What motivated you to become a writer?

I think I’ve always been a writer… starting with my “Mars versus Earth” 8.5 x 11 paper drawing novel way back when I was four all the way through today. Fact is, I just took the long way to get here… passing through different iterations of employment along the way. I was stymied along the way by my job at Kroger a a sacker, then by a failed attempt at a college education, followed by a five-year stint in the United States Air Force where I was a patrol and detector dog handler, then by the over two-decades I served as a Texas Peace Officer.

After retirement, I finally stepped back upon the path and… well… here I am.

Starting on a blank page is not easy- where does your creativity come from?

I think it comes from a mind that’s spent far too much time staring at the pages of comic books, reading sci-fi and fantasy novels, and watching movies. And, being the consummate daydreamer, it always starts with one of two questions… “Wouldn’t it be cool if….” or “I wonder what would happen if…”

Do you write projects knowing that so many other factors need to happen to get it to screen and does that come into your project creation?

Absolutely not. The industry is so chock full of unlimited talent now, that the writer can sit back and write whatever he wants, resting comfortably knowing that, whatever his vision is, the aspects of everything involved afterwards — the agents, producers, SFX, sets, to directors, and budgets — will be guided by the knowing hands of someone whose talents will not only make it happen… but do it in a way the writer could never perceive it being done in the first place.

So… I just write. The real talent will take it from there.

What is your dream for this project and what other ancillary revenue do you think it could generate?

The Scarecrow was inspired by Russell Thorndike’s “Dr. Syn: A Smuggler Tale of the Romney Marsh” published in 1915. While it’s not an adaptation by any stretch of the imagination, my ultimate goal is to deliver a respectable take on the original tale… one that sends the same shivers down the spines of new viewers as Walt Disney’s singularly imaginative iteration did when I saw it as a child.

As far as ancillary revenue is concerned, the prospects are unlimited: comic books, video games, action figures… heck, even anime renditions, novels, and the like. It’s an endless landscape as far as I’m concerned.

How has your experience been with screenwriting contests for this project so far?

I think contests serve their purpose. They help you refine your craft, give you some insight as to what others think about the viability of your vision and how you present it, and give you the opportunity to measure up to your peers. But, that being said, the review of a person’s creation is subjective. How many of the top tier winners actually have their projects made into movies/TV series after they emerge victorious in the so-called career-starting competitions? I’d venture to say not many. I’ve seen hundreds of scripts rated in the TOP 1% and an equal number with thirty and forty awards apiece that are no closer to success that those who have one quarterfinalist victory. And you can place high in one contest while that very same script won’t even make the quarterfinals in the following contest. It’s all subjective, and for the newcomer, can be very much of a dream-crusher. Every journey to the finish line is different and the roadway to success is paved with the amazing stories of people who never even entered a contest or won a quarterfinalist award. So… take heart… learn the craft… and get from the competitions what they are meant to give you… a steeled desire to prove every reader wrong who even hinted at the fact that something in your vision should be changed to shape it in the way they believe it should read. Trust me when I say, a winning script is the script that is made into a movie more that it is the one that wins a competition.

If you could stand in a room full of investor partners looking at many projects what would you like them to know about you and this project?

Well, it may sound arrogant, but my life experience has taught me one thing, they need me for their success more than I need them. I’m the creative force and if they chose to pass on my project, that’s okay. When someone catches the vision they’ll be the ones I’m meant to do business with. And when the project catches traction and the success follows, those who pass will see their financial miscalculation. Investors are no different that writers. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. It’s a gamble for both sides involved.

But, for that prospective visionary… the answer is simple. Let’s take the audience on a journey that — for two hours — makes them forget the worries and fears and troubles of their lives. Take them to someplace that never existed in their wildest imagination… make them smile, make them scream, make them cry, and give them cause to celebrate. You see, this whole process isn’t about the writer. It never has been. It’s not about creative vision, directorial control, financial gain. Nope. It is now and always has been about the audience… the loyal throng who departs their world and enters yours wearing smiles of excitement and anticipation. If everyone can look past their ego and see that giving the audience its just due is the ultimate goal… heck, I believe God’ll take it from there.

Do you have any website links for your writing, credits, background, etc that you would like to share?

Nope. I write from the shadows and give God all the glory. Afterall, I’m using the talent he gave me.