PETER de NORVILLE
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Where do you live (City, State, or Country)?
I live near Pulborough in West Sussex, England.
 
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 inspiration came from a wide range of experiences and interests that slowly coalesced around one idea. I have always been fascinated with ancient history, I love the visceral action of Game of Thrones, and the political intrigue of a Shakespearean tragedy, and they all came together in Ruler of Men.
 
One day I found myself thinking, what if the greatest general in history was the puppet of a ruthless mastermind? A single-minded military and political genius, who used violence and betrayal to wield the power of kings, topple empires, and conquer the ancient world. I conducted a huge amount of research to try and make my screenplay as historically accurate as possible, until one day I realized that what was in my head, actually happened. From that point on, Ruler of Men became the true story of a woman so dangerous, she had to be defeated at any cost.
 
Ruler of Men would be great as a graphic novel but I think it would work so much better as a script, as television will really bring this to life in a way that no other medium could.
 
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?
It took me about six months to write Ruler of Men. I began with the opening scene, and two others that were in my head from the very beginning. Then I bullet pointed the remaining scenes, rearranged them in a way that made the most sense to me at the time, then I wrote them in order from start to finish. I knew what I wanted to achieve and what I wanted from the main characters, but nothing was set in stone and there was enough space for me to be surprised by the story as it was unfolding. Once I had finished, I was ruthless in my editing, and I asked opinions from people who I knew would love the script and from those I knew would hate it. I have a sign above my desk that says ‘feedback is not personal, it is necessary’, I listened to it all, well most of it anyway, and my entry is the end result.
 
The feedback from this contest was also incredibly useful and I will be used to improve my next draft, I tend to leave too much off the page as I like to give a lot of freedom to the actors who will play my characters, but there is a middle ground that I need to explore.
 
What is your ultimate ambition as a writer?
To be able to pick and choose the projects I work on, ideally something that I have created. I want to look back on a piece of work and feel an immense sense of pride but being totally honest I just want to write, as I have so many ideas in my head that need to come out.
 
Which film or television writers inspire you? Why?
This could turn out to be a very long list, but I get the most inspiration from writers who make me really care about their characters, to the point where it goes beyond entertainment and I feel like I am watching my friends on the screen in front of me. Aaron Sorkin did this amazingly well in The West Wing, I love the space he gives the actors to shape his characters from an emotional perspective, whilst still asking them to deliver the lines exactly as they were written. This keeps the pacing and rhythm that the dialogue was intended to deliver but allows the actors to do what they do best.  
 
What’s your all-time favorite movie or television show?
I can give you a top ten list for any movie or TV genre but this one is actually easy for me to answer.My favorite movie is The Matrix, it blew my mind so much when I saw it, that I went straight back into the movie theater to watch it again. The only other movie that has stayed with me like that is a French movie called Martyrs, if you haven’t seen it, it is a psychological horror film written and directed by Pascal Laugier, I promise it will stay with you for a long time afterwards.
 
From a TV perspective, I love any show that chronicles human behavior after the fall of civilization, I love the idea of writing for characters who are put in a unique situation and finding out what they are prepared to do to survive. Battlestar Galactica and The Walking Dead are great examples of this.
 
What advice do you have for writers hoping to win a contest or place as a finalist as you have?
Trust your instincts, listen to feedback with an open mind, it isn’t personal, and don’t give up, ever!
 
What else are you working on that the world needs to know about?
I am working on the next draft of Ruler of Men, which should be followed by the rest of season one of Ruler of Men. However, I am currently working on a children’s story that I have been making up daily for my kids at bedtime for years. I won’t say anymore because every time I do I am inevitably told to drop the scripts and write the children’s book now, as they love the idea and can’t wait to read it.

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