KARLA S. BRYANT
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Where do you live (City, State, or Country)?
I currently live IN the same small midwestern town where I spent my childhood summers. I lived most of my life on the East Coast, in Buffalo, NY, Washington, DC, and Philadelphia, PA. I called Bowling Green, KY home for 15 years, too.
 
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?
Actually, I originally wrote, “Kodachrome”, as a short story. I’m at the halfway mark of writing a short story anthology. There was something about “Kodachrome” that was so visual and I kept seeing it as a short film. That nudged me to adapt it as a short script.
 
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?
Since I’d already written “Kodachrome” as a short story, it took me less time to adapt it to a screenplay than it would have if I’d started the project from the first blank page.
With short scripts, once I’ve played out the story several times in my mind, I tend to dive in and type the first slug line. With feature scripts, I make more of a beat sheet than an outline. With a current project, I’m going with index cards as scenes are likely to get moved around to see which is the best place for them.

What is your ultimate ambition as a writer?
I’ll continue writing scripts with older adults as protagonists and other featured characters. People who have lived for at least four decades have such a depth of experience that, as a writer, there’s so much to explore. Like most screenwriters, my goal is to have my screenplays professionally produced.
 
Which film or television writers inspire you? Why?
I’m always moved by Richard Curtis’ screenwriting. On the surface, his genre is romantic comedy, but he manages to consistently pull the viewer into a real connection with the characters and stories. His screenplay, About Time, had an amazing level of depth. I was still thinking about it days after I first saw it.
For television, it would be Terence Winter. If he’d never written anything other than The Sopranos, it would have been enough. It’s a master class in character development and creating empathy with people most would see as contemptible.
 
What’s your all-time favorite movie or television show?
My favorite film would probably be Doctor Zhivago and for television shows, it would be a tie between The Sopranos and Breaking Bad.
 
What advice do you have for writers hoping to win a contest or place as a finalist as you have?
Sending scripts out to respected competitions and film festivals is the best way to get a sense of the quality of the project. Having someone who doesn’t know you and knows nothing of the backstory behind the script is invaluable. When you receive thoughtful, detailed feedback, take it into consideration. Rewrite and rewrite and rewrite again. You become a better writer each time you elevate a project.
 
What else are you working on that the world needs to know about?
I’m very excited about a particular project, but am under an NDA, so can’t give any details. I’m also adapting my feature script, Dark Eyes, into a web series, and have started initial groundwork on a historical feature script that takes place in Philadelphia shortly before the American Revolution. I’m also involved in a collaboration with an independent filmmaker on an adaptation of their existing project.

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