Breaking WOTF update:

I got a voicemail today saying I'm actually a Semi-Finalist eligible to get a crit from K.D. Wentworth.

This was a surprise...

I'm looking forward to poring over K.D. Wentworth's thoughts before I fire the story off to Baen's Universe--or Analog. :-)

Hailing frequencies closed.

WOTF Results

I just got a letter in the mail today telling me that my "Ra-Gho-Zu" short SF fiction story placed as a quarter-finalist in the 1st qtr of the WOTF 2008 contest. My name will be posted in the WOTF blog sooner or later.

They're calling quarter-finalists "Honorable Mentions" now. It's still the same thing. We don't get anything except a credit on a short story/novel cover letter to an editor at the most.

Quarter-finalist in 2006 and a quarter-finalist in 2008 again... Unlike the first time, I also get a certificate (and a footnote mention in the WOTF blog).

I could keep on submitting to WOTF except I have to move beyond short stories and onto novels I need to write. Short story publications don't earn fiction writers very much. Reputations are made with novels, which pay better (even though few novelists earn enough to go without a day job). I will go to plan B now: shopping my story with likely short fiction markets (one at a time since simultaneous subs are frowned on).

Two candidates that stand out to me are Jim Baen's Universe and Analog Science Fiction & Fact.

On with the grind.

PAGE AWARDS 2007 SEMIFINALIST

Hey all,

I just learned that my "Stars and Stripes Forever" script advanced to the semifinals in the "Historical Film" category for the PAGE 2007 Awards.

Finalists will be announced on 8-30-07 and winners will be announced on 9-15-07.

I don't know how to feel at this point. I wonder if semifinalists will get script read requests from production companies, agents, etc?

I'll learn soon enough.

On the flip side "Stars" didn't make it to the quarterfinals of Blue Cat, Scriptapalooza, & Nicholls. I'd subbed "Heaven's Mandate" to Scriptapalooza & Nicholls also, but it didn't make the cut neither.

Interesting to see how different contests have different responses.

Shigata ga nai.

"It can't be helped" as a Japanese saying goes.

Must get on with my fiction now.

2007 PAGE Screenwriting Contest Quarterfinalist

I just got the news that my "Stars and Stripes Forever," made it into the quarterfinals of this year's PAGE contest.

I was told that 3,411 entries were received. My script made it into the top 25% (a total of 872 scripts). Because so many excellent historical epics and biopics were entered, the contest created a new Historical category; so my story is entered as both a Drama and Historical script.

It's an American "Master & Commander" tale about a real-life navy lieutenant who struggles to destroy an American frigate captured by pirates before it's used against the United States.

Incidentally, I wrote the first draft of this script in a Winter 2005 UCLA screenwriting class under Jack Sowards.

Thanks Jack.

Semifinalists will be announced on July 30.

I've also entered a bunch of other contests. I'll look forward to the reports. :-)

Boris

Taos Toolbox

Today, I got an invite from SF fiction giant Walter Jon Williams to attend his SF/F workshop in New Mexico this July.

WOOHOO!!!

Saying I'm psyched doesn't begin to cover things.

I can hardly wait to learn at the feet of another master. This is the workshop's first year. It might also be the last since Williams told me that he's not certain he'll offer it again. So I'm really lucky to have gotten in when I did. =)

I think I'll keep a daily record of this when the time comes.

Now I just have to find the money...

LESLIE WHAT CRIT

On Sunday, 10-8-06, I got a crit from Leslie What on a teen fantasy tale of mine I dubbed "The Dance." Saying that I'm "fortunate" doesn't begin to cover it. I'm no teen fantasy guru and she did a fantastic job, outlining an easy and hard choice for me to take when I rewrite the story.

Unfortunately, I'm going to pick the hard choice. :-(

"The Dance" is about an ugly duckling teen girl who competes with a beauty queen classmate for a boy with a love potion that's not a love potion.

I'm preparing it for WOTF. An alternate market at Leslie's recommendation is Cicada.

I wrote "The Dance" based on 3 writing prompts: an unattractive person, a distinct smell, and a bowling ball.

I went with a teen girl and geraniums and made the ball magic. I'll be curious to see how the story turns out when I finish rewriting the story of mine that James Patrick Kelly commented on.

