WRITER PROFILE
It’s always great to get together with a large group of writers and investors and keep up to date on what’s new, the screenplay contest, any recent deals, new dealmaker contacts, agents or managers that are looking and simply encouraging everyone to keep going after every dream in this difficult industry. For the hard working writer we want to do as much as we can to continue the exposure and word of mouth in the investment circles of the industry. Another way we do this is with writer interviews that we send far and wide and showcase at all possible meetings and markets.
We want to encourage your writing spirit, motivate you and again give you the accolades you so deserve.
Our Better Angels
Written by Steven Michael
What motivated you to become a writer?
I always had a smoldering need to create. After a lifetime of being a pro baseball player, entrepreneur, business employee, and economics professor, I retired – and still smoldered. I wrote several short stories during my employee days and two “how-to” books on subjects I knew well. But then I asked what is the most difficult writing to accomplish? Research told me it was screenwriting. I love movies and I have something to say. So I know what to write, I’m always learning how to write it.
Starting on a blank page is not easy- where does your creativity come from?
Observation and asking what if? As an economics professor, that discipline is all about human behavior and why people do what they do. So I usually start with characters. Unusual people, or “normal” people with unusual life circumstances. The what-if questions then become pivotal in crafting the hook and especially the second act. Overall, I have always been a day dreamer. What a person says, then I ask “what if they acted or said it differently?” We have all been exposed to varying characters and I use those experiences to create stories.
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?
Yes. Locations, number of characters, CGI, all of that enters my mind when crafting a story. I also welcome the collaborative aspect of filmmaking.
What is your dream for this project and what other ancillary revenue do you think it could generate? Please include script title in reply.
My second script, Our Better Angels, started out as an exercise to infuse more emotion into my writing. I can see this being attractive to original content channels like Hallmark or Lifetime. Beyond that, on demand and international markets are not out of the question. The story has a universal theme that would appeal to all people and all continents.
How has your experience been with screenwriting contests for this project so far?
Our Better Angels has been entered in several contests and several writing gigs. The script won best in drama category at Story Pros and semi-finalist honors in the 2020 Shoot Your Sizzle competition. I find contests to be beneficial not only for exposure, but also for feedback. As a pragmatist, I don’t get ruffled if my scripts are not honored, it just tells me I need to get back to work.
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?
I am not a loner or a recluse. I have an engaging personality and good sense of humor. As stated above, I really like team work and collaboration. Sports, in my case baseball, taught me that there are times to produce by yourself, but teams win together. This project was a labor of love for me because much of the male’s character came from my grandfather – a simple man who knew what was important in life.
Do you have any website links for your writing, credits, background, etc. that you would like to share?
I have an IMDb page and also an online store for my two books https://stevenemichael.com/