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This picture is from June of 2007, the summer before
I turned 30 and saw my life change quite dramatically.
I was working at a job I loved, and it was a job that loved me back. That's Rian, Connor, and Eduardo, with little