I still exist!

Wow, it really has been a long time since I posted. It goes to show you that a full-time job while trying to write full-time gives things a chance to slip through the cracks. I'm going to have to get better.

What I have been working on is a new screenplay, which I'm relatively sure will go to Amazon. Honestly, it's the only place right now for an unknown writer to even have a chance -- if you don't live in Hollywood.

I'm plotting out my Blackburn Burrow rewrite that Amazon requested. It'll be a pretty big change. It will move the movie from low-budget to big-budget, which means everything has to be re-written, even if I use some of the same scenes.

I also made the finals for Amazon Studios first Script Spotlight -- I rewrote Zombies vs. Gladiators. It would be nice to win, but it's hard to tell since every writer took it in a different direction.

A Winner is Me!

I've been away from the blog so long, mainly because I've been working on a lot of stuff. Primarily, I've been whipping Blackburn Burrow into better shape. I'm happy to say, it won the March Amazon Studios screenplay contest. The award is $20,000! It's the most I've ever been paid for my writing, so I'm hoping it's only going to go up from here.

There are so many projects I want to work on, but there just isn't enough time. Work has been crazy! Not in a bad way, I've just been really busy, and it's exhausting me. I'm working on another project I want to get done, just in case I have the opportunity to get representation.

I'll try to post more regularly. It would be a good habit to get into!

Here's a link to the Amazon Studios contest: http://studios.amazon.com/contests/

So, that didn't go so well ...

Yeah, didn't make the top 6 in the Amazon contest. Again, I didn't really expect to, but it's still a wee bit depressing. I did edit the screenplay and set up a revision, which will be entered for the February contest, but I don't expect much to happen there. Still, top 50 out of 2500 or so scripts means I don't completely and utterly suck.

However, I must be a glutton for punishment as I'm entering the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award competition. They have a young adult section, so I'm throwing Shiloh's Way into the ring.

The problem is, it's not ready. It needs massive editing. I've already cut an entire page out of the first chapter, and I'm finding passive voice everywhere. It's kind of overwhelming because the contest deadline is so close -- worse, they have a limited number of entries allowed, so it could close earlier.

So, I'm back to editing! Wish me luck!

Been away so long ...

Wow, it's been a long time since I posted here. I really should keep my blog better up to date. For those of you checking it out - my screenplay of Blackburn Burrow made the top 50 of the Amazon Studios contest. I have to say, I was pretty shocked by that. They'll be announcing the top 6 soon, I'm not really sure I have a chance at that ... Still, it's nice to be in consideration!

Everything else is pretty much the same. My mind is overwhelmed with story ideas, and no time or focus to be able to get them down into long form. I'm going to keep trying though.

I will update more often, though! Hopefully, that'll keep me on track.