CHRIS MURRAY
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Where do you live (City, State, or Country)?
Portland, Oregon.  “Let’s keep it weird”.

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?         
When Netflix started streaming in 2007, “how” we consume stories was forever changed.  Today, streaming services provide a new, expanded platform for story tellers that equates to creative freedom – and freedom inspires.  I wrote a TV series to accommodate an action-centric, visual story that does not lend itself as well to a short story or novel. 
 
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?
The original script and sequel took me several years to write.  Those original features are the foundation for the new series.  I always develop my stories in an outline form before writing.
 
What is your ultimate ambition as a writer? 
To create commercially viable stories that inspire and entertain.

Which film or television writers inspire you? Why?
Way too many to list.  There are so many fantastic shows out right now, it can be intimidating.  Some of my favorites: MASH, Six Feet Under, Breaking Bad, Mad Men, Fargo . . . the list is long and impressive.  Strong characters and a satisfying arc are keys to the stories I love most.
 
What’s your all-time favorite movie or television show?
Blade Runner (1982).  It was a game-changer for me.
 
What advice do you have for writers hoping to win a contest or place as a finalist as you have?
Keep going.  Keep writing.  Ther is no expiration date on your dreams.  Rewrite, ask for feedback.  Rewrite.
 
What else are you working on that the world needs to know about?
I’m developing two series, right now.  Jamestown, the story of the push and pull between environmentalists and fisherman in a small fishing village where the center of gravity is a bar, run by a trans woman and her dad.  Booker, a story about a postman who helps comedians and his community thrive, after suffering a stroke.

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