Wednesday, February 21, 2007

My Horse Never Wins

My Nicholl entry needs one last enema before I consider sending it out to a writer friend or two for input but I'm taking a break. I do plan to eventually get back to discussing screenwriting -- i.e. the purpose of certain scenes and how to kill your babies and still not throw your baby out with the bath water.

But, let's talk Idol for a moment.

Stop WHINING. Yes, we have to! Did you see it tonight? I have to talk about it. I'm a singer. And, you know what? My horse never wins. Never. But this may be the year. Of course, I thought that last year but swore I'd never watch Idol again when they kicked off Chris Daughtry. But sooner or later, my horse has to win!

When I grow up, I want to sing like Jennifer Hudson -- or Mandisa Hundley -- or Lakisha Jones. She was amazing. AMAZING! But, I can't sing like her. It ain't gonna happen. I'm over forty and while there's no shortage of invitations for me to sing and rave reviews when I do, the truth is that 1) I sing for a lot of people that are hard of hearing and 2) even if Idol up'd the age, I'd never get past the gate. Well, not unless I danced like Charo while juggling chickens.

Anyway, the point here is that you don't have to actually win that competition to have an amazing career if you have amazing talent. Jennifer Hudson lost American Idol to Fantasia Barrino who lost the part of Effie in Dreamgirls to Jennifer Hudson! Wonder which one Jennifer would rather have now?

I am working very hard to win a Nicholl this year -- VERY HARD -- because I want it. But how many brilliant screenwriters are there and how many of those careers were actually launched because they entered the Nicholl? It's not the only way.

Still, sooner or later, my horse has to win -- or place.

4 comments:

Robert Hogan said...

If you are looking for another pair of eyes to take a look at your script I would be happy to swap reviews with you. I am looking for someone to beat up my Nicholl entry so I can nurse back to health in time for the deadline.

Rob

E.C. Henry said...

Marry Ann, you whine WAY to much about the Nicholls fellowship. Sure who wouldn't want to win it. But a real writer knows doesn't need a award to confirm a God given talent. Its evident. If you're stories entertain other people, you're doing a good job. Remember: our writing is supposed to be some one else's entertainment. I suggest you focus on that.

Glass half full, what you do have to say on a regular basis, when you're not whining, ROCKS! You have so many gifts: singing, writing, blogging -- you're like a freakin' Swiss army knife! There's so much of you that's likeable, it's scary!

"Be good to yourself,
You're a monkey on a high wire,
Caught in the cross fire,
Ooh, oh, be good to yourself"

- lyrical advice from Steve Perry of Journey, curteosusy of E.C. Henry from Bonney Lake, WA

MaryAn Batchellor said...

Rob, okay. Will email ya in a week or so. Got some finalizing to do.

E.C. Maybe, but my cheese, my whine. I want it. We'll see what happens. Journey is my all time favorite band, by the way, and the only high school concert t-shirt that is off limits to the kids.

MaryAn Batchellor said...

Rob, can't find your email. You'll have to email ME.