Dermot Davis
(Winner/Best Screenplay/January 2023
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Where do you live (City, State, or Country)?
I live in Dublin, Ireland.

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?
The story was first written as a screenplay, then adapted into a novel and then readapted back into a screenplay. As a result, the story changed many times or rather, the structure changed mostly and the core story remained the same. I wrote it first as a screenplay because of the concept, which I thought at the time suggested a fast-paced thriller with the necessary ingredients to build to a satisfactory climax. 
 
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 wrote the first draft of the script very quickly and did no outline. I had the idea in my head and I knew where I wanted it to start and a vague idea of how it was going to end. I love the thrill of writing without a fixed idea of where the story is going and being surprised along the way. However, there resulted many issues with the script as evidenced by the lack of interest people had when reading the screenplay and it sat in my drawer for several years. It took lots of persistence and lots of subsequent drafts to make it more engaging for readers.
 
What is your ultimate ambition as a writer?
To be a working screenwriter in Hollywood.
 
Was your entry at The Wiki Screenplay Contest a full script or “the first ten pages”? Why did you make that choice?
I entered the full script because I wanted to know if the story worked overall. 
 
What’s your all-time favorite movie or television show...and why?
I’m more a movie person than TV and I have quite an eclectic taste. The movies I love depict smart characters and smart dialogue. The movies by Billy Wilder, I.A.L. Diamond, Ben Hecht, Paddy Chayefsky, Aaron Sorkin, David Mamet, etc., remain my favorites.

What advice do you have for writers hoping to win a contest or place as a finalist as you have?
For me it was constant rewriting and believing in the story when other writers were suggesting I should move on to something else.
 
What else are you working on that the world needs to know about?
I’m very prolific and have an eclectic genre mix of screenplays that I am constantly rewriting. I love all my babies equally

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