Interview:
Robert Gately - Bethlehem, PA- Since retiring early from a large telecommunication company, my manuscripts have places in over 125 festival, theatre and novel competitions - 22 of which have won or come in second place. Some of my wins are: Fade In Magazine, Telluride, Queens International Film Festival, Garden State Film Festival, Hollywood Screenwriting Institute, plus a half-a-dozen more. Although an independent filmmaker plans on producing one of my scripts in 2009, I have not produced or sold any of my works as of yet.

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

HAT TRICK is one of my early scripts. I've written 10 spec feature
scripts, one short screenplay, two full length stage plays, three novels
and, recently, one non-fiction biography about a Moslem man who gave up a
life of riches in South Asia to make the world a better place to live.

Why did you write HAT TRICK? And how long did it take you to write it?

My wife wanted to know why I was laughing one morning when I woke up.
When I told her I dreamt of Jim Brown, the ex-profession football great,
running naked down the football during a game, my wife didn't see the humor
in that. It was one of those surreal moments where there was no way I could
effectively explain the dream to anyone, so I had to write it down so others
could appreciate it. Hat Trick was one of my more effortless enterprises. My
first draft took a month, although I've taken editorial perogatives with it
a hundred times, it seems.

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

My left/right brain seems to work best during different parts of the day.
After I commit myself to a project, which takes a negotiation process with
my wife, the right side of my brain seems to be sharper in the AM so that's
when most of my creative writing takes place; and in the PM I do the
editing. Fortunately, I'm retired so I can devote all day to the writing
process if I must.

What inspires you to write?

Reading, people, dreams, music, my humanity - a sad face, melancholy,
feeling of hope, a moment of insight; God.

Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?

All the people in my life (Lois, my wife. children, grand children,
brothers, sisters, friends, etc.) And the academic journey of trying to
understand human nature.

What influenced you to enter the Movie Script Contest?

My OCD.

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

I don't know. Probably. Some are better than others, I suppose. I
certainly read about the success stories, but I haven't been able to
capitalize on my wins. A lot of close encounters, but I haven't seen a check
yet, or found a mainstream agent due to contests. Others have, and I must
say since writers are getting represented and produced because of contests,
then I'll stay on the carousel until I snatch that gold ring.

Who is your favorite screenwriter or writer and why?

Howard Cosell (way with words); Joseph Heller (style); Charles Dickens
(my first inspiration - made me cry), Philip Roth, J.D. Salinger (made me
laugh).

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

A. Gosh, no. There's too much of one's soul put into this craft to think my
opinions would have clout. I hope that doesn't sound like false humility.
Everyone operates on a different speed/mode and what works for one doesn't
work for another. There are so many writers out there who are as good or
better than I am, I feel it would be a little pretentious on my part to
offer advice. Maybe a behavioral tip: collaboration with other writers seems
to strength my wit/desire/muse/understanding of the craft. So, that's it -
collaborate with other writers or people you trust.

What's next for you?

Right now I'm stuck between my next writing project with a friend from
Long Island and trying to get represented by a mainstream agent with my
recent book. Hopefully, my next stop is getting published/produced so I can
enjoy a different aspect of a writer's journey.