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CLAUDIA DATO

Picture
Where do you live (City, State, or Country)?
Santa Barbara, California

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?
As a bisexual woman who has been in a same-sex relationship for nearly 25 years, I wanted to write about the complications of love and sexuality. I thought the selection of the early 1950s as the timeframe also highlighted the societal challenges of a same-sex relationship. I think it is still relevant today given the worldwide struggle for LGBTQIA+ equal rights. I love movies so I wanted to write a screenplay as opposed to a novel or short story. I feel there needs to be more films of this genre that explore the themes highlighted within my script The White Fence.
 
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?
I have bounced around the idea of this screenplay for some time, but it took me about three months to write and re-write it. I do not use an outline, index cards, a white board, or notes for that matter. I just start out with FADE IN and let it flow. I do research along the way as needed to make sure I hold true and accurate to the time-period setting of the screenplay, as well as to accurately depict elements of the story.
 
What is your ultimate ambition as a writer?
My ultimate ambition as a screenwriter would be to win an Academy Award, but in the short-term I would be thrilled to sell a script after the WGA strike is over.
 
Was your entry at The Wiki Screenplay Contest a full script or “the first ten pages”? Why did you make that choice?
My entry was a full script. While I really concentrated on the first ten pages as a result of the guidance from The Wiki Screenplay Contest, I wanted to get full feedback since I had completed the entire screenplay.
 
What’s your all-time favorite movie or television show...and why?
This is a tough question because I love so many movies in many different genres. One that comes to mind is Forrest Gump for so many reasons: the power to overcome adversity; multiple levels of conflict; relatability; universal themes such love, loss, death, friendship, empathy and loyalty; the way it weaves in real historical events; the depths of the characters and their overall transformations; the dialogue; the acting and more.
 
What advice do you have for writers hoping to win a contest or place as a finalist as you have?
Buy and read a book on industry formatting like Robert L. McCullough’s book Format Your Screenplay Like a Pro, and invest in screenwriting software such as Final Draft. I also recommend taking your script through several drafts and get feedback from other more experienced writers or through screenplay contests such as The Wiki.
 
What else are you working on that the world needs to know about?
I also recently wrote another feature length screenplay titled A Pill to Die For, which has won several Best Screenplay awards in Los Angeles and New York. Despite its contest successes, I continue to work on rewrites of both A Pill to Die For and The White Fence to make them even better.

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  • Home
  • Screenplay Contest
  • TV Script Contest
    • Treatment/Bible Contest
  • Short Film Script Contest
  • Contest Results
    • 2024 Contest Results
    • 2023 Screenplay Contest Results
    • 2022 Screenplay Contest Results
  • FEATURED "WALK OF FAME"
    • MARCIA P. SAMUELS >
      • MARCIA P. SAMUELS BIO
      • Marcia P. Samuels Projects
    • Cary Singleton >
      • Cary Singleton Bio
      • Cary Singleton Projects
    • ANDREA MASI
    • Michael Elliott
    • Gary DeMoss >
      • GARY DEMOSS BIO
      • GARY DEMOSS PROJECTS
    • Caoimhín Mac an Bhreitheamhan >
      • Caoimhín Mac an Bhreitheamhan PROJECTS
    • JOHN RICHMOND >
      • JOHN RICHMOND PROJECTS
  • 2025 "Walk of Fame"
    • DANIEL R STEVENS
    • MITCHELL BOLING
    • GRANT CHAUNCEY
    • JEFFREY PEMBERTON
    • LISA DUFFY
    • CATHY CIMATO
    • JULIE KOROGODON
    • STEPHANIE GOULD
    • LAWRENCE BERGMAN
    • JOSHUA CARTWRIGHT
    • KEVIN HARPER
    • LILY SANDERS
    • DARREN ANDREW NASH
    • SISI LIU
    • 2024 "Walk of Fame" >
      • CAROL HOFFMAN
      • DREW ATCHISON
      • THORSTEN SCHADE
      • ANTHONY J ANDERSEN
      • GARY DEMOSS
      • ALI HABIB
      • JOE LEONE
      • MUJLI GLASBERG
      • MEGMILLER
      • NEIL WATSON
      • MARK ROBYN
      • GARY DEMOSS
      • DAVID H. FEIN
      • BROOKE DE ROSA
      • COLLEEN AYCOCK INTERVIEW
      • MARCIA SAMUELS
      • Henry Sarwer-Foner
      • DIANE TOMASSIN
      • TRICIA TRIBBLE
      • RICHARD HUTTNER
      • MICHAEL MONTEIRO
      • SEAN ROPER
      • ROBERT BRIDGE
      • JAMES C. BOYD
      • TOM WHELAN
      • ROBERTO S. OREGEL
      • NONO TAMURA-TASHA HARDY
      • BILL WELLS
      • STUART FRYER
      • MICHAEL GOSSETTE
      • KC BIBO
      • JOSH GOLDMAN
      • JASON WHITE
      • KAREN FRANKOLA
      • BILL JORDAN
      • CHRISTOPHER SCHULTZ
      • CAMERON MARTIN
      • CHARLIE SHOUP
      • JOHN ARNAU
      • PAM PRICE
      • ROB MCNEIL
      • SHANNON MCINTYRE
      • John Richmond
      • JEFF WALKER
      • DONALD MORGAN
      • LIZ MAYER
      • EMILY PELPHREY
      • DEBRA TOBIN
      • ANHTUAN DOVENTRY
      • GREGORY GEORGIOU
      • CAROL HOFFMAN
      • C.R. SHERMAN
      • JAMES FREEMAN
      • HANK ISAAC
      • ERIKA STONE
      • TODD HOLDEN
      • RAVEN PETRETTI-STAMPER
      • ANDREW EDMUNDS
      • ERIC WEBER
      • MOLLY FRANKLIN-LEARY
      • MATTHEW NICHOLSON
      • BRIAN NOLIN
      • ALGIS DANAITIS
      • HANK ISAAC
    • Henry Sarwer-Foner
    • KAREN MARGARET MURPHY
    • JANNE PULKKILA
    • RICHARD HOHENRATH
    • ANTHONY VOLLMER & CRAIG HORWITZ
    • Karen Siff Exkorn
    • GREG STELLEY
    • SUZANNE BUI LOC LUTAS
    • CHRIS CHURILLA
    • ROGER HILL
    • ROY EDMONDSON
    • ERIC LOTTER
    • JORDAN DAVENPORT
    • GREG MCCABE JR
    • TASHA HARDY
    • CATRYN BECKER
    • SEAN FOX
    • SHAUN DELLISKAVE
    • GIACOMO GIAMMATTEO
    • ROGERS WILSON
    • KAT-BYLSKA PRIMARY
    • MACK GORDON
    • Kristopher Pierce
    • Jerzy suchocki
    • DJ Alvine
    • KATE REMELIUS
    • VP BOYLE
    • Mohamed Mohsen
    • Frances Mccoy
    • Neil Goodchild
    • TERRY GEHRING
    • RUSSELL PUNTENNEY
    • TEEJAY SMALL
    • MIKE NIELSEN
    • TOM NEWMAN
    • MARIA GOMEZ
    • PEDRO CANAIS
    • MARK COHEN
    • VAL SERVINO
  • JOIN THE "Walk of Fame"
  • KEYS TO SUCCESS
    • What Writers Say
    • Why this screenplay contest?
    • Screenwriting Inspiration
  • Judges