Liz Best, Annmarie Morais, Me

Oh how I wish writing was this joyful everyday.  Recently got together with these two writers.  Liz had us over and she supplied a cake.  “Happy writing” indeed!  We exchanged war stories of our writing experiences (Annie won),  but as you can tell by this photo, we weren’t going to let the disappointment and frustration that often comes from writing spoil our evening.   And to top it all off, the cake was delicious.  It was a night we all needed as each of us were in the middle of deadlines, re-writes, new and old projects and submitting scripts to various places/ people.  Whatever you do, find the joy in it.  Don’t wallow in self-pity.  That’s a defeating attitude.

A few days after this photo was taken, I get an email regarding my screenplay LET IT SHINE from the Screencarft Family Screenplay Competition.  I was currently a Quarter-finalist, awaiting results to see if my script made the semi’s.   Read the email:

That’s how it goes sometimes.  Take it on the chin and move on.  Definitely disappointed.  I was so sure I would place.   I have done a decent amount of work on this script, sending it off to several coverage agencies and getting notes to improve it.   So much has to happen for a script to do well.  As the email says:  Right screenplay.  Right judges.  Right time.    Maybe it’s not quite my time, so I’ll continue to send SHINE off to other places.  As of this writing, the screenplay has been sent to StoryPros Awards Screenplay Competition, Scriptapalooza and The Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting.  Maybe there is another re-write in the future for SHINE .  Who knows.  Wait and see.

THAT’S HOW IT GOES SOMETIMES happens to be the title of a new short one-act play I just completed.  I would describe the play as a scene within a scene which tackles the themes of creativity and who really is in charge.  I look forward to submitting it to theater festivals and hope it finds a home.  Stay tuned…