No post today. Got some important stuff to take care of.
Have an excellent weekend.
Get some writing done if you can.
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Disappointed, yet still driven & determined
The results are in for my western’s involvement with the major screenwriting contests for this year:
PAGE – nope. Didn’t get notes.
Austin – nope. Notes expected later in the year. (They got over 9100 entries for shorts and features this year. That’s A LOT.)
Nicholl – top 15%, which isn’t bad. Two sets of notes; the first reader really liked it, whereas the second’s comments make me highly suspicious about their qualifications.
On a positive note, the script placed in the top 100 of the ISA’s Emerging Screenwriters contest, which is nice. Fingers crossed it advances to the finals.
But back to the big three. It’s a little frustrating that things didn’t work out, but that doesn’t mean the script’s bad. A lot of my readers, many of whom have done well in these contests, all had very positive things to say about it and thought it was a solid and entertaining piece of work.
Two things to keep in mind about these contests:
–It’s all subjective.
–Sometimes you just get a shitty reader.
These also happen to be things we have no control over. Yes, it’s disappointing to get that email that includes the phrase “Unfortunately…”, but just because you didn’t do well this year doesn’t mean you won’t do better next year. This is the mantra I’m going with for now.
I’m also taking a little time off from the western to focus on the comedy and at least one or two other scripts. It helps.
Something else for you to ponder: contests aren’t the only way in. More and more I’m hearing/reading from writers who do well in contests, but nothing comes of it. They might get a read, but that’s it. You gotta keep trying from every approach you can think of.
That’s my plan.
Will I enter the contests next year? Possibly. But they’re not a priority.
Making inroads into a getting a career going is.
Plan accordingly forwardly
Now that we’re well into the second half of the year, I’ve been working on scheduling out how I’d like the time between now and December 31st to be filled up, both writing and career development-wise.
As you’d imagine, there’s a lot of writing involved. Finishing the rewrite of one script, polishing another, cranking out a first draft of yet another. I’ve done what I can to establish realistic and achievable deadlines – no more writing marathons for me.
Add to that the efforts to network and meet with other writers, both in-person and online, along with pursuing viable avenues to get the work out there, such as query letters and contests.
One important part of all of this is that, for the most part, I’m the one overseeing all of this. Nothing will get done or happen if I don’t make the effort. As for the things I have no control over, especially the career-oriented ones, I’ll do what I can to get the ball rolling and see what develops.
A friend saw my list of objectives and said “Good idea. Plan to succeed.”
Part of this stems from exactly that. I’m working at this so I can succeed. Being organized about what you want to accomplish helps you stay focused on getting closer to actually achieving it.
While you’re working on your script, you should always be asking yourself “How can I make this better?” Well, this also applies to working on getting a career going. How can you make it better?
–Keep writing. Your skills will improve and your number of completed projects will increase.
–Seek out connections. The internet is your greatest tool for networking with other writers and folks within the industry. Very important – be nice.
–Do your homework. Find out the necessary details as they apply to you and what you’re trying to accomplish. Whether it’s the best format for a query, if somebody’s contact info is still accurate, or which contest is a good match for your script.
–Commit. You know all the things you need to do and want to do. Now dedicate yourself to doing them.
All of this may seem somewhat overwhelming at first, but get in the habit of making it a daily effort – even just a little at a time – and the results will start to take shape.
Break out the sledgehammers!
A few more sets of notes on the comedy spec have come in, and they are good. And helpful. Which is very good.
The value of having connections with experienced and knowledgeable writers once again proves to be a huge asset. Networking, people!
But back to the topic at hand…
It doesn’t appear that a major reworking is in order, but there’s still a lot to do. This is definitely more than just a new coat of paint; more like a thorough renovation. More than a few comments covered the same issues, so working on those and the resulting ramifications will be the starting point.
One of the biggest obstacles when it comes to a rewrite (for me, anyway) is that nagging thought of “How am I going to make this better?” Especially when there’s already something there on the page.
It’s tough to get rid of the old stuff. You worked so hard on it, and now you have to get rid of it? Or change it? Sometimes you gotta just jump right in, totally let go and kill all those darlings. Sounds gruesome, but it has to be done.
And as I have often found in the past, once those changes are made, the new version is usually significantly better to the point that you barely remember that much about the old one. Plus, making those changes gets a little bit easier each time.
Into the breach!
A few additions to the Maximum Z Bulletin Board:
-The filmmakers behind the short film Goodbye, NOLA have set up their crowdfunding project. Donate if you can.
-Author Jeff Guenther proudly announces the release of his new World War 2 thriller In the Mouth of the Lion.
Got something you’d like to promote? Drop me a line.
Maximum Z 