Interview:

I’m Frank Brady, an advertising copywriter in Southfield, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. My travels take me to New York, Florida and Los Angeles on a regular basis. I’ve had the opportunity to write dozens of TV commercials and I’ve been involved in all aspects of production. I think that’s helpful to any aspiring screenwriter.

I have a communications arts degree that includes film, TV, radio and journalism. I’ve written two published books on TV commercials and my first poem recently appeared in the literary magazine HazMat Review.

Is SWEEPS your first script? If not, what else have you completed?

I’ve written five other screenplays in various genres and I’m working on new ones all the time.

Why did you write SWEEPS? And how long did it take you to write it?

While I was writing a TV commercial that featured gorgeous swimsuit models, I was struck with the power these stunning women could wield over ordinary men. I wondered if any circumstance would justify a world-class beauty taking advantage of an “Average Joe,” knowing that even though she would be helping him in one way, she would have to be hurting him in another. About the same time, I was writing a sweepstakes promotion. That gave me the story’s spine and helped me construct a plot that dealt with the theme. Writing the script took a few weeks—improving it has been ongoing for over a year.

Describe your process; do you have a set routine, method for writing?

When I get an idea, it’ll play as a movie in my mind until I’m compelled to set it down on paper—usually in a fairly short time. After that comes the grunt work of rewriting, editing and polishing.

What inspires you to write?

When my mother was suffering with cancer, she had many sad, painful days. But every night she’d watch “The Late Show” and it made her smile and even laugh. Seeing her happy face made me realize the importance of entertainment and I’ve always wanted to make a contribution.

Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?

I’m a big movie buff—probably no surprise there. Everything from silents to movies from “The Golden Age” to foreign films—you name it. I also love music, cars, food, travel and history—especially the Civil War and the Twenties.

What influenced you to enter the Movie Script Contest?

Movie Script Contest is one of the few that offers valuable feedback and has relationships with studios and agents. In my opinion, this ranks it among the very best.

Do you feel that screenwriting contests are worthwhile for writers and why?

I think that contests can help to establish credentials. What is that quote? “There is no such thing as a bad award.” Something like that. But again, with dozens of competitions, it’s important to focus on the top-notch ones like Movie Script Contest.

Who is your favorite screenwriter or writer and why?

There are many I admire, but the giant who I think transcends them all is our writer-director-actor Renaissance Man, Woody Allen. Just a few of my favorites prove that he is a master of comedy (SLEEPER, TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN); drama (ANNIE HALL, MANHATTAN, and HANNAH AND HER SISTERS); and innovation (PLAY IT AGAIN SAM, MIGHTY APHRODITE and THE PURPLE ROSE OF CAIRO).

Any advice or tips you’d like to pass on to other writers?

As I mentioned above, enter high-quality competitions. Also, experienced script consultants can help make a good script better. Finally, family and friends can be a good sounding board. But they won’t want to hurt your feelings so they may be reluctant to tell you when they have a problem. I’ve found that it helps to ask them to put a Post-It Note on the page(s) where they put the script aside for whatever reason. Of course, you’re hoping they’ll read it straight through. But think of those Post-Its as red flags that can show you where the story sags or is confusing.

What’s next for you?

I’ll keep writing, of course. And I’ll continue to be an advocate for SWEEPS, as well as my other scripts.