Uncovering the Story Behind "The Chosen"
Early Beginnings at Tremont High School
Tyler Thompson's love for writing was evident even in his school days at Tremont High. As he recalls, "From as early as I could remember in school I remember excelling in writing classes like English and Literature and things like that. I had really good teachers at Tremont High School who actually told me 'You're really good at this, you should keep working at this.'" These words of encouragement laid the foundation for his future in writing.His brother, Parker, was a cross country and track star at Tremont, but Tyler's path led him in a different direction. He was drawn to the power of words and the ability to create stories that could touch people's lives.
Writing in the Entertainment Industry
After graduating from college, Thompson faced the challenge of getting work as a writer. It wasn't easy, but his skills in video editing, which he learned during an internship at an ad agency run by Carol Miller, gave him an edge.That's when he met Dallas Jenkins, the director of "The Chosen." They started working together on little vignettes about bible stories for other projects. This partnership eventually led to the creation of "The Chosen."
The Process of Writing "The Chosen"
Thompson, Jenkins, and writer Ryan Swanson team up to put every episode of "The Chosen" into words. Their first writers' room was on Halloween of 2017, in the basement of a home in Elgin.Each season consists of eight episodes, and they are always writing a season ahead. The process begins with an outline that the trio agrees on. Thompson then goes "into total isolation" and creates a first draft for the episode. Jenkins and Swanson read it, and Swanson does the second draft. It gets a read, then Jenkins does a final draft to fit any nuances from the director's perspective.
The Future of "The Chosen"
"The Chosen" is scheduled for seven seasons, and Thompson's focus is on finishing it strong. He doesn't want to be the person who is so preoccupied with what comes next that he doesn't execute this important project well.The show airs through a diverse group of streaming and broadcast platforms and has gathered multiple nominations for industry awards. It continues to grow in popularity, and Thompson is excited about the future projects in the pipeline, such as "The Book of Moses" and an Acts spinoff.
Influences on Thompson's Writing
Like any writer, Thompson has influences on his craft. For him, it's the playwright Tennessee Williams."He has meant a lot to me because of the way he's not afraid to go after mendacity or tackle some of the scariest things people may face," Thompson says. "There is a surrealist quality to some of his plays like 'The Glass Menagerie,' 'A Streetcar Named Desire,' there's a way in which those stories sometimes feel like they are toying with the edges of reality."
He also credits his high school and college English teachers with teaching him invaluable lessons about writing. And as he adjusts to the success and bigger settings, he never forgets where his journey started.