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How long have you been writing and what made you want to write in the first place?
I think it all started sometime in elementary school when they summoned my mother to tell her I was terrifying my classmates with scary stories during recess Apparently, I claimed it was Satan himself I got the stories from. Just a regular eight-year-old! There are only two paths from there; either you become a writer or an exorcist. I chose the first, although I’m starting to believe I would’ve been more financially sustainable with the latter. I started writing fiction some time in middle school but I didn’t formally become a writer until I was around eighteen. I thought I was a fiction person, but I soon realized that what I was writing wasn’t prose, it was scenes. In college, I decided to double major in English and Film, with an emphasis on screenwriting. The project I submitted to Roadmap is my first feature script, and it’s a very personal work.
What genre do you prefer to write in? What draws you to that genre?
I’m very interested in horror-dramas right now. I’ve always had a fascination for the strange and supernatural; I believe it’s part of my Mexican identity. I’m very drawn towards the juxtaposition between the horrific and the beautiful; the lethal nature of some things that might seem alluring. Films like Dario Argento’s Suspiria and Ari Aster’s Midsommar have really inspired my work. I’m a firm believer that true horror stems from human relationships and that’s why I think it goes so well with drama. My first feature touches a lot on the burdens we carry from the women in our bloodline, and how sometimes these can be horrific. I chose to represent these horrors through a house in Mexico City’s artistic capital, Coyoacán, that consumes the women who inhabit it. It speaks a lot to my own experience coming from a big family made up of mostly women and the fears that stem from thinking about my own identity.
Tell us three things you're currently digging.
Right now, I’m obsessed with Issa Lopez’s Tigers Are Not Afraid. I think it’s an amazing blend of horror and fantasy, together with some beautiful magical realist elements that only she could’ve nailed. Huge fan. I also haven’t seen it, but I’m counting the seconds to watch Rose Glass’s, Saint Maud. The trailer looks insane! I’m also currently reading Women Who Run with the Wolves. It’s an interesting exploration of feminisms and the archetype of the wild woman in literature, which I’m finding very useful for my future female-centered works!
What interested you about the Roadmap Diversity Initiative?
I’ve never encountered a place quite like Roadmap. I was initially drawn to its Instagram posts - so relatable! They really made me want to become part of the project. Now that I’m here, I know it was the right choice. What I love about Roadmap is that they really care about their writers’ success in a way that I’d never seen before. They offer a huge number of opportunities that truly help you launch your career. I am so grateful to have found them!
Where can we find you?
You can follow me on Instagram: @lore.v.o and also Twitter: @LoreVOlivera (I’ve just started my account to connect with other members of the industry, so it’s still pretty lame right now, LOL. I promise it’ll be cool at some point!) I’m also on Letterboxd as @LoreVO.
I think it all started sometime in elementary school when they summoned my mother to tell her I was terrifying my classmates with scary stories during recess Apparently, I claimed it was Satan himself I got the stories from. Just a regular eight-year-old! There are only two paths from there; either you become a writer or an exorcist. I chose the first, although I’m starting to believe I would’ve been more financially sustainable with the latter. I started writing fiction some time in middle school but I didn’t formally become a writer until I was around eighteen. I thought I was a fiction person, but I soon realized that what I was writing wasn’t prose, it was scenes. In college, I decided to double major in English and Film, with an emphasis on screenwriting. The project I submitted to Roadmap is my first feature script, and it’s a very personal work.
What genre do you prefer to write in? What draws you to that genre?
I’m very interested in horror-dramas right now. I’ve always had a fascination for the strange and supernatural; I believe it’s part of my Mexican identity. I’m very drawn towards the juxtaposition between the horrific and the beautiful; the lethal nature of some things that might seem alluring. Films like Dario Argento’s Suspiria and Ari Aster’s Midsommar have really inspired my work. I’m a firm believer that true horror stems from human relationships and that’s why I think it goes so well with drama. My first feature touches a lot on the burdens we carry from the women in our bloodline, and how sometimes these can be horrific. I chose to represent these horrors through a house in Mexico City’s artistic capital, Coyoacán, that consumes the women who inhabit it. It speaks a lot to my own experience coming from a big family made up of mostly women and the fears that stem from thinking about my own identity.
Tell us three things you're currently digging.
Right now, I’m obsessed with Issa Lopez’s Tigers Are Not Afraid. I think it’s an amazing blend of horror and fantasy, together with some beautiful magical realist elements that only she could’ve nailed. Huge fan. I also haven’t seen it, but I’m counting the seconds to watch Rose Glass’s, Saint Maud. The trailer looks insane! I’m also currently reading Women Who Run with the Wolves. It’s an interesting exploration of feminisms and the archetype of the wild woman in literature, which I’m finding very useful for my future female-centered works!
What interested you about the Roadmap Diversity Initiative?
I’ve never encountered a place quite like Roadmap. I was initially drawn to its Instagram posts - so relatable! They really made me want to become part of the project. Now that I’m here, I know it was the right choice. What I love about Roadmap is that they really care about their writers’ success in a way that I’d never seen before. They offer a huge number of opportunities that truly help you launch your career. I am so grateful to have found them!
Where can we find you?
You can follow me on Instagram: @lore.v.o and also Twitter: @LoreVOlivera (I’ve just started my account to connect with other members of the industry, so it’s still pretty lame right now, LOL. I promise it’ll be cool at some point!) I’m also on Letterboxd as @LoreVO.