If someone ever tells you it's too late to start something new, my advice would be: Turn and run. Flipping them the finger as you flee I leave to your discretion. Not sure that's me, but maybe it's you. Enough said. I think you get it.
I started writing late in life, self-publishing three novels, including one historical fiction and two sci-fi dramas. As rewarding as those projects were, it was during the process of adapting two of my novels into feature length scripts that I realized I enjoyed the art of screenwriting more than novel writing. I suppose my love of movies influenced the transition.
I can still vividly remember watching the original Papillon in the theater as a kid. I sat in the front row, at eleven years old, and the sight of prisoners being marched at bayonet point through French cobblestone streets overwhelmed my senses. Since then, hundreds of movies have informed my creative process.
I love developing ideas and distilling them to their essential components, doing so while bringing them to the page. In that pursuit, I consider myself fortunate to have willing collaborators. I am married to an incredibly supportive partner, my heroine, and I am father to three remarkable adults. They have and always will be indispensable to my writing journey.
A few notes about the twists and turns thus far:
My historical fiction series, entitled My Kingdom, is based on my book of the same name. It chronicles the life of my grandfather as a professional soldier before and during World War One. He was among the first to land in France in August of 1914, and was soon taken prisoner during a regiment-defining battle. He spent the next four years in a prisoner of war camp. When my research uncovered what he endured, I had to write it down. His story remains the source of my passion for writing.
My two science fiction novels, entitled, Sophia – Age of Intelligence, and The Human Continuum represent my interest in science, politics, and a desire to illustrate, if only in fiction, a more rewarding path forward for humanity. I enjoyed the process of adapting The Human Continuum into a feature length script.
I wrote The Hero Code during the Covid pandemic. It is dedicated to my wife, who works in the health sector. She is my real-life hero.
The inspiration for Her Dying Wish fell into my lap when my daughter came home for a visit, stating that, when the time comes, she would like her ashes scattered over an ancient Greek theater. Makes sense, I thought, being an actor. She is presently pursuing her Masters in Acting at Yale's David Geffen School of Drama. I wrote First On Last Off as a graduation gift for completing her theater undergrad. That's her on the poster.
#LuckyBob is my latest script. It was born from my interest in politics. It represents, I hope in a humorous way, a possible solution to the divisiveness of our present partisan governance model.
My hobbies include photography, music, and, of course, reading great scripts.
My novels can be found at michaelfdonoghue.com.
I look forward to adding more content to this platform.
Mike