Check Out Cody DeTurk’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Cody DeTurk.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I think my journey as a screenwriter started when I would constantly play with dolls at age seven. It was all I wanted to do. If I didn’t have my dolls with me, I’d be off in the corner or under a table playing with crayons, spoons, and rocks. To me, they were characters with elaborate storylines. This is so dorky but, as a kid, I thought the coolest thing ever was that stories had hidden messages: be yourself, tell the truth, love conquers all, etc. I loved learning about life through stories. I didn’t like learning in school though. I spent most of the time making my crayons kiss under the desk. The first time I actually liked school was when we did creative writing. I wrote poetry, songs, short stories, and I started writing a memoir (it’s exactly what you’d think the memoir of a ten-year-old would be).

Going into high school, I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety. I didn’t feel like I could open up to anyone or even make sense of what I was feeling. Writing stories and songs allowed me to get out all of the scary, confusing stuff. It was hard to ask for the help that I needed because I was scared and embarrassed about it all. Something that really helped me at that age was seeing movies like Submarine (2010) and The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2014). Connecting with the characters in those movies made me feel less alone and that things were going to be okay. I kept quotes from my favorite movies on post-it notes all over my room.

Eventually, I was able to start going to therapy, and I worked up the courage to share my songs and scripts more. It meant the world to me when someone else could relate to my work. I tried to express the pain I was feeling and the hope that was getting me through it. I also tried to have more fun coming up with stories like when I was little. Scripts were more fun for me than writing in prose because I got to think about, and sometimes see, my work come to life. I took a dramatic writing course at the community college, and I got accepted to a Summer Program at Loyola Marymount for Screenwriting. My teacher at the summer program said, “anything can happen in a screenplay,” and to “write what scares you.” I was hooked. Not only did film nearly save my life, but I learned just how much of an impact it has on everyone else– how it shapes society. I realized I could tell the kind of stories that help people feel less alone. I saw the importance of writing about the scary and confusing stuff we all face. By the end of high school, I felt like I had grown so much and was finally able to cope with my mental illness.

I fell in love with LA that summer, and I was over the moon when I got into Loyola Marymount’s School of Film & Television. I’m from the Bay Area where there’s big tech, and in LA I feel like there’s such a special creative energy. In LA, no one will roll their eyes at you for being an artist. And in a progressive place with so much art and diversity and innovation, it’s kind of impossible to be a weirdo. It feels like a home for everyone, where no idea is too big or too dumb. Nowadays, I’m working with friends to finish editing my first short film, “Maybe I Don’t Actually Suck.” It’s a comedy about a teenage girl whose anxiety is personified as an evil intergalactic spy. I’ll also be starting my first film development internship next month. There’s definitely a business side to film. It takes more than passion, but I’m willing to learn the ropes if it means that one day, I might be able to make movies that inspire people as much as movies have inspired me.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Writing takes a toll on you, and I’m only at the beginning. I’ve met some professional screenwriters who just seem dead inside. Cranking out ideas, reading, writing, and rewriting can be mentally exhausting even if it’s something you like to do. It’s easy to let a project make you sleepless too. My first college screenwriting course brought on my first energy drink dependency.

My biggest challenge at the moment, though, is definitely a case of writer’s block that’s caused by anxiety and perfectionism. It’s common to confuse perfectionism with being detail-oriented, but it’s more like an active fear of failure. Sometimes if I get stuck while writing a story, or if I write something I don’t like, it feels like the end of the world. My anxious thoughts tell me I’ll never have a good idea again, I’ll never succeed, I’ll never be happy… it’s a downward spiral. Funny enough, writers have to come up with high stakes for their stories, but anxiety will do that automatically and all the time. Art can be so therapeutic too, so it’s hard when my mental illness prevents me from doing the thing that will help it. I talk to my therapist about this, and I’m learning to manage my perfectionism with mindfulness, self-compassion, and gratitude. I practice deep breathing, I say positive affirmations, and I make lists of what I’m thankful for. There’s also an exercise where you write something with plans to throw it in the garbage after, so it doesn’t have to be good. Artists have to make mistakes and fail. I’m learning that it’s a necessary part of the process and that you have to make bad art to make good art.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I write short films, features, and television pilots. I’d love to write for a show one day. In my scripts, I try to emulate my favorite movies and shows. They’re mostly tragicomedies or dark comedies. I like when a story is both funny and sad, goofy and serious, cartoonish and relatable (i.e., Bojack Horseman). I feel like they’re the best at capturing life in all its complicatedness. Plus, emotional rollercoasters can be very entertaining. I love genres like magical realism or surreal comedy that add elements of fantasy to everyday life. This can be done in a beautiful and poetic way, like in Swiss Army Man (2017), or a hilarious and playful way, like in the show Man Seeking Woman. I’m also a big fan of the new trend of mixing clever writing with toilet humor.

Aside from poop jokes, themes are really important to me, so when I’m brainstorming, I think about what topics I want to explore and what I wish I saw more of in movies and shows: topics like mental health, beauty standards, gender roles, public education, racial justice, and environmentalism. That’s how I find the stories I’m excited and passionate about writing. Some might call this “having an agenda” but I think it’s important to take responsibility for what your art says. Film is powerful. I care very strongly about having better representation for communities of color, the LGBTQ+ community, and women. It could’ve been life-changing to see nonbinary characters like me when I was growing up. And like other writers, my goal is to not only show the struggles of marginalized communities but the joy and brilliance of them too. It can be really disheartening when your dream job exists in an industry with such gross misogyny and white supremacy, but there are small pockets of hope. Anyone can grow that hope by supporting filmmakers who are undervalued. There is so much work to be done. It can be frustrating, but we turn that frustration into action.

Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Film school is a great place to meet people. At Loyola Marymount, I joined Delta Kappa Alpha, a professional film fraternity. I wouldn’t be making my first short film right now without the friends I made there. Some options outside of school are writers groups, movie clubs, and online film communities. I get super nervous when meeting new people, but networking is vitally important in this line of work. If you get nervous too, I would say to figure out what makes you feel comfortable: holding a cup, moving around, wearing loose pants, etc. Always keep in mind in a social setting that there are people there who are just as nervous as you. Think to yourself how there’s probably someone secretly farting in that very moment. Also, in screenwriting, people ask you very frequently, “What are your favorite movies?” And “What kind of stuff do you like to write?” I should’ve started preparing my answers sooner because suddenly, I’d forget every movie I’d ever seen and then do a convoluted ramble about dark comedy and magical realism.

Contact Info:

• Email: cdeturk@lion.lmu.edu
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cody_made_soup/