An INNER VIEW with Historical Writer, Stephanie Hutchinson
BIO
Stephanie Hutchinson is an award-winning screenwriter whose 14th-century historical drama OUT OF THE FLAMES, about the first English translation of the Bible, won the Grand Prize Kairos Prize for Spiritually Uplifting Screenplays, her Great Depression drama GRAHAM won First Runner Up in the Beverly Hills Film Fest and her Civil War drama TALITHA earned her the ETHOS Impact Writer of the Year 2024 award. Stephanie has three degrees in Piano Performance from USC, adding a unique depth to her screenplays.
INNER VIEW
Kathleen Cooke: As a writer of historical drama, it takes research, focus, and reading factual accounts to create a successful script and eventually production. As writers who are believers, we have many translations of the Bible to choose from when writing biblical scripts and productions. Do you have a process for what you read, and as you incorporate God’s Word into your scripts?
Stephanie Hutchinson: If you had a choice between meeting someone you admired in person or meeting his/her gardener’s uncle’s best friend’s cousin who knew of that person, who would you choose? Silly question, right? But that’s how many people, including Christians, approach (or more importantly, don’t) God’s Word, the Bible. Instead of going to the source itself, they read books about God by human authors. But unless we really know what the Bible says, we won’t discern if the books are theologically correct or not. Today, there are scores of translations, so there’s no excuse NOT to read God’s Word directly.
I grew up on the King James, but because of my research into the Wycliffe version (the very first English translation and the basis of my screenplay OUT OF THE FLAMES), I start each day by reading Bible Gateway’s Verse of the Day, first in the Wycliffe version, then progressing chronologically through the Tyndale, the 1599 Geneva, then the King James. I love the beauty of the historic language, but when I need clarity, I turn to the Amplified. And with at least 63 versions, I encourage you to find one you like and jump in. Happy reading!
Kathleen: How does where one write affect the writing? Where do you find inspiration? Do you need to write in an inspirational place or isolation?
Stephanie: This is personal. The place where I hiked for many years to enjoy the beauty of God’s creation, to think, to pray, to get answers, to get inspiration–burned in the L.A. fires. It will be many months before it reopens. What should I do in the meantime? Well, I can drive further away to another hiking trail, but shouldn’t I be able to create just by looking at my neighbor’s blank concrete wall? Didn’t the Apostle Paul write much of the New Testament while in prison, chained to a Roman soldier? Yes, things are not ideal, but that shouldn’t stop me. “I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me” Phil. 4:13.
Kathleen: As a creative, there are many choices you can make on what to write, but the question is, “What is going to sell? What will audiences want to see, and be interested in?” How do you know what kind of writing will resonate and sell, and what you should spend hours working on that will be produced?
Stephanie: The conventional wisdom is to write to the market, but God knows what’s up ahead better than anyone. And with the lead time of writing and selling a script and then producing a film, it can take years. So, just like in the story of Abraham and Isaac trudging up the mountain to sacrifice, a ram was also on its way on the other side of the mountain, and they all met at the top just in time. If God puts a topic on your heart, go for it. Don’t care or worry if it’s not “popular” right now. Trust that God has His perfect timing!
Kathleen: What have you learned about being an influence in the industry, not only through your work but also through your faith?
Stephanie: We Christians, filled with the Holy Spirit, carry within us a sweet fragrance. However, if we don’t open our bottle stopper to let the fragrance out (by our witness, our testimony), then God may allow the fragrance to come out by other means (think Mary, who broke the alabaster jar and poured the perfume on Jesus’ head). Personally, I’d rather pour out my perfume voluntarily than have it broken to release it.
Connect with Stephanie:
stephaniehutchinson.com