JOAN BARRETT
Where do you live (City, State, or Country)?
Toronto, Ontario Canada 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? I have two scripts that have placed in your contests. Candyland is an hour dramedy that is based loosely on my life as a mature single navigating today’s dating scene. I wrote an international bestselling book on this topic which laid the basics of the TV Pilot. It has won multiple international screenplay awards. I am hoping that an astute network sees its merits and its appeal to a broad audience and greenlights it. Transplanted, a half hour comedy, is also based loosely on a true story. My favorite deli worker told me how she talked to her deceased sister through her transplanted kidney. It offered me the opportunity to create the deceased sister’s phantasm as one of the main characters. 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? Candyland took about six-eight months, as it was my first and it was very personal, almost cathartic. I wrote it only part-time. Transplanted took three months working on it part-time. I use a broad outline and fill in projected details as I see the direction I’m taking the characters and the storyline. I revisit the outline every few scenes to see how I could have incorporated my vision of character and story arcs better and to review their direction. What is your ultimate ambition as a writer? I am a writer and a creator with a vivid imagination who likes to write stories that have social subtexts. I want to continue to observe the world around me and create new meaningful storylines and characters. I’ve recently found a fun creative outlet writing unscripted series as well. Was your entry at The Wiki Screenplay Contest a full script or “the first ten pages”? Why did you make that choice? I chose a full script entry and critique. I felt they were ready for a full review so I can go on to pitch them. I sent them in twice. I’m writing a crime series now that I will be placing in the ten-page contest. It will be my first draft and I want to test the concept … if it has legs and if I can successfully write this kind of genre and dialogue. I hope my passion for crime series has equipped me for this dive into crime series writing. What’s your all-time favorite movie or television show...and why? My favorite movie is Scent of a Woman because I love Al Pacino. His portrayal really moved me … each time I watched it. As I said, I love crime series. I’d say that the Scottish Shetland is my favorite crime series … the right mix of personal story along with the crimes. The British have a real knack for creating a good balance for my taste. What advice do you have for writers hoping to win a contest or place as a finalist as you have? Don’t give up. Spend the extra money for the critiques. Assemble them and make the changes that are consistently suggested and make sense to you. So often ‘we can’t see the forest through the trees’ when we’re writing. What else are you working on that the world needs to know about? As mentioned earlier, a crime series, titled Double Jeopardy. I’m sending in my first draft to Wiki this month for a ten-page read to see if it passes the experts as a possible series. I think it will save me a lot of time doing so before I sweat more over it, if it is not screen worthy. |
