John Arduini

Where do you live (City, State, or Country)?
Littleton, Colorado
 
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?
The earliest inspiration for this series was a visceral nightmare that woke me in a cold sweat. In the nightmare, I was brutally murdered by a confused old man with Dementia.
I started out as a novelist, but I think everyone should try different mediums early and often.  Each time I do I learn something new about storytelling. I wouldn’t have found my love of the screen – the way it forces you out of your head and into the visual world of the story – if I hadn’t put in the hours to learn it.
 
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?
About four months. I start by workshopping the concept. Designing a log line with enough contrasting elements to give a story legs. Once I’m confident, I build an extensive research doc with character templates, sequencing templates, interviews, locations, tone, potential themes. The on-the-page part takes the least amount of time.
 
What is your ultimate ambition as a writer? 
My writer’s bucket list is too long to explore, but the one thing that most motivates me to write for TV and film is the knowledge that some two hundred other talented professionals could take your idea and run with it. Directors, cinematographers, casting agents, set designers, actors. Each practicing their art and creating something totally new out of your work.
 
Which film or television writers inspire you? Why?
William Goldman tops the list. I grew up with Butch and Sundance and The Princess Bride. He was and might still be the punchiest and most irreverent ever. I love Aaron Sorkin, of course, his protege (20 years later, I still laugh when CJ Craig falls off the treadmill). And I can never get enough Wes Anderson.
 
What’s your all-time favorite movie or television show?
Movies: Shawshank, with “Beasts of The Southern Wild,” coming in second. The list is long for TV, but recently I’ve gotta go with “Arcane,” the animated series on Netflix. When I saw it I was so blown away that it moved the goal posts for me. If this is out there, I need to be better.
 
What advice do you have for writers hoping to win a contest or place as a finalist as you have?
Ego is the enemy. Writing is about connecting with others. Making them feel something. If you fall short, so what? The value of a failed project lies in how much you’ve improved on the other side of it. Move forward and try to get better with each effort.
 
What else are you working on that the world needs to know about?
I’m pretty focused on packaging more episodes with a show bible for my series right now. But I’ve got a Sci Fi action epic with a top notch concept that needs a rewrite, as well as a quirky Civil War biopic in the pipeline about an ancestor of mine who shared some unusual qualities with Forrest Gump.

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