Delia is an actress-writer based in Rome. At thirteen, she won a national contest for young writers with a detective story. She started her acting career in theatres and refined her skills at Susan Batson’s studio and Lee Strasberg Institute in New York. She also attended Robert McKee’s seminars at Regent’s University in London.
Having completed a master’s degree in screenwriting at IULM University in Rome, her goal is to write and direct films based on true stories. She publishes movie reviews every week in the national newspaper ‘Il Giornale’.
Seen anything lately?
I had the chance to be present at the previews of two unconventional shows. The first one is A Drag is Born, by Eduardo Diaz: a super fun, grotesque, and hilarious solo show.
The second one is about politics, history, and economics. A surreal and wild world crafted by an Italian director, Berardo Carboni, the title speaks for itself: Constitutional Circus.
What excites and scares you the most about writing?
Creating a whole world from scratch that responds only to the author’s rules. I am very much fascinated by power and freedom.
What is the best piece of advice about writing you have received?
Thanks to Robert McKee‘s seminars, I understood how the economy of words, which is crucial for success, works: less is more.
The writing must, first and foremost, be streamlined and understandable. You must find the best word to fit in. Furthermore, writing for the national newspaper has allowed me to acquire new skills.
What is the worst part about being a writer?
Deadlines: delight and torment!
Delight?!
Having a deadline allows us to put a stop to our hesitations and move on to something else: a new project, perhaps. Unfortunately, this costs us sleepless nights and, in my case, frequent migraines.
That’s a lot of suffering to get words on a page.
The most terrible thing about writing is to confront your weaknesses and fears continually, and then, of course, the sense of loneliness. It is necessary to dig deep to reach the truth, which is the beating heart of every story.
We writers are perfectionists (or maybe just insecure people). Contrary to what it seems, writing requires a steely temper, a firm determination, and the courage of a lion.
How do you get over the need to be perfect?
A friend once told me, “When you’re stuck, move on to the next task.” He was helping me write the cover letter for the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute. It has been one of my life mantras ever since.
What are you most looking forward to in the next 5 years?
I don’t exclude returning to acting!
I want to work on three projects that I wrote and care a lot about and, if I have time, also be in theatres.
The first project is a love story from a true story, written in tandem with Giulia Asquino. The second one is a comedy starring three thirty-year-old women who have to start from scratch again. The third one is a horror fairy tale set in ancestral Sardinia; the title is Maria Maddalena. Does it ring a bell?
Three highly different projects, but as they say, in business, as in art, it’s better to diversify.
Seen Anything Lately? 