Saturday, July 28, 2007

Not Getting in a Hurry

My Nicholl letter arrived on July 29th in 2005 and on August 3rd in 2006. (Yes, I remember the dates) Not stalking my mail lady this year because what's done is done and whatever happens happens but hoping every last one of your fingers and toes are crossed. I don't really believe in luck. I just like the mental image of 6,000 people out there with all their fingers and toes crossed.

UPDATE 10:00 p.m.: Several screenwriters got their dink and congrats letters today so while I'm still collected and patient and whatever will be will still be and there's nothing I can do about it either way, my mail lady is now fair game.

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

I just like thinking of 6000 sets of toes

MaryAn Batchellor said...

Oh yeah, you and feet. Well, if I win a Nicholl, I'll autograph a pair of heels for ya, open toe, of course. If not, maybe some flip flops.

potdoll said...

good luck maryan. i hate waiting for these things.

Anonymous said...

hi, thought i'd send a shoutout (sorry, total newbie to the blog world!) i've been living off your nicholl countdown this year waiting for my letter too. i was one of those top 10 percenters from last yr...and this year the waiting seems to be even worse. hope we both are being set up for some good news! crossing my toes for us both :]

MaryAn Batchellor said...

Well, Cheryl & Potdoll, I know of two people who got yay's and two who got nays so we're 50/50 at this point. The only female I know who has gotten her letter is a VERY GOOD WRITER who has placed in several other contests and was in the top 10% of the Nicholl last year -- she got a dink this year -- so anything can happen. . . Sending out positive thoughts your way, Cheryl.

ASA said...

With all due respect --- You're all putting the same amount of effort into querying Producers as you are into entering and waiting for the Nicholl (or other competition) results, correct?

You have to have lots of irons in the coals...LOTS!!

As always -- I'm sending out all of my own positive thoughts to you all in your screenwriting ventures.

ASA said...

Should've placed (or more!!) before 'amount' in the above comment.

Apologies...

MaryAn Batchellor said...

Actually, Matt, I did a lot of pimping my work in years past, dealt with indy producers, etc and even got myself an agent probably before I should have. Not this year. Instead, I took nine months off and did NOTHING but work on becoming a better writer. Then I took everything I learned and applied it to my rewrite and entered the Nicholl again. By nothing, I mean no contests, no pitching, no queries, no hounding producers, nothing except studying the craft of screenwriting (and blogging about it). My sole goal was to became the best writer I could become. That is still my goal. The Nicholl is one way to find out if I'm making progress. It's not a crap-o-meter exactly, but in some ways, yes, a litmus test to see if I'm moving forward.

In some ways, yes, it's about validation but we amateurs are limited in our means of measuring progress and quality even though we know it's subjective and depends on the readers.

Not only that, if by some slim margin of miracle I were to win a fellowship, I'd have the opportunity to spend another year doing exactly what I've done for the last nine months -- concentrate on becoming a better writer.

The Nicholl is not my only egg. But it's something I want. Me. It's what "I" want. Badly. So, cross your fingers for me!!!!!

ASA said...

They are crossed, my friend!

Best to you.

MaryAn Batchellor said...

Grats and good to have you blogging again!

Anonymous said...

if you win we'll go shoe shopping together ha...

Anonymous said...

The letters have reached Houston but that may be because the dinks travel faster.

I'm not too bummed out. The Nicholl deadline provided me with the actual motivation to finally actually complete a SP. With one down my work on my second one feels much tighter. And, oddly enough, since I completed it I ended up with some entertainment law work for someone who used to work for a major studio and who is willing to critique my material.

So good luck to you. I want someone from Texas to get a fellowship this year.

(BTW I apologize if this came through twice.)

Anonymous said...

well buggers! the no letter has struck up here in norcal. top 10% last yr to zippo this yr...man, someone's gotta get thru! back to the land of the query letter and working sets. boy, it sure smarts like a darn band-aid being ripped off.

Anonymous said...

Nicholl hates me twice this year, MaryAn. After both making top 10% last year, and having given each a really good rewrite(imo), I'm back to square one. It's okay, though, I don't plan on being eligible come next year(ever the optimist).

All my energy is pulling for you now. Good luck!!!

MaryAn Batchellor said...

We're all in the same boat!!! Thanks for all the well wishes but no workie.

Anonymous said...

hey there,
on the same day i got the nicholl's "no" i also got another letter saying my credit may have been compromised. but my friend misheard me and thought i said the nicholls messed up my credit. and then all i could do was laugh my ass off. like the nicholl's hated my script so much they screwed my credit! (does that tell you how desperately i needed a laugh yesterday.)

anyways, i popped my email address in the web address if you ever want to swap scripts (just put in an @ symbol cuz it wouldn't let me). i get leads here and there for people looking for scripts that aren't my genre and always pass it on. maybe i can help out as a wingman.

they say this is a cut-throat industry but i say it is actually the best opportunity to give each other a leg up. sticking it out in the long run is gonna pay off cuz no one can stop us from writing!
caio!--cheryl

MaryAn Batchellor said...

Popped it where????

Anonymous said...

oops. when you post a comment, it asked for a web address and i put it in there and thought you could see it. sorry, total newbie on the blogosphere. email is laughlincheryl@hotmail.com :]

MaryAn Batchellor said...

Messaged you on TWB the other day, by the way. That was you, right? If not, somebody else got my msg.

Anonymous said...

That's me on TWB. Unfortunately I can't access my emails there since don't have money to re-up. It was between paying for Nicholl this yr or renewing my subscrip and subscrip lost out. :( I would send to my hotmail or thru myspace (myspace.com/cheryllaughlin). Thanks!

Anonymous said...

I haven't gotten any notification yet. It's August 6, 2007. Any chance this is good news? Or just bad post office?

Anonymous