As he sits behind a brightly-lit computer screen on a Saturday morning, 19 year old Harrison Moeller contemplates what narrative world his mind will journey into. He is armed with three crucial items: a laptop, journal, and his ultimate tool, his creativity.
Moeller scans the journal beaming with story concepts he had developed over the past week ranging from alternative timelines to entirely new universes. He selects one and begins fleshing out a narrative that he hopes will touch the lives of individuals around the world.
This process and desire to change lives arose during Moeller’s childhood, where he would often devise what-if scenarios in many of his favorite film franchises.
He recalls watching George Lucas’ “Star Wars” when he was younger for what felt to him like the hundredth time and being met with an epiphany of an idea, “what if the Empire were portrayed as the heroes of the story instead of the villains?”
This small concept eventually made Moeller realize that what he thought of as hobby could possibly be transformed into career in the form of screenwriting. The catalyst of this realization was a conversation with his high school Journalism advisor Kristine Comstock.
“I remember him constantly coming into class talking about what he watched or read the night before,” says Comstock. “He would always talk about how much he wanted to work on his favorite franchises.”
This eventually led to Comstock asking Moeller a simple question, “why don’t you?”
The inquiry bewildered Moeller, but eventually led to him writing down every story idea he could possibly conceptualize. These would often occur at random instances, like at a family dinner or even in class.
Moeller’s dream isn’t one without complications. Corrupted hard drives and personal tragedies have been just a few of the roadblocks that have stood in his way. However, this hasn’t put a dent in his desire to create.
“Every single filmmaker in Hollywood has endured struggles to see their visions realized,” Moeller says. “Look at George Lucas, every studio he presented the concept of ‘Star Wars’ to rejected it, except for one. Now, it’s a multi-billion dollar franchise with a legacy that will last forever.”
The struggle that George Lucas endured is something that many filmmakers are all too familiar with.
Recently, Oscar award-winning director Guillermo del Toro shined a spotlight on that struggle by listing nearly 20 complete screenplays that have gone unproduced, each of which “take about year” to write according to the director.
However, Moeller believes this inevitable struggle will ultimately pay off in the end because every person across the globe can relate to a piece of media in some way or another.
“Earlier this year, ‘God of War’ reinvented an entire game series by crafting a narrative theme between a father and a son,” says Moeller. “The experience showed me how to be a better son, while it helped my dad become a better father. That’s the ultimate goal for me, to have my work resonate with people around the world for different reasons.”
The lasting influence of writing is the important aspect of being a screenwriter according to Moeller. Every writer has the potential to craft something special, and being paid to do so is just an added bonus. “The world and characters that we writers create often times can serve as inspiration or even an escape for people going through hard times,” Moeller says.
“I know the only reason I’m the person I am today is because of the many different worlds I could escape to when my own world wasn’t good enough,” conveys Moeller. “I want to be able to return the favor by helping somebody else do the same.”
Moeller’s dedication to the medium and will to help others is ultimately what will lead him to his success. “In a world full of darkness, I want my work to be the light,” says Moeller. “If I know that eventually my work affected at least one person, then I know I have done something right.”