A quick glance at Julia Lederer’s website shows the diverse path her writing has taken. From
plays to television and film, copywriting and the occasional magazine article, Julia is addicted to
words, phrases, and the various structures they can follow. Or as she describes it, “I am a bit
obsessed with the power of language.

“For me, writing can be tedious and hard to figure out sometimes, but I know I always feel
better when I do it,” she said, while pointing out how important a community can be to staying
inspired and learning new things about one’s work.

“Community is really helpful in terms of keeping going. I’ve found that in playwrights units, labs
and programs, and with friends I met doing indie theatre right out of school,” she said.
“More recently, I’ve found it through a class I took on Zoom that has continued weekly (with
some breaks) for almost a year now. Seeing others’ work change and grow and having people
to go to when you’re stuck or just feeling overwhelmed by being a writer has been essential to
me. It’s also just more fun than writing in a vacuum.”

Over the past several weeks Julia has worked with this year’s playwrights, helping to tweak and
add an additional layer of polish to their work. To extend her reach as Playwright in Residence
beyond this year’s participating writers, we asked Julia to share with us a few words of advice
for emerging and would-be writers.

1: Just Write.

I think the best advice is to write. Let yourself write knowing that most of the work will be
rewriting, and try to enjoy finding where you’re going, even if the path is winding. Try not to
worry if you’re not happy with what comes out initially, just ride it out. Words are easy to
change.

2: Turn Off Your Inner-Critic.

I know I’ve struggled with my own inner-critic voice getting in the way of being creative, and I
really try to just push that part aside and get into the story, characters, and language.

3: Drafts Are Essential.

Know that you’re going to write more drafts than you think, and that it will be hard (at times)
and (often) long, but once you get there you have that piece of work forever.

4: Expand Your Community.

If you’re a playwright and you aren’t finding the opportunities you were hoping for where you
live, look elsewhere (or, do it anyway — the wonderful thing about theatre is that plays happen
almost everywhere). Do your research and reach out to places and artists who are doing work
that excites you and who you’d be interested in working with. Support your community, and
also seek out writing/work beyond that too.
Especially in Canada, if you see or read something you connect to, reach out to the artist and
tell them. Email addresses aren’t hard to find, and most people will meet with you for a coffee
or a Zoom. Have questions when you do.

5: Diversify.

Be open to different mediums. Find what you love, but know that there are lots of ways and
formats to write in, and you might surprise yourself. Stepping outside what you’re used to
writing will inform it when you step back in.

6: Seek Feedback.

Seek feedback when you have a sense of what you’re hoping to achieve with a script. Outside
voices and collaborators are vital in writing for performance. Still, always hold close that this is
your work. You know it best. And still, be open to seeing it transform.
NotaBle Acts Theatre Festival runs until August 6. Find full details including times and ticket info
at in the menu bar.

Photo by Barcsay Photography

WRITING WORKSHOP: VOICE, CHARACTER, AND CURIOSITY

This workshop will provide participants with new ways into their work: finding driving questions, images, and characters that excite and surprise them.

We will look at different ways of developing characters, exercises in monologue and dialogue writing, and how to create plays that need to happen in a theatre. If desired, participants will have a chance to hear their work on its feet.

The class will also touch on adaptation from theatre to film, and look at the differences in writing for each medium.

Barcsay Photography

Julia Lederer is an internationally acclaimed writer. Her plays have been produced all over North America and in Europe, in: Los Angeles, Chicago, Alaska, New York, Paris, etc. Her work has been described as: “wonderfully weird, piercingly poetic and unexpectedly moving” (Crain’s Chicago); “laced with sophisticated poetry and wry insight” (LA Times), and as, “ris[ing] to a rare level of universal truth, all while making us laugh. A lot.” (NewCity Chicago). Julia is an alumnae of Nightwood Theatre’s “Write From the Hip” program, the Whistler Film Festival’s Screenwriters Lab, was a 2023 resident playwright at the Banff Centre for the Arts, working on her play, I AM AN ISLAND.

Julia’s films have screened at major festivals worldwide, including: the Toronto International Film Festival, Palm Spring, South By SouthWest, Aesthetica, etc. Her work can be found streaming on CBC Gem, Omeleto, and HighballTV.

Most recently, she adapted her hit play, WITH LOVE AND A MAJOR ORGAN, into a feature film that was named “one of the best movies out of SXSW 2023” by Mashable and described as “proof that great stage plays can be adapted into wonderful movies… a whimsical, heartfelt force to be reckoned with” (Dread Central).

Julia worked on KIM’S CONVENIENCE (CBC’s emerging writers room), in addition to writing audio dramas, award-winning commercials, and her first chapbook of poetry (I’VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT VANISHING, Baseline Press).

Julia bases her work in emotion and a love of language. She approaches everything with a curiosity about the world and how strange it is to be a human here.

NotaBle Acts

2025 Summer Theatre Festival.

Author: nbacts2013

Playwright in Residence Julia Lederer shares six important tips foremerging writers.