I taught myself screenwriting and this is what happened...

Finalist: Top 3 

To talk about delayed gratification is to speak of a kind of horror story in that the suspense is crazy! It's like a horror story with a happy ending 😆😏

Act 1 is almost complete.

During Q4 2023, while thinking about my end-of-year goals and planning for 2024, I set myself a single objective: to finish writing a feature film script based on my @drbabers doctoral dissertation and fieldwork. My deadline was 11:59:59 PM on December 31, 2023. I achieved this goal.

So what does that have to do with Fowl Play, Saddle Standouts, and Quieted? 

In January 2024, with my complete draft in hand, I faced the real challenge: rewriting. My problem was twofold - I’d learned screenwriting entirely from books (which often contradicted each other), and I had countless questions about production and screen translation. To tackle this, I wrote two short scripts (in January): “Fowl Play” and “Quieted.” I used “Fowl Play” to pay for my education in film production, while submitting “Quieted” to festivals for feedback on my writing.

I also launched a documentary film project (another goal), relocated from Texas to Washington, and began a new position that involved creating a Black Studies minor program (another goal). In the midst of all this, I started writing what I consider my first book (🙄 finally a vision for this).

Q4 2024
🤷🏾‍♀️ I won’t be able to say much about right now until January 2025

I will say that I’z tired, boss 😮‍💨

But I’m also WINNING 🏆 so there’s that.

​Finalist: 2nd Place 🥈 

Look at me winning 2nd place 😂🙌🏾 well, tell me something 🤣

The script that won 2nd place ain't even the same script anymore. I kept working on it because…progress 😁

Ok, so, when I decided to jump out there and avail myself to such scrutiny from strangers - experts in the field but strangers nonetheless - I asked for advice from people who I had watched change lanes from standup to indie filmmaking. 

Here’s what I got:
Shoot for smaller festivals, themed or genre-based festivals, and festivals that were not as established. 

“A laurel is a laurel”

What I did:

I took what felt right to me and then did what I wanted to do.

So, imposter syndrome is real even after winning 2nd place in a festival that’s 24 years running now. 

I would say “because ain’t no way when I wrote that script in 3-4 hours based on what I learned from books that contradicted more than complemented each other.” 

I guess that’s why they call this thing art 🤷🏾‍♀️ my left brain wants to know how and why they chose my script to be in the top 2, wants to read the other 8 scripts and interview the judges…because what’s the formula 😩

At the same time, I’m thinking those ten pages could be a whole dream that Sis wakes up from 🤔🤭