Interviews

The Spec Script Library

Screenwriter : Bill Winter

Oringinally from Maine, Bill Winter now lives in Oxnard, California
(which is 60 miles north of Los Angeles in the western United States).
He enjoys living there for its cool summers and
its nice winters.

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What is your passion?

My passion is entertainment. Anything that can entertain,
is what I like to do or to write about.

What is your pride?

It's in my socks. I have no pride, I am humble and serve humanity
through writing.

What is your greatest fear?

My greatest fear is of success. Some day it will find me
and I will have to succomb.

What does adversity do to you?

It works against me. But if you study judo, you learn to use adversity
to your advantage.

What is your best quality?

Writing dialogue.

What is your worst quality?

Being verbose.

What irksome habits do you have?

Picking my nose. Writing in my underwear. Drinking beer with my bottle
in a glove. Being excited by writing.

If you could have your time again, what would you do that is different?

I would write more. I always look back on those times I was just sitting around and touching my toes. I could have been writing.

What would you like to change about yourself? About others?

Either the size of my private parts, or the size of theirs.

How important is goal setting to you?

Not doing so well at soccer, I was a bad goal setter because I was scared of the ball hitting me. If I had the chance I would set the goals in the middle of the field instead of at opposite ends.

What goals do you have?

I want to produce a newspaper or magazine. I'd like to showcase the writings of others along with some of my stuff. I like to write stories and these stories will create interesting script ideas.

What is your ultimate goal?

Bardo.

What heroes do you have?

I like Captain America and James Bond. I enjoyed James Coburn as Derek Flint. My heros are ideals whom I wish to emulate.

What inspires you in others?

I like determination. I like people who finish things, even if it's
*#@!....it's still something and that often is more than I have done. Writing requires determination and stick-to-it-iveness. Ugh!

What inspires you in yourself?

I simply inspire myself by my being.

What will be written on your headstone?

My credit card number.

What does success mean to you?

Being pleased in your profession and passion. To be self rewarded by your daily occupations. To be a blessing and help to others. To love someone special, be it wife, mate, friend, or book.

How do you measure success?

In Hectares.

What are your pet hates?

I don't like people who repeat themselves. I don't like slow drivers.
I really hate people who repeat what they say. I am disturbed by selfish and overly self-less people. Mushrooms and olives make me crazy and people who repeat themselves. Those are my pet peeves.

What are your pet loves?

Two cats. #1 Cat is "Pikoy". That is a Visayan/Cebuano term for 'male member'. He's a boy cat. #2 is "Duling Igit"... which is Filipino for "Cross-eyed excrement" We didn't find that first name (birth-name) to be complimentary or advantageous to explain to company, so we re-named him "Ya-Ya" which means "little brown siamese cat that poops on the rug alot.

What do you think of pets?

See above.

When are you happiest?

When published.

When are you hardest to please?

While in editing. When I start to use the knife on words;
I feel that editing is like wood-working, as I cut I wonder if I may be removing too much, if you cut off too much wood, you can nae return it.

What has been your most embarrassing moment?

While presenting a poem, I created a spoonerism
that was self-defacing. nuf'said.

What's the most exhilarating thing you have done?

Waking up this morning.

What is it about screen writing that gets you fired?

Screenwriting is most enjoyed when seeing your ideas and words spoken on film or video. What inspires me most to write? .... It's the reward....creatively, financially, & personally.

What screenplays have you written?

"E-PAD" A space-adventure taking place a hundred years from now. McHale's Navy meets Outland,(122pp), and "STRICTLY PRESIDENTIAL" Action-Drama of a newly elected US President whose former pecadillos cause him concern. Ted Haggard meets All the President's Men (120 pp). Other projects and Spec Scripts available.

What is your favorite pastime?

Writing and meeting people.

What is your favorite motto?

Do unto others before they do unto you!

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If you would like to contact Bill Winter
please mail him

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