Friday, January 06, 2012

Winning

I've had a lot of time to think about what I'd say here today because I've been sitting on this news for weeks, unable to tell anyone. I wrote about four posts already before settling on this one. This must be what it's like to work on Project Runway.

In case you haven't yet heard, I was one of the three finalists in The TrackingB feature script contest.

I entered Nice Girls Don't Kill the first week the contest opened for entries, then I got busy working on my next script, How My Wedding Dress Got This Dirty. It turned out that the contest still had a week to go when I finished the script, so I entered it at the last minute.

Now that I had two low budget commercial scripts completed, I got back to work on my Civil War martial arts story. Things were going swimmingly, moving along at a casual pace. I wrote pages. I graded papers. Ladeda.

Then one night while I was entrenched on the couch, grading essays, lamenting that fact that it was taking me longer to give notes on these essays than it took the kids to write them, when I got a message from The Insider, the guy who runs TrackingB and the contest, asking for my phone number.

This can mean only one thing.

I pretended to be all cool and nonchalant as I answered the phone, and he told me I was one of the finalists with How My Wedding Dress Got This Dirty.

I probably said "That's awesome!" about eighty times during that conversation. Adjectives are not my strong suit.

This was a Sunday night.

Monday I drove straight from work to the Circle of Confusion office, where I met with Ken Freimann. I thought he was just awesome, and even though I knew other managers were reading my script, I signed with him on the spot.

I spent the next couple of days letting people know I'd already found a rep, thank you for your interest. All the while, The Insider let me know who he'd sent the script to, asked how I was doing and what I had decided, and gave me great advice on how to make the best choices in the middle of all this heat.

Tuesday, between grading more essays (I feel like for the past three years, nary a moment has gone by when I did not have an essay to grade), I approved the new cover for my script, complete with COC logo.

Wednesday Ken and I met with Ava Jamshidi at ICM. I loved her. Even though I knew we were waiting for other agents to read the script - agents you would cream your pants to meet with - I decided on the way home that I couldn't do any better than Ava. She's awesome, and she gets shit done. She and Ken had some terrific plans for me.

My team was made official on Thursday morning.

So to recap: Sunday night I was grading papers in front of the TV, watching a marathon of MI5 episodes. Thursday I had a manager, an agent, and my script was already in the hands of three production houses, one of which I'd been trying to get my work to for years.

And now here I am, still grading these fucking essays while my team gets my career started.

It's pretty awesome.

37 comments:

  1. Congratulations! That is awesome!

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  2. That's awesome. Enjoy! It's well deserved.

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  3. Couldn't happen to a more deserving writer and person.

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  4. Im so happy for you. Congrats! What a FABULOUS way to begin 2012. May this only be the beginning of great things to come.

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  5. Congratulations! I've been following your blog for the last year (never commented) but after such good news I couldn't help it! I'm so excited for you and can't wait to hear more!

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  6. Thank you all! This has already been a great experience. I can't wait to start going to meetings.

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  7. Hi Emily,

    I'm one of your lurker readers who has nothing to do with script writing, California or anything else. But I enjoy reading about your quest. This is awesome news.

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  8. Awesome Emily! Good luck and have fun!

    -Jim

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  9. Awesome and best of luck! This is great news! Hope you get 6 figures, you can throw a super wedding with that!

    Circle of Confusion! Fan of the Walking Dead show, definitely a nice rep for you.

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  10. That is just the awesomest. Congrats!!!!!

    I can imagine the fantastic feeling. :)

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  11. Anonymous3:45 PM

    We hate you and wish you well.

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  12. Congratulations, Emily! It is awesome. I mean, really, what other adjective does one need?

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  13. I'm finally successful enough to be hated! Yay!

    Thanks, guys.

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  14. Whoa. An engagement AND representation? Already seems like a super awesome year for you! Congrats!

    Amy

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  15. Congrats!

    I'm a fan of the title 'How my Wedding Dress got this Dirty'.

    Good luck with the manager,

    Mac

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  16. Saw the notice on trackingb! congratulations! You are an inspiration!

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  17. I've always admired how you manage to keep writing and rewriting through everything. Now this. Richly deserved.

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  18. Scriptshadow said "Congratulations Emily!" into my FB feed -- and sure enough it was for you.

    So congrats, and kick that rewrite in the nads.

    Travis Fields

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  19. Bra - fucking - oh!! Well deserved!

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  20. Congratulations! You have certainly put in the time.

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  21. Anonymous9:06 AM

    Double CONGRATULATIONS!!! on getting your career in gear and getting engaged!! Hell, it's like I got signed or something and since you've been sharing your path all this time, it's kind of like I did. Except, I'm not having any meetings or shopping for a dress, but you know what I mean.

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  22. Anonymous11:10 AM

    Congratulations! That's, well, awesome!

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  23. Emily, this is great news. Could I post something about it on GITS?

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  24. Of course!

    And thanks everyone, for the kind words.

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  25. Emily:

    COC?! ICM?! OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    ___________________________________

    You've done it now, Ms Blake!! THE EAGLE HAS LANDED.
    ________

    I remember when I first noticed your blog. You had left a comment on another writing blog. Little did I know that when I clicked - I was beginning a journey. An adventure via the written word. Looking back at old posts, I could see that you had paid your dues [and then some] personally and professionally.
    _________

    This blog is so educational and entertaining. We've all heard of writers who have made it. Like Goldman, Kasdan and Stone. But we were never able to follow their progress [and setbacks] day by day.
    ________________________________

    Breaking into screenwriting is like breaking out of Alcatraz. You managed to get out of the cell; up to the roof; down the drainpipe and in to the cold, dark waters of the Bay. But you didn't try to swim across. You're too smart for that. Instead, Ken and Ava were waiting just offshore in a yacht!
    __________

    And at next count, when the guards realized that one was missing, the rest of us inmates let up a cheer!

    Because one of us made it!!!!!

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  26. So so happy for you!

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  27. Congrats!
    I remember way back when your blog was all pink, before the lolcatz! Glad to see your years of hard work coming to frution. Keep the rest of us inspired!

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  28. Holy crap! Congratulations! Couldn't have happened to a better person... Can I get your autograph?

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  29. Great news for you and inspiration for the rest of us. Congratulations!

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  30. Congrats Emily. Glad to see others finding success in Tracking B. I guess The Insider is moving up from emails to phone call. My finalist announcement came in the form of an email lol

    Ken is a really cool guy (though I've parted ways with him) I hope you find success with your new team.

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  31. All the Best, Emily--it sounds like you've worked your ass off and really deserve it. I can't wait to read more of your posts.

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  32. This is a congratulatory party I don't mind being late to! Congrats & Vigilance!

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  33. Wow, well done - how terrifically exciting! And so sudden too! I've been reading your blog for about a year now, but this is the first time I've commented: just wanted to give you a big "woop woop" cheer!

    All the best as your journey continues...

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  34. Congratulations!! So happy for you!

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  35. I'm way late with this, but: Awe. Some. Congratulations

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