What did I do?

I went into the devil's dance by putting a fair amount of $$$ to try and get some action from my screenplays. I have a stack of scripts, all of which have been seen and half of them optioned for a year or two or more.

So I go into this with eyes wide open and figured that me, a writer with 18 movies and bunches of episodics might be sold. Or looked at. Or a single line. What came out was a handful of interests and for the rest...

"Didn't grab me".

Yes, that's the answers, I'm talking 100 shots at dozens of companies.

"We're not looking for this kind of work"

"Didn't grab me".

I have never heard "didn't grab me" so much, in fact that I figured that it was really one person deciding. 

You can say that my scripts weren't good, but a dozen had good comments from The Black List and a few other companies who optioned them.

So, I'm gonna see what you say about some of my scripts. Imagine they're real.

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 EOM

"When 12-year old Matthew hears a radio broadcast proclaiming the Emperor of Mars is coming to Earth, he begins to notice strange happenings in his little town of Empire. But he’s not alone as someone else in town has noticed too. Someone with a secret."

Book Reviews: “Emperor of Mars has now been added to one of my favorite and memorable books. It has been several decades since I was 12 but reading this book brought me back to simpler times.” “What a great and easy read.” “ It is such a sincere and magical look at an age gone by that it made me think of the beauty of the work of Norman Rockwell mixed with the modern cynical perspective of Stand By Me.” “The characters, Matthew, his friend, Nicodemus and his teacher, Miss Major were developed in such detail, that it didn't take me long to identify with them.” “I recommend this book not only as a simple and pleasurable read for adults but also for kids

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BEACON

FUND (Foundation to Underwrite New Drama)

"With great sensitivity the writer weaves this group of characters together, drawing us into their desires and dreams, creating a powerful picture of fragmented love in the transient modern world the large cast of key players are all distinct, keeping this very conversant narrative very compelling‑the writer's keen sense of detail and subtle action makes the small human drama rich in scope."

Sundance Institute

"This piece offers a lot of interesting and potentially compelling characters and situations ... there is great potential in this script‑bas the potential to be a study in Americana that is somewhere between Robert Altman and Horton Foote and George Lucas."

Reader’s Report

The dialog is absolutely enchanting due to the author’s fine ear for natural rhythm and the region. The large cast of key players are all distinct, keeping this very conversant narrative very compelling. The writer has handled the characters dialog and the evocative

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The President's Heart

While attending a conference in Luxembourg, President Carolyn Crockett suddenly collapses and is secretly hospitalized. European and U.S. media are fighting to find out what’s wrong but no official word. Truth is, she’s had a massive heart attack and needs a transplant now. And the only American doctor they can find in less than an hour is an ex-alcoholic who’s drying out in a Paris bar

“The premise of a presidential heart transplant is strong and commercial. It takes a personal need with a ticking clock, and transforms into a global crisis with a journey at its center. It's a smart base for an affordable political thriller which still has worldwide stakes. Making the protagonist a doctor was an intelligent decision, and introduces a fish out of water element that always plays well in a thriller. The setting - a chase from Paris to Luxembourg - is perfectly commercial.” The Black List  reader report.

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Side by Side

 Logline:  A hitman arrives in Niagara Falls to carry out a hit on a union agitator but accidentally rescues the agitator and develops a friendship with the man he's set to kill.  But he also falls in love with a lonely woman who’s too attached to her sister. Nobody said it was gonna be easy.

Reviews: “this thing is quite good”, “reminded me a lot of Chinatown with it’s film noir slant and grotesque bizarre edge”, “this script is great, the story is great”, “the concept is original and although it made me a little uncomfortable at the beginning, the human aspect of it won me over”, “the progress of the story became a very enjoyable experience”, “this story and the author’s screenwriting technique are excellent”, “the story captivated my imagination”.

Okay, enough, I can write. But being able to write doesn't mean someone can look at the title and say "Didn't grab us".

                           Nobody knows anything

                               - William Goldman 

 Spend your money wisely