T.K. SHEFFIELD
Where do you live (City, State, or Country)?
I grew up in Madison, Wisconsin, as a horse-obsessed child and couldn’t wait to move to the country. After college, I lived in small towns and wide-open spaces. I currently live in rural Wisconsin. 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? The Night Icelandic Horses Saved Christmas Eve was inspired by my love of horses. I wrote the children’s book first and then the animated TV pilot. I grew up with horses, riding and showing for years. In those days, there were many local saddle clubs, barns, and show arenas. Sadly, most have vanished, and horse-loving children don’t have access to lessons and riding. I wrote the book and the TV pilot to give them the next best thing: stories about horses! 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? This is a fantastic question! Can I say a lifetime? It’s taken years to learn about horse breeds, behavior, training, and the ultimate riding discipline, dressage. I learned about Icelandic Horses because a breeding farm was established near where I lived at the time. It was serendipitous: Icelandic Horses in Wisconsin? I learned about this amazing breed—they’re smart, incredibly hardy, and majestic—and thought they would make perfect Christmas-story heroes. (Along with Mrs. Claus and the North Pole veterinarian, of course!) Writing the first draft didn’t take long. A month, perhaps. It’s an animated short and the children’s book is less than a thousand words. However, I have workshopped the pages at conferences and submitted them for expert analysis. As with ALL writing—perfection is in the revision. Editing and rewriting of the story and script continue. It’s like riding a perfect twenty-meter circle. In theory it exists, but the quest, the journey to perfection, goes on. Regarding my writing process, I write very early in the morning, four or five a.m. I’m a charter member of the early risers club. As for software, I use Scrivener to write books and scripts. It’s relatively easy to use, and its developers provide many tutorials to learn it. Highly recommended! What is your ultimate ambition as a writer? The older I get, the more I wish to bring people hope, joy, and laughter. Life is hard, and it’s filled with disappointment and pain. In sharing and reading my books and screenplays, I wish to alleviate those problems, if only for a little while. Laughter is "good wine for the soul,” after all. 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 at ten-twelve pages because it was an animated TV pilot based on a children’s story. I have other work that I could enter as full scripts. I appreciated the helpful, honest feedback from the Wiki judges and evaluators. I’ll submit again. Thank you! What’s your all-time favorite movie or television show...and why? I love movies, TV shows, and books that offer layers of wit and visual humor. I assert that comedy is the most challenging genre to write because it’s so subjective. What’s funny to one person is not to another. Favorite television shows include The Office (British version), Monty Python, Mayberry, RFD, the Carol Burnett Show, the Mary Tyler Moore Show, the Bob Newhart Show, and All Creatures Great and Small. Favorite movies include The Pink Panther (1963), Cedar Rapids (2011), and The Other Guys (2010). And, while it’s not a comedy, The Black Stallion (1979) was a visual masterpiece. I love the Clint Eastwood “Spaghetti Westerns.” And, if one’s a comedy enthusiast, who doesn’t like Caddyshack (1980), the Blues Brothers (1980), Spinal Tap (1984), and Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)? What advice do you have for writers hoping to win a contest or place as a finalist as you have? Winston Churchill said success is going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm. You’ll fail, all right. And you won’t be happy about it. However, accept that rejection is part of the writing process and resolve to continue. Find conferences and attend them. Submit your work for feedback. Read and study good writing. Find mentors who will provide honest evaluations and tips to improve. What else are you working on that the world needs to know about? Thank you for asking! It’s been a pleasure to be associated with this contest. I’ve written two other screenplays. One is a romantic comedy that has won or placed in six festivals. It’s The Devil Wears Prada meets Schitt’s Creek. The other is a romantic suspense script: Jack Reacher meets Dr. James Herriot. I will be entering that script in festivals this season. I write stories for readers and viewers who want to laugh and escape. They’re crisply paced, layered with humor, and provide a satisfying ending. |
