Caroline Bruckner
Age 38
Vienna, Austria
Master in Art, Master in Screenwriting
The Writer
What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment as a writer?
Writing the screenplay to a short film that ended up winning the Student Academy Awards. The same film then got a nomination in the category ‘Best Live Action Short’ at the Academy Awards. I mean, the Oscars!!!!
What is your ultimate goal as a writer?
To have the feeling that I know what I am doing.
What is your greatest challenge as a writer?
To not give up and hate everything I write, but to instead try to trust the process.
The Work
Tell us about your work in Crack the Spine.
“Entirely Without Regret” – A mother in her mid thirties has a break down caused by her three-year-old daughter refusing to put her boots on.
Is there a main theme or message in this piece?
Motherhood is an emotional rollercoaster, and not, as so often depicted, a rose tinted cuddle with naked babies who beam lovingly at us.
What inspired “Entirely Without Regret?”
Seeing how everyone with babies and children around me were fighting with these issues of vulnerability and feelings of rejection.
Tell us about another project you have published or are currently working on.
‘Moritz’ is a picture book I did together with my sister Therese for the clothing company H&M and their UNICEF ‘All for Children’ Initiative.
What inspired this work?
The horrible feeling of being left out from the group, of feeling different.
Where can we find “Moritz?”
The book was published a few years ago, but I think there are still some images online.
The Methods
How many drafts do you generally go through before you consider a piece to be complete?
I go through endless rewrites at the start of each new project, writing and writing until I find the ignition, the motor that will run through the entire story. I think I once wrote 35 drafts/versions of one screenplay.
What is your usual starting point for a piece?
Settings really get me going, locations just puts one in a certain mood. That combined with a character that is aching for something (a friend, a lover, an adventure…) Or aching because they are hurt. I need to feel that aching heart. But the actual writing only really starts when I can figure out a real conflict, a fight, someone has with someone else.
What is your best piece of advice on how to stay sane as a writer?
Nobody can stay sane as a writer, can they? It just hurts less when one tries to not judge too harshly in the early stages (I’ve heard).
The Madness
What is your favorite word?
Sponge. A perfect descriptive sound for what a sponge is meant to do.
Who would play you in the film of your life?
Ryan Gosling. He’d have to wear a wig, but I don’t care.
What’s in that cup on your desk?
A cup of red tea. And a tiny fly. Oops.
How many of your character have you ended up killing off?
Many! Starting to write I just could not hurt a single character. But once one starts the torture and abuse, one just seems to get used to it and even enjoying it.
What is the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen?
For some reason what comes to my mind right now is a picture someone posted on Facebook. A tiny, tiny baby turtle standing in front of the endless ocean, waiting to start his journey into the unknown.
Rain or Sunshine?
Sunshine.
Chocolate or Vanilla?
Chocolate.
“No Thanks” or “I’ll have another”?
I’ll have another.
Additional Reading on Caroline
IMDB movie database
‘The Confession’ can be viewed on iTunes.
‘Cooked’ can be viewed here on Vimeo
My cartoon ‘Alex Walker’ can be viewed on Facebook.