Dear Daniel

Dear Daniel,

Holy Crap. Holy Crap. HOLY CRAP!

So what’s the hulabaloo about? For the first time in my nineteen year writing career I am a finalist in a screenwriting competition in connection with a film festival. In this case the Fandom Fest/Fright Night Film Festival.

And the screenplay in question is Bounty Hunter. The adaptation from my scifi romance novel of the same name is a finalist.

Jumping up and down wildly, doing the happy dance. Wishing I could tell all of my heroes I’ve just reached a career milestone. Winning would be awesome, but landing on the board is so exciting and getting invited to the awards ceremony in such a manner is just so freaking-fantastic.

I had wanted to enter a second screenplay but I missed the deadline. I didn’t even think Bounty Hunter was my strongest work. Wow. I mean, holy crap.

It’s like I’m having this fantastic dream and I don’t want to wake up from it. Supporters come out of the woodwork lol. People who’ve had nothing to do with you and your work and then suddenly poof. They want a piece of you. I don’t have the heart to tell them there’s not a monetary award attached to this prize lol.

But there are those supporters who bear mentioning. As my Aunt Debbie, Uncle Frank, and Aunt Jan like to call themselves, my storm shelter relatives, are pretty awesome in this regard. Not that long ago my Aunt Debbie said she believed big things were coming for me. I should’ve listened to her.

Then there’s Denise Macaulife. My cousin Greg’s wife. Her daughters Rebekah, Bridgette, and Mary are what Missy calls my fan club, they’ll be at the awards ceremony. My mom and dad I think will reluctantly be there. Neither of them like to miss church. To be honest the movies are my church.

I want to win of course. And apparently there are three categories, scifi, fantasy, and horror. (I qualify for science fiction). 15 finalists out of 270 screenplays, which by all accounts, are good odds. Considering I entered Austin and they get like 6,000 entries. My odds I feel like are good to advance, I just don’t know how far.

Still I’ve never finaled in anything! So this is huge. Ginormous as Buddy the Elf would say. At least it is for me.

Another thing, of 15 finalists there were only two female writes on the list. Of course, if you’d heard the antiquated attitude of one male scifi writer he  would have died at the mere mention of a ‘scifi romance’ making the cut in any contest.

But the nice thing about Fandom Fest/Fright Night is that in the (this will be my third year) time I’ve been going I’ve found the atmosphere to be very inclusive. And each year it does something to advance my career.

So here are the people to thank for my finalist status: Missy, my erstwhile and patient best friend and writing partner we have traveled a long road. Landing on the board is super awesome. I can now move on to the next thing on the list. Pamela Turner, for being a great writer and friend who turned me on to Fandom Fest. Stephen Zimmer, literary director, who’s found space for me each and every year. And Ken Daniels, for making me feel like a total rock star this year.

That being said. As I wait to hear back from Sundance Screenwriter’s Lab and Austin Film Festival and EPIC I celebrate this latest accomplishment with the joy and relish it deserves. And  oh, tomorrow is my birthday!

Sincerely,

Amy McCorkle