MACK GORDON

Where do you live (City, State, or Country)?
Vancouver, British Columbia, 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 was inspired to tell a story about someone in the full doldrums of their work life discovering the incredible power of a hobby, particularly a hobby that opens up a new community to live among, when the rest of life can feel isolating and lonely. I feel very strongly about the power of a holistic life.

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 didn’t do much outlining on this script and wrote the first draft quite quickly back in 2018. I left it for a long time and recently got more serious about my screenwriting practice, including reading “The Hollywood Standard” by Christopher Riley and wanted to see how much improvement the script could go through simply by refining the format. Safe to say the experiment was a success and the story is much improved thanks to Mr. Riley’s guidance!

What is your ultimate ambition as a writer?
Wow big questions. My ultimate ambition as a writer to make people feel less alone in the world, to help people get out from under the oppressive thumb of shame, and blossom in their enjoyment of life and love for their fellow humans. I’d like to change people’s mind about the human condition – we’re all well-intentioned and anyone who’s not has experienced something that’s brought them there, something that can be drudged up, and brought out into the light. There’s nothing like a little healing.

Was your entry at The Wiki Screenplay Contest a full script or “the first ten pages”? Why did you make that choice?
Full script of a short film.

What’s your all-time favorite movie or television show...and why?
The Barbarian Invasions by Denis Arcand – it is so moving in its curmudgeonly humanity.

What advice do you have for writers hoping to win a contest or place as a finalist as you have?
Keep working, keep getting a little better over time, read good books and find the truth.

What else are you working on that the world needs to know about?
I’m the executive producer of a film (Hunting Matthew Nichols) that is out to Market right now. I’m working on several features and hoping to find literary representation soon. I also work as an actor and an audiobook narrator with several books out recently and soon from publishers like Arcturus Press; Bloomsbury; and Penguin Random House including Oryx & Crake by Margaret Atwood.