Chat Archive: Mike Rich, Screenwriter

Mike Rich: It's great to be here!

Mike Rich: My start in screenwriting is a little more unusual than most screenwriters. I was working at a radio station in Portland, and was anchoring the news. I took to screenwriting like so many others, approaching it as a hobby. I wrote during the afternoon hours; I was on the air during the morning and had about 2 or 3 hours in the early afternoons. That's when I wrote "Finding Forrester," not from the standpoint of "I'm going to make a career out of this," but as a creative outlet. It wasn't until I finished "Finding Forrester" that I felt I had a strong script, and decided to test the waters with the screenplay, and was able to sell it to Columbia Pictures. Suddenly, as is often the case, a hobby turns into a career.

Mike Rich: Well, first of all I'm 42, so I'm in that demographic described. I have not encountered any age discrimination, either favorable or negative, but I certainly have seen instances. Let's face it, I'm not going to be hired to write a teen comedy. My 18-year old daughter might, but I'm not going to be! Those films are doing very well right now. As long as they are doing very well, young writers are going to be in demand. But, having said that, as long as good stories are being written, it doesn't matter what age the writer is. The industry will respond to a well-written screenplay, whether it's written by a 20 year old, a 30 year old, a 40 year old. Or a 42 year old. My experiences have been very positive.

Mike Rich: Yeah, that's what I mean! But my story was a very typical screenwriter's story, in that when I finished "Finding Forrester" I did attempt to send it to agents, and to production companies, and to studios, and just like everyone, usually got it back unopened in the mail. So what I did is enter it in the Nicholl Fellowship script competition, which is sponsored every year by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences--the Oscar folks. It is a competition that is limited to screenwriters who had never sold a screenplay.

Mike Rich: The year I entered it was 1998. There were 4500 screenplays entered that year, from all over the world. I was fortunate enough to be one of 5 writers who received Fellowship awards. It was a week after that was announced that the names of the five writers were printed in Variety. And suddenly my phone, which had been so quiet, wasn't quiet. And the screenplay was sold at that time. Everyone finds a different route to get in that door, and that was my route. But prior to entering that competition, I didn't know anyone in the industry.

Mike Rich: Oh boy! I get them from all over. I get them from newspapers. I got the idea for "Finding Forrester" during an interview I was conducting on the radio. With "The Rookie" I got the idea reading the sports page of the L.A. Times. Writers have to develop an eye for story, the same way photographers have to develop an eye for pictures. You have to be always open for what may be a one-paragraph story in the newspaper, or something on the "Today" show. It can be anything. I was reading letters that my grandfather wrote to my grandmother, and came up with a story idea. So you always have to keep your eye open for story ideas, because there is no set place where they come from.

Mike Rich: You do get stuck, and the healthiest thing to do as a writer is to know before you begin a project that you will get stuck, and not to panic. Because you will get through it. What I do typically is I just step away. If I'm staring at a blank screen for more than 10-15 minutes, then I turn the computer off. Do not panic. Recognize that the story will break through for you. It may not be for an hour, it may not be for a day, but it all comes out in the wash. There will be days when you write one page. There will be days when you write 6 pages. There will be days when you write no pages. Be accepting of that. I am a firm believer in the power of walking. So turn the computer off. Get out, and go about your daily routine. I can't tell you how often an idea has come to me in the morning, when my mind is most relaxed, and is not fighting anything. So the most important rule to remember when you're stuck is not to panic; you'll get through it.

Mike Rich: Screenwriting has become a very lucrative profession, but it is still a very fickle profession, and writers who are "hot" one year can be cold the next. I've been fortunate with my first two projects. The Writers Guild of America has worked diligently toward making the profession of screenwriting an equitable one among its members. There is still a long way to go as far as creative recognition for writers. I'm hopeful that there will be some positive changes in that regard.

Mike Rich: That's a good question. The first thing I heard after I sold "Finding Forrester" was that I would have to move to Los Angeles. I didn't feel I had to and in fact as much as I enjoy writing, because I have three children, I was prepared to give up my shot at establishing a career because my wife and I and our family are content living in Portland. And surprisingly, the industry was very compliant with my wish to stay in Portland. I think the immediate success of both "Finding Forrester" and "The Rookie" enabled me to do that.

Mike Rich: I do travel to Los Angeles about once a month for a day or two, but more and more writers are living where they want to live, and that's a very positive thing. That's a trend that hopefully is going to continue. I've got a good fax machine, a good computer, and this wonderful thing called the internet. That's how I'm able to do it.

