A PROMISE I MADE TO MR. BAGELS was a quarter-finalist, then a semi-finalists and now I received news the script is a FINALIST in the StoryPros International Screenwriting Contest.  The above is just a partial list of finalists.  You can find the complete list HERE.  My script is in the TOP 5% of all entrants with over 1000 screenplays entered.  And as you can see, actor Shia Labeouf is still in the running.  On a side note, I recently watched a film of his which he wrote and starred in – HONEY BOY – good film.

A PROMISE I MADE TO MR. BAGELS – FINALIST

When results are posted for these contests/fellowships, my heart pounds so hard it feels like it might come out of my chest and my fingers shake as I glance for my name.  I end up doing mental gymnastics in my head where I try to convince myself that I won’t be on the next list so that I don’t feel disappointment.  And yet, at the same time, I play another cruel game where I tell myself that indeed I will make the next cut and it will feel great.  The fact of the matter is, if I DON’T make the cut, I am disappointed, depressed, etc…there is no way around that feeling no matter how I try to mentally prepare myself.  And if I DO make the cut, the validation is undeniably wonderful and it gives me that bit of courage we all need to keep on.  I look forward with an uneasy anticipation when results come in.  This is part of the journey, to walk through that angst, to keep trying because the things we want in life are often just out of our reach.  It’s not the most talented who succeed, but the ones who don’t give up.  To me, not giving up is the success because along the way, joy always manages to slip in and keep us afloat.  So wherever you are on your journey, be encouraged to keep on, keep learning, keep the hope and look for ways to stay motivated.

Thank you StoryPros for making my day and for that bit of joy.  Now onto the winners….I’m not thinking about it…Really, I’m not…..Okay – I lie.

Onto more news.  Two weeks ago I received word that my screenplay LET IT SHINE made the quarter-final rounds of the Cynosure Screenwriting Awards.  Could I make the next cut?  A list of semi-finalists was just announced and as my heart skipped a beat, I scanned the titles and low and behold, Let It Shine by Romeo Ciolfi made the cut!  Below is a partial list:

Let It Shine is one of my favorite scripts that I’ve written.  It speaks to me on a personal level.  Of course that’s true of all my scripts.   I know somewhere out there, there is a home for this story about a young girl who faces immense self-doubt and bulling because of a stutter she fights to overcome.   As I eagerly await the winners to be announced, I leave you with Cynosure’s vision which is an ideal place for Let It Shine to shine on: