Logline: Tormented African-American veteran kills two brutal Klansmen on a journey west, finding peace only after helping a Caucasian woman and her family in Texas.

Part 1.

I knew I wanted to be screenwriter when .....

I came across two old scripts of movies that I had seen. They were “To Kill a Mockingbird” and “Chinatown”. I read them,and thought I’d try to write one myself.

I know I've succeeded when ...... 

someone like Robert Zemeckis, Ron Howard or Penny Marshall has read my script and wants to talk.
 

My inspiration to write Tyler Texas.....

comes from watching the bubbling racial tension in America over the past two years. It seems at an all time high and I wanted to write something emphasizing tolerance and acceptance.

Part 2.

FilmMakers Magazine: What inspired you to write?

Patrick S. Norman: The memories I have of my father and the stories he would tell me as a young boy.

FilmMakers Magazine: Is this your first script and how long did it take you to complete?

Patrick S. Norman: This is my first script that I have taken to “fade out”, though I have many others, and am halfway through my favorite script to date. “Tyler” took me three months but I’ve never really stopped re-writing.

FilmMakers Magazine: Do you have a set routine, place and time management for writing?

Patrick S. Norman: No, I write when I can. But would love the luxury to write full time in some quiet place in the mountains.

FilmMakers Magazine: Do you believe screenplay contests are important for aspiring screenwriters and why?

Patrick S. Norman: Absolutely, it’s the only way I know of to really get anyone to read you. No one will consider or read you if you don’t have an agent and I understand that doing well in a big contest can help you secure an agent and put your script in front of people in the industry.

FilmMakers Magazine: What influenced you to enter the FilmMakers International Screenwriting Awards / Screenplay Contest?

Patrick S. Norman: I Googled “best screenwriting contests” and Filmmakers was right there at the top.

FilmMakers Magazine: What script would you urge aspiring writers to read and why?

Patrick S. Norman:  I’d recommend China Town, because Robert Towne just nailed it when it came to perfectly describing a situation, a feeling or a texturethat best fit the mood. I liked the way he crafted that smoky, noir of the late 1930’s, and then mixed it with murder, sex and gripping dialog. It was this script that made me want to write.

FilmMakers Magazine: Beside screenwriting what are you passionate about and why?

Patrick S. Norman: I enjoy spending time with my wife and two kids. I won the lotto when I married my wife and am thankful to have her next to me. I like to swim, sail, read and play chess. I am passionate about spending time with smart people who make me laugh and feel good.

FilmMakers Magazine: Who is your favorite Screenwriter and Why?

Patrick S. Norman: Recently, I had the opportunity to read Callie Khouri and I love the nuanced way she moves from scene to scene, building characters and tension along the way. I’dlove to sit and talk with her about the way she weaves dialog and her stunning descriptions of people and events.

FilmMakers Magazine: Name the director you would love to work with and why?

Patrick S. Norman: easy, Robert Zemeckis! Though he’s known for amazing special effects, that’s a distant second to the perfect sense of timing and his understanding of the full range of human emotion he’s captured for drama’s like “Forrest Gump” and rom-com’s like “Romancing the Stone”. It doesn’t hurt that he’s a master at managing people and a set. Of course, I only know what I’ve read and the movies I’ve seen.

FilmMakers Magazine: Name the actor you would love to work with and why?

Patrick S. Norman: I think that Sissy Spacek is an incredibly talented person. She’s very intelligent, intense and passionate when she acts; you can’t take your eyes off her. I can see her effortlessly playing the lead character June McClellan in “Tyler Texas”.

FilmMakers Magazine: Any tips and things learned along the way to pass on to others?

Patrick S. Norman: Just to keep writing and banging on doors. Read everything you can about the craft, and don’t take no for an answer. You have to believe in magic!

FilmMakers Magazine: What's next for you?

Patrick S. Norman: I am working on my next script and scribbling notes on two others.

FilmMakers Magazine: Where will you be five years from now?

Patrick S. Norman: With any luck, at the end of some pier, on some isolated lake in the middle of nowhere… writing.