So true about leaders and their mental illnesses. Have you read the book A First-Rate Madness by Nassir Ghaemi? Also Joshua Wolf Shenk's book on Lincoln's depression. I've also seen in my reading that many leaders have difficult childhoods that steel them for their lives as adults. Like Bill Clinton, or even Barack Obama. Do you include anything like that, the President's youth, in your screenplay? Do you delve into history at all, maybe having characters discuss it? It's almost kind of tragic that a leader like Lincoln couldn't be elected today, considering his mental health problems. I hope your movie gets made, could really spark a conversation. It sounds a little like Network, where you have the character with mental health problems become messiah-like.

We're on the same page, Jared, although I discovered the Ghaemi book after I had written and submitted "Mr. Messiah." It was encouraging to know that what I had sensed had been already subjected to professional scrutiny. Haven't read Shenk's book yet. And, yes, both "Network" and Paddy Chayefesky were on my mind while I was writing, especially his unabashed use of literate language and speeches.

As for backstory, I set up the protagonist's political history and his relationship with his wife, but little beyond that. I prefer to reveal character through action. This is an event-driven story that requires steady, forward movement.