The script is out there

As soon as I put some pants on I'm walking over to the post office and sending Not Dead Yet off to the Nicholl. Many of you have done this many times, but for me this is my first.

I've submitted screenplays to contests before but never the Nicholl. I think it's because deep down I knew there was no chance I'd place with my previous efforts but with this one I can see the finals within my grasp. I mean, hell if Brett can win with some sissy story about gay pilots, I'm a shoo-in.

Last night as I was hole punching and paperworking I decided to do something I hadn't done since my first script - I queried.

When I wrote my first script I was all excited - you, know, the way you are when you have no idea how much you suck - and I sent out all those SASEs all over town. I did one smart thing I will always remember and I will pass on to you right now. One agent's website had pictures of her cat all over it. I also have a cat that I love. So in my query I mentioned how pretty her cat was and that I also love my cat. She requested my script.

Of course since it was a mediocre script at best, I never heard from her again, but that tool went into my arsenal of persuasion techniques.

Of course I got no other responses. Then I realized what a massive waste of time querying is so I never tried again.

But last night I started thinking about how much better this script is and how much more I know about the business now and really, if I think this script is good enough for the Nicholl why not throw it out there?

Also I was bored and trying to procrastinate on doing my taxes.

So I got out my Winter 2006 copy of the Hollywood Creative Directory that I never actually used because after I bought it I realized I wasn't ready, and I went page by page through Agents and Managers and looked only for businesses that had websites so I could have updated information. Then I went to those websites and if they took online queries I queried. That was I was only sending my info to businesses that were actually looking for it.

I'm not expecting anything to come out of it, although it would be cooler than cool if the management company on Larchmont wanted to take me on because then if I got a job at Paramount I'd officially never have to drive anywhere ever.

That's how I make decisions - how far will I have to drive? I was looking at companies in Burbank and going - ehhhh, fuck the valley. What's in Hollywood?

In the end I queried two boutique agencies and five management firms. You never know. I think my synopsis is awesome but I suck at loglines. I'm too verbose to sum shit up in one sentence, but if I can just get you in the room for five minutes I'll have you wrapped around my adorable little pinky, I swear.

Now I'm off to the post office to become a Nicholl finalist.