MITCHELL BOLING
​

 PictureMITCHELL BOLING
Where do you live (City, State, or Country)?
I live in Waddell, Arizona, USA.

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?
SHOOTERS ROLL AGAIN is an adaptation of my novel, The Last Persian Tomcat, the second of a trilogy. My first screenplay, SHOOTERS ROLL, is an adaptation of my novel, Persian Tomcats. I’ll soon be adapting the final installment of the trilogy, Persian Dragons, into another screenplay, yet untitled. These stories were inspired by my experience in the U.S. Air Force, where I am a 25-year veteran. My experience in the service was as an aircraft maintainer on the F-16 Fighting Falcon. I love the beauty and excitement of working on and flying in fighters. While in the Air Force, I had the distinct privilege of flying as a passenger in the back seat of an F-16 three times! I’ll tell you, it is the World’s Greatest Roller Coaster, to be sure.

How long did it take you to write your script...and what is your writing process? Do you outline...use index cards... whiteboard...or just start with FADE IN?
I always thought my novels were good enough to be made into Hollywood movies. They’re written in the same vein as TOPGUN and TOPGUN: MAVERICK. I realized that if I wanted to get them to Hollywood, I’d have to do it myself. Besides, I love the writing! I bought a copy of The Screenwriter’s Bible by David Trottier and read it thoroughly. Then, I purchased a copy of FADE IN and just started writing. I didn’t use index cards or whiteboards…I already knew the stories inside and out. It took me a few months to finish SHOOTERS ROLL (in my spare time), and I’ll say that turning a 510-page novel into a 120-page screenplay is quite a challenge. Now I know why books are so much different than movies! SHOOTERS ROLL AGAIN took me a couple of months and was easier to adapt, especially since the novel is a little shorter than the first one, and I had gotten the hang of screenwriting. I think I enjoy screenwriting more than novel writing.

What is your ultimate ambition as a writer?
I want people to read my novels and enjoy them. My veteran friends, colleagues, and acquaintances have given my books rave reviews, and I want to pass the stories along to the greater population so they can enjoy them, too. What better way than to make them into movies? People loved TOPGUN with the flying excitement, humor, and romance. My stories have these qualities too, except that the protagonist in SHOOTERS ROLL is a bad-ass female fighter pilot. So, to answer what my ambition is, well, my ambition is to see SHOOTERS ROLL on the big screen, and have it become so popular that people will demand a sequel (I have one right here, a finalist in your contest), and maybe even a follow-on to round out the trilogy. I’ve also got that one in the works. I know of another trilogy that started pretty well: STAR WARS.

Which film or television writers inspire you? Why?
I’ve always liked Quentin Tarantino. He always makes thought-provoking, likable movies. PULP FICTION was great.

What’s your all-time favorite movie or television show?
Of course, I’m a fan of TOPGUN. When it first came out in 1986, I told my family to pay attention to the guy riding in the backseat during the flying scenes (it was Tom Cruise, with his visor down so we wouldn’t recognize him). I told them that guy looking around in the backseat and having a blast riding in that fighter jet – that was me! I had ridden in the back seat of an F-16 a couple of years before the movie came out. I’m also a fan of military movies like PLATOON and FULL METAL JACKET. For television shows, I loved BREAKING BAD, and the recent THE PITT, which I feel is the best television show around.

What advice do you have for writers hoping to win a contest or place as a finalist as you have?
It can get you down, trying to break into Hollywood. I certainly haven’t been able to do it (yet). But the best advice I can think of is to keep at it and seek out feedback any way you can. Fight for feedback!

What else are you working on that the world needs to know about? (be sure to include any links you want the world to check out)
I wrote a short screenplay (13 pg) called THE BEST RIDE EVER, which is about a foursome of friends standing in a line at an amusement park. This story came to me while standing in a 90- minute line at Disney World this past Spring. I’ve also been thinking about finishing up the trilogy and adapting Persian Dragons. It’s about how Venezuela offers Iran a squadron of F-16 fighter jets, and Iran takes them up on their offer. If you’re a customer of Amazon.com, type my name in the search box and all six of my books will appear. (Three are non-fiction and three are the Shooters Roll trilogy).
You can follow me on X: @mbboling