Silver
“A silver hammer can open an iron gate”–Basque Proverb
If that is true, then perhaps a silver, second-place script, can open a producer’s door. At least that’s my hope.
This year, my feature screenplay, Goodbye For Now, placed second in the Comox Valley International Film Festival. It was incredibly uplifting as I’d just finished an important revision after some restructuring. The year before, my screenplay Wayward came in second there as well. They run a great film festival and put tremendous effort into encouraging screenwriters with the competition, offering a slew of workshops, pitching opportunities, and a live read of the winner’s script. And Comox itself is a great place to visit.
Sadly, I couldn’t attend because it was held the same weekend as our CineSpark Festival in Victoria. There was to be an awards night where my first short, Oh, Beth, was a finalist, and the winner would receive a production package to make the film. Sadly, Oh Beth didn’t win.
I’m only human and, after celebrating the winner’s success, I fell into a rather deep pity party where being a finalist, even coming in second place felt like a defeat. The saying “always the bridesmaid, never the bride” sprung to mind. I felt discouraged and deflated and wondered if I should even bother writing screenplays for a screen audience of none.
I decided to turn to some uplifting quote therapy. Here’s what I found…
Okay - maybe not so uplifting!
The following quote most closely represented my feelings, so I allowed myself to feel them for a few days.
“I think second place is always the most difficult one. It’s not a nice feeling.” –Bill Vaughn
Afterward, I determined to put a more positive spin on the results. I mean, second place in the Olympics is silver - it’s a precious metal and has been for thousands of years. They’re precious and highly valued because of scarcity. So is my script! I’ll take it, celebrate it, and keep setting writing goals because, when I write, that’s a win in itself.
And to all you creative image quote generators out there - thank you! You make a difference.
Ultreia! Forward together!
