First Place
MYSTERY OF GOD
By John Patrick Bradley
Seaford, New York
Occupation: freelance writing tutor and script consultant
Email: jpscripts@hotmail.com
Logline: A Berlin Olympian turned Gestapo agent risks his life to rescue Jewish children from the Holocaust.

How did you come up with the idea for your screenplay?

I first conceived of my script as a retelling of the apostle Paul story, the story of a desperately wicked person whom God regenerates to become a champion of the church.

What or who was your inspiration?

The inspiration for my script was the apostle Paul and the life and testimony of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a World War II Christian martyr. I have also been inspired by the lives and testimonies of other Christian martyrs throughout history.

How long did it take for you to write your script?

I first thought of this script way back in the 1980s. I wrote some pencil notes in a notebook at that time and then let them sit for years as I worked on many other things. Around the year 2000, the Lord moved me to look at those notes and try to develop them into a novel. I finished them in 2004 as a script.

What were some of the challenges that you faced during the writing process?

In a word, dialogue. I have written a World War II drama about Nazis, but I don’t really know how World War II Nazis spoke. I did some research, but there is much more to it than that. Writing dialogue is the hardest part of writing a script--writing ethnic characters, making sure that each character has his or her own distinct voice. Very hard. I’m still working on it.

What is your writing background?

I’ve dabbled in many forms of writing--short fiction, poetry, journalism. I’ve finished three scripts. I’m working on a novel. I’ve taught writing on the college level, and I’ve supervised a college writing center. But, I’ve never sold any of my writing.

Do you have formal training as a writer?

I have a lot of education--two graduate degrees, 120 graduate credits. I’ve taken several writing courses on the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Do you have advice for other writers who are dealing with Christian themes?

Focus on craft and realize something: As the spiritual power of confusion and destruction, Satan does not want mankind to be productive. Whenever we as writers--especially Christian writers--forge two words together in an organized manner, we have done it onto the glory of God and defeated the purposes of Satan, whether any other person ever appreciates it or not. We know, and God knows. That’s the important thing. Write to glorify God.