Sometimes life circles back around and you actually get to return to the scene of the crime. For me going back and joining and being part of the Northwest Screenwriters Guild was a surreal experience. Why? Well-p, try thins on and see if it fits, about 6 years ago or so--they kicked me out of their organization. No shit. That really happened! I got kicked out of a place that is SUPPOSED to be promoting its members and guiding them to careers in screenwriting. Not in my case, bub. They kicked my ass out!!
Not that I'm proud of what happened. And not that I remember it all with 100% clarity. I think the president of the organization thought I insulted his wife in some kind of comment I made. To be honest with you, I didn't even know the guy was married, or who his alleged wife was. If his claim was true. Or if he was just trying to pick a fight with me. Still, he literally wanted me stand to stand trial before him and the rest of the Northwest Screenwriters Guild board at the time and explain myself to them. As I remember it, I did apologize to the guy in an e-mail, taking responsibility for what he alleged happened, BUT because he took it to the extreme of wanting me to stand trial before the group's governing board internally I said, "Fuck it. It's just not worth it." If someone wants to make THAT big of an issue with my relatively harmless comment and shenanigans, I thought at the time I should just take my lumps and got outta Dodge. And that's what I did.
The crazy thing is I'm not really mad at that past Northwest Screenwriters Guild president who kicked me out of their organization. Maybe I was a little out of line. I'm always willing to admit my faults. And not so prideful so as to so say, I do no wrong. That guy is entitled to his opinion. And I'll respect that, even if the guy doesn't respect me and bares a grudge against me.
Like I said, THAT happened many years ago, and I don't remember the exact details of what pissed that guy off so bad, I know I was in my full-affect, half screenwriter, half jester: expanded persona get-up at the time and we were at a social event in Seattle. Romany Malco: "Jay" from Judd Appatow's "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" was there. At one point Romany Malco saw me and his escort ushered him away from me. I NEVER got to met Romany Malco, which I wanted very much to do, as I was HOPING that making contact with Romany would lead to making contact with the man himself, Judd Apatow. YES, that's how my mind works!
Needless to say that didn't work out at all. Everything blew-up in my face. And I ended up being forced out of the organization with my tail between my legs.
So about two week ago or so I was SHOCKED to find in my mailbox and invitation to rejoin the Northwest Screenwriters Guild. Seams as though that organization went on hiatus for a while, but now was attempting to start up again, and was reaching out to past members.
Sometimes you gotta let bygones be bygones. That said, I am PROUD to say I went to his inagural, re-boot-up event in my full expanded persona dress: Mardi Grass cape, blue and red jester cap with bells, black mask, and of course my magic wand--and Chimpy! That's right on early Saturday night I was parading around my hometown city of Seattle, WA in FULL expanded persona wear.
Was I trying to rub their nose in it, or make a point? Hardly, I don't roll like that. I wore my full expanded persona costume because THAT'S how I wanna be recognized as a screenwriter and entertainer. Flamboyant? MAYBE at first blush, but remember one of my tenant credos:
First make an impression, THEN worry about making that impression a good one.
I'm not afraid to take risks. I'm not afraid to fail. I'm more afraid of not trying, than failing. I'm passed the point of training wheels. I'm riding the bike now. The bus is moving. I wasn't fucking around when I said that. No, I can't garantee, I'll ever "make it". But what I can assure you, is that I'm going to be different. I'm going to stand-out. And I'm going to do it in a way that no one else has ever done it before.
All the gimicks in the world aside, eventually it comes down to, can you write? To which I say, "Fuck yeah I can write!" I've already proven that FACT to myself over-and-over-and-over again now it's just a matter of proving it to people who don't know me yet... Expanded persona to get their attention, THEN they read my scripts or novel and make up their own mind. I've written more than enough to break-in. So I'll pass every fuckin' test they thrown my way, and I'll do so with grace and style. Sure, I may have taken my lumps in the past, but I don't live in the past. I live in the here and now. And in the here and now I'm going for it. Full throttle!
So what comes next? Easy. I am going to reapply for membership in the Northwest Screenwriters Guild. Not sure what script I'll submit for compendium level membership: which allows you to pitch to Hollywood big-shots they bring in. Still, whatever tests they got, I'll pass them--and not only that but have a lot of fun along the way. I'm not a big "networking" guy. I'm not out to learn the craft, share scripts, and that kind of teaching thing. I wanna get my stuff out there and get it produced. And its not as thought I'm against my fellow screenwriting brothers having success too. I do. I begrudge NOBODY for the success they have. I'm not a selfish asshole, but in the same regard, I really don't feel the burning desire to teach the screenwriting craft. There are guys out there who can do that for the newbies. I'm not going to be that guy--ever! Sure, I'm willing to read other people's stuff, but I'm really not into shit like script exchanges. To me that's just kind of a waste time and energy. I wanna break-in, now! I've written enough, it's time. It's my time.
If I can sell a script, the world opens up to me. I know it will. I'll be able to concentrate on finishing the rest of the books in my novel series, The Legend of Thars: my opus creation; the best story that's in me, what I'm most proud of the most, where it all began for me. The thing about my scripts is that they're good, and they'll all make GREAT movies. I love every story that is listed in my script loglines sidebar: From what SHOULD be the easy sellers with The Commune and Indians of the Ancient Plains to the more harder sells of stories such as Revenge of the Fat Chicks and The Judas Project. I love them all. They are my children. I didn't just scribble these stories out on cocktail napkins or churn them out on a whim over the weekend. I. LABORED. LIKE FUCK. ON ALL OF THEM. Gave them my best. THAT'S what artistic screenwriters do: they pour their heart and soul into their projects with the hope that somehow, someday all their hard work will come to fruition.
And in the field of E.C. Henry, it's harvest time!
So what comes next. Well-p, creatively I continue the work on the 2nd novel in the Legend of Thars series. AND I get back to work on the script adaptation of the 1st movie with the goal of submitting that movie to the 2017 Nicholl's Screenwriting Competition. I'm also going to stop drinking alcohol, get in better shape and work on my dancing--for the sake of an aspect of my expanded persona that I wanna hone and perfect--with a Taylor Swift application in mind!
Still ringing from yesterday and the surreal experience of going to Northwest Screenwriters Event after all these years. Had a GREAT time at Terry Persun's "Befriending the Giant", PNWA class, I put a link to Terry's website on my sidebar if you're interested in checking him out. ALSO added a link to fantasy author, Garrett Calcaterra as well. Garrett's a writer who's looking to sell some books and broaden his platform, so check him out--and buy one of his books. And while you're at it, buy one Terry's books as well! Sorry, I've never been much of a pitchman for my fellow scribes. THAT'S going to change. I LOVE and RESPECT every author out there, because I know how hard it is to be one in today's world.