NEIL GOODCHILD
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 PictureNeil Goodchild
Where do you live (City, State, or Country)?
I live in Massachusetts, outside of Boston.

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 worked part time on and off at a local TV station. Unlike my fictional version, they were well financed and extremely skillful.  I also worked at another company that was teetering on the edge of collapse the entire time I was there.  For ‘Locals’ I swapped out the situations because the TV station had a lot more potential for stories and a half hour TV pilot seemed the way to go.
 
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?
The original idea was to follow a couple of characters who made a ghost hunting show which was unintentionally (for them at least) comical.  But the story evolved into exploring the studio those two worked out of.  ‘Locals’ was written on a very cold Saturday in January of 2025.  The rewriting took a week and I have been pleasantly surprised at the reaction it’s gotten.  I normally use index cards, scribbled notes, and short outlines to come up with a plan but this script popped up out of nowhere.
 
What is your ultimate ambition as a writer?
I am looking for an agent or manager to assist with a sale.  My short term ambition is to win or place high in contests with a variety of different scripts.  So far, I’ve had success with a drama screenplay, a comedy screenplay and now a TV comedy pilot.  Next up is horror or science fiction.  Long term plan is to write something to produce on my own.  I also recently completed a memoir called ‘Twenty-Five Reflections’ in which I detail the 25 years I spent with my sister and the 25 that have passed since her death on September 11, 2001.
 
Was your entry at The Wiki Screenplay Contest a full script or “the first ten pages”? Why did you make that choice?
I put in for the full script entry – I needed the feedback and the Wiki is the best in the business.
 
What’s your all-time favorite movie or television show...and why?
‘Supernatural’ was always my favorite TV show, but ‘Locals’ was inspired by my favorite TV comedies ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ and ‘Scrubs’.  I love the fast-paced jokes and the tendency those shows had to hit you in the feels when you least expected.  I’d also be remiss if I didn’t admit I have watched and re-watched the ‘Cobra Kai’ series a ridiculous number of times.
 
What advice do you have for writers hoping to win a contest or place as a finalist as you have?
My advice is to keep swinging.  Get feedback from the pros and never dwell too long on defeats or victories.  Just keep going.
 
What else are you working on that the world needs to know about?
I have horror and science fiction scripts in the works, but I think the best thing to concentrate on now is to create a series bible for ‘Locals’.  I’ve never done one before, so I want to lean into the challenge.