Kathy Mackel is a true believer in a million-to-one odds. Incredibly, within a year, Kathy sold not one but two works from the so-called "slush" pile.

Her first sale was the middle-reader novel, A SEASON OF COMEBACKS, to G.P. Putnam. COMEBACKS came out in hardcover in 1997 and was nominated for the prestigious Texas Bluebonnet Award and five other major awards.

Three weeks after her sale to Putnam in August of 1995, Kathy switched gears and sold her original screenplay MOTHER SHIP to Fox Family Films-- again, an unagented sale from the "slush" pile. Both her editor at Putnam and Sr. VP at Fox used the words "million-to-one" to describe the odds of a sale from the slush pile (I bet the odds of being struck by lightning are better).

Fox subsequently hired Kathy to work with Don Bluth on an untitled animation project. Kathy was then recruited to write the film adaptation for LEFT BEHIND, the runaway bestseller in the Christian market. LEFT BEHIND is the story of what happens when millions of people mysteriously disappear in an instant, as foretold in the Book of Revelation in the event known as the Rapture.

Kathy’s most recent book publication is CAN OF WORMS, a SciFi adventure for middle readers that was published by Avon Books. In association with Gross Weston Productions (an Emmy-winning production company that has produced over 20 TV movies), Kathy sold the spec script for CAN OF WORMS to Disney Channel. CAN OF WORMS is the story of a bright but alienated seventh-grader who sends an SOS to the stars after being humiliated at a school dance. To his surprise and then dismay, droves of aliens come to earth, wanting to take him away.

The sequel, EGGS IN ONE BASKET, will be coming out in the fall of 2000 from HaperCollins (formerly Avon) and Kathy has recently begun work on the third book in the series, STRAIGHT FROM THE HORSE’S MOUTH.

Kathy’s latest film in production is Showtime’s ROCK-A-BYTE BABY. The premise: ninth graders have to "marry" each other and "parent" computerized baby dolls for health class. Squalling babies and smelly diapers are difficult enough but when one boy tries to reprogram his doll not to cry, a hidden military microchip inside the doll phones "home" and suddenly their high school is over-run with doll-nappers. Gross Weston Productions is producing this movie as well.

Even more remarkably, Kathy maintains an active career in Hollywood while living thousands of miles away in the woods of rural Massachusetts. She credits e-mail, fax, and an occasional non-stop flight to Los Angeles for her long-distance success. On a personal note, Kathy’s first love (after her supportive family and writing) is fastpitch softball. She is a Nationally-certified coach for the TAP (Townsend Ashby Pepperell) Fire. Her 1999 FireFlames finished fourth in the state of Massachusetts and won two major tournaments. Kathy is also the resident playwright and director for the Living Word Players of Dunstable, Massachusetts.

KM: I told stories orally from the time I was about eight, through college when I would tell horror stories just to terrify my roommates. I assumed I wasn't a writer because I didn't write, although I loved making up stories. I got into screenwriting after taking my first fiction course in a Master's Program. After a couple of weeks in Screenwriting 501 (grad level 101), I realized this was the type of writing that suited my interested and aptitude. It was a freeing experience, finally finding an outlet for my stories. I realized that, innately, I understood the mechanics of how to do a movie, the story structure. That’s probably because my father was a film projectionist and I loved watching movies with him as a child. Since 1992 I’ve written nearly 15 scripts. I was writing mostly for my own enjoyment. "Mothership," the script that Fox Family eventually bought, was my third script. "Mothership" is a live action SciFi adventure that, at one point, Gale Ann Hurd was going to produce. Unfortunately, Fox later shelved its live action unit to concentrate on animation. The script is now in turnaround, and I have high hopes for it in today’s climate; it’s very much in the style of "Titan A.E.", in that the stories are similar, but mine is live action.

At the time, I’d been told that it was easier to break into Hollywood via children’s books. I don’t know if that’s so true now. It’s difficult to keep up with what’s hot and what’s not in Hollywood. Trends change every two weeks due to what movie is hot at the box office and other factors. While I enjoy writing juvenile fiction, at least right now, it’s not as lucrative as screenwriting. In fiction, you get small advances and it’s hard to build a following. One big plus, however, is that my publishers have been very kind and treat me very well. I’d written the script to "Can of Worms" first and my former agent, who shall remain nameless, wouldn’t show the script to anyone, so I then decided write the book. I switched agencies and the script sold in a week. I also got a new literary agent and the book sold the next week. Talk about timing!

I'm represented by Major Clients (Los Angeles) for film. A producer friend of mine, Joe Goodman, introduced me to my present agent because he knew I was unhappy with the agent I had at that time. (That agent had recruited me after Fox sent MOTHER SHIP around to agencies, looking for possible directors)

I used to write a treatment. Now I write either a synopsis or an outline of plot beats. It's hard to define how long it takes from first to final draft because I like to let a draft sit for a couple of months before doing a rewrite. So I do perhaps three scripts in a year, using that method.

"Can of Worms" aired in the spring of 1999 and I got full writing credit. (The sale of "Mothership" had gotten me into the WGA). The first rewrite was painful but it was a tremendous learning experience.

Yes, it certainly changed from what I’d first envisioned. The initial concept was about junior high kids who are given eggs in health class as "pretend babies." The kids eventually break the eggs and discover they contained aliens. Showtime optioned the script and the first major change was to morph the aliens into computerized dolls. The kids become very protective of their "doll babies" and protect them from a mad computer scientist. As for my overall experience with Showtime, it was great. They loved the characters and were willing to work with me. As for the rewrites, all I can say is that you have to be receptive and open to change. "Rock" is a fun story with a serious message: life is precious, and so are the relationships between parents and children.

I was the first writer on the project and initially, wrote it as a big budget. After that, several other writers came on board but eventually, the producers came back to me for production rewrites. I went to Toronto and literally sat in this big green leather recliner in my hotel room while the producers and I threw dialogue back and forth. It was writing on demand, but I enjoyed it every minute of it. "Left Behind" will go straight to video, sold first in Christian bookstores, where it should do very well.

KM: I previously used Word with Micros, but for my production rewrite on "Left", I had to use Final Draft. I admit, I was a bit nervous, but within five minutes I had it down. Now I can’t imagine not using Final Draft.

I think it’s crucial for screenwriters, or any writer, really, to be able to critique themselves. You should have your script read by others, but it’s important to have it read by reviewers whom you trust in the genre you’re working with. At the end of the day, though, you can’t rely on other people, you have to rely on your instincts. Also, you have to learn that you can’t react to every note and sometimes, you have to be resistant to making changes. It’s important to keep on with your work and not try to become obsessed with the business end of it. I find that’s very distracting to the writing process. When a script goes to market, all you can do is hold your breath.

That’s a tough question. I can’t make up my mind! I have three scripts that I’m betwixt and between. For right now, though, I have a new spec script, a kids action thriller, which my present agent will market shortly, with Marcy Gross attached to produce. Now that I’ve gained a solid reputation in the family cable market, my goal is to have a big budget SciFi action adventure movie sold and made. I want to show that a woman can blow up the universe as well as anyone. I’d also like to get into darker subjects, but with a good message. Book wise, I’d love to create a juvenile softball series.

Just what I’m doing, because I love it.

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