Third Place
A TOUCHSTONE OF FAITH
By Philip Abraham
Las Vegas , NV
Occupation: Custom hairpiece designer
Logline: An angel posing as a ranch hand on an errand by God to prevent a poor widower from being forced to give up two of his children for adoption

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

My screenplay, A Touchstone of Faith, is based on an incident in the life of one of the founding fathers of the Christian church: St. Nicholas of Myra in Lycia , my patron saint.  Before becoming a Bishop, he was the parish priest in that little village of Myra .  It was populated by many people suffering from poverty and hunger.  It was so bad that it was not unusual that fathers were forced to actually sell a child or two to prevent the rest of the family from starving.  One such family came to Father Nicholas' attention, and one night as the father of the family was facing the reality of selling a child, Nicholas managed to leave a few coins in the man's house.  The title of my screenplay comes from the prayer of St. Nicholas, in which he is described as "a touchstone of faith".  

What or who was your inspiration?

We have lived in the gambling capital of the world, Las Vegas , Nevada , for 35 years.  When I decided to write "Touchstone", I felt it fitting to select the protagonist as a casino maintenance man and the antagonist as a millionaire casino owner.  I thought it fit perfectly that the mysterious Nicholas character would be a ranch hand and sheep herder in that world. 

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

It took me 3 months to write "Touchstone", and I went back to it and made changes to it for a couple of years after that.  My main profession is hairdressing, so it was challenging to me to focus on my writing when I did something else by day. 

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

 "Touchstone" was only my second screenplay so, from a writing standpoint, it was difficult for me to handle subplots and to figure out how to present the Nicholas character as a mystic.

Do you have formal training as a writer?

I don't have any formal training in writing.  I took two English classes here at UNLV and went to several writing seminars.  I love reading and have many books on writing.  My father wrote spiritual stories and poetry, and I think that has influenced me.  I have now written three screenplays, one short story and memory of my late wife, and one novel. 

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

Regarding advice for other writers who are dealing with Christian themes, I think you must have Jesus in your heart to be able to write pure Christian stories.  Let nothing deter you.  Use any kind of writing - letters, notes, anything - as drills to help you continue writing.  I don't always take this advice, but I'm trying.