Mike Rich: I participated in the making of both movies, and it was a blast! I was really fortunate to have two great directors. Gus Van Sant, who ironically was living in Portland at the time he agreed to "Finding Forrester," was one of those directors who wanted his writer on the set, and the times that I did end up going home it was of my own choosing. "The Rookie" was the same story. We filmed in Texas, and I think part of the reason I had such a positive experience on that film was that the director, John Lee Hancock, was a writer himself. He treated me the same way he would have wanted to be treated. I think when you have the writer on the set a funny thing happens--you have a better movie. Alan Ball, and his work on "American Beauty" is a good example of that.

Mike Rich: Oh boy, the "favorite movie of all time" question! I have one that's never on any one else's list. I love "All the President's Men" and I think the reason I enjoy that film so much is that my careers have been in journalism and writing, and it kind of takes care of both things. So I love that film. I'm also like most other 40ish red-blooded American males in that I love "Field of Dreams." Some may not agree but let's put it this way, when it comes on TV, the remote control goes down.

Mike Rich: It's very simple. You can go online to www.Oscars.org and click on Nicholl Fellowship, and all the rules and an entry form are available at that site. I think when I entered in 1998 the entry fee was $35, which was the best $35 I ever spent! I recommend the Nicholl Fellowship Competition, and also the Austin Competition, which is also online, at www.austinfilmfestival.com

Mike Rich: To get attention, from a screenplay standpoint, don't try and focus on a specific genre that you feel is popular at the time. Truly write something that moves you. There's an old saying that you should write what you know, and I actually think that's a bad rule. Because if we only put down what we know, we'd be short a pretty decent "Star Wars" trilogy. I think you need to write what moves you.

Mike Rich: I do. But I think there is always going to be a need for writers to travel to Los Angeles. Studios, once a first draft of a screenplay is submitted, need to get together with you to express thoughts on where they see the project going. And I think there will always be a need for face to face communication. Having said that, technology is making nice strides in allowing us to have face to face communication through our computers. Whether that takes the place of traveling to Los Angeles, I don't know.

Mike Rich: No, it's not! Sure, there are individuals who work in the industry who fit the stereotype that we often see portrayed on television and in film, but for the most part I have found people that I've worked with to be real human beings that have well thought out ideas, and that take a responsible approach to telling stories.

Mike Rich: You handle it carefully. The harsh truth of the matter is that once you sell a screenplay, it's no longer yours. It belongs to the studio, and the studio can and will do anything that it chooses to with that particular screenplay. So you have to choose your battles carefully, and you have to be prepared to defend your position intelligently. With my two films the final products were very close to the screenplay, so I think if you have written a well-structured script you don't have a lot to worry about. Making films does involve compromise. You just have to decide which areas you are going to be willing to compromise on, and which areas you are not.

Mike Rich: My next project is a feature on the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team. That was the team that upset the heavily-favored Soviet Union in Lake Placid New York. I think what made the story so appealing to me was not so much what happened on the ice, but what was happening off the ice. The Iran hostage crisis had just begun, the Soviets had invaded Afghanistan, and American self-esteem was at a very low point. To have a group of college kids pull America out of its self-imposed depression was a story that I couldn't resist.

Mike Rich: Yeah, it's a good question, and it's a great point. I do feel that my experience writing radio news helped me in screenwriting because of the fact that when you write news, you have to get to the point very quickly. Screenwriting is no exception. When I first wrote a screenplay, the thought of filling up 120 pages was somewhat intimidating. I was asking myself how I was going to fill up that 120 pages. Now of course it's just the opposite, wondering how I'm going to fit all this into 120 pages! I think any occupation that teaches you to write in a concise manner is going to help you in screenwriting.

Mike Rich: No, I wouldn't like to act. I'm aware of my own talents! But I do have a desire to direct at some point. Directing though is a huge commitment, and I might wait until my children have grown up a bit more. You almost give a year of your life to a single film project, especially if you're living outside of Los Angeles, because once the film is done, most of the post-production work is done in Los Angeles, so if you live outside of L.A. you almost have to relocate. So it's a huge commitment, but it's also very attractive to be able to put your signature not only on the written page, but on the print as well.

Mike Rich: I think from the standpoint of a prospective screenwriter, the biggest challenge is getting someone to see your work. There are so many quality screenplays that have been written, and that never make it to the desk of a studio. And that's a shame. As a screenwriter, the biggest challenge is making sure the story you have written makes it to the screen. Being able to stand up for your characters and for the way that you've written the story, so that they do not get sacrificed.

Mike Rich: Laughing. No. I've been very blessed. I was blessed with getting the opportunity to work in radio, which I truly enjoyed. And I was blessed with getting the opportunity...getting a second career at this stage in my life. So, no, not from a professional standpoint. In terms of the script, looking back on "Finding Forrester" I'm very proud of the film, but looking back on anything you find yourself thinking of things you might have done differently.

Mike Rich: No, but they can be judge and jury on the finished product! I rarely ask my family for advice while I'm writing a screenplay, but they are the first to read it when it's done, and they don't hesitate to tell me what's working and what's not working. And let me tell you, I take it to heart, because they are reflective of the audience. If my 18 year old daughter comes to me and says "I was a little confused by this question that a character posed" I think if she's confused, the audience will be confused. It's very valuable to get that input. It's like having a focus group at home!

Mike Rich: Research is the best part of the process, because it's where you find out what your story will be! I did a lot of research on the hockey project. I spoke with members of the 1980 U.S. team. I spoke with members of the 1980 Soviet team. I traveled to Minnesota to meet with the head coach of the team, Herb Brooks. I think the most rewarding and challenging part of research is to realize that your story may go in a direction that you had not expected, and to be open to that. I typically find that I spend more time researching my screenplay than I do writing it. I typically will spend probably 4-5 months in research, and then 3 months writing.

Mike Rich: Yeah, I do, and I think you have to do that for yourself. I know there are some writers who like to write every day. They like to write 7 days a week. I don't do that; I write 5 days a week, Monday through Friday. As I mentioned earlier, I typically stop writing mid-afternoon so my evenings are open for me to spend time with my family, and so are my weekends. I think that helps you as a person, and as a writer--to give yourself down time to allow the story to resonate.

Mike Rich: My initial inspiration came courtesy of my high school English teacher and what's ironic about that is that her name was Mrs. Forrester. I gave her name to my lead character in "Finding Forrester" as a tribute to her. So my interest in creative writing dates back to when I was in high school. I wrote primarily short stories through college and while I was working in radio, but there's just such a joy in finding a story and writing it. John Hancock, the director of "The Rookie" once told me "It's a great thing we get to do, to tell stories," and I agree with that.

Mike Rich: I pinch myself every day! I'm very aware of the odds I faced, and feel very very fortunate. I referenced this earlier--there are so many great screenplays that never get read, and for my screenplays to not only find the light of day, but to make it to the screen is so rewarding. Yeah, I'm incredibly lucky, and I'm very aware of it.

Mike Rich: F. Scott Fitzgerald. I've read everything that he wrote, many times over. I enjoy that he writes in a very straightforward and elegant style, and I think he was the very best at that. From a screenwriting standpoint, William Goldman has always been my favorite.

Mike Rich: There is always a risk of that happening, but that's a risk you have to take. If you write a screenplay and put it on your shelf, afraid that someone is going to take it, then you have no chance. To be quite honest, the industry is pretty gun-shy about being accused of stealing an idea. If you've written a screenplay, make sure you register it with the Writers Guild of America. Everybody has a different way of getting their screenplay noticed. For me it was the competition. I'm a believer in those competitions, but make sure you write a good screenplay! That's the key to selling a screenplay--writing a good one.

Mike Rich: Yeah, it happens every time. You always have to know before you start a screenplay who your main character is, because you don't want the point of view to stray from your main character to another character. But in every screenplay that I've written there has been one character that has evolved that surprised me. In "Finding Forrester" it was the character portrayed by Busta Rhymes. And in "The Rookie" it was actually the character portrayed by Rachel Griffiths that evolved much more than I had expected before I started writing.

Mike Rich: No, you shouldn't just quit. Writing is a very personal endeavor, and you are going to encounter people throughout your life who are going to tell you that you should write, and others who will tell you that you shouldn't write. But those people don't sit beside you when you're at a computer screen; it's just you and your writing. Always remember, it is a solitary endeavor. If you want to write, write.

Mike Rich: Yeah, I worry about it! You know, it's worked out okay for me, the first two instances, but yes I think that the writer's impact on a finished product still is not being adequately recognized. It's not a problem on the theatrical stage, it's certainly not a problem in the literary world, but it is an ongoing problem in film, and it needs to be addressed.

Mike Rich: "The Rookie" is a true story, which is based on a high school science teacher from West Texas named Jimmy Morris. In 1998 Morris, at the age of 37, tried out for the major leagues, and became the oldest rookie in major league baseball history. Dennis Quaid has the lead role. It is scheduled to be released on March 29.

Mike Rich: I want to encourage folks to write. If you are interested in writing screenplays, the best advice I can give is to read screenplays. Go to your bookstore or even online, and find the screenplay of a movie that you truly enjoyed. Find out why it works on the page, and use it as a guide to write the screenplay that you want to write.