The Lonely Business of Writing With Avinash Sampath, Screenwriter
Plot, doubt, rejection, patience — and finding a reason to keep writing.
The Part of Writing Nobody Talks About
Writing is often imagined as a journey from idea to script to screen. But what happens in the long stretches in between?
In this Cininfo Live Session, Avinash Sampath opens up about the less visible side of building a writing career—the uncertainty, isolation, rejection and patience that come with it, and what keeps a writer going when there is no guarantee that the work will ever be made.
Drawing from his own journey into screenwriting at 43 and building a career from outside the traditional industry ecosystem, Avinash shares an honest perspective on finding stories, dealing with doubt and learning to find meaning in the writing itself.
Event Details:
- Date: 18th October 2026
- Time: 12:00 PM IST
- Venue: Zoom
What Avinash will talk about:
- Finding the Right “What If?” — Discovering the questions that can lead to compelling stories.
- Building a Career from Outside — Finding your way into screenwriting without a traditional industry path.
- Starting at 40 — Why there is no “right” age to begin writing.
- The Reality of Writing Alone — Dealing with isolation, self-doubt and the uncertainty of the process.
- Rejection, Waiting & Staying the Course — Continuing to write when projects take years or don’t move forward.
- Finding Joy Before the Validation — Building a relationship with the work before the industry responds to it.
Who Should Attend?
Screenwriters | Writers | Directors | Aspiring Filmmakers | Film Students | Storytellers | Anyone Building a Creative Career
A candid conversation about the long road of writing—and finding the reason to keep going.
FREE for Cininfo Community Members!
For more information please WhatsApp or call us on +91 9009004762 or DM us on Instagram @cininfo4talent
Speaker: Avinash Sampath
Designation: Screenwriter
Originally from Chennai and based in Amsterdam since 2007, Avinash Sampath is an award-winning advertising creative and screenwriter. He began screenwriting at 43, making his debut with Goodnight, Grandma, directed by Karan Johar for Netflix’s Ghost Stories. His feature credits include AK vs AK and CTRL, both directed by Vikramaditya Motwane, with CTRL earning him the Filmfare OTT Award for Best Screenplay 2025. He also wrote Goonay Goonay for Lust Stories 3. His upcoming film JC is a dark comedy set in 1980s Goa.
