MovieBytes Interview:
Screenwriter DonnaMarie Vaughan

An interview with screenwriter DonnaMarie Vaughan regarding the Direct to the Agents Writing Competition.

A: [Winner- 2003 Competition]

A DATE FOR THE WEDDING- to get her matchmaking, meddling mother off her back, a 30 year old single woman creates a perfect -but ficticious- boyfriend. Confident in her betrayal, she commits him to being an usher in her sister's wedding- scheduled for next year. But when the wedding date is changed, she finds she has only six WEEKS to find, convince, and train someone to 'be' her perfect boyfriend!

A: In 1998 the script was optioned by Saban and Fox Entertainment but the deal went sour due to personnel changes at Fox. I have entered this script in other contests yet it never even made semi-finals!

A: Sadly, the main person responsible for administering this competition, Steven Dalli, died unexpectedly of a heart attack in June 2003, about one monther after the competition ended. Because of this the prizes were never distributed and I was not able to come out to Los Angeles and meet with any agents.

A: While feedback was not part of the 'prize' I did have numerous discusions with both Steven Dalli and his associate, Nadine Hamden. They not only loved the "DATE" script but we also talked about my other works, including PRACTICING MIRACLES, which had achieved several semi- and finals statuses in other competitions, and HENRY'S FUTURE, a romantic comedy from a man's point of view. Steve and Nadine were also interested in a script I wrote that had been optioned a few times, GUARDIAN ANGEL. It featured a strong female detective in her late 30's, which were difficult roles to find for actresses these days, and since I also was developing several ideas for 'future investigations' - it was felt this had great potential for a franchise, possibly on HBO or SHOWTIME.

I do want to say, though, that after his death, Ms. Hamden tried very, very hard to try and get me my prizes, to keep me abreast of everything that was happening and also, to try and deal with the demands of another competition Mr. Dalli was operating for documentary writers and filmmakers, all while she was dealing with her own greif and loss.

While I am disappointed that I did not receive the prizes and meetings, it was not for lack of trying, but simply the circumstances.

A: Per above, I was unable to secure the prizes so was not able to come out to LA and meet with anyone. Nadine tried to secure the contacts listing but was not successful.

To be honest, and this is NOT a slam against any particular competition, I think the market today is flooded with all these 'supposed' opportunties (contests, festivals, conferences, pitch fests) to have your work reviewed by an industry insider - that it's diluted. I thnk it's difficult, especially for new writers, to determine where to spend their precious dollars and obtain those real opportunities.

A: I actually work a 'day job' in finance and management! But writing has always been my first love and I continue to plug away at it. I am planning on coming out to LA in the spring or summer of 2005.

I have written several other scripts, some which did well in competitions. I write dramas, romantic comedies and family-type stories. I am also an award winning playwright who has been produced and published. My professional writing resume can be viewed at: http://www.hometown.aol.com/dmvblondie

A: No, and yes. I presently live in Buffalo, NY and would not make the move to LA unless there was a solid opportunity to write, and continue to write, while being paid for it! For now I feel my talents are best spent continuing to develop and write good, compelling and interesting stories.

However, it is my ultimate goal to write fulltime. I'd also like to further develop cases for my female detective character and to write two MOW's that I believe could thereafter be developed into television series. For TV, I KNOW I would have to move out to LA, so those are taking somewhat of a back-burner position while I focus on the other projects.

A: Oh my, I'm actually writing three and developing several others! Plus, co-writing the 'book' for a musical for the stage! I always have several projects going, often in different genres as I write how I feel - funny, sad, happy, dramatic, etc. I am working on a thriller called AND THEN THERE WERE THREE, a sort of Ten Little Indians type of movie with a few nice twists in it; BACK SEAT, a teen drama about a young man who buys a car and sees a ghost of a murdered teen in the back seat and tries to solve the case; A DAY OF HEARTS, my newest romantic comedy, and HERE KITTY, KITTY, a sort of fun family/romantic comedy about a kidnapped cat and some hidden jewels. I'm developing a comedy script called SO MANY MEN, SO LITTLE TIME, about two young women who have had it with the serious side of dating, TWLEVE DAYS, the second installment and investigation/muder case for my Alexandria Quimby detective from GUARDIAN ANGEL, and REMEDY FOR MURDER, a thriller about a special formula, that if developed, could wreck havoc on the world economy! And after that.... I have at least 20 or more ideas to work on! I don't suffer from writer's block as much as I do from finding time to write!!

Posted Wednesday, August 25, 2004