It’s been a rough few months, and for those of us in the US, there doesn’t really seem to be any relief in sight. At least not for the next 42 days.
There’s a lot to be said. There’s a lot to be done. Let’s use our voices. Let’s work together.
Be well!
∼ Saturday: Day Three ∼
7:45am: Another early morning. More caffeine needed. There’s a coffee shop on the ground floor of my hotel that I’m thankful for, and it’s fairly popular due to its proximity to the conference. They have my favorite flavor, lavender, for their coffee and the most delicious pastries. It gets me through the bulk of the day.
9:00am – 10:15am: One of the panels I’m most looking forward to, Writing Sci-Fi with Gary Whitta and Emily Carmichael. They both offer some useful tips and let us all know that it’s okay to not write 8 hours a day. No one writes like that, and we shouldn’t feel like this is a goal we have to achieve. I learned about the Pomodoro Technique (which I will look into a bit more) which suggests writing in 25 minute spurts.
Tips: 1) Keep a Dot Journal to track writing progress. Check on it regularly. (I haven’t done this yet because I’m still learning how to create this type of journal.) 2) Maintain consistency in your world. If a character has a power, be sure to use it. (This is something we, writers, sometimes forget.) 3) Keep the rules of the world simple.
10:45am – 12:00pm: Overcoming Scene Challenges with Meg LeFauve, Carly Wray, and Dave Kajganich. This proved to be one of the best panels I attended. The most important thing I learned was that if there’s a problem in Act 3, it’s most likely because of something in Act 1. “You haven’t earned it” was repeated by the panelists, and this was a big note for me. As many of you are aware, from my many references to my troublesome third act of one of my screenplays, I either have a problem earlier on, or I haven’t followed through with something to earn the third act.
I happened to have an opportunity the following morning to speak with Dave Kajganich while waiting for coffee. I thanked him for his advice, and then he gave me some more. He asked me what I was struggling with and offered me some alternative ways of thinking about it. Does it have to have a happy ending? I told him I like happily ever afters, but it got me thinking. Maybe it doesn’t? Does it have to take place in modern times? No, it doesn’t, and I don’t know why I’ve been trying to force it. He was appreciative of me reaching out, he wasn’t sure if anything he said during the panel was useful.
12:15pm – 2:15pm: The Awards Luncheon was not being held close by. It was a number of blocks away and not paying attention to the time, I thought it started at 12:30pm, and add on a big parade for Día de Muertos, I was power walking to make sure I arrived on time. There was no shuttle, and the AFF staff I spoke with were very helpful, but afraid that if I didn’t arrive before it started, I may not be able to get in at all. This was an additional upgrade to my conference badge, so I was not missing out.
There were some amazing speeches, and it was an insight as to what was winning on the festival circuit. It ran way over for time, so I was unable to make my next panel, so I grabbed another coffee and got in line for the Lawrence Kasdan retrospective. Even an hour and a half before the panel I was still about 15 people from the beginning of the line.
4:45pm – 6:00pm: A look back at the life of Screenwriter, Lawrence Kasdan. He wrote The Big Chill, co-wrote Empire Strikes Back, wrote Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Bodyguard, French Kiss, As Good as it Gets, and so many more. How could I not attend?!
7:30pm – 9:30pm: Pitch Finale. Another writer from my FB group, Jasmine and I planned to meet up to attend the finale together. All the winners of the pitch sessions gathered to pitch to the crowd and then winners were chosen from those. It was so much fun and so inspiring. There was a great deal of support and encouragement for the people pitching.
My shoulder ached from carrying around my computer bag all day, so after Deena and I grabbed a bite to eat, we returned to my hotel to minimize my carrying capacity so we could head to the last mixer of the weekend.
Upon exiting my room, we were dumbfounded to find a most likely drunken naked man in the hallway. We never did find out if he had locked himself out, or was kicked out, but either way, when the young woman, who was the manager on duty arrived, another conference attendee, Deena, and I kept her company until the police arrived. We weren’t going to leave her alone with a delusional nude. That made for a good story when asked what we would remember most from the conference.
11:00pm: Heart of Film Cocktail Party. I saw some familiar faces, which was nice, and made friends with Margaret. One of the winners from my pitch session.
It had been such a long day, but so rewarding.
~ Sunday: Day Four ~
There was a Hair of the Dog Brunch at 10:00am but my check out was at noon and I was going to be in a panel, so I skipped it, and slept in a bit. The sleep and food deprivation had finally caught up with me. I checked my bag, grabbed a coffee (which is where I met Dave and got that great advice), met up with Jessica and Deena for a quick hello and pastry breakfast, and then Jessica and I made our way to one of our more anticipated panels.
