SUSAN SWEENEY
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Where do you live (City, State, or Country)?
I reside in Colts Neck, New Jersey, USA

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?
I enjoy researching the Victorian Age concerning unsolved mysteries, social life and various forms of recreation and entertainment. Having gathered enough information, I created a script that visually captured the essence of the time period with mystery, suspense, and drama. The social classes, environment, and limited means of investigation produced an intriguing plot with emotional engagement and complex characterization.

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 about two months to complete the script. First, researching, I decided on which historical data would make the best story. Next, a character graphic and how each character arc would be established reflecting on the plot as well as their relationship to the antagonist and protagonist. A storyboard followed, designed through setting location. Finally, the process of writing the screenplay.

What is your ultimate ambition as a writer?
I would love to have this script produced.

Which film or television writers inspire you? Why?
The three writers from the Agatha Poirot Series: Andrew Grieve, Renny Rye and Edward Bennet instilled in me the importance of well executed dialogue. Michael Green, A Haunting in Venice
captured tension and suspense in his visual imagery. Julian Fellows, The Gilded Age, masterfully creates a Victorian setting to enhance the drama.

What’s your all-time favorite movie or television show?
Favorite? There are many: Gangs of New York, The Godfather, Sherlock Holmes, The Untouchables, Erin Brockovich and The Devil Wears Prada. Each one not only has a gripping plot but well developed characters and masterful dialogue.

What advice do you have for writers hoping to win a contest or place as a finalist as you have?
First, research and graph out your ideas. Make sure each character has a unique voice. Don’t be afraid to revise. Ask yourself regarding pacing- Does this scene move the plot along? Take out what doesn’t work. Ensure the setting enhances and advances the plot.

​What else are you working on that the world needs to know about?
I am presently revising Room 57, a script that involves the two detectives in the present screenplay. Logline: When a prominent attorney is found dead in a New York City hotel room under mysterious circumstances, a rookie cop and his retired detective father launch an investigation that uncovers a complex web of deceit, corruption, and murder.
Also, The Woman of Storm Hill, a historical fiction based on the events that occurred in 1877. Logline: In 1870s Pennsylvania coal country, a widow fights to prove her husband's innocence after being framed by a corrupt Pinkerton Agent infiltrating the secretive Molly Maguires.
Lastly, Gallagher’s Gold, A light comedy of four retired old schoolmates who have been receiving apparitions from a dearly departed friend. Meeting at their friend’s wake they discover that these messages have a purpose and bind them together to journey to Donegal Ireland. The manifestations will not rest until the secret has been unveiled. 

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