Tag Archives: contest

A Busy WRITING WEEK, Screenplays to Novels…

When it comes to my writing, I’ve been very busy this week.

I wrote a short script for this month’s challenge at MoviePoet.com. The script has to be five pages or less, and it can only have two characters. The complication to the challenge is that the two characters must be strangers to each other. I’m pleased with my entry and glad to have that behind me. In previous MoviePoet contests, I’ve earned an Honorable Mention but never placed. Maybe this month… (or maybe not…).

I also read a feature written by Greg Tonnon, a friend of mine at MoviePoet.com. It is titled Habeas Corpus and I plan on reviewing it for him this week-end. It’s a good story, based on a real story. I hope someday it’ll be made into a movie.

I’ve done a lot of work on FINDING VERITY.  Currently, word count is 56,859 words. I’ll be glad when I can say the first draft is done. Then comes the rewriting, the part of writing that I really like. It always amazes me when writers say they don’t like rewriting. For me, rewriting is the part where I see the story improve, getting stronger and coming together. I’d really like to have this project done this year.

As for the sequel to Windfall, titled ANGEL’S KISS, DEVIL’S MARK. I have started the screenplay and finished the first 15 pages. I plan on having the screenplay completed by August so I’m on schedule. Then I’ll start the companion novel.

I Entered MoviePoet’s 2012 Logline Contest

In January, MoviePoet conducts their annual logline contest. For those of you who do not know what a logline is, think “blurb” from a t.v. guide. A logline is a sentence or two that hopefully entices us to want to watch the movie. For me, writing a logline is more difficult than writing a screenplay. It is difficult to condense 110 pages into a couple of sentences.

Because I’m so busy with two novels, I wasn’t going to enter this year’s contest but this morning I woke up with an idea I couldn’t turn my back on.

The MoviePoet logline contest is the first stage of a feature-length screenplay contest. The top 30 loglines advance to the second stage where the first ten pages of their screenplays can be submitted. The top ten writers in this stage advance to the third stage, where the entire screenplay is presented.

I have entered this contest twice before and my logline has NEVER advanced.  I have always considered three my lucky number so we’ll see if my logline progresses to the second stage of the contest this year.

Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest

This week-end will be spent getting my entry ready for Amazon’s Breakthrough Novel Contest.  Amazon will accept entries on January 23rd.  When they have received 5,000 entries they will not accept anymore. If they do not get 5,000 entries, they will stop accepting submissions on February 5th.

Yes, I’m entering Windfall. The manuscript is ready… I just have to get the files ready to upload. In addition to the entire manuscript, I will upload a 3,000-5,000 word excerpt and a “pitch”. The files have to be in an accepted format (.doc, .docx, .rtf, or .txt.).

Winners of this contest wil get a contract with the Penguin Group (U.S.A.).. And, yes, I would love to win. Finalists will be announced in May and the winner will be announced in June.