John Prather

Where do you live (City, State, or Country)?
Carlsbad, California

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 story began from the title. When I first heard the term, I said, “That would be a great title. I don’t know what it’ll be about, but some day I’m going to write a story with that title.” I came up with the basic premise over the next few weeks, but the story simmered for about ten years before I had enough of a handle on it, enough inspiration, and enough anger at the hypocrites I lampoon to finally start typing. With an MA in screenwriting, I tend to see stories visually, and I knew there was lots of strong imagery in this story. Nevertheless, I couldn’t get a screenplay rolling so I decided to write it as a novel, which won a few awards while helping me to solidify the story and develop the characters, which then made it possible to adapt back to the medium I originally conceived.
 
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 tend to work off a fairly rough outline—really, it’s just an idea in my head and a page or two of notes—which allows my characters to take me in directions I might not have considered if I planned too much. The most difficult thing here was cutting the script down to a manageable size. I needed to be a merciless editor; the first draft of the adaptation was three hours and required a machete to slice more than 60 pages. Scorsese isn’t going to direct this, after all.
As for how long did it take, there are many ways to answer that. Do I start counting from the day I had the original inspiration? Do I leave out all the times when I wasn’t actually writing? Do I count the time I was working on the novel? My best answer is somewhere between six months and 15 years.
 
What is your ultimate ambition as a writer?
Bearing in mind that I’m an older guy now, a retired teacher, I can no longer say my goal is to earn my living as a writer. If writing were to become my “late in life” career, though, that would be fabulous. Honestly, sitting in a theater and seeing my name on the screen just once would be an incredible thrill.
 
Which film or television writers inspire you? Why?
Billy Wilder’s satirical cynicism made him an early favorite when I was beginning to study film. I love Aaron Sorkin’s rapid-fire dialog, even though people don’t actually talk like that. In college, I devoured The Dick Van Dyke Show in syndication, so Carl Reiner is definitely an inspiration (as was Rob Petrie). I should also mention some novelists—Joseph Heller, Mark Twain, Jonathan Swift, and Raymond Chandler, especially.
 
What’s your all-time favorite movie or television show?
My favorite movie is La Vita è Bella (Life is Beautiful). No other film can make me both laugh and cry like that one. Others include Breaking Away, From Here to Eternity, and The Manchurian Candidate.
M*A*S*H was a favorite television show in college, but Hill Street Blues was the program that showed me how great television could truly be. I later came to appreciate All In The Family (I write satire, after all) and I thought The West Wing was fabulous. And The Dick Van Dyke Show, of course.
 
What advice do you have for writers hoping to win a contest or place as a finalist as
you have?
Keep trying. Rejection can be heartbreaking but, as an old guy, I can assure you that regret is far worse. Work on your craft, read, watch people, ask “What if?” often, and find joy in every compelling scene or crackling piece of dialog that comes from the well of your imagination.
 
What else are you working on that the world needs to know about?
My current project is a YA sports novel. Next up will probably be a World War II story based upon an experience I had in France on June 6, 1993. Plus future projects currently memorialized on my computer hard drive, cocktail napkins, the backs of envelopes, and in the recesses of my brain.

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