Update: The Quest Initiative
After reviewing over 2,000 loglines that were submitted by nearly 1,000 writers for The Quest Initiative, I have whittled it down to 10 finalists. Starting right now, I will be sending emails to those 10 writers to begin the interview process. Assuming they are all interested in going forward, I will post their names here on Friday, June 21.
There are perhaps about 30 loglines I put onto a preliminary list. In addition, there are others who showed some promising creative instincts — for example, three good loglines, but not a great one — so I am making a list of those writers and may very well reach out to them once this entire Quest Initiative process plays itself out.
So if you do not receive an email today, I may still contact you.
Bottom line: I am moving forward toward selecting — hopefully — four writers to do The Quest beginning Monday, July 15.
BIG NOTE: I HAVE BEEN WRONG BEFORE!!!
Many, many times. So if you fail to receive an email from me, that does not necessarily mean your ideas aren’t good. As I have indicated all along, I set my standards of assessment re your loglines extremely high. Indeed that is what led to me inviting Max Millimeter to advise me in this process, I needed his hard-ass voice to remind me we’re looking for stories that can compete against the best ideas and scripts in Hollywood.
Which means you may have a solid story concept, even if I don’t contact you.
Moreover there is always the opportunity for you to Go On Your Own Quest [which you can read about at the end of this post here], so you can write a script, sell it for big bucks, and come back to laugh at me for not selecting you.
So if you don’t hear from me, do not feel bad. Rather use the experience to get motivated. Prepare to Go On Your Own Quest and write that damn script! Come up with more and better story concepts! Read scripts! Watch movies! Become better at the craft!
Congratulations to the 10 finalists. I will be emailing you starting now.
Here is the schedule related to The Quest Initiative:
June 19: I will email those of you who make the first cut. That will be determined strictly on the merits of your story concept and execution of your logline. Those writers will need to provide information including a writing resume [basically your background and history as a writer], story synopsis [if you have fleshed out anything more of your logline], writing sample [screenplay or screenplay excerpt, short story, novel excerpt], bio, plus a brief questionnaire.
June 21: Announce the finalists.
June 22: Information due from finalists.
June 24: Emails to writers to set up phone call interviews with me.
June 25-June 28: Interviews.
July 3: Contact the Questers.
July 8: Announce the Questers.
July 15: The Quest begins! Core [Theory]: 8 weeks.
September 9: Prep: 6 weeks.
October 21: Pages: 10 weeks.
December 29: The Quest ends!
For background on The Quest, go here and here.
UPDATE: I’m taking the liberty of posting some inspirational words from Natalie Peluso, something she uploaded at The Black Board:
Aw come on guys! The Quest would be amazingballs but isn’t the whole point of what we’re doing to write our scripts and be as prolific as we can be, regardless? I was grateful to have an opportunity to submit — but I was even more grateful for the kick in the pants to remind myself that the power to declare myself a ‘screenwriter’ is mine.
I know from doing the Prep class with Tom that the greatest value from The Quest for me personally would be constant driving for progress and pages from Scott and my peers — the deadlines, the expectation. It’s all too easy to drift off without deadlines and sit on my hands instead of moving them vaguely near a keyboard. But I can demand these deadlines from myself, right?
I live in Brisbane with four children under 9. I feel so distant from Hollywood and the business and the networking that often I wonder whether my passion for screenwriting is a deep childish flaw, and perhaps I should just grow up. But who else is going to believe in me if I don’t?
For so many of us The Quest is more than a chance to finish a script, it’s validation. And as a performer for many years, I discovered that validation can only come from inside. No matter how many audiences applauded me or handed me flowers.
And if we’re really, truly writers — all of us — then that validation is ours for the taking! We should all just consider ourselves Questers as of today and declare ourselves successful simply for having the discipline and persistence to get the words out and on to paper.
Sending huge vibes of inspiration and chocolate-flavoured awesomeness to all of you! Good luck everyone for tomorrow — but even more luck for all the great stories waiting for us — finished! — at the end of the year. :)
Now that is the spirit, Natalie! And to everyone of you who I did not select for The Quest Initiative, I am summoning up a special brilliant batch of creative juju. It’s on this winding road right here:
You may not be able to see it right now, but trust me… set your foot on that path. Take a step. Another. And another. It is waiting for you. It may take awhile to find just the right blend of idea, plot, genre, time and energy, but if you persist and keep on the journey, you will find what you are meant to find. And along the way, that creative juju will be there… to help you go into your stories and find the animals.
Onward and upward!
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