THE GREAT SURRENDER landed in the TOP 3 at the 12th Annual Story Pros Awards for Screenwriting in the Family Category.   What does this mean?   The biggest prize is the encouragement this gives me.  Writing is hard.  There are no short cuts.  And there is far more rejection along the way than pats on the back.  The criticism and varying opinions that come your way, along side the doubts that overwhelm, can drag you down.  At the same time, your heart and mind must be open to critical thought.  It’s how you grow.  It’s a tricky balance. Ultimately, you are the creator and you decide how to move forward.

Here’s the thing…you can live your life in fear of rejection.  Live it safe.   Live it so that you don’t hurt.  I can’t tell you how devastatingly lonely this journey can be at times.  But on days like today…when I see my name near the top, it provides just the right amount of validation to carry on.    If you don’t try, and keep trying, you will never know.  Will THE GREAT SURRENDER ever be made into a movie?  In my wildest dreams – YES!  But I also know the likely hood of that happening is very slim.   The odds are stacked  against you.   However, I’ll hang onto that glimmer of hope, passion and persist and maybe, just maybe, this script or another of mine, will land into the right hands.  It only takes one person to believe in you and set things in motion.

As a reminder to some of you or to others who are new to my work and this site, this is not the first time THE GREAT SURRENDER has landed near the top. In the last couple years, it has placed in the top 3 at the Page Awards  and Kairos Pro Prize where it competed against hundreds of submissions.   These wins helped open the door to potential producers who are more likely to read your script if you can back it up with a top prize.

One of the perks for landing in the the TOP 3 of Story Pros is promotion of my script to the entertainment industry. This is what any writer wants – a chance to be read and the hope someone out there likes your words and your story.  It’s a long shot, but again, if you don’t try, you will never know.  You get one shot at this life.  Make it count.

Now, I’ve got to get back to some significant re-writing of my play ANIMAL which is going agonizingly slow….and then another re-write of my screenplayLET IT SHINE….and then…and then…and then…and then……….