No longer will I merely re-post news and tidbits I pick up from other, more vivacious blogs. No more will I write only "watch this" and embed the hip eye-candy I've just seen. No, a new day has dawned.
WAR has begun.
Recently, I applied for membership into and was subsequently accepted into the Virginia Screenwriter's Forum. Going for nearly 20 years, it's a Richmond writer's group that meets 9 months out of the year. I've been to several sessions over the last 18 months (you have to go to 3 before you can apply to join), but my first meeting as a member is coming up later this month. And, while I hadn't thought a critique for
my work would be possible this year, I got word on Monday that one of this month's writers has reneged on their critique. So, would I like to submit my work for review? Egads! Have the immature fruit of my screenwriting labors from the last (gulp) two years read by virgin eyes? Holy shit, I'm in.
Am I ready to have my work torn limb from limb? Dissected like a festering bug in science class? Examined for its poor choice of words and incorrect formatting? Can I defend my careful plotting and genuine characters against harsh criticism?
You bet. My biggest obstacle is that I think both my writing and my script are pretty good. And by script, I mean
my first act. (Yeah, that's all I've got.) I'm on a push to complete 100 pages by December 31st of this year. I'm now writing everyday. I'm committed to both my story and my characters. And I'm ready to be told I'm on the wrong track, that I need more research and better character development. Really, what better timing could I ask for?
I'll post the gory details here, for anyone that's interested. Stay tuned.