Getting Closer

Today I opened my rejection letter from the Warner Bros. Writer's Workshop. I've submitted dramas the past two years with no luck, so this year I sent my new IASIP spec. And I got that little note, that little light at the end of the tunnel that keeps all of us writers going; I made the top 5%, but did not make the final round.

I haven't gotten this note before, and it's encouraging. Obviously, it would have been great to actually make it to the interview round, but I'll take the top 5%. Somebody thought it was funny. Fingers still crossed for Nickelodeon and Writers on the Verge.

Nicholl Fellowship - part over

I officially received my three Nicholl rejection letters. My script that I had the most hope for (the only one that was really ready to send in the first place) received two positive reads, which is nice to know. What's not nice to know is that it didn't receive high enough positives to garner a third read, therefore, it did not make the top 20%. Bummer.

Part of me is relieved that this is all over for me. I would have loved to have been named a Quarterfinalist, it would've been a big confidence boost. But not making the cut makes me reevaluate what I do have going for me: I write commercial stuff, stuff that has a chance of selling. And that's what I need to focus on.

Time to start sending out query letters. One of my goals is to get a manager this year, and I still have five months left to do that. The time to start is now.

 Congratulations to everyone who advanced in the Nicholl, and to the lucky, lucky people that manage to win.

Deadlines Passed

I'm taking a break from my vacation posts for a writing update.

June 1 was the deadline for the Warner Bros. Writers' Workshop and the Austin Film Festival. I was trying to write a second comedy spec for WB so I would have a choice of what to submit. Didn't happen. So I sent in my "It's Always Sunny" spec. I submitted different drama specs to WB twice before without any success, so I'm going to see if I can get anywhere on the comedy route.

For Austin, I was originally planning on submitting the same three screenplays I sent to Nicholl. But I still want to do some revising and get more notes on two of those three scripts, so I decided to save the money and didn't enter any of them. But I did whip my hour-long pilot, "Feedback," into shape, and I'm kind of loving it. I haven't entered that anywhere yet, so Austin gets it first. Hope they like it.

The year is almost halfway over, can't believe it. I absolutely need to write a second comedy spec this month. Then the second half of the year I want to devote to writing new screenplays.

Nicholl Fellowship - part two

Okay, I didn't revise as extensively as I probably should have, but I did revise. I decided to stick to my plan and enter because you never know, right? I entered another romantic comedy and a dramedy. I'm hoping lots of comedies break through this year. Fingers crossed three times now.

Nicholl Fellowship - part one

So, I have three scripts that I want to enter into the Nicholl Fellowship this year. The last time I entered the Nicholls I think was in 2005, so it's been awhile. That year, I didn't make it to the Quarterfinals, and I'm hoping one of my scripts can sneak through this year. I say "sneak through" because out of 6,000 entries, it takes a little luck along with a good script to get past the first round.

My first entry, The Rebound Guy, is one of my rom coms. I know the Nicholls aren't known for selecting comedies, but Greg Beal, the guy who organizes the contest, keeps emphasizing that they don't discriminate against comedies. Plus, I think it's a darn good script, so we'll see. Fingers crossed.

Time to whip the other two scripts into shape before the final deadline.

Blargety, Blargety, Blargety

That's the backwards sound that plays on the guys' production company logo during one of the seasons, and for awhile it was infectiously stuck in my head.

Nickelodeon Fellowship application has been mailed. Fingers crossed.

Time to start working on a new comedy spec and pilot.