MICHAEL MEYERS
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 PictureMICHAEL MEYERS
Where do you live (City, State, or Country)?
West Linn, Oregon, just outside Portland.

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?
Blue Eighteen was inspired by someone very close to me whose childhood abuse was dismissed by members of her own family, leaving wounds that extended far beyond the original trauma. Although the screenplay is entirely fictional, her courage in sharing that experience challenged me to explore what happens when the people who should protect us instead choose silence, denial, or self-preservation. Rather than writing a story about victimization, I wanted to write about resilience. At its heart, Blue Eighteen asks whether compassion, unexpected friendship, and the willingness of ordinary people to stand beside someone can help break cycles of shame and isolation. I’m a screenwriter, not a novelist, so I built the story for a cinematic rendering of that journey.

How long did it take you to write your script, and what is your writing process? Do you outline, use index cards, a whiteboard, or just start with FADE IN?
Blue Eighteen took years to write and dozens of drafts. The subject matter is heavy, and finding the right tone—a tone that allowed my voice to cut through that subject matter without diminishing it—started with creating a single compelling character who could dominate the screen. Beth Lawrence is everything: outrageous, vulnerable, confrontational, and kind. She is untamed and unloved, and the script needed a secondary protagonist, Andre, who could let Beth be Beth and, out of his own tragic desperation, offer her the love she has been missing.
That created the need for him to have his own difficult story, so they would share deep damage that defined and threatened to ruin their lives. Beth wanted vengeance after failing to kill herself. I landed on her attending her estranged daughter’s wedding and conjured a road trip from there. As you can see, I’m a pantser, not a plotter. My characters tend to self-populate and evolve as the story’s needs grow. I become quite friendly with them, no matter their moral failings, and try to give each of them some humanity.

What is your ultimate ambition as a writer?
I write for myself, first and foremost, because I enjoy living in the worlds of the characters and stories I create. But I also believe those characters and stories can resonate with people who like to laugh, be moved, and find humanity, hope, and connection. I suppose my ambition is to find the audience for those stories..

Was your entry at The Wiki Screenplay Contest a full script or “the first ten pages”? Why did you make that choice?
It was a full script. Blue Eighteen is complete; it is no longer in development.

What’s your all-time favorite movie or television show—and why?
I’m not a fan of that question. “Favorite” suggests some sort of quantifying metric, and I don’t apply that calculus to films, books, or music. I like what moves me. But if I’m switching channels and Casablanca is on, I’ll watch it through to the end. I love the characters, themes, great lines, performances, love story, and courage of so many characters. I also love the historical context: this hopeful movie was made when the fate of the world was very unclear.

What advice do you have for writers hoping to win a contest or place as a finalist, as you have?
You have to love your characters. You’ll spend a lot of time with them, so find their humanity, understand their goals, let them tell you what they want, and listen. Know when you’re holding onto something that serves you more than the story, and be willing to let it go. Trust your instincts. Ignore the market and trends. Find your own voice and trust it. Have fun, and be proud of the commitment you’re making to yourself. Writing is hard, lonely work filled with self-doubt, so you have to stay committed. And remember: you will get better. Don’t worry about getting it right; get it written.

What else are you working on that the world needs to know about?
I’ve just finished a new feature script called Baby Knapping. It’s a darkly comic Christmas thriller about an ex-con used-car salesman whose baby narrowly escapes being snatched when four other babies are kidnapped from a hospital. Because of his criminal record and business associates, he becomes the prime suspect. He and his hemorrhaging wife are then pulled into a scheme involving the FBI, a compound run by a feminist leader, and one very unconventional criminal enforcer. It’s probably more commercially viable than Blue Eighteen. It is a completely fictional piece that starts fast and then speeds up.
I’ve also started promoting my one-act play, Underground Live!, a story of grief, comedy, and music set in a cemetery. It has had several fully staged productions and was a nominee at the 2026 Moonless International Film Festival. I’m seeking a publisher. More of my film and stage work can be found at michaeldmeyers.com.