MovieBytes Interview:
Screenwriter Ruth Campbell

An interview with screenwriter Ruth Campbell regarding the Disney/ABC Fellowships Writing Competition.

A: "THE KISS OF DEATH" - In Chicago during the early 1930s, a beautiful young woman dates only gangsters...and, as soon as she starts going out with them, they die. When the Chicago police force notices this, they decide to try to match her up with one of the town's deadliest gangsters in the hope that he, too, will die. The undercover policeman who is supposed to make sure that the two get together winds up falling in love with the girl, too. Then the gangster's rival falls for her. Chaos ensues, and the big question is: will all of these men wind up dead, or will love finally triumph after all? (It's a very broad comedy, to say the least.)

A: I'd tried entering the Disney contest two or three other times, and never had any luck. I'd given up on it, then I heard about a friend-of-a-friend who won a fellowship with a comedy script. I'd just finished writing "THE KISS OF DEATH" and figured that, since it was a comedy and there wasn't any entry fee, I had nothing to lose. It wound up being the only feature comedy selected in the year that I won.

Yes, I've submitted "THE KISS OF DEATH" to several other contests. The only other contest it did well in was the AMPAS Nicholl Fellowships. It made it to the semifinals in that one.

A: I think that I got the call saying that I was a finalist about 2 weeks late -- but who cares?! I wound up winning and that's all that mattered to me!

I certainly did receive the promised award. At that time, winners won $34,000 and were under contract to Disney for 1 year. I think that the pay has been raised to about $50,000 now. On top of the pay, you get to meet with all sorts of professional writers and others in the industry -- and you get free food at all of the events! We also were given free books on scriptwriting and free computer scriptwriting software. Best of all, we were all treated like we were real, talented, honest-to-goodness writers. It was the happiest year of my life.

A: No, there wasn't any feedback on that particular script, but we worked with Disney advisors who gave us feedback and notes on the projects we wrote for Disney during our fellowships. I thought it was extremely helpful, AND it made me more confident that I could successfully respond to executives' notes.

A: "THE KISS OF DEATH" wound up being the script that Disney sent out to about 18 agents/managers. I heard back from one manager, who said he didn't handle period pieces. One agent called to say he wasn't looking for new clients. I wrote to and called the other companies. That resulted in one agency calling to "pass on" (aka "say no to") me. At another agency, I was told that period pieces and mob stories don't sell. They requested another writing sample, which I quickly sent, and I never heard back from them. None of the other agencies responded to my letter or would return my call.

A: I have a master's degree in scriptwriting (a word of advice to others: don't waste your time or money getting a degree in scriptwriting; you don't need it). I worked as a secretary "in the industry" for 13 years. When I asked one of my bosses for help in sending a script out to agents, he reported me to personnel and they wrote me up for being "inconsiderate of his time" (I'd worked for him for 7 years before I asked for help). I've written a lot of scripts and, in addition to winning the Disney Fellowship, I've been a finalist and double-semifinalist in the Austin Film Festival contest, a three time semifinalist in the AMPAS Nicholl Fellowships, a three time semifinalist in the Chesterfield contest, a Christian Screenplay quarterfinalist, and recently had two scripts in the quarterfinals of the Writer's Network Scriptwriting Competition. This past summer, I was a Scriptapalooza runner-up, and the president of Scriptapalooza optioned that script. I still can't find an agent or manager to represent me.

A: Yes, I live in L.A. I've lived in California my whole life.

A: I'm working on a new script but am probably going to have to go back to being a secretary, since my money is running dangerously low. At least, as I surrender, I know that I tried as hard as I could. Good luck to everyone else who dreams of being a writer! I wish you great success.

Posted Thursday, December 18, 2003