Part V: Good advice on how to get my script read:

On Sunday evening, my final day at the festival, I actually received some good advice: find an established writer to help me complete the Impossible Task. Oddly, this fellow seemed to have both the time and the willingness to sit and chat. Unfortunately, this time I was the one who had to dash. (My mother was waiting outside, ready to take me to dinner.) I actually found out about The Austin Film Festival from an article this fellow wrote. His name is Sam Scribner, and is the Creative Director of San Francisco Screenwriters. He also asked me to consider what might happen with this submission instead. Instead of expecting our scripts to get made into movies, he warned, we fledging screenwriters need to remember that our scripts are like resumes. The scripts we so want to see made into movies might just land us jobs instead. His question is: are you going to argue with that? "Would you turn down $100,000 a week as a script doctor, if the studio offers you that instead?", he asked me. I replied, "No. But I'd rather it not be an either/or situation. I'd take both!!" To close our discussion, he gave me a final reminder: "success" in this business is most often due to luck. "You get lucky. You've been working away for years, and suddenly something happens. Someone passes on a project right in front of you, or a production goes into turn around and suddenly there's an opening for yours. It's like the Universe comes in and opens the door for you. And you get lucky." Ah, so. THAT's what it means: "good luck".  All those statements of "...but good luck!" that were handed down and given around. Must have been benedictions! :) Next up: the Foolish Finale to the Festival. Otherwise known as The Sideshow, where it's a bit of a shock to discover you get jeered at by the clowns. cheers--Hilary