UCLA SCREENPLAY CONTEST PRESS RELEASE

Hey all,

I've been notified by the UCLA Professional Programs office that an announcement for the winners of the 2005-2006 UCLA Professional Programs Screenplay Competition has come out in the current issue of Hollywood Reporter for the week of June 26-July 1 2006.

The announcement's on page 19. And it's also online.

Woohoo!

I've already gotten a few e-mails from some entertainment lawyers, managers, producers, etc. It'll be interesting to see what comes up over the next few days.

Boris

UCLA SCREENPLAY CONTEST WINNER

Let's see...

First order of business, I'm up to page 15 in my latest Star Trek fiction rough draft and

I placed as a winner in the UCLA Professional Programs Screenplay Competition. Woohoo!

I don't know where I rank among the five winners, but I'm third in alphabetical order.

I don't know what I'm supposed to feel yet.

The script I placed with is "Heaven's Mandate." It's a tale about a Chinese Joan of Arc who fights with a magic sword to thwart a power-mad noblewoman from making herself the empress of China.

Anyone curious can find an excerpt in my
"Heaven's Mandate" Screenplay Excerpt post.

I'll look forward to learning where I finished and what the winners get.

Also, here's the e-mail I received from the Professional Programs Office:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Please join us in congratulating the winners and honorable mentions for the 2005-2006 UCLA Professional Programs screenplay competition.

ALL students who participated in the contest are to be commended for their hard work. It should be noted that this contest is one of subjectivity. Many judges participated in the contest, and while one may not have preferred a particular script, another may have adored it (just like one agent may love your work, and another may say it’s not for them). There were many exceptional scripts that did not make it to the final round, and many of the judges have told us that the quality of this year’s submissions was extremely high. We'd also like to extend our deepest thanks to all of the judges for their participation.

Without further ado...

WINNERS (in abc order)

Barbara Curry
THE NOMINEE

Ryan Gilmore
THE DEVIL’S PLAYGROUND

Boris Layupan
HEAVEN’S MANDATE

David Mango
BLACK’S SONATA

Peter D. Pham
DERAILED


HONORABLE MENTIONS (in abc order)

Adriana Espinosa
SONS OF ILLUSION

Shaun Kosta
THE POSER

Susan Manard
EXTRA INNINGS

Robert Tomaguchi
EXHUME

Russ Tyler
TWOFACE

JAMES PATRICK KELLY CRIT

I got comments on my short story SF "Honor and Justice" from JAMES PATRICK KELLY on Saturday May 13, 2006. Woohoo! I think I've gotten that final break through that I need to take it to the next level.

Market choices are Writers of the Future, Asimovs, and Baen's Universe. I'm going with WOTF.

I'll have to make some generous offerings to the writing gods for pairing JAMES PATRICK KELLY with my story.

All I have to do is rewrite it now. Easier said than done. But it'll be worth it.

And I'm busy on some Trek short tales now for Dean Wesley Smith's consumption.

Must get back to writing and doing all the maintenance stuff in my life.

2006 1st QUARTER WOTF QUARTER-FINALIST

Hi all,

As noted in my "Kick Off" post, I'd submitted a short space opera SF tale "Honor and Justice" to WOTF in December 2005. I got my story back on 3-31-06 with a letter telling me that I made it to the quarter-finals.

I know this is supposed to be an achievement, but saying that I'm extremely disappointed is putting it mildly.

My rejection letter says "Honor" was in the top 10-15% of all entries. Contest judges were Anne McCaffrey, Algis Budrys, Robert Silverberg, Yoji Kondo, and K.D. Wentworth.

Judy the Contest Administrator wrote a small note saying "Send another story soon!"

I can't say this makes me feel better.

C'est le vie as le francais would say. Or nichevo if I were Russian.

Boris

"HEAVEN'S MANDATE " SCREENPLAY EXCERPT

I'm posting for the heck of it a scene from a screenplay I completed for a winter UCLA screenwriting class.

It's titled "Heaven's Mandate." Storyline: A Chinese Joan of Arc with a mystic sword sacrifices all to save her homeland and thwart a power-mad noblewoman from becoming empress of China.

Think a Chinese Joan of Arc fighting for righteousness with a magic sword or "Gladiator" & "Braveheart" going to China, where they meet "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon."

