Doug Williams

Screenplay Winner
​
"The Crossing"

​Where do you live (City, State, or Country)? 
Houston, Texas

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? 
It actually started as a play I was commissioned to write and then, over many years and many turns in the creative road, it morphed into a screenplay. As I continued to research the lead character – who was arguably the most prominent African-American politician in the 1970s – it became clearer and clearer to me that what she went through and the price she paid for being fiercely independent has great resonance today.

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 process actually started Oct. 10, 1997. The theatre director I’d worked with in New York arranged a staged reading that featured the late Lynne Thigpen as Barbara Jordan. The production was incredibly well received, and afterward Ms. Thigpen pulled me aside and said, “You really ought to make this a screenplay.” Thus the adventure began. In terms of outlining, I typically do, and am a note card freak; I don’t start writing until there are 60 on the board. But in this case, I had the play, so the road map was pretty much in place. That said, it changed a lot – an awful lot – over the years.

What is your ultimate ambition as a writer? 
To develop works – books, scripts, plays – that connect with people, that entertain and engage them, and maybe (just maybe) get them to think.

Which film or television writers inspire you? Why? 
Oh, man, where to start. I love Tom McCarthy. David O. Russell. Spike Lee. I thought Tony Gilroy’s script for Michael Clayton was close to perfect. Martin McDonagh. Aaron Sorkin. Paddy Chayefsy. Robert Towne. I mean, the list could go on forever.

What’s your all-time favorite movie or television show? 
Four tied at the top: Nashville, Malcolm X, The Battle of Algiers, Apocalypse Now

What advice do you have for writers hoping to win a contest or place as a finalist as you have? 
Research the contests – not all contests are right for all scripts, even though they might focus on specific genres. Then just write a good script. The contests aren’t going anywhere. Don’t rush and end up submitting something that’s not as good as it can or should be.
 
​What else are you working on that the world needs to know about? 
I’ve just finished writing a new female-based thriller called The Kronos Protocol. It’s about a troubled young woman who, after a freak accident, suddenly starts to age. Her search for answers leads to a world-renowned scientist who believes she has discovered a genetic fountain of youth and will stop at nothing – including murder – to protect her creation…and her secrets. I’m also in the process of finishing a new novel, a political thriller titled The Failure Point, and plan on starting a new play later this year called Swimback, about a military family coming apart during the Cold War.
 

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