It is with great pleasure that I present you with the Writers on the Storm 2009 Quarterfinalists. These scripts represent the top 10% of the almost 1,000 screenplays submitted to our contest. And there are some very, very good screenplays in the batch.
Now comes the hard part. We have to pick the top 50 (semifinalists) by October 19th. Sounds easy? Well, battle lines are already being drawn. These scripts have fans amongst our team, and I've already heard a few passionate arguments about some of them as we've decided our quarterfinalists. It's only going to get worse from hereon in.
For the vast majority of you who are not on the list, let me say, believe me, I feel you, guys. No two ways about it -- it sucks. That feeling of not cracking the quarterfinals on something you've put a lot of effort into -- well, I have so been there. Way too many times. My first reaction generally is the reader was an idiot, followed by screw it, it's just one contest, there are plenty more, followed by, well, there's goes another chunk of dough out the window. And there's truth to all of it. But let me say this. The feedback forms, which should be going out sometime in October, will give you a heads-up on what we thought of the script. Give it a fair read and see if anything in it resonates with you. It could be one simple thing in your craft or writing style, such as excessive verbosity, for example, that ossifies what would have been a good story. Or perhaps there's a plot development that just defies credulity where you lost the reader. Use this intel well.
I also recommend you take advantage of all the learning avenues, some of it free or dirt-cheap, available to you. Every month Writers Boot Camp hosts free 90-minute Mini Camps. Last month we coordinated an Agents/Managers panel for them, and the amount of sage wisdom they gave out was unbelievable. Scriptwriters Network is another great resource -- dirt-cheap (nonprofit) and chock full of classes, seminars, the works. And The Writer's Store, too, puts on regular panels. Simply by showing up to these events you will absorb so much about the craft and the business.
There's always more to learn, places to learn it, and ways to improve your craft. Strive. I look forward to all of you who didn't make the list sending me an e-mail in a few months to tell me the script has been optioned! (It has happened a bunch of times!)
We'd also like to make special mention of a couple of writers who blew us away with their amazing tenacity: YVONNE MIRANDA and TONY SHYU. These guys, quarterfinalists both, did four or five drafts of their scripts each during the contest period (!) sending off the revisions to CI for comments and then resubmitting again and again. In both cases, the scripts went from good to great. But more importantly, it is that very tenaciousness, that never-say-die attitude, that is the true mark of a pro. For when the producer hits you with the umpteenth list of script changes, are you going to crack under the pressure, or are you going to knuckle down and get it done? These guys all showed amazing devotion to the craft, so a special round of applause to Yvonne and Tony for showing us all how it's done. Amazing work, guys!
And now without further delay, we proudly present our WOTS QUARTERFINALISTS 2009.
--Jim Cirile, founder
Coverage, Ink
Writers on the Storm
1. A Walk Through Hell by Mark Arament
2. Angel Trap by Holli Herrie-Castillo
3. Arkan: The Last Campaign by Parrish Griggs
4. Atlanta from Olympus by Lee Tidball
5. Axel’s Riff by Richard L. Sartore
6. Baz by Jonathan Stauder
7. Beast by Blake McCallister
8. Book of the Missing by Kate Douglas
9. Borderland by J.R. Taylor
10. Burnover by M.D. McCarthy
11. Cipango by Spencer Michlin
12. Coldblooded by Susan Russell
13. Controlled by Craig Cambria
14. Dealers by Jimmy Bromberg
15. Deliver Me by Michael R. Lupariello
16. Destinations by Jocelyn Osier
17. Djinn by Matthew Altman
18. El Coyote by David Edward Norman
19. The Enginist by Tim McGrath
20. Erin & Owen in Mythatania by Nicholas Julius
21. Esperancia by John Edward Flynt
22. Eve of Miracles by Mike Schwartz
23. Fat Man by Peter Robinson
24. Future Visions by Stephen Moretti
25. Garbo’s Last Stand by Jonathan Miller
26. Gatekeeper of the Worlds by Kari Ciardi
27. Going Solo by Robert Gately
28. Grace by Marie Robinson
29. Gravedigger by M. Justin Parsons
30. The Guardians by Jason Auerbach
31. Home Free by Atif Shaikh
32. Hoopla by Joe Romeo
33. Horror Comic by Stephen Hoover
34. Idiots at Heart by Michelle Kelly
35. The Jacaranda Tree by Alex Broun
36. Jenna's Gone by Russ Meyer
37. Johnny Appleseed by Alexis Munoz
38. Kamali'i Nia: The Dolphin Princess by Rockwood
39. Khamsin by Allan Ashby
40. The Kids From Nowhere by George Guthridge & Deborah Schildt
41. Kiss Me Lucky by Sheri Davenport
42. Laramie by William Johnston
43. The Last Bigheart by Barbara Senatore
44. The Last Secret by Ron Basso
45. The Lighthouse by Janet Zibell
46. The Lodger by June Escalante
47. Macau Twilight by Tony Shyu
48. The Minstrel by Todd Sorrell
49. The Motivator by Jeffrey J. Johnson
50. Murder Belles by Christopher Burns
51. Murder Made Easy by Andreas Wigand
52. Murderous Me (Reflections of Vengeance) by Vicky Sutton
53. New Project N-I-4-N-I by Bonnie Bonaduce
54. Night of the Dragon’s Blood by Ronald L. Ecker
55. Nightmare in the Ardennes by Walt Malinowski
56. No Running by Elizabeth Savage Sullivan
57. Operation Chronos by Jon Sklaroff
58. Peanut Butter by Yvonne Miranda
59. Peshtigo by John Carter
60. Privileged Voice by Victor Grippi
61. Quest by Russ Meyer
62. The Quiet Killing Box by Jeff W. Davidson
63. Racoon by Robert Bollweg
64. Rainwashed by Paul Sargia
65. Red Forest by Aaron Marshall
66. Return to Darian’s Point by Kyle Michel Sullivan
67. The Reunion by Allen R. Rosenberg
68. Riveter by Kevin Madden
69. Sacrifice by Diego Guzman
70. Scatterbrains by Richard Hohenrath
71. Scout's Honor by Jocelyn Osier
72. Seeking Samarkand by Felipe Cagno
73. Sense of Self by Craig Cambria
74. Shades of Grey by Abhi Kulkarni
75. Shades of Grey by Michael Morra
76. The Shankill Road
77. Shotgun Cinderella by Alex Hollister
78. Shrovetide by Peter Besson
79. Sophronia by Tim Bridwell
80. Sorority Kings by Scott Fickas and Brian Jones
81. South Philly Storefront by Marcia Shissler
82. Stones From The Heart by Joanne Kimura
83. Stranger to the World by Jeremy Greenberg
84. Sure Would Be Nice by Thomas Serio
85. Svengali Effect by Jeremy Shipp
86. Textbook Love by Jimmy Bromberg
87. Three Cousins & the Cannolis by Lisa Cordova
88. Tortoise and the Heir by Russ Meyer
89. The Twenty-Fifth of Whatever by Adam Bertocci
90. Uncaged by Melissa Birks
91. The Undead by J. Dillon Flanagan
92. War Without End by AF Grant
93. Wedding Knight by Stephen Hoover
94. West Dallas Gang by Melissa Hemann Borell
95. White Buffalo by John Collins
96. Wilshire by Laurence Cruz
97. Witless for the Prostitution by Andy Johns
98. The Writ Writer by Michael Murphy
