The story was written at Northwestern University for a screenwriting class (1996). The script was then entered into the Chicago CineStory Screenwriting competition, and made quarter-finalist (1997).
Silent Bark made the top 15% of over 5000 screenplays entered into the 2007 Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting competition. It did not make one of the final 5 screenplays chosen to receive a fellowship.
The scene in which Ann and Scott watch a few minutes of a play, are from "Dear Holmey" (act I), co-written by Clark T. Weber and Karen Cole. The play premiered at The Theatre Building in Chicago in the 1990's.
Though not from Wisconsin, homage is given to fallen hero NYPD officer Moira Ann Reddy-Smith by naming the "Policewoman" character, which was generically named in the original script, to "Officer Reddy-Smith" (2019). Officer Reddy-Smith was killed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks; she was the 1st officer to report the attack when she witnessed the 1st plane strike the 1st tower. Officer Smith was the only female Police Officer who died in the World Trade Center attacks. Source: Officer Down Memorial Page.
In honor of fallen MPD officer John Hetland who, while off-duty was shot and killed in Wisconsin, one week before the Table Read in Chicago (2019), character "Police Officer #2" was changed to "Officer Hetland".