11:30am – 12:45pm: The Quagmire of Female Character by Lindsay Doran. When I was living in LA, I attended another presentation by Lindsay about the Psychology of Storytelling. She’s an executive and producer and her insight is unlike any other. She’s so engaging that I didn’t even take any notes, which, of course, I now regret. If you’re familiar with what’s going on in Hollywood, and the rest of the world, you’ll have an understanding of the balancing act that is currently happening with how to handle female characters. This panel enlightened us all.
Tip: If you have the opportunity to hear Lindsay Doran speak, do it.
1:15pm – 2:30pm: Writing for Animation with Brad Graeber, Alvaro Rodriguez, and Willis Bulliner who created the animated Netflix series, Seis Manos. Jessica didn’t have a panel planned, so she attended with me. It wasn’t what I was expecting, it was more about how they got their show off the ground, but it was still interesting.
3:00pm – 4:15pm: Life as a Screenwriter with Shane Black and Scott Rosenberg was, I think, the last panel of the day. It was the last one I attended anyway. It was the other panel I was most looking forward to, and it did not disappoint. These two screenwriters have been in the business for many years, and now, a bit older, have a different insight into the industry. I thought I took some notes, but I can’t seem to find them. Wah-wah.
4:15pm – 5:15pm: I have to say my farewells and get to the airport. It was during my good-byes that I made a new connection with someone who is doing something I’ve been thinking about. Traveling the world. And getting paid for it.
I’m sad about leaving. The entire weekend has been enlightening and I’ve had a wonderful time, even more than I thought I would. I’ve made friends, and writer friends at that. I gained a bit more insight about myself and what I want to do. The tips and lessons learned have opened my eyes to my writing, which was the point of the trip.
Overall, for my first conference, I’m not sure I could have chosen any better. If you have an opportunity to attend any writer’s conference, I definitely encourage it. It’s an experience unlike any other.
If you attended AFF, I’d love to connect and swap stories. If you’re planning on attending a conference and need some tips, I’m happy to help.
Happy Writing!
∼ Thursday: Day One ∼
3:30am: Slept maybe four hours and endured a rather bumpy flight which turned me a pale shade of green. By the time I made it into town from the airport, checked in to the hotel, and then checked in at the AFF registration, I was too late to attend the 11:30am Introduction/Welcome panel. I signed up for the Roundtable I wanted to attend about an hour from then, but poor signage led me to the wrong room, so I missed out.
1:00pm – 2:15pm: I ended up in the Writer-Manager Relationship panel with Henry Jones and Ryan Cunningham. Not what I was planning to attend, but learned that just as with any other relationship, finding someone who gets you is vital.
2:45pm – 4:00pm: I made my way to the Pitch Prep panel with Pamela Ribon for some advice on how to pitch before my go at it the following morning. I was not at all prepared to pitch my idea, and at this point, didn’t even know what story I was going to pitch. So much for being prepared. We, writers, usually work best under pressure any way. It was here I met Deena, who, I would later discover would become a fast friend, so that we could practice our pitch with someone.
Tip: If you have an opportunity to meet Pamela Ribon, take it. She was engaging and funny and helped put the experience into perspective – pitching at AFF is not like pitching in any other situation.
5:00pm – 7:00pm: Opening Night Reception. At this point, in my “normal” world, I would want a nap, but I was running on a high of the energy that seemed to infuse the entire area. I was meeting people and learning things and I didn’t want to miss a moment. I grabbed a drink and walked around the bar, but everybody already seemed to know people. As I made my way to the back, I saw a solitary figure, and my first festival-made friend, Jessica.
We hit it off right away and she became one of my conference partners for the remainder of the weekend. After the reception ended, we decided to get food. I didn’t remember eating, so it sounded like a good idea.
Torrential downpour ensued and I was soaked through in minutes.
I purposefully ensured my room was close to all the action, and at that time, was thankful for my foresight. There was a WGA Welcome Party at 11:00pm, but after the wet, the food, a hot shower, and writing and memorizing my pitch, I was done.
~ Friday: Day Two ~
7:30am: Rise and shine! Must. Have. Caffeine prior to pitch. Kept running my pitch in my head…over and over and over…I decided to pitch my pilot, The Demeter. Gotta say, pretty happy with the way it came out.
