KICK OFF

I've been meaning to create a journal for some time, whether on paper or online. Partly because my time management skills need sharpening, partly because I'm not 100% enthusiastic about blogging. I'll see how far this goes.

The things I could've recounted as I went to the various workshops I attended or worked on the different stories I've done...

I'm finally doing it now.

Better late than never as some would say.

Where to start...

At my current stage, I'm pursuing my first pro short story sales. I haven't gotten to the point where I'm dealing with novel manuscripts and contracts yet.

I've been writing fiction since 1995. I took up screenwriting in 2002.

The list of workshops I've attended include:
-Odyssey 2000
-UCLA Professional Screenwriting Program 2002-2003
-UCLA Advanced Screenwriting Program 2004-2006
-Clarion 2004
-Dean Smith's & Kristyn Rusch's Pro Fiction 2004 Master Class
-Lew Hunter's 2005 Superior Screenwriting Workshop
-Hal Croasum's Pro Screenwriting Series 2005-2006

I've placed on the second read list of Pocket Books' pro Star Trek Strange New Worlds (SNW) anthology contest in 2004 and 2005. The second read list consists of the top 400 stories from an average of 4000 submissions. 23 stories are selected for the yearly SNW anthology from a final breakdown of 40-60 stories. Those not selected are put on what's called an alternate list. There are 3 winners and 20 honorable mentions, who're all published.

I recently placed as a quarter-finalist in the first quarter of the 2006 Writers of the Future contest. My story "Honor and Justice" went far, but still fell short. Very disappointed now. I will elevate it somehow before submitting it to a pro market whether WOTF once more, Baen's Universe Magazine, Asimovs, etc.

"Honor" storyline: A young peacemaker must decide whether to stand aside as a legendary guardian pursues a quest for blood vengeance.

I would like to get into Asimovs, but Baen does specialize in military adventure fiction and I like its pay rate of 20 cents per word. I see WOTF as the most prestigious market for "Honor," though.

I've written 5 film scripts so far, three historical epics, one SF, and one romantic comedy. In my final UCLA screenwriting class this winter, I wrote an epic called "Heaven's Mandate" in which a nun from the Shaolin Temple fights to be the conscience of a warlord rebelling against the emperor of China. You can think of "Gladiator" and "Braveheart" going to China. I've entered "Heaven's Mandate" into a UCLA script competition.

If I place in the top ten, the results are published in Hollywood trade journals which agents, producers, etc. will read. What I want from this contest is to get some early industry recognition and perhaps a Hollywood agent. From what I've gathered, though, Hollywood agents devote most of their efforts on their established clients, leaving newbie writers to market their own work, but the agent still gets a percentage. An alternative is to market on my own behalf, then bring in a Hollywood entertainment lawyer to work out the contract details. I don't want to sell the script unless I can also obtain a producer's credit and be on location when the film is shot. I'm considering marketing this to the Hong Kong studios that produced "Crouching Tiger" and "Hero" rather than Hollywood, though.

On the fiction side, I'm looking to get 3-5 pro short story sales before pursuing some planned novel projects. The focus of my short fiction so far has been SNW and WOTF, which require amateur contestants. I'm getting ravenous for my first fiction sale, but I'm also trying to save my amateur status for those two contests. Interesting paradox, no? :-)

On the screenwriting side, I'm looking to establish a track record for myself by selling scripts I don't mind not getting a producer's credit on. I'm also planning on taking directing classes in the future. My focus is to first establish a track record for myself as a screenwriter in order to get some money to pay off debt and support the directing classes.

I'm currently rewriting my fourth script "Stars and Stripes Forever" in which a young navy lieutenant struggles to destroy a frigate captured by ferocious Barbary pirates before she's set loose against an infant American republic. I liked C.S. Forester's Horatio Hornblower series as a boy and I was put in a nautical mood by the films "Master and Commander" and "Pirates of the Carribbean."

"Stars and Stripes" and my romantic comedy, are the first scripts I plan on selling. The rom com is "Twice in a Lifetime" in which a widowed man and an engaged woman are seeking their perfect match.

When I finish this script rewrite, I will shift back to preparing some stories for SNW and WOTF.

Come winter 2007, I plan on writing a second SF script, my sixth overall, in which a female scientist struggles to make first contact with an alien species to avert an unjustified war launched by humanity. I'm willing to sell this script without a producer's credit. I'm also considering signing up as an alumni for a UCLA script class to provide structure and deadlines as I write, but I'm not certain I'll do that at this point.

In July 2006, I'll be attending a series of meetings in LA organized by a screenwriting mentor, Hal Croasum, to let some students of his make preliminary contacts with film studio execs. And in August 2006 I'll be metting with TV execs and attending the Grammy's thanks to Hal.

Where will things go from here?

Boris

BORIS LAYUPAN'S LUCKY ALBATROSS FICTION & FILM SITE