JOE KILGORE
Where do you live (City, State, or Country)?
Austin, Texas 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 script was actually developed and taken to feature length from a short story I had written previously. The inspiration for the story was an attempt by me to recapture a bit of the classic horror/thrillers from the past. With suspense, conflict, and resolution. Without gratuitous sex, violence, or profanity. 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? Writing the full script took approximately three to four weeks. I always start with an idea. A concept. Then a rough outline of where the story goes and how the piece unfolds...a map of the journey the story will take. Then I begin to write it. What is your ultimate ambition as a writer? To create work of lasting value. Work that people want to see, or hear, or read, long after I am dead and gone. Was your entry at The Wiki Screenplay Contest a full script or “the first ten pages”? Why did you make that choice? First ten pages. I wanted to find out if what I was doing had legs. If it had the foundation to turn into something worthwhile. As opposed to simply throwing the whole plate of spaghetti against the wall and hope some would stick. What’s your all-time favorite movie or television show...and why? All-time favorite movie: Lawrence of Arabia. Grander than life. The writing, the acting, the direction, it is the essence of what movies were meant to be. What advice do you have for writers hoping to win a contest or place as a finalist as you have? As Shakespeare said: “Screw your courage to the sticking place.” And I add “persevere.” Keep in mind that what you are engaged in is the most subjective thing in the world. Some people will hate what you do, some will love it. Just make sure you love doing it, and then whatever happens to it will have been worthwhile. What else are you working on that the world needs to know about? I have a classic Western script, a Contemporary Mystery, a Psychological Drama, and more. I’m trying to make them all “memorable”...stories that entertain and stay with you. |
