Both of my screenplays, The Great Surrender and The Living Water are now finalists in the Kairos Prize for Screenwriting. There are only five scripts left in the Pro-Prize category with one eventual winner given $15,000 on February 10. Here are the 5 scripts remaining with a short description of each.

FINALISTS – KAIROS PRO PRIZE FOR SCREENWRITERS

DONUTS WITH JERRY
When a mysterious stranger becomes stranded after a car accident in a small town at Christmas time, he becomes embroiled in the mayoral election between the ruthless businessman who rules the town and the feisty female owner of the donut shop.

HOLIDAY IN HEAVEN
When a 9-year-old girl’s beloved older brother is diagnosed with a tumor, her faith in miracles is put to the test.

THE GREAT SURRENDER
Zachary Foley is a lost soul, but after a tornado puts his mother in a coma, this one-time high school football star finds purpose and experiences unexpected miracles when he’s forced to confront a tragic past he’s lied about.

THE HUMBLE WALK
A star seminary student means well but when her efforts to help others suddenly end in disaster, she realizes she herself really isn’t sure what God wants of her. She looks to her crusty professor for help, only to find he too is haunted by a dark secret.

THE LIVING WATER
A 75-year-old black man living his final days in a not-so-nice retirement home and a 20-something white woman with a chip on her shoulder, form an unlikely bond over their shared loneliness and loss which leads them to the banks of the Mississippi River.

At this point, any one of the above scripts can win. If they got this far, each of them has something to offer and it may come down to the judges’ preference rather than any kind of scorecard. Of course I would love to win, but if one of my scripts is not chosen and if it’s someone else’s time in the spotlight, so be it. The fact that I have 2 scripts in the top 5 has given me a great deal of encouragement. I must be doing something right, and yet I feel there is always, always something more to learn and grow from. Last year, I spent a great deal of time re-writing The Great Surrender and The Living Water (along with Who is Molly Steele?). I have to thank those who read these scripts and were honest in their assessment of what needed to happen to make them better.

No matter what happens, I look forward to the next time in the spotlight, which may just be around the corner. If it’s your time to shine, make sure to make the best of it. A career in writing, acting, the arts has its great highs and massive lows. So when you find yourself at the top, let everyone see you, enjoy every moment and then move on because there is always another script to write/re-write, another story to tell and something new to create.

Thank you to everyone who has written a kind word to me on this site, personally sent me a message or left a comment on Facebook. I read everything and I appreciate anyone taking the time to check in on my blogs.