CECIL HARRIS
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CECIL HARRIS

Where do you live (City, State, or Country)?
Yonkers, New York

Your script stood out among hundreds of others. What was the inspiration for your story and why did you write a script instead of a short story or a novel?
Troy Taylor, the protagonist in “Iceman,” is a composite of real National Hockey League players I wrote about in my first book, “Breaking the Ice: The Black Experience in
Professional Hockey” (Insomniac Press). I covered the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes for The News & Observer in Raleigh, NC from 1998 to 2000. “Iceman” is set in the 1997-98 season. My experiences as a Black man covering a predominantly White sport mirrored many of the experiences Black hockey players had, and still have, in the NHL. One brief example: I’m a Brooklyn, NY native. The first time I covered a hockey game at Madison Square Garden, a White fan carrying a huge cup of beer looked at me and said, “What the fuck are you doing here? The Knicks ain’t playin’. As if I had no right to be in the building for a hockey game. Some homecoming for me, huh?
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How long did it take you to write your script...and what is your writing process? Do you outline...use index cards...white board...or just start with FADE IN?
It took me four months to write a first draft of “Iceman.” It was awful. But I didn’t know how much I didn’t know about screenwriting at the time. I started with FADE IN and wrote whatever came to mind. As a journalist and an author, I never write that way. I use extensive notes for my journalistic pieces, and I’ve used index cards for my four books. Thanks to the feedback from Hidden Hollywood and the three books by Mr. McCullough that I’ve read, I now have an “Iceman” script that I’m proud of. I’m revising it again because I want to go from semifinalist to finalist or winner in the next monthly contest.

What is your ultimate ambition as a writer?
I want to sell all three of my screenplays (“Iceman,” “The Quarterback,” and “White Chocolate”) and see them become movies. I’ve had some successes as a sports journalist and an author. Through my books and articles, I’ve become an authoritative voice in six sports-themed documentaries (“Serena Williams: The Power & The Glory”; “Black Ice”; “Beyond Their Years”; “Soul on Ice”; “Althea & Arthur”; and “A Perfect Match.” I also hosted the tennis podcast series “All-American: Venus & Serena” on SiriusXM in 2022. My
ultimate goal now is to become a screenwriter whose work gets sold and produced.

Was your entry at The Wiki Screenplay Contest a full script or “the first ten pages”? Why did you make that choice?
I’ve submitted the full script for each of my three screenplays because I want to improve my craft. The best way to do that is to have experienced writers and producers read my scripts and tell me how to make them better. I’ve entered my scripts in many contests that I won’t use again because the feedback was too vague. (“This didn’t land with me.” “Go bigger in Act 2.”) I didn’t know what to fix or why. Now I do, thanks to Hidden Hollywood.

What’s your all-time favorite movie or television show...and why?
Spike Lee’s “Do The Right Thing” was filmed in the neighborhood where I grew up, Bedford-Stuyvesant in Brooklyn. I loved seeing that representation on screen, and I also enjoyed Spike’s storytelling. And what a cast! Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Samuel L. Jackson, John Turturro, Spike, Rosie Perez, Giancarlo Esposito. It’s a classic.

What advice do you have for writers hoping to win a contest or place as a finalist as you have?
Send your entire script to the Wiki Screenplay Contest for the most constructive feedback you will ever get. The feedback is understandable and actionable, and it will definitely make you better. I also love that readers put their names on their work.

What else are you working on that the world needs to know about?
I’m working on pitch decks and other marketing materials for the scripts I’ve already written. I’m also using index cards to map out my fourth script—one that won’t be sports- related. I’m challenging myself to do something different. I’m also working at a sports- journalism start-up called Boxscore. (I also hope people will find “All-American: Venus & Serena” online. It’s the story of the greatest sibling act in sports history!)

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