KAREN FRANKOLA
Where do you live (City, State, or Country)?
I’ve been somewhat nomadic, spending most of my time in California, North Carolina and Europe. Since most of my day jobs have been remote, my favorite place to work is on a train. 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? Girl of Steel is based on my summer job at a Pittsburgh steel mill just after women began working there. I wanted to put today’s young women inside the mind of a teenager coping with sexual and the thrill of a forbidden affair, while also trying to connect with a father she could barely talk to. Many older women will recognize their own stories. This began as a memoir, but turning it into a script allowed me more creative freedom. It offers a breakthrough role for a young actress – think An Education meets Flashdance. 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? Since I started with my memoir, it only took about a month. With previous scripts, I have used index cards and various software tools. What is your ultimate ambition as a writer? To produce women-focused stories that combine drama and comedy as brilliantly as Hacks. Was your entry at The Wiki Screenplay Contest a full script or “the first ten pages”? Why did you make that choice? I entered a full script so I could get feedback. What’s your all-time favorite movie or television show...and why? Currently, Hacks because I’ve never seen such a robust portrayal of an older woman consumed with her career. I love the generational conflict and there’s no better writing and acting. My all-time favorite movie is Groundhog Day because not only is it a superb romantic comedy with the unmatched Bill Murray, it’s also a profound treatise on the meaning of life. Imagine the challenge of writing scenes that start with the same lines over and over again. What advice do you have for writers hoping to win a contest or place as a finalist as you have? Start by submitting to contests that provide feedback and use it to rewrite your script before your next submission. I did become a finalist for this contest with my initial draft but plan to keep polishing. What else are you working on that the world needs to know about? I’m writing what I hope could be a dramedy series about an NBC television station that has a typical daily news operation, but nearly all the journalists are college students. I taught reporting and producing at the University of Missouri, which may be the only place in the world that puts unpolished students on the air for hours every day. Some focus on investigating wrongdoing while others are more concerned with their hair. All screw up miserably to some extent, despite the guidance of pros. Imagine the residents of Grey’s Anatomy working with Mary Richards and Lou Grant. |
