Awesome News!
Received an exciting email from Trevor Houston, manager of Page Turner Screenplays screenwriting contest, regarding my thriller screenplay, Lineage. He said the reader reviewing my contest submission was blown away by my screenplay.
They wanted to set up a date and time for a phone call to discuss my script.
Page Turner Screenplays is one of the few contests that offer notes and a phone call to every contestant – but the words “blown away by your screenplay” intimated their phone call might be more than a standard courtesy call.
I eagerly gave Trevor a date and time.
So How Did The Phone Call Go?
A day later I received my phone call . It wasn’t just a courtesy call.
Joseph Tomasello, the director of Page Turner Screenplays, said I was a finalist in the contest. He was ecstatic about Lineage. Said it was a great concept with a cool blend of fantasy and reality. He liked the characters, dialogue, and action scenes – which is great to hear.
Joseph said he reads hundreds of thrillers a year looking for that one screenplay that stands above the rest, and said after reading, my screenplay, Lineage, he knew he had a long year of dull reading a head of him – Lineage was that good.
So good that Joseph Tomasello wanted to call me again in a few days to discuss the story and my plans on marketing the script.
Wow!
Joseph is a working SWGA screenwriter based out of New York. He was a staff writer for Criminal Minds and said he knows the producers of the show have been talking about doing a feature.
As a writer, I’m always leery about gushing reviews and overly flattering phone calls. Over time you learn how to play it cool while assessing the validity of the call or review you receive.
Joseph Tomasello’s call was legit. He really enjoyed Lineage as a story. He noticed the plants and payoffs, caught my open-ended ending, that intimated the story could have a sequel, mentioned the fact that Lineage could have prequels or a spin-off TV series. Which is what I intended when writing the script.
He was even more blown away, when he learned I wasn’t a pro screenwriter; was impressed that I was a self-taught screenwriter like him, and was equally amazed that Lineage was my 1st thriller.
Cool as a cucumber, I remained humble and calm.
I suppressed all giddiness and delight from my voice. I could’ve won an Oscar.
When the call ended, I sprang to my feet and did a happy dance for 10 minutes.
I know I’ll barely sleep while I wait for that 2nd phone call from the director of Page Turner Screenplays.