9:00am – 10:15am: Pitch session with Kelly Jo Brick and Cam Cannon. Oof. What a learning experience. I was calm and collected, until the moment I was in front of the group. The nerves kicked in and I stumbled about halfway through losing my train of thought. I have this strange sort of memory thing. If I write it down, I can see where it was on the page, and after a moment of collecting myself, I could see where I was in the pitch and finished. So embarrassing, especially in light of all the positive feedback I received. The judges were so reassuring that I had a strong, interesting pitch, and throughout the day, many people approached me and offered me support, even more so when they learned it was my first pitch ever.
It was here I met Margaret, who, again, would later become a fast friend. She wasn’t even sure she would have an opportunity to pitch, and she ended up winning one of the two spots from our group.
10:45am – 12:00pm: The Life’s a Pitch panel with Tess Morris, Gary Whitta, and Ashley Miller. You would think at this point I would have had my fill of pitching, but I wanted to know what it was like in the “real world”.
Tips: 1) Think of pitching like a conversation. 2) Everybody wants to hear a good story, so boil it down so they can retell it. 3) The more you pitch, the more the story may evolve.
1:00pm – 2:30pm: In-Person Meeting with agent Daniela Gonzalez set up by Roadmap Writers. A fellow member of a writer’s group on FB made the introductions and I had the opportunity to sit with an agent and a group of amazing fellow writers, all women, and ask questions and gain real world knowledge of the industry. When I arrived for the sit down, I was told it was canceled, so I left. I quickly discovered it hadn’t been, and the group was kind enough to let me join in, a bit late.
3:15pm – 4:30pm: A no nonsense panel entitled “Practical Tips” with Phil Hay, Stephany Folsom, and Nicole Perlman. They reiterated quite a bit I already knew, but hearing it from professionals made it that much more impactful.
Tips: 1) Don’t compare your process to others. Understand what your process is and develop it. 2) Be kind to yourself and cut yourself a break. (We are hard on ourselves.) 3) Make something – beyond the script – a play, a short, or a script reading. 4) Discover what it is that will give you validation. 5) As a new writer, the scale of your early projects shouldn’t be a risk or a budget concern.
4:45pm – 6:45pm: BBQ mixer. Deena, Jessica and I had been in contact throughout the day and we decided to meet up for the shuttle to the mixer. Behind us in line was a lone woman, Kyra. I invited her into our group, and the four of us set off. Now, some of you may know that I’m vegetarian, so you may be wondering what I was doing there. It was a mixer. An opportunity. And I was taking advantage of whatever I could. We met with other writers and had a great time amidst interesting conversations, but as the sun set, the temperature dropped, and none of us were prepared, so we headed back.
7:00pm – 10:00pm: The Stage 32 mixer on a rooftop with no heaters. Brr. As a member of Stage 32, I was looking forward to meeting some other members, and I’m glad I made the effort, even though after a short time I could no longer feel my toes. I met the founder of Stage 32, RB and a handful of amazing writers. Unfortunately, the cold drove Jessica and I out. We had lost Deena earlier to pitch prep, and Kyra made friends and stayed behind.
There was a Final Draft Happy Hour at 11:00pm, but at that point, I didn’t think I was going to make it. And I didn’t. Instead I met up with Deena to help her with her pitch, and met more writers while hanging about the famous Driskill Hotel.
Again, I should’ve been exhausted, I’d barely eaten and was running on the fumes of caffeine, but I was having so much fun. I talked with my sister and came to the realization that I wanted to follow my dreams. I had wasted months not writing, being surrounded by negativity, and being emotionally drained after each day. I was done. Officially. And it was one of those enlightening moments – I was going to move forward.
To be continued…
Goodness. Where to begin…
When I was last here, I was in a slump. I’m just now seeing my way out of it. I attended the Austin Film Festival the following morning and had one of the best experiences of my life. I’ll do a special post on my time there, this is just to remember what’s happened since.
Well, almost.
On my second night in Austin, after meeting some wonderfully welcoming people and attending panels that inspired, I had an epiphany. The environment I was subjected to in my day job was not where I wanted to be. It had not only become a hinderance to my dream job, I hadn’t written in a very long time, it was also emotionally stunting and draining. This maybe, probably, most definitely, added to my funk. I nearly wrote my resignation letter right then and there.
I had been contemplating the idea for a while. Since February, actually. Some of you may remember my rant about, what I will refer to as, “the incident”. It was the beginning of the downward spiral when I realized so many things about a place I had put a great deal of time and energy into. But I decided to suck it up and figured I could make it work, knowing that in a year our lease would be up (The Sis and I had already decided we weren’t going to renew again), and I could hang in there a year more, right?!