I've sent this script to a UCLA script competition. The top 5 receive a small cash reward, there are five honorable mentions, and all ten get their names and story summaries printed in film trade journals.

I entered the script to see how it fares with competition. If it places within the top ten and I get calls from agents, managers, and producers who want to see the script, I'll send it out and see what happens.

[Note: Since this posting, I received word that my script was a winner in the 2005-2006 UCLA Screenplay Competition. Woohoo! See my UCLA Screenplay Contest Win post.]

I may likely market this script with a Hong Kong studio instead because they deal in this genre more.

When reading a script, it's more like a blue print for the director who shoots the scenes and the actors who play them out. The audience will never read the script, just see the film on screen. A reader can't get into the characters' heads like in fiction. We know the characters by what they say and do. Character descriptions are a bit more general in order to give casting people a wider variety of actors to look for and are used more to give actors a sense of who the characters are.

Enjoy the excerpt:
[Note: Format not saved by blog software. :-/]
----------------------------------------------------------------------
EXT. REBEL ARMY HEADQUARTERS -- DAY

The ORGANIZED CHAOS of an army cleaning up a field of battle
runs rampant: litter bearers carrying wounded, prisoners
being rounded up, regiments taking roll, etc.

IMPERIAL YELLOW DRAGON BANNERS stake out a council of war in
the storm of activity.

Chinese, Khitan, and Turkish officers in gilded lamellar
armor stand clustered around AN LUSHAN, mid 40s, who leans
over a table littered with maps and other documents.

Half Turk, half Iranian, Lushan looks every bit the seasoned
military man--

Lushan shakes the table with a clenched fist.

(Note: All dialogue is in Mandarin Chinese with English
subtitles.)

LUSHAN
How fortunate it is for Captain Wu
to be up in the mountains, else he'd
be short a head now.

A CHINESE CAPTAIN speaks up.

CHINESE CAPTAIN
Captain Wu's division held up the
advance of the entire enemy right
wing before breaking...

Lushan shoots him a withering look.

CHINESE CAPTAIN
(faster)
Surely he can be excused.

A TURKISH CAPTAIN offers his support.

TURKISH CAPTAIN
Captain Wu's action did lend us enough
time to pierce the enemy center and
rout him from the field.

LUSHAN
I suppose...

Lushan looks up as a squad of soldiers escorting Ching and
Seng approaches his council.

The women, their hair tied in topknots, wear dull-colored
tunics and breeches. Ching wears the straight-bladed jian
sword Heavenglaive strapped to her back. Seng wields a long
staff.

LUSHAN
(to sergeant)
I said I wasn't to be disturbed.
The women can entertain the officers
later.

The SERGEANT bows. His face and those of his men are bruised.

SERGEANT
(uncomfortable)
These honorable women are nuns from
Shaolin.

Everyone's attention focuses on Ching and Seng.

CHING
Our master would be displeased to
learn you delegated us to the duties
of camp followers, Governor-general
An.

Both women bow.

CHING
I am Fa Ching.

SENG
Li Seng. Please accept the service
of two humble nuns.

Lushan studies Ching with new concentration.

LUSHAN
(tightly controlled)
You are all your master sent?

SENG
(low)
Not willingly--

Ching silences Seng with a quick look.

CHING
We are volunteers.

The officers talk among themselves.

CHINESE CAPTAIN
These are the famous cudgel monks?

TURKISH CAPTAIN
Cudgel maidens, more like.

CHINESE CAPTAIN
I'm up for some swordplay.

KHITAN CAPTAIN
Why only two?

LUSHAN
I see your master has a sense of
humor. He could've simply requested
a larger temple donation by letter.
(beat)
Go back to Shaolin, little girls...
Better yet go home and find yourselves
good farmers to look after you.
You're no Monk Biancheng or
Monk Yuekong.

Lushan gestures to the squad of soldiers to lead Ching and
Seng away.

A beat as the soldiers eye each other nervously, then point
their spears and swords at the women --

Ching slashes several nearby spear points off with one swipe
of her sword. Seng covers her back.

KHITAN CAPTAIN
A tiger-demon!

CHING
No, we are Nun Ching and Nun Seng.
Would the governor-general care to
test our quality?

Lushan draws his DAO SWORD, a saber with a broad, curved
blade.

LUSHAN
I've an edge to work off.