Interview:

Born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee, I earned a master’s degree in fiction from the University of Southern California, completing my coursework at Cambridge University. Currently, I teach and serve as director of the Writing Center at USC. My wife and I live in Los Angeles.

Is “Eminent Domain” your first script? If not, what else have you completed?

Eminent Domain is my first script, as well as my first foray into film. Although most of my master’s classes were fiction workshops, I was allowed to take electives in other literary forms, including playwriting and screenwriting. One of these screenwriting seminars was led by Syd Field—dubbed “the most sought after screenwriting teacher in the world” by the Hollywood Reporter—who saw cinematic potential in a short story I was working on for another class. To make a long story short (or, in this case, a short story long), I adapted it, albeit two years later.

Why did you write "EMINENT DOMAIN? And how long did it take you to write it?

Why: Children born in the Bible Belt are often indoctrinated into a given religion (or, more specifically, a given denomination) before they are mature enough to understand the significance. As they reach adolescence and adulthood, many begin to question their inherited beliefs, and those raised dogmatically are liable to blindly follow or else renounce their religion, if only to rediscover it on their own terms. I wanted to take the reader/viewer (of the script/film) on this spiritual quest, so I developed Noah Hargrove, a character resilient enough to endure such a crisis of faith. In addition to this religious theme, the southern setting allowed me to complicate the plot with racial, familial, and governmental conflicts symptomatic of the region.

How long: I am male, so I apologize for the unearned use of this strictly feminine analogy. When a woman goes into labor, sometimes the child pops out after an hour or two; other times the process is, well, more laborious. Such is the case with a brainchild. Fortunately, Eminent Domain (we’ll call him ED for short) was a brainchild born with relative ease. I wrote the actual script in about three weeks, though that time-span doesn’t account for the fact that ED was conceived as a short story two years prior, allowing for a twenty-four month gestation (and you thought nine months was long).

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

As an aspiring writer, you get a lot of unsolicited advice: “Write what you know”; “Write a little every day”; and “Write first thing in the morning”. Initially I tried to abide by these literary tenets, but I quickly found that I couldn’t. Sometimes it’s more interesting to write about the unknown; Most days I’m just too busy to write; And if I’m writing first thing in the morning, it’s probably because I haven’t gone to sleep yet. Granted, a regular routine works well for some folks, but for me it feels too much like punching the clock. In other words, I start to feel like I have to (not necessarily want to) write. Instead of chipping away on a daily or even weekly basis, I prefer to buy myself at least one full calendar page. Literally, I buy it: I devote my undivided attention to teaching during the fall and spring semesters so I can devote my undivided attention to writing during the winter and summer breaks. By doing so, I can put both feet firmly in the world I am creating, rather than putting one foot in and one foot out (after all, I’m writing, not doing the hokey-pokey). In order to get any momentum, I must first get traction.

What inspires you to write?

My wife’s acting. My mom’s vote of confidence. My dad’s work ethic. My sister’s laugh. Being in, on, or near a body of water. Hearing the right song at the right time. The possibility of saying something that everyone has felt before, but no one has ever said.

Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?

Family. Teaching. Traveling. Food. Classic rock.

What influenced you to enter the Movie Script Contest?

I heard from fellow writers that the Movie Script Contest is conducted in an efficient and exciting manner, particularly because they release the results in stages (quarterfinalists, semifinalists, finalists, winners) rather than making a single announcement after-the-fact.

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

Yes, I do feel that screenwriting contests are worthwhile. I’m keeping my fingers crossed in hopes of landing an agent or a production deal or both. But if I don’t gain anything beyond the initial recognition, I will still be grateful for this experience, since it reassured me that I am on the right track.

Who is your favorite screenwriter or writer and why?

At the moment I am enamored with David Benioff, the screenwriter for X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), The Kite Runner (2007), and Troy (2004). But he got his start with The 25th Hour (2002), having adapted his debut novel of the same name. This is what I admire about him: his ability to thrive as a fiction writer and screenwriter. If you haven’t read his book of short stories, When the Nines Roll Over, I recommend it, especially “The Barefoot Girl in Clover”.

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

“Write what you know”; “Write a little every day”; and “Write first thing in the morning”.
Just kidding. No matter when, what, or how often, if you’re going to write, write with a vengeance.

What’s next for you?

Another screenplay. Whereas the last one was a drama, the next one will be a dark comedy. Plus, a couple of quirky short stories came to mind while drafting, so I’ll toy around with those when I get a chance. Of course, I hope these plans are postponed by countless rewrites of Eminent Domain as a result of a production deal thanks to the Silver Brad Award…