The answer, which grew in intensity, was a resounding no.
It all became clear, and so upon my return to reality, I finally took the leap and quit my day job to pursue my dream. It’s been about two weeks, so after a reset, I’m ready to move forward.
In the midst of this new path, The Sis and I have begun the Whole30. This requires a post of its own as well. Needless to say, we’re feeling better, have more energy (most days), have already lost a bit of weight, and are experimenting with new recipes. We had sort of been in a food rut too. We had planned a trip to Disneyland for the holidays, but the thought of not having a churro or a candy apple, or dare I say a cocktail because of the offerings of adult beverages at California Adventure, were not the things either of us wanted to shy away from.
Then there was the definitive decision to move out of state. So now the unloading of all the unnecessary items has begun. There’s the sorting of all our belongings, the consolidation, the research, the stress. There’s also excitement at the prospect. Ah, the new and unknown.
And finally, let me touch upon the fact that now I can write. Have I? Other than this post, sadly no, not yet, but I have been thinking a lot about the rewrites I have to do and some new story ideas, so there’s that. The Whole30 takes up a lot of time and the move has shifted my focus, temporarily, because there are only so many hours in the day, but in the back of my mind, things are happening. I’m making some changes to the routine I’m so fond of and how I want to approach my career.
I’ve read a number of articles on time management and many offer similar techniques so I plan on incorporating some of them in the hopes I will be more productive and be able to use this time I’ve been given taken to its fullest. If any of them show promise, I’ll be sure to share.
If any of you have chosen the “follow your dreams” path, I’d love to hear how you handle that while trying to handle everything else.
Happy Writing!
I’ve been quiet…for a while. Initially it was because I was focused on my work. My real work. I’m still disconnected from the day job since the incident back in February, so at least there’s that. It still takes up a lot of time and energy, just the same. But then a series of mental hits soon followed and I lost my mojo. I’m second guessing myself. I don’t write, even when I want to. I don’t know how to fix some of my story issues, I’m feeling depressed, and I’m just not writing.
I leave for the Austin Film Festival in the wee hours of the morning and I had this huge laid out plan for how I was going to be prepared for it. I was excited and ready to take on the challenge, and then, in the blink of an eye, the passion disappeared. No matter how many quotes about being positive and goal oriented, fearless and creative I read or post, nothing is cracking this current mood.
Yes, yes, I know that failure is a part of the process, but I feel like I’ve been struggling for a long time, when I know, in reality, with all the spurts of inactivity, it’s only been a few years that I’ve been actively pursuing a career. This year’s screenwriting competition season offered me nothing. With only one more competition awaiting announcement, I sort of feel like… I wasted a lot of money. I love the story I submitted, and it’s not to say that someone else won’t feel the same way I do about it in the future, but the lack of upward mobility was less than encouraging.
I don’t know why I want to rant about this. I’m guessing that sometimes we all feel like this, and maybe it would be helpful for other struggling writers to realize they’re not alone. We all hit walls along this creative path, but if it’s truly what we want to do, then I guess, after some moping, we’ll get off our asses and get back to it.
At least that’s what I’m telling myself.
Because I only have tonight to shift this mentality and take advantage of this huge step I’m taking. And even though it may not sound like I’m excited, I am, deep down, and I’m sure everything will change once I board that plane and the realization hits of what it is I’m going to do.
I’m going to my first screenwriter’s conference!
I plan to discuss the conference day by day and hopefully impart some of the wisdom and helpful tips I learn. I’m hoping to get my mojo back, be inspired, and feel empowered, as well as make some writer friends who understand this journey.
So before that happens, what do you do when you hit a writer’s slump?
Last week I shared a list of the 10 prominent screenwriting contests and their approaching deadlines to give you a heads up of what to expect the next few months. Hopefully, you’re not like me, in the middle of a major rewrite instead of just a polish.
Ah, the sweet agony of a deadline.
This week I thought I would share a few tips on how to be best prepared to submit. I’m not sure where I originally found this checklist – my apologies to whoever created it. It’s a list of 10 things to look over/be aware of before you hit send.
*If you’re interested, I can expand on each of these in more detail. Just let me know in the comments below.
One of my favorite pieces of advice came from Good in a Room‘s Stephanie Palmer who suggests –
Choose a contest and a deadline. Then, submit at least one script to one of the top screenwriting contests I recommend.
