MovieBytes Interview:
Screenwriter Colleen McQuaide

An interview with screenwriter Colleen McQuaide regarding the Action On Film Writing Competition.

A: I won the Write Bros Excellence in Comedy award for my romantic comedy, KAT'S MYSTIQUE.

A relationship-averse activist returns to the town she left behind to settle her mom’s estate but gets stuck there when she and a developer clash over the town’s fate.

A: I saw the AOF in Movie Maker Magazine as a “Top 25” festival worth the fee. I investigated all those festivals and noticed that the AOF accepted “the written word” so I submitted a script and was nominated for Best Family/Children’s script for “HAPPY ACRES” in 2011. When I got to the festival, I could see how much importance they place on writers so I entered again this year with KAT'S MYSTIQUE and won.

I have only ever entered a few contests. I won at Moondance for a script called “A TAILGATE TALE.” I was a Quarter-finalist for HAPPY ACRES at Page. I was “Top 25” for the AOF $100K Writer’s Challenge for a feature concept called “DIARY OF A PLAIN JANE.”

A: Del Weston is amazing and so is his dedicated staff.

Yes, things have worked out every year with deadlines and communication.

The festival and opportunities continue to grow.

I participated in wonderful awards dinners, seminars, interacted with celebs, was interviewed, and met wonderful new friends.

A: I wrote KAT'S MYSTIQUE in a few months, but spent time rewriting. Yes, I always use an outline. I graduated from UCLA’s Professional Program in Screenwriting and that has always been a good fit for me. Before that, I really connected with “Lew Hunter’s Screenwriting 434.”

I don’t remember how many drafts that I wrote. But I definitely have boxes of paper and notes from all my rewrites, as well as, many saved software files. One of the things that I attribute rewrite “breakthroughs” to is Paul Chitlik’s book “Rewrite.”

A: Movie Magic.

A: No, I don’t write every day. I know people say “writer’s write” but I walk around filtering through ideas. I might see something in a newspaper, overhear or participate in an interesting conversation, witness an event, etc. I’ll also scribble dialogue down throughout the day as I think about the scenes that I’m working on. That way I already have a lot of work done when I sit down to write the scene or sequence. I write 12 to 15 pages a week.

A: No.

A: I have a degree in Political Science. I started as a professional actress, then branched into screenwriting and producing.

I am halfway through a new script that I'm tentatively calling "HAWTHORNE ACADEMY."

Some of my scripts could be converted to television movies or series.

A: I don’t live in LA. I am able to travel there when necessary. No plans to move there.

A: I recently completed a promotional movie trailer based on my HAPPY ACRES script. I have several companies interested in seeing it. I’m part of an AOF Writer’s Team for 2013 and we will be competing against 15 other teams for next year’s festival.

Posted Sunday, September 30, 2012