Entering contests is a scary enterprise, but it’s also a way to incorporate deadlines and reviews into your writing!
We just received word that our script (co-written with my 2 sisters), entitled MOVING MAMA, just placed as a semi-finalist in the Nashville Film and Screenwriting Competition! We did not make the final cut, but the competition totaled over 1500 scripts so we have something to be proud of.
This story is close to our hearts; in the vein of Grumpy Old Men, the story idea came from our relationship with MOM, especially as it changed because of her dementia as well as aging, in general. We wrote it as a “dramedy” (drama/comedy) because so many times the experiences were ones that, if you didn’t laugh, you would cry. It’s a story that many people these days can relate to. How many of us have aging parents to care for?
We spent more than five years on this script, rewriting and rewriting — dissecting and revising — and with each version we’d hope we were getting closer to the best story. Not long ago, we had a number of actors do a table read of the script. Wow- that was a fascinating process and gave us an opportunity to listen and ‘watch’ the story unfold as the actors interpreted our words! The actress portraying Mama was dynamite and that was especially exciting.
I certainly encourage any writer to enter a few contests. It does cause you to get your work into the hands of professionals and readers who can give you an honest response to your writing. Though not every criticism is one that you have to accept, every criticism provides insight. Like sandpaper, a good critique can cause you to scrape and sand and alter the technical and/or story elements that are not touching the audience (or reader!).
And of course, our project — although rewritten more than 20 times — is ongoing…still needs some more refinement!
But, like Mama — we are ready for another new adventure 🙂
