Missouri Stories Spotlight with Jennifer Ramsey

Jennifer Ramsey is a veterinarian based in Kansas and 2022 Missouri Stories fellow for her script Peculiar, Missouri. It follows a big city journalist in search of a story that could jumpstart her career, but she discovers more than one supernatural mystery hiding in the frontier town of Peculiar.

Where do you get inspiration for your work?

Pretty much anywhere.  I love learning new things…and I frequently come across new ideas or questions or opinions that start me thinking of a story. Though I’m the first to admit that sometimes my original inspiration and the final product end up nothing alike!

Who is a screenwriter who inspires you and why?

Truthfully, I’m inspired by so many different screenwriters that I don’t think I’d be able to choose just one.  I do have an added appreciation for those that have come to screenwriting later in life after spending time in other careers…gives me hope that maybe one day I can count myself among them.

Tell us about your writing process.

Equal parts obsessive organization and utter chaos.  I obsess over getting the big details just right even at the beginning of the process which usually means tons of research, notes, and outlining as I try to give the nebulous idea in my head some semblance of structure.  Then I let myself have a little fun with the first draft and allow those small, but important, things that give life to the project to develop organically on their own.  I rewrite a fair amount as I go so that I have a relatively clean first draft to show at the end.

How do you connect with other writers?

Living in a rural area can make connecting with other writers a little difficult.  I’m certainly thankful for the internet!  Over the years I’ve developed a few fellow writer friends and we keep in touch as much as we can through e-mail, online writing conferences, and the like.

How did being a Missouri Stories fellow effected you?

Attending the Missouri Screenwriting Fellowship was an incredible experience!  I learned an incredible amount, had the opportunity to connect with great people, and gained confidence in my writing.

What are you up to now?

Rewriting an older script…adding pages to my current one…and planning my next project.  Just have to keep moving forward as it always seems like there’s more ideas than time to write them.