If the script gets recognized in any way (i.e., it doesn’t win but it makes the second round, or top 10%, etc), revise it and submit to three different contests.
If the script doesn’t get recognized, then keep it in your library of projects, pick something new from your development slate, and write something else.
Instead of submitting multiple projects to several contests (which can get expensive), you only make multiple submissions when you have objective evidence that your work is good enough to have a chance to win, and you spend more of your valuable time writing new material.
That’s plenty of work, I know.
And it doesn’t take into account the other aspects of how to be a professional writer that have nothing to do with writing…
But over time, if you write and submit at least one script every year to one of the best contests, you will get better and your material will get better. If you submit multiple scripts only when they have received positive feedback, your chances of being successful go up.
I hope you find this helpful, and I wish you all the best this submission season!
Hey fellow screenwriters! Are you ready for another year of petrifying “submit” clicks? Yep, it’s that most wonderful time of the year, again.
If you haven’t done the search for what deadlines are approaching, let me share what I’ve learned. Here are 10 of the more prominent competitions:
The one I think all screenwriters dream of winning is the prestigious Nicholl Fellowship, which is for features only. The early deadline is March 7 ($45). I’d also recommend following them on Facebook as they share reader comments throughout the competition. It’s always fun to wonder if that lovely review is about your work.
The Austin Film Festival is also garnering a reputation for its screenwriting competition in both feature (with the added perk of being genre specific) and teleplay (including specs) categories. The early deadline is March 31 ($45). You can follow them on Twitter.
PAGE International is already open and the regular deadline is fast approaching – February 17 ($49). This is for features only, but they’ve also branched out into being genre specific as well. They’re on both Facebook and Twitter if you’re interested in keeping up with the latest.
I entered my pilot in Scriptapalooza‘s TV competition, which reopens April 15, but the feature category, again, has been accepting since the beginning of the year. The regular deadline is March 10 ($55). You can follow them on both Facebook and Twitter, but they also have a mailing list that will keep you current.
I may have entered my pilot into this one, it’s all sort of a blur at the moment, so I have to double check. How terrible is that?! Script Pipeline offers a number of competitions to choose from, such as their First Look and Great Idea (both TV and feature) contests, in addition to the TV and feature competitions – which share the same date and fee for their early entry, March 1 ($50). They also have a mailing list and are on all social media.
Finish Line is another competition that offers both feature and TV categories, and has received positive endorsement from the film community. Their early deadline is, again, fast approaching – February 17 ($40), but if you’re like me, procrastinating on that final polish/rewrite, a more “reasonable” regular deadline is April 28 ($45). You can follow them on Twitter.
Screencraft not only offers valuable information via their blog, they have a wonderful setup in their competition department – it’s genre specific! The deadlines are scattered throughout the year, so I would highly recommend joining the mailing list to stay up to date. Currently they are accepting submissions for Sci-fi and Fantasy features. Early deadline is February 16 ($39). They’re on all social media as well.
Final Draft just announced that they’ll be ready to accept submissions for 2017’s Big Break starting February 22. They have both feature and TV categories, but the entry fee section has not been updated on their site yet (early fee last year was $40). And of course, they’re on all social media too.
BlueCat is another site I recommend following for their useful advice via their blog, in addition to their newsletter and social media accounts. Their competition is open for features, shorts, TV, and plays. The early deadline is March 1 and fees vary depending on the entry. Features – $45 Shorts – $35 Pilots – $40 Plays – $30
Finally, there is the Sundance Institute‘s Screenwriters Lab which is not open yet for submissions for 2018, but if you have a script that is Sundance Film Festival material, get it ready! Last year the application period was from March 15 – May 3. I would love to take part in the Lab, but sadly, I don’t think any of my material is small budget. 😉
So get those screenplays “submission season ready” and let’s go after our dreams! Happy Writing!
I try to keep the Deadline section of my own blog up-to-date to help those looking for current contest information a place to find it, but someone else has already done that for me for the new year.
Stephanie Palmer of Good in a Room has released a list of the 10 noteworthy screenwriting competitions in one place, here.
If you’ve been thinking that this is the year to enter a contest, these are the ones that have cache. Write them down on your calendar, post them next to your computer for encouragement, and make this the year that you follow your dreams! Also, take note that some of the deadlines are already fast approaching, so don’t delay if you want to be a part of them.
And if you’re not already following Good in a Room, put yourself on her list. You’ll receive helpful tips and advice via email, and that’s invaluable for us novices. Wishing you all the best of luck!
A Writer's Discrepant Memoirs and Other Tales 