Mel Brooks

San Diego, here I come

Maximum Z comic books, Comic-Con, community, film festival, Mel Brooks, movies, screenplay, screenwriting, script, short films, television, writing , , , , , , , , , , ,

Apart from all the work on scripts and beginning the process of entering my short into film festivals, I’m currently getting ready to attend Comic-Con in San Diego.

First time going, and pretty psyched about it. This is one of those events I’ve always wanted to attend, but never had the opportunity. So when a friend offered me a badge, my ever-supportive sweetie said “You should go”, I decided to take the plunge.

For those unfamiliar, Comic-Con is a HUGE event that takes over that part of San Diego over the course of several days. All things comics, movies, TV, video games, toys, games, and beyond. Not to mention the vast number of cosplayers. Hundreds of thousands will be in attendance, including yours truly.

(Full disclosure – it was always a dream/fantasy that the first time I’d get to go would be to promote a movie that I’d written. Not the case, but still thrilled to be going.)

I’ve been putting together a list of panels I’d like to attend, books and maybe some merch I’ll try to get, and creatives of all sorts I’m hoping to meet – especially writers.

I originally considered panels about writing-oriented careers in various industries, but I’d also like just enjoy myself, so swapped some of those out for Q&As with industry vets and topics I like.

One thing I won’t be doing – waiting in line for hours to get into the canyon-esque Hall H (although I would do it for the Spaceballs 2 panel in the event that Mel Brooks shows up, which I suspect he will), or seeking out “exclusives” (i.e. specialty items only available here). I found a “first-timers” group on Facebook, and 95 percent of the posts were all about that sort of stuff (e.g. “We need somebody to hold a spot in line for the Marvel panel!”), so no thanks. That’s not why I’m going or how I want to spend my time there.

I just like the idea of attending this massive event that features a lot of things I’m interested in. No doubt it’ll be initially overwhelming, but the primary goal is to simply enjoy myself while taking it all in. Anything beyond that is a bonus.

And if you spot me out and about, feel free to say hi.

Mel said it best

Maximum Z determination, Mel Brooks, perseverance, persistence, query letter, representation, screenplay, screenwriting, script, self-confidence, writing , , , ,

Once again, the latest round of sending out query letters is underway.

My attitude about the whole process is eloquently stated via the title of the song above by Mr Brooks. This is only because of my experience in dealing with it over the years.

I’d explained this mindset to a friend, who felt I was being too negative and pessimistic.

“Not at all,” I responded. “I send these out, definitely hoping at least one of them clicks. Sometimes that happens, and someone will ask to read the script. Maybe even a handful of requests. Those usually end with “just not what I’m looking for,” and the rest are silent passes.”

There are countless reasons a script gets a pass, so trying to figure it out is a waste of time.

But I move on, determined as ever.

You’d think all of this would make me a lot more jaded and cynical, or at least left with a bitter taste in my mouth after putting myself through this over and over again. Maybe in some ways I am, but I’d also say I now take a much more realistic approach.

Despite the odds being stacked against me, I’ll keep at it. Researching potential recipients. Revising the letter itself.

I send ’em and forget about ’em. If they’re interested, they’ll contact me, which could be anywhere from five minutes to a year, or longer. If they’re not, they won’t, and that’s the way it goes.

I’m also not going to sit around waiting to hear back. I’d rather spend my time, y’know, actually writing (a lot of which is coming along nicely, thank you very much).

My aforementioned friend understood where I was coming from. They’ve also read (and really liked) my scripts, and remain very, very hopeful that something good will happen for me soon.

Me too. It would be nice.

But until then, Mel’s song remains the status quo.

And since I prefer to end things on a high note, here you go…