Pulp Features

Screenwriter, Katrina Rodriguez works in many genres but has a preference for horror and science fiction especially the dark or downright frightening. Her published works include a newspaper article, an award winning essay, Imprisoned Heart - a historical romance novel, rhyming and free verse poetry and she is currently working to secure sales for completed short scripts, and three feature screenplays.

And she took some time out to answer a few questions from Dale Pierce.

Dale First off, tell readers a little about yourself and your screenwriting?

Katrina I began writing professionally with my first published article in 1991. It was a non-fiction piece, entitled What If, an article on gun control. It warranted a letter of praise and appreciation from the president of the National Rifle Association. I then began writing poetry and essays, and eventually gravitated toward the romance genre and had my novel, Imprisoned Heart, published. It was later republished for access via a print on demand publisher.

It wasn’t until 2002, that I tried my hand at writing horror, and found my niche. I began writing a feature length screenplay, and followed it up with six shorts, three of which are now in production.

Dale Have you sold any scripts to date and where?

Katrina In September 2003, I entered a short screenplay, A Reflection of Evil, in the Hellfire Productions Screenplay contest, and won a spot in their upcoming Anthology film, Boneyard Tales. It’s a compilation of four short horror stories. I’m told it will be on shelves in August.

In January 2004, I submitted a writing sample to Rod Belle Hilton of Mantis Productions, and was hired to write a screenplay in the vein of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The aim of Mantis Productions is to submit to festivals and vie for a network deal.

In May, I struck a production deal with director/producer Anthony Taylor of the U.K., for the filming of my short screenplay entitled The Missing Sock, a sci-fi comedy story that offers a suggestion for what might be happening to all those missing socks.

Dale You have new projects you are working on also?

Katrina I’m working on a collaboration with horror writer Audrey McKenzie. It’s a werewolf story set in New Orleans, Louisiana. Audrey is a talented, multi-published author, whose work has been published in magazines and horror anthologies. I’m honored to be working with her.

I’ve been hired to write a noir type horror screenplay from the treatment of Walker’s Entertainments, and will begin work on that within the next few days. The treatment has drawn interest from a major force in the Hollywood Production community, and when complete, the screenplay will be forwarded to them with priority.

I’m also working on a screenplay polish for Keep it Reel Productions (brainchild of Producer Director Ismael Gonzales). The script is a drama, centered around a family’s long standing membership in the KKK.

Dale Why screenplays as a preference rather than novels?

Katrina I realized that my writing tends to be more visual, therefore more suited for the screen, versus the printed page.

Dale You place emphasis on the horror realm. Why is this of interest to you as opposed to other areas?

Katrina We hear it time and again, “write what you know”. I’ve always been a huge fan of anything horror or sci-fi in nature. I can remember being a kid, watching Halloween (the first horror movie I can vividly remember) and being scared out of my wits, yet thoroughly glued to the screen at the same time. I’ve been hooked ever since.

Dale What advice could you give others about developing or marketing screenplays or scripts?

Katrina First and foremost; learn the craft of screenwriting - proper format and scene structure. Forget what you learned about minute details and descriptions used when writing stories and novels. Useless words will be viewed as the ramblings of an amateur. Write as if your life depended on it, because your professional writing life does. Don’t let anyone or anything stand in your way. We all love our families, but they have to know and be willing to accept that you will be devoting your heart and soul to writing. Surround yourself by other writers and make as many industry contacts as you can - even if it means working for a lower rate of pay that you had planned.

Dale What are pitfalls to beware of as I am sure there are a lot of people out there just waiting to take advantage of the gullible?

Katrina You will come into contact with what we all call “flakes”. Those are the guys that will blow smoke up your rear, tell you you’re the next best thing since Stephen King and promise you the moon. Two weeks later, their email is no longer working and you can’t find them with a microscope. My advice: get the contract, skip the compliments. Compliments won’t pay the bills. If they’re a new production company, that’s fine. There are plenty of those with financial resources. Just make sure they have references. IMDB (internet movie database is a great place to start, though not everyone is listed there).

Dale Have you ever had any such experiences in the negative yourself?

Katrina Unfortunately yes I have. I had an agreement for the sale of my script Wilderness Cries, a werewolf story, with DD Productions of Denmark. I checked them out. They were legit, and I did a rewrite of my script, to meet their budget considerations. After several weeks of work, they sent me an email that simply stated, “The project is being put on hold indefinitely. We’ll try to get to it some time in the future”. Luckily, I had the contract with their signature, but hadn’t signed it and mailed it back yet.

Dale Do you ever worry about having someone steal your ideas?

Katrina The first thing all screenwriters should do is to register their work with a reputable service. I do this immediately upon completion of a screenplay, so I don‘t have to be concerned about theft of my intellectual property. I’ve used Writesafe and Protectrite. The protection is immediate, and can be applied for online. Others prefer U.S. Copyright or WGA. The important thing is to register your work, before presenting it to ANYONE. Unregistered works - even ideas are fair game. Don’t risk it.

Dale Are there any stories or comments you would like to add?

Katrina My favorite quote: “Lead, follow, or get out of the way. ”

Dale Closing remarks?

Katrina Don’t go it alone. Draw support by friends, family or writer’s groups. I’d like to say thanks to my husband Chad and my parents Calvin and Nadine, for all their love and support. Especially my husband, for his patience and understanding during the forty some hours each week, that the mouse has become a sort of umbilical cord!