EDWARD ABRAHAMS
 EDWARD ABRAHAMS
How did you discover The Wiki Screenplay Contest and how did you decide to enter this contest among all the others?
I find the idea of a fast, efficient screenplay contest that also provides solid feedback to be a great idea, so when I saw this one, I had to enter. Where do you live (City, State, or Country)? I live in Perth, Western Australia. 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? What inspires your overall journey into screenwriting? This story was partly based on my own experience as a kid in school but mixed with the over- the-top absurdity that was in the cartoons I grew up on. I decided to write a script because I found that screenwriting suits how I can and like to tell a story. My initial inspiration into screenwriting started when I was very young and always writing my own original stories, mixed with my love of film, I’ve just been trying to hone those skills since I realized my love of writing. How do you decide which stories to tell, and what draws you to these particular themes? I usually decide which stories to tell based on my own interests in the topic I want to write about, I don’t usually have a set genre or theme until the initial idea forms. What is your typical writing routine? How do you structure your workday to stay productive? When I’m working on a script the day is usually structured like a regular workday, I try to write at least 5 to 10 pages before taking a break. Ideas can come at any time of day or night so it is a struggle to fully structure it, but finding some sort of schedule while writing is definitely a benefit. 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? From first draft to final draft, it usually takes a few days to a week for a 30-page tv script, for a film it takes a bit longer. I start with outlining the basic story, characters and overall arc then I work on a treatment, then I start with the script. How do you handle writers block or moments of doubt (we all have them) during your creative process? When it comes to writer’s block or any kind of moment of doubt, for me, I find taking a break and coming back after an hour or 2 and then reading the script from the beginning is a good way to break out of those blocks and keep the flow going. What tools or software do you find essential to your workflow as a screenwriter? The basic software I use on the computer are Notepad, Microsoft Word and Final Draft, each of these programs offer a specific purpose for my workflow. How do you approach competition entries, and what have you learned from participating in these contests? Which contests have you entered...and how has your work been received overall? Have those contests been helpful to you in your writing? I try to enter the contests which are more specific to the scripts I have. I’ve entered the Filmmatic Comedy Screenplay Awards Season 9 and was a quarterfinalist. The contests definitely have been helpful to my writing as they usually give good feedback and the placements let me know what I should improve on for next time. Can you share a specific challenge you've faced in your screenwriting and how you overcame it? If you are balancing your “writing time” with a “day job”...how are you managing that? Currently I have my own online eBay business which is very helpful in that I’m able to manage to balance the work life and writing time fairly evenly at home and they don’t really interfere with each other. Where do you see yourself in five years as a screenwriter? With an agent or some form of representation, writing and directing my own feature films as well as developing my own original tv shows for streaming services. What is your ultimate ambition as a writer? To be considered among the greatest, prolific and original screenwriters. The film and television industry is constantly evolving. How do you see the role of screenwriters changing, especially with the rise of streaming platforms and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence? Have you used A.I. in your writing; if so, how have you used it? I feel like streaming services have changed the way we perceive tv shows and animation for the better and they have been able to bring previously unseen writers to the forefront. I’m very skeptical about A.I. and it’s use in any creative field, I have not personally used A.I. in my writing and have no plans to do so. If I were to use A.I. it would be purely for concept artwork for characters, locations, etc. to be used by professional artists as a foundation. Which film or television writers inspire you? Why? Many different film and television writers inspire me and my approach such as Ricky Gervais. I find his ability to craft well rounded shows based on his own experiences and find the absurdity in everyday life very interesting and inspiring for my own work. What’s your all-time favorite movie or television show? I like almost all genres of film and tv so it is hard to pinpoint a favorite, but Stanley Kubrick’s 2001 A Space Odessey always comes to mind due to the amount of time and research that went into writing the script and the accurate predictions of future technology used in that film is very inspirational. What advice do you have for aspiring screenwriters? Write what you believe in. What else are you working on that the world needs to know about? (links to your projects?) Currently I’m working on an adult animated sitcom called Reap and a treatment for a Sci-Fi film called Data. All my projects can be found at: https://writers.coverfly.com/profile/EdwardAbrahams Where can the world find you online? (Social media links, etc.) https://writers.coverfly.com/profile/EdwardAbrahams |
