Dispatch from The Quest: Rob Pilkington
This marks Rob’s final Dispatch from The Quest:
Forgive me if I don’t sound more triumphant. For me, The Quest unfolded during a hectic time. I won’t recap prior dispatches (Previously, on INTERNET PEOPLE…), but when The Quest was announced on Go Into The Story, I was in the throes of a move across the country. I barely remember sending Scott my loglines and getting the news I’d been selected feels like a Peter Jackson movie and a half ago.
But now, writing this, I do feel a twinge of whirlwind-itis. Vivid in my mind are those first, hesitant, and more-than-a-little awkward Skype calls with Scott and the Questers. “Wait — what are we doing? This is like… a writer’s group? With homework? And cussing? And we’re all gonna finish a bona fide motion picture script? Well, shucks!” (note: our calls took place in the 1940s)
And now it’s over. Scott kept his promise, and we to him, and us to each other, and we all have brand spanking new drafts and all the hope and potential that goes along with that. I suppose that is something to feel triumphant about. Myself? I took one day (New Years’ Day, actually) to decompress. Booze. Comics. Netflix… and then immediately used the good vibes and momentum from The Quest to tackle another rewrite. So yeah — whatever it is that comes after the act of triumphing, I’m not real good at that.
So thank you to Scott. Thanks for plucking us out of the many, simultaneously pushing and championing us, and presenting your knowledge as a toolbox and not a blueprint. Because if this had been just another “and by page 15…” nightmare, Jesus — these 24 weeks would have been very different.
Also: thanks to my fellow Questers, Brandon, Emma, Scott R., Ben, and Jordan, for doing this strange and unexpected thing with me. It’s terrifying to show your work and process to strangers, but it was a relief to feel my way through the experience with such sharp and welcoming individuals with distinct voices. Distinct writing voices and actual voices. Because those 7-way Skype calls could have been really confusing.
And finally: thanks to all you other “Go on Your Own Questers” and GITS readers for all your comments, encouragement, and well wishes. Ha! Remember that first time Scott gave me the keys to GITS, I brilliantly decided to declare that some loglines might not need a character, and the comment section exploded? Phew. I’m glad we buried the hatchet after that.
But for realsies — cheers to all in the GITS community who followed along and met their own 2012 writing goals, big and small. Pop that champagne. Dance on that coffee table. Rock that lampshade proudly.
And then you should probably get back to work.
Because there really is no finish line.
About Rob: Boston writer headed for LA. Lover of Kubrick, Nolan, McDonagh, and the Coens. Okay, good talk. Back to writing. Twitter: @HeroesAreBoring. Note: Rob has officially relocated to LA.
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