Screenwriting

A few months ago I saw an advert here for a Screenwriter’s Program sponsored by the Film Society. They were planning to pick 30 people to participate in a year-long writer’s program where at the end with guidance and peer workshops, you will have a completed screenplay. During that time, they would invite folks from the industry to present to the group and mentor as well. I’ve never considered screenwriting but have always loved movies and am actually getting back into them much more after moving here with Sundance and having a great local theatre that shows foreign and Indie film, so I submitted a pitch…and was selected! There began the week where I haven’t had to produce anything but a pitch yet and I’m feeling probably overly good about myself…and then the truth sank in, I’ve got a lot of writing to do and it’s probably going to be crap.


We had our first meeting Wednesday this week. Driving to that meeting I seriously almost turned around. I was physically shaking at the thought of talking to others about my pitch and feeling like I really shouldn’t be there. I park in the garage and see this young beautiful college student obviously headed to the same place I’m headed and feel that much more intimidated. Great, I’m going to be the oldie in the room. But when I got in I was pleasantly surprised. I wasn’t the oldest in fact there is a woman who is trying her hand at this for the first time who is 80. There are also a number of university professors, folks who work in film or television production, a full-fledged novelist, writers/directors of either short film or commercials, etc. What a great mix of people and the folks in charge are super encouraging. I couldn’t be more excited about this experience.

Here’s to a thrilling and also scary new pursuit.