both genders don’t reevaluate our roles in society.
Love that. What advice do you have for other aspiring writers or people who have just started writing?
It’s not sexy, but really learning and honing your ability to write within a structure. Once I learn a medium’s structure, I know that I won’t get lost in the process of writing a story and will actually make it to “the end”. Also, take the pressure off your first draft. When I’m grinding out a first draft of something, I always think of the brilliant Jane Smiley quote: "Every first draft is perfect because all the first draft has to do is exist. It's perfect in its existence. The only way it could be imperfect would be to NOT exist."
I love that quote. To close, what FMC archetype do you relate to the most?
Ahhh, how do I choose only one!? I think I’m a mix of the Girl Next Door and the Nerd, who is secretly (or maybe not-so-secretly) dying to be a Femme Fatale.
