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I knew I wanted to be a screenwriter when ....
some of the stories in my mind started looking like movies.
I know I've succeeded when ........
I've finished. On an immediate and personal level, to finish a project is to succeed. Everything else is gravy.
When did you write THE PRECEDENT?
I finished the first draft of THE
PRECEDENT about a year ago. But of
course it is a work in progress.
What inspired you to write it?
I wanted to write something I thought could be marketable but still
maintained good story integrity. Like many Americans I'm fed up with Presidential politics, and I began thinking if somehow a candidate of true
integrity sneaked through the political process and actually made it into office, what would happen? I wanted a candidate who wouldn't lie, and who
was politically innocent. I asked how would such a candidate get things done with a corrupt and complacent government? To take hostages was
the only way I could figure.
How long did it take you?
It took about four months to write THE PRECEDENT. I conveniently broke
my leg just at the time I was beginning. Since I couldn't work my regular
job for a while, the writing went faster.
Tell us about your first writing experience (screenwriting).
A couple years back I wrote my first screenplay, which was loosely
based on a short story I had written. It was a simple story of two people trying to fall in love. I think it's a good story and could make a good
movie, but I understood that in order to make it work I would have to direct it, or be lucky enough to find a director who is as hopeless a romantic as
myself.
Who is your favorite Screenwriter and Why?
I've watched so many good movies from so many good writers that I really
don't have favorites. For instance I just again watched OCTOBER SKY, written
by Lewis Colick. I found the story most beautiful and compelling, but I also
know that it took great directing, acting, and filming to make Lewis' story
come off so beautifully.
What are your aspirations?
My main aspiration is to die at one with myself and the cosmos. Before
that, I would very much like to work with a talented director and cast to
tell a good cinematic story. The collaborative nature of movies is what I
find most compelling, and if everyone involved is dedicated to the story
something beautiful can happen.
When the creative juices stop, what do you do to get yourself on the
right track?
There are a million and one ways to keep on track if the creative juices
don't flow. Sometimes reading others works to kindle the fire. Sometimes
going somewhere and not thinking at all about writing for a while is a great
help. Most often I find just sitting down and doing it anyway leads to
something better than you expected.
Where will you be in six years from now?
Where will I be in 6 years is the most beguiling of questions. Six days
is only kind of certain, six months a mystery. I'd like to be fully engaged
(and paid) in my writing in less than six years, but if I have to wait that
long, that's okay. In any case I'll most likely be where the writing leads
me.
11. Actors and Directors you would like to work with and why?
I'd like to work with talented and committed people to tell good stories. There are many who would fit that bill. One
director whose work I've liked is Edward Zwick. I like the scope and epic of his stories. He's taught me about something I've never had to experience
first hand: war. When the director can make you feel like the movie has been your experience, he or she has done a good job. I'd like to be a part of
that.
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