BARRY JAY
​
​

How did you discover The Santa Barbara International Screenplay Awards and how did you decide to enter this contest among all the others?
I did some online research and asked a friend in the biz. All things added up to this being a very worthwhile contest to be a part of.
 
Where do you live (City, State, or Country)?
Henderson Nevada (basically Vegas)
 
Your script stood out among hundreds of others. What was the inspiration for your story and why did you write a script instead of a short story or a novel? What inspires your overall journey into screenwriting?
The inspiration for my story was a combination of things; I wanted to write a drama, I wanted to include my journey in recovery, now sober over 20 years, and address the homelessness problem… once I had the character alive and kicking he kind of wrote the story… I had ideas of not naming the other characters, I wanted to have an imaginary version of the character that represents the voice in his head, inspired by a twilight zone episode “the mirror” – I’ve also been wanting to incorporate insomnia attached too hallucinations.
 
I’m a songwriter and a screenplay writer, and those are where my heart is. I’ve written short stories but they end up being the foundation of a horror anthology… Novels I have no interest in writing, even my own story I’ve turned into a screenplay.
My overall journey in screenwriting is based on my body not being a coffin for pain – I release my pain and feelings through script and song.
 
How do you decide which stories to tell, and what draws you to these particular themes?
There’s that little internal bell that says “yes, this is it” I’m usually drawn in by the idea, the main character and what the poster would look like.
 
What is your typical writing routine? How do you structure your workday to stay productive? 
I am retired now.  I used to write every chance I got whenever that was.  Truth is; I’m a night owl and have written scripts in bed before bed on my phone.
 
How long did it take you to write your script...and what is your writing process? Do you outline...use index cards...white board...or just start with FADE IN?
I did start with fade in: now I’m told that’s not a thing anymore, so I’ve stopped.  My process is beginning, middle and end, main character breakdown and then an outline.  I used to do beat sheets but I’ve been like outlines better.

How do you handle writer's block or moments of doubt (we all have them) during your creative process?
Writer’s block for me usually means the story is like pulling teeth and if it doesn’t come in a certain amount of time, I move on to another story.  Sometimes an idea is great but the story doesn’t come THEN I find myself using that story as part of the next story – so repurposing it made it worth the work.
 
What tools or software do you find essential to your workflow as a screenwriter? 
Final Draft.  I like one visual.  For my upcoming film “Like Father Like Son” I had gotten an old army jacket for the main character.  Essential to my workflow is silence and isolation.  
 
How do you approach competition entries, and what have you learned from participating in these contests?
 Well with no expectations.  There’s a lot of great scripts and opinions are subjective. Not sure what I’ve learned except that having won many, they are very nice to put in the deck of the script to help sell it.
 
Can you share a specific challenge you've faced in your screenwriting and how you overcame it?
 
My first challenge was being self taught and learning, as some might say, the hard way.  Films were my film school.  Challenge was understanding the 10K hours I would need to put in in order to sell scripts – and it worked. My upcoming film is being released by Lionsgate.
 
Where do you see yourself in five years as a screenwriter?
Writing. I’m moving to Spain and plan to keep writing, creating decks and sending them out.  

---

​