Interview with Roadmap Writers Success Story #360 - Nick Coffman

Nick Coffman signed with Rothman Andres. They met through Top Tier in our Career Writer Program. 

You know the rhythm by now, yes? We have a signed writer Success Story we want to share with you, so we chatted with Nick Coffman to learn more about his journey to representation and beyond! 

This interview was submitted December 7, 2023.

Firstly, tell us about yourself! Who are you as a writer & who did you end up signing with?

I'm a former mid-western college football player who spent more time driving the starters around than I did driving defensive linemen off the line of scrimmage. After tearing my ACL and almost hitting the starting Quarterback with my car (unrelated incidents) I knew I wouldn't be long for the football world. I eventually moved to Chicago, where I decided to give improv and sketch comedy a try at The Second City Theatre (Pay your teachers, Second City!). I had a great time coming up with sketches and performing on stage. After producing a handful of successful stage shows, I decided to start screenwriting.

Between the two forms I really grew to like writing dialogue. Early on I would do this little brainstorming exercise where I would take a sentence and find 10 different ways to say it. This actually led to one of my favorite sketches that I wrote and performed in at Second City. Not sure I can say the title of it here, but the gist is that a grandmother discovers her grandson's search history and he tries to explain away every term.

I love physical comedy as much as the next guy, but being a bigger sized writer and performer (and a Chris Farley fan*) I wanted to avoid falling into the the trappings of "fatty fell down."

I signed with Scot Reynolds of Rothman/Andres Entertainment.

*if you are a Farley fan, I recommend reading THE CHRIS FARLEY SHOW. There are a lot of great interviews in there with his family and friends. His Pursuit to be more than just TOMMY BOY is a gut punch. I also came away from the book an even bigger Tim Meadows fan.

How did you meet your now rep? What was that first interaction like and how did it lead to your professional relationship now?

I met Scot through a Top Tier General Meeting. We didn't talk much about my work or the industry in that first meeting. We talked football, specifically my time playing and then about Scot's alma mater (who was just robbed by the CFB Playoff Committee). We talked sports and family for a little bit and then spent maybe five minutes on writing and the industry.

I'm still fairly new to the writer/manager relationship, but I think it helps to remember that we're both humans in unprecedented times. We're coming out of COVID and two strikes. This is new territory for everyone, but Scot and I are going to trek it together.

How did (if at all) Roadmap Writers assist in getting you to this point? Do you think you could've made this step in your screenwriting career without Roadmap?

A lot. I'm currently in St. Louis, so the chance of me meeting a manager in a bagel shop or when I'm grabbing my morning coffee are nonexistent. I tried the cold query route, got a few reads that way, but it was just so impersonal. With the cold query process I felt like I was talking to a wall most of the time. The Top Tier program removed that wall. Selling yourself is important, but I think listening is just as important. If you're not a people person and want to get to know the other person, what are you even doing?

What types of stories do you write? What's your "writer brand" and how do you think that helped you attract a good match for representation?

I write half-hour comedies about people trying to rebrand themselves. Be it the Grim Reaper trying to prove he can keep something alive by running a Blockbuster in the 00s, or a foot model searching for her soul. I'm a joke machine. I'm constantly pitching (to myself and satire sites).

I think after the last three years we're heading toward this big reset. We saw some of that with the Great Resignation in 2021-2022. People were fed up and starting to reassess their place in the world. Very similar to a lot of the characters I am writing right now.

I think the jokes helped too. It's tough cause everyone's taste is going to be different, especially in comedy. I think I just got lucky and found someone who believed in the writing and me.

Has your mindset about what you're writing changed now that you've added representation to your team? What's the biggest lesson you've learned or had to adapt to since you've been working with your rep?

Definitely. I think the biggest change in my process has been how I talk about my projects. I get really excited about an idea I've got bouncing around my enormous noggin, but before putting more miles on an idea, I want to communicate it clearly with Scot and get his thoughts on it. It's nice to have that extra input.

What do you hope your next steps are? What are your immediate goals now that you've landed representation?

We're working toward that first staffing position. It'll be an uphill battle, but we'll get there.

In 10 years, what do you want your screenwriting career to look like?

I want to be showrunner. Would love to have a show on FX*.

*Wilfred is one of my all-time favorites and the show that made me want to be a TV writer. Such a goofy concept with a great cast and one of the best penultimate episodes of TV I've ever seen.

Thanks, Nick, for taking the time to enlighten us about your journey and goals--Best of luck!