MICHAEL HERRMANN
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 PictureMICHAEL HERRMANN
​How did you discover The Wiki Screenplay Contest and how did you decide to enter this contest among all the others?
Discovered via an online search. Was impressed by the quick turn-around and caliber of feedback cited by previous entrants.

Where do you live (City, State, or Country)?
Folkestone, United Kingdom.

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?
Firstly, I’m glad it stood out! Visually and structurally, screenplay format offered the best way to tell this story. MAGA politics and its likely cultural aftermath concerns me greatly, so I conceived The Actuary as being equal parts protest piece and black ‘dramedy’. At a time when
human relationships are increasingly transactional and everyone and everything is assigned a price, The Actuary asks: How does morality potentially survive in a world where lifespans become the ultimate tradeable commodity and truth is entirely optional? I want The Actuary to
be bleakly comic and cerebral yet thrilling, so with Wiki’s help, I’m (hopefully!) on the way to doing that.
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How do you decide which stories to tell, and what draws you to these particular themes?
I’m drawn to unique characters, intriguing plots, absurdist comedy and sharp dialogue. If an idea can potentially tick all those boxes, then I’ll happily dive in and start sketching out characters, settings and a plot.

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?
Four weeks, on this occasion. My process is fairly standard, I think: Log line. Synopsis. Character/scene breakdowns. Research notes. Only with all that assembled do I start on the script.

How do you handle writers block or moments of doubt (we all have them) during your creative process?
My mantra is ‘Just keep going!’. Plan the work, then work the plan. Self-doubt and criticism are always present, but don’t let them overwhelm you. As for writer’s block… Step away from your laptop. Go for a walk. Have a drink. Take a pill. Maybe the universe is signaling you need to pivot or change your approach.

What tools or software do you find essential to your workflow as a screenwriter?
Final Draft. Can’t live without it.

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?
Approach competitions with caution, I say. There’s a whole exploitative ecosystem out there that’ll promise a lot, take your money and deliver very little (if at all). Contents like Wiki that provide constructive feedback – and, if you’re reading this – maybe get you on people’s radar, are worth their weight in gold. My work isn’t for the faint-hearted – you either love it or hate it – so I’m thankful to have found a receptive audience here. Kudos and thanks again, Wiki. You rock.

Can you share a specific challenge you've faced in your screenwriting and how you overcame it?
New ideas = constant challenge. You can’t just have a single script, you need ‘inventory’ to offer managers, agents and producers. Building up a library of scripts to offer takes hard graft, time and patience.

If you are balancing your “writing time” with a “day job”...how are you managing that?
Be ruthless with your time management. Set realistic goals and, as I mentioned above, just keep going.
Where do you see yourself in five years as a screenwriter?
I’ve been fortunate to have had two novels published previously, had stage musicals produced in Australia, Europe and the US, and have won some awards. To be able to add a film or TV credit to that list would be amazing. Fingers crossed.

What is your ultimate ambition as a writer?
Self-realisation. Make people laugh, cry and maybe even think. All that good, life-affirming stuff.

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?
Storytelling is essential to the human condition. The forms those stories take – and how they’re told – are currently undergoing radical change. Streaming, film and linear TV will likely go the way of the dodo over the next 10 – 15 years as people increasingly interact directly with generative A.I. engines. Screens will disappear – you’ll close your eyes and ‘see’ stories. Do I use A.I? Yes – it’s a useful editing tool. But the ideas, characters, dialogue etc. all remain 100% mine. Will there be a place for writers and creatives in this brave new tech-neural world? Absolutely. We might just have to drop the ‘screen’ references from our CVs, though.

Which film or television writers inspire you? Why?
My influences = John Waters, Andy Warhol, Almodovar, Douglas Sirk, Bill Condon, Jean Genet, Angela Carter and James Ellroy. I’m a sucker for outsiders with something different, authentic and entertaining to say.

What’s your all-time favorite movie or television show?
Movie: It’s a tie – Pink Flamingos and Gods and Monsters.
TV: Twin Peaks (R.I.P. David Lynch)

What advice do you have for aspiring screenwriters?
See above. Just keep going. Don’t let your inner ‘Debbie Downer’ stop you.

What else are you working on that the world needs to know about? (links to your projects?)
Pretty/Vacant – a biotech black comedy about body image and corporate malfeasance – and two TV pilots: The Mother of All Lies (about a family that implodes when the mother’s long-standing cancer is revealed to be a hoax); and Divine Madness (about a Pope who, ignored by God for years, pleads for a sign that there’s still at least some love left in their long-distance bromance, and wakes up pregnant).

Where can the world find you online? (Social media links, etc.)
Sorry - I hate social media. You can find me here on Film Freeway, though. Drop me a line, anytime.