2014 ONE IN TEN SCREENPLAY CONTEST WINNERS ANNOUNCED...

 

2014 ONE IN TEN SCREENPLAY CONTEST winners are…

1st Place

YESTERNIGHT - Caire Yeowart - Durham, ENGLAND

2nd Place

THE BOAT - Robert Wooldridge, Jr. - Colorado Springs, CO

3rd Place

SEXIEST MAN ALIVE - Robert Cox - San Diego, CA

Finalists Announced 2014 ONE IN TEN SCREENPLAY CONTEST

November 15, 2014 

FINALISTS ANNOUNCED FOR THE 2014 ONE IN TEN SCREENPLAY CONTEST…

BEING PERFECT - Roberta Degnore - New York, NY

IT TAKES AN OCEAN - Islay Bell-Webb - Finchley, LONDON

MR & MRS MATHEWS - Sabrina Almeida - Torrance, CA  90503

NEVER SPEAK MY NAME - Jo Ann Allen, Walter G. Meyer, Stampp W. Corbin - San Diego, CA

SEXIEST MAN ALIVE - Robert Cox - San Diego, CA

TAG - Janice Hallett - UNITED KINGDOM

THE BOAT - Robert Wooldridge, Jr. - Colorado Springs, CO

THE WAR IN SKIRTS - Jen N. Wieters - Jerome, AZ

THREEWAY - SB Edwards - Los Angeles, CA

YESTERNIGHT - Caire Yeowart - Durham, ENGLAND

Winners will be announced November, 15, 2014

What Sells The Best?

Action? Horror? Comedy? Drama?…  The key to answering this question is to be in touch with who you are as a writer.  The biggest key to screenwriting failure is to try and figure out what is selling and ignoring your unique voice.  The quest for success in the arts lies inside each and every artist.  Find your voice and share that with the world.  This is the true key to success.

www.OneInTenScreenplayContest.com

click above to enter

How Can You Maximize Your Screenwriting Success?

How can you improve your chances of screenwriting success?  Have you ever thought about adapting a novel, short story or even a play based on your screenplay.  It's all about gathering a following these days.  Hollywood is all about calculated risks when it comes to purchasing a screenplay.  If you already have an audience in place they are much more apt to be interested in your story.

www.OneInTenScreenplayContest.com

click above to enter

Why Do I Write Screenplays?

Do I want fame and fortune?  Is it my passion that drives me?  Do I have a story to tell?  Am I wanting to change the world?…

We all write movies for one reason or another.  One big question to ask ourselves is…  Would I write screenplays even if I never got paid?

Wow!  Heck No!  Absolutely Not! Never!…

One key thing to pay attention to here is one's response to the money aspect.  If the almighty dollar is your major drive, then maybe it's time to rethink your journey down screenwriting row.

www.OneInTenScreenplayContest.com

click above to enter!

The essential conditions of everything you do must be choice, love, passion.
-- Nadia Boulanger

My Screenwriter's Voice

Finding your unique voice as a screenwriter is something that takes time to develop.  Trust the process.  No true growth has ever come about without challenges.  Continue to write, work on your personal development and when you are wanting to quit and do something else… keep going!  Your next script could be a masterpiece. 

www.OneInTenScreenplayContest.com

click above to enter

Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.

-Dr. Seuss 

I'm Never Going To Make It!

We have all had these types of days when our negative thinking gets the best of us.  The key thing to remember is that this is temporary.  Do we really know what tomorrow has in store for us? It is best to nurture ourselves through the challenging times.  No one ever said chasing ones dreams was easy but it beats the alternative.

www.OneInTenScreenplayContest.com

click above to enter

Patience, persistence and perspiration make un unbeatable combination for success.

--Napoleon Hill

One Last Excuse...

When it comes to pursuing our writing dreams, we can come up with a multitude of excuses for not having the success we desire.  One of the best excuses we can make is…  "I am not in charge of my life."  We may not be completely at the helm of the universe but one thing for sure is that we have the free will to take actions that will advance our lives and dreams.  So, why not take every action possible today to take me one step closer to making my screenwriting dreams a reality?

www.OneInTenScreenplayContest.com

click above to enter

I am in control of my daily actions.

--David Jensen

My Role...

I know my role as a screenwriter.  It's to write the script, cast, direct, score and edit, correct?  Many writers make the mistake of reviewing shooting scripts, which leads them down the wrong road if they want to sell their script. Many masters of the craft find they make some of the same mistakes.  The story and characters are the most important elements in your screenplay, so keep it simple and leave everything else out.

www.OneInTenScreenplayContest.com

click above to enter

I do not over-intellectualize the production process.  I try to keep it simple.  Tell the damned story.

-- Tom Clancy

What Story Am I Telling?

If we enter the world of our screenplay with our fixed goals in mind we may miss amazing miracles that often happen during the intuitive writing process.  Yes, it's good to have an outline but if we are so married to what we think the movie should be we could be setting ourselves up for failure.  There are many factors at work when we undertake the journey with our characters in their universe.  Remember, it is their world after all.  If I want one of my characters to turn left when they want to turn right, I have altered their true course.  When I trust the characters to take me on a journey where they are in control, I just may have a masterpiece in the creation.

www.OneInTenScreenplayContest.com

click above to enter

If the story you're telling, is the story you're telling, you're in deep shit!

--Robert McKee

What Do I Focus On Today?

What is it that I focus on when thinking about my screenwriting?  Is it the current story I am writing?  Is it the odds of making it?  Is it on networking with the buyers?  --  If I identify as a writer, my first and foremost responsibility is to the craft.  It is amazing how much time we can waste by getting caught up in worry.  If we just focus on what is in front of us everything else usually takes care of itself.  

www.OneInTenScreenplayContest.com

click above to enter

To succeed in life, you need two things: ignorance and confidence

-- Mark Twain

Screenplay Perfection...

How long do we spend writing a screenplay?  We all have a different answer to this question.  It could be weeks, months or years.  The truth of the matter is that a screenplay is ever evolving and is always being rewritten, even on the set during production.  The entire journey into screenwriting is about learning to trust ourselves and our intuitions.  If we wait for the script to be perfect we may miss a window of opportunity to sell our work. The key to being a successful screenwriter is knowing when to release our baby out into the world.

www.OneInTenScreenplayContest.com

click above to enter

Perfection is not attainable but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.

--Vince Lombardi 

My Best Screenplay Ever...

What do I want to be most remembered for regarding my writing?  Is it something in the works?  Something yet to be written?  Something on a shelf?  Where is this most valuable piece of work?  Am I putting it off? Only we have the answers to these questions.  

If we are not working on our most important piece of writing, maybe our priorities are out of order.  It is today that we are living.  Today is the day to start realizing how important it is to get on with the work that needs to be accomplished.

www.OneInTenScreenplayContest.com

click above to enter

Good things happen when you get your priorities straight.

--Scott Caan

The Next Great Movie Franchise

Hollywood is always focused on business and making money.  This is the bottom line.  If you have a high concept idea that you have been waiting to write… why not break that idea out of wherever it is stored and write the screenplay?  You just might have the next great franchise.  Some hints are to keep things simple, have a great story and amazing characters that are archetypes. 

www.OneInTenScreenplayContest.com

click above to enter

A writer should have the precision of a poet and the imagination of a scientist.

--Vladimir Nabokov

Envisioning My Screenwriting Success

Do I take the time to imagine what it would be like to live in the fact that some day I could be living my ultimate dream life?  When we sit back and envision the life we truly want it sets the wheels in motion to achieving that dream.  The key is to incorporate all of my senses.  What does it feel like, taste like, smell like?  Can I see it in my mind?  What is the sound of the crowd when I am walking up to the stage to receive an Academy Award? -- Successful individuals often envision their success many years before it becomes a reality.  Are you willing to experiment with this?

www.OneInTenScreenplayContest.com

click above to enter

Dream and give yourself permission to envision a YOU that you choose to be.

-- Joy Page

My Next 24 Hours...

We have an entire 24 hours each and every day.  If I was to rank the 5 most important things to do in that 24 hours, where would screenwriting rank?  This may give us some idea of our priorities.  A question to ask, Do my passions rank where I would like them to when I look at my day?  If they do not, what do I need to change to bring my daily life into alignment with my goals and dreams?  Once we answer that question, we can then take action…

www.OneInTenScreenplayContest.com

click above to enter 

What have I been doing while my dreams patiently wait for me?

-- David Jensen

Keep The Screenplay Ideas Flowing...

How do screenwriters keep the creative floodgates open?  One great exercise is to have brainstorm sessions.  Take a pad of paper and just write down movie ideas, titles, scenes, character ideas, anything… and do it for 30 minutes.  Do not edit what you are writing.  Just let it flow.  This may seem like an easy exercise but our self-limiting thinking can get in the way.  The more we participate in activities like this the more we free ourselves from limitation.

www.OneInTenScreenplayContest.com

click above to enter

To grow, you must be willing to let your present and future be totally unlike your past.  Your history is not your destiny.

-- Alan Cohen

Screenwriting Obstacles...

Obstacles are a necessary part of life.  They are simply little tests to challenge us.  How bad do I want my screenwriting dreams?  If one little obstacle stops me from pursuing my dream then maybe I need to re-evaluate my thinking.  every obstacle we overcome as a writer brings us that much closer to achieving our dreams…

www.OneInTenScreenplayContest.com

click above to enter

Stand up to your obstacles and do something about them.  You will find that they haven’t half the strength you think they have.

– Norman Vincent Peale

My True Competitor As A Writer of Gay Themed Material

There are thousands and thousands of people writing screenplays and statistics tell us that most will never sell!  So, what do we do with this information? We acknowledge it and move on to the business at hand.  Writing.  The truth of the matter is that our toughest competitor is us.  We need to get to know and work with the negative parts of self as we continue to work on our craft:  Screenwriting.

www.OneInTenScreenplayContest.com

click above to enter

When you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everybody will respect you.

--Lao Tzu

How Do I Become A Better Writer?

The life of a writer can be lonely at times.  So, how do we maintain balance and grow as an artist at the same time? By having life experiences…and as many as we can take in.  It's all about stimulating the senses…  Learn something new… Volunteer… Go to the gym… Travel… Take an improvisation class…  This is how we become better writers.  Pounding out the next script is what we do between having amazing life moments…

www.OneInTenScreenplayContest.com

click above to enter

My life.  The life I'm living that's where all my inspiration comes from.  Real life experiences.
-- Fred Durst

Marketing Yourself As A Screenwriter

In the entertainment business self-promotion is something that one must do in order to get noticed.  It is more about getting your work out there and believing in it than anything else.  We must become the sales force behind the product.  And… in order to sell it, we need to believe in the work.  How on earth can we expect anyone else to believe in our creations if we take a back seat.  Write It!  Believe In It!  Promote your work!  You may be amazed what happens when you, the writer, champion your work!

www.OneInTenScreenplayContest.com

click above to enter

Doing business without advertising is like winking at a girl in the dark.  You know what you are doing but no one else does.
--Steuart Henderson Britt

The Persistent Screenwriter

If it doesn't happen today, I quit! -- Have you ever had this thought?  The key thing to remember is that all writers have bad days, bad weeks and sometimes bad months.  The successful writer persists through the storm.  Remember the reasons you decided to become a writer.

www.OneInTenScreenplayContest.com

click above to enter

Ambition is the path to success.  Persistence is the vehicle you arrive in.

-- Bill Bradley

My Gay Screenwriting Excuses...

Life is filled with many opportunities to live our screenwriting dreams.  Maybe when our dreams are not happening it is us getting in the way.  Are we making too many excuses?  I am too busy.  I just don't have the tools I need.  I have to support my family.  After I finish this current task I will then start to pursue my dreams.  How disempowering it is to make excuses.  What if today I made the decision to go after my dreams no matter what?  To stop making excuses and to start living my dreams?   Wow!  What would that life look like?

www.OneInTenScreenplayContest.com

click above to enter

If you really want to do it, there are no excuses.

--Bruce Nauman

Is Longer Better?

When is comes to screenwriting… longer isn't always better.  The business part of entertainment can be challenging.  If you are an established writer, producers and studios are more willing to take risks based on your track record.  New screenwriters have many challenges when breaking into the business.  It is often better to write a shorter feature script.  The business folks look at each page as a problem in one form or another and so… Do you want to risk 120 pages of problems or 90?  This is how the business part of entertainment works.  Once a film is given the green light, inevitably there will be problems and challenges and so if you are a novice writer or one with few credits then make yourself attractive by writing a great 90 page screenplay.

www.OneInTenScreenplayContest.com

click above to enter

We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master
-- Ernest Hemingway

Do I Believe In My Screenplay?

What if the one thing holding me back from being a successful screenwriter is the lack of belief?  If I never believe that I will make it, then I may not ever have success in something that I am very passionate about.  Our beliefs need to be rooted at the core of our being.  If they are only partially there, maybe we need to trace things back to where we first learned about believing or not believing in ourselves.  If we were not supported in the fact that we can achieve anything we put our minds to, maybe we need to overhaul our internal system and begin to truly believe in ourselves at the core level.  

www.OneInTenScreenplayContest.com

click above to enter

Belief creates the actual fact.
--William James

Make Your Impossible Screenwriting Dreams Possible

Many things in existence today were once considered impossible.  Is this how you feel about your screenwriting goals and dreams?  Every step you take towards your dream chips away at the impossible and makes it possible.  The more steps you take the closer you get.  The journey towards our dreams is a process, so enjoy the ride…

www.OneInTenScreenplayContest.com

click above to enter

It's kind of fun to do the impossible.

-- Walt Disney

Gay Screenwriting: Failing To Succeed

Why is it that we fight celebrating failure?  Is it because we fear looking like a fool or admitting we are not perfect?  Accepting and learning from our failures is extremely important when pursuing our life's dreams.  Remember or not, there was a lot of failure when you learned how to walk.  Just think if you gave up…  Where would you be today?  When we are younger we just don't care like we do when we are older.  Try tapping back in to some of that innocence lost.  It just may give you the inspiration to write a masterpiece.

www.OneInTenScreenplayContest.com

click above to enter

Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.
--Thomas A. Edison 

Living The Screenwriter's Dream...

If screenwriting is a dream of yours, let nothing stand in the way of achieving that dream.  When obstacles appear...  find a way over them, through them, under them, around them, whatever it takes.  Obstacles can be a test to see just how bad we want our passion.  If we give up then maybe we didn't want it bad enough. 

www.OneInTenScreenplayContest.com

Click Above To Enter

You have exactly one life in which to do everything you will ever do.  Act accordingly.
--Colin Wright

The Truth About Writing Gay Screenplays...

"No one can make a living writing movies."  How many times have you heard someone say something like this?  And you know what?  It's true.  What?  Yes, it is true to those who choose to believe it.  The absolute truth about anything in life is that whatever we believe is what becomes truth.  So, no matter how many scripts you write, there is something powerful about our internal beliefs.  We tend to attract exactly what it is we believe.  The great thing is that we also have to power to change our beliefs and if we believe to the core of our being that we can make a living as a working screenwriter then we will find a way to make that belief a reality.  Just ask all of the working screenwriters currently doing this very thing.

www.OneInTenScreenplayContest.com

CLICK ABOVE TO ENTER

If you choose not to pursue your dreams, you'll still be a part of a dream - only it will be someone else's.
-- Mike Hawkins

Procrastination And The Screenwriter

Isn't it amazing when we get down to undertaking a task we have put off for one reason or another that it usually takes much less time to accomplish than we thought.  Procrastination has many root causes and they are never usually about the task we are avoiding.  It might be a fear of failure, success, looking like a fool, taking a risk or a number of other things.  If we get down to the root of our procrastination and deal with it we usually see that we are more easily ready to complete whatever it is that we have avoided.  When we take that one simple action we are back on the road to living our impossible.



Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday.
-- Don Marquis

www.OneInTenScreenplayContest.com

CLICK ABOVE TO ENTER

Screenwriting Success Made Easy...

Follow this one simple step:

1. Forget what everyone else is telling you about how to be a successful screenwriter and trust your gut.

www.OneInTenScreenplayContest.com

CLICK ABOVE TO ENTER

Insist on yourself; never imitate. Your own gift you can present every moment with the cumulative force of a whole life's cultivation; but of the adopted talent of another you have only an extemporaneous half possession. That which each can do best, none but his Maker can teach him.

-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Finding My Voice As A Screenwriter...

Entertainers of all types strive to find their unique voice and when they do the results can be golden.  Practice your craft.  Discover what it is you bring to it that is uniquely you and then concentrate on exploiting that element.  It is something that we all strive for.  Many of us spend too much time trying to copy something already out there, reinvent something or guess what it is the buyers want and we oftentimes lose ourselves in the process.  The key is to dig deep inside and find our own unique voice. -- How is this done?  This is accomplished by knowing ourselves to the core and that is done by doing the things that allow us to see who we truly are… meditation, journaling, therapy, exercise, whatever.  Find what allows you to tap in and discover what lies ahead.  It just may be the next big hit!

www.OneInTenScreenplayContest.com

All I have is a voice.
-- W. H. Audin

Screenwriting Dream Killers

Screenwriting is challenging in many respects and the last thing anyone needs is someone killing their dreams.  If you have the drive and passion to take on this career, don't let anyone kill the dream.  Many unsuccessful individuals, no matter what the career, take their frustrations out in the form of smashing others dreams.  Beware of the dream killers in your life and clean house if necessary.

There are many people in Hollywood that are successful simply because they didn't give up when they should have.

-- Anonymous

www.OneInTenScreenplayContest.com

Click Above to Enter

Don't Let FEAR stop your screenwriting...

Am I giving in to fear… 

My fears have stopped me from pursuing dreams and goals time and time again.  Fear of failure.  Fear of success.  Fear of overcoming the wounds of the past.  Fear of having the life a part of me knows that I deserve.  Fear of being recognized.  Fear of being criticized. Fear of not being perfect.  Fear of not being good enough… Fear. Fear. Fear.  

Today I look at fear in the eye and say, "No longer."  No longer with I let fear stop me from living the life of my dreams.  As I take daily actions towards my dreams I learn that fear subsides and the true me emerges.

David Jensen

Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark, professionals built the Titanic.

--Unknown

www.OneInTenScreenplayContest.com

Click Above to Enter

What Are The Odds?

I think that many times I have let the odds get in my way of taking my dreams seriously.  I have always wanted to win and Academy Award for screenwriting and remember back to an article that I read nearly 25 years ago which talked about the odds of making a living at screenwriting.  The article said that the odds of being hit by lightening are better than ever making a living writing movies.  Wow!  That type of statistic can surely create a case for not following a dream.  My latest thinking is that someone has to write Academy Award winning screenplays, why not me?

David Jensen

Never let the odds keep you from doing what you know in your heart you were meant to do.
-- H. Jackson Brown Jr.

www.OneInTenScreenplayContest.com