I've been writing for the screen since 1999. I moved from Seattle to Hollywood in November of 2004. Three of my five screenplays are making the rounds.
My latest comedy, FALSE SECURITY, took 2nd place in the WriteSafe.com contest for the third quarter of 2005.
I wrote, produced, and directed a short film titled, Memoir.
I gained representation as a screenwriter in 2006.

I stumbled upon it by accident. It's a word unlike any other and orders of magnitude more powerful than any f-word you've thought of all ready. The amazing thing is it's a word you know.

But this word is like a gun. We know what a gun is, and some of us have handled and fired them. But the vast-vast majority of us have never used a gun to terrify someone. But you know a word that can terrify a person every bit as much as presenting them with a view down the barrel of Dirty Harry's cocked and loaded .44 magnum.


BEGIN DISCLAIMER
Parents: Please make sure your minor children are not within viewing distance of the screen.
Those persons with pulmonary conditions making them sensitive to emotional shock are advised to STOP READING NOW.
The author of this essay, his agents and/or assigns offer no warranty real or implied for anything and especially not the f-word about to be revealed.
And that's in perpetuity and forever too.
END DISCLAIMER


Okay, now that my butt his covered I can reveal the word and it's a big load off my shoulders to do so. I won't play the Frodo part in this little tale. Nope. You won't find me climbing either a real or imaginary volcano to dispose of the metaphorical power of the f-word.

I'd rather share it with you, the gentlest Readers in the known universe. You decide what to do with the awesome power the f-word holds. Just please-please-please don't try to rule the world--things are just too much of a mess right now.

The word is: F A I L U R E

See? I told you you knew it. You've even used it. But, like the gun, we're careful when using it. We never point the word at someone. We don't point it at ourselves either and for the same reason: It's terrifying!

I discovered this word by accident at Pitch Fest. Things got slow at registration and we got to joking around. I said I was going to offer a class next year titled: What's Your Plan 'B'? Preparing for Failure in Hollywood

Wow, talk about a buzz-kill. I glanced around at the widening stares in my direction. But not being one to quit when I'm behind, I said matter-of-factly, hey not everybody with a script is going to sell one.

A couple people went pale and another's breathing was quick and shallow. Then someone said, it's just a matter of trying hard and really wanting it.

But fear had raised their voice an octave and they didn't reassure anyone. Soon there's 4 people all telling me how failure is simply not inevitable. Ever. For any one. For any reason. Not even me. So shut up.

Now these were all writers I was talking to and every one old enough to know better. They should have known this is an old theme and rendered most brilliantly in Eugene O'Neill's, The Iceman Cometh. I recommend the AFT production starring Lee Marvin as Iggy.

Cripes, it's going to be a long hot summer. Let's start by lightening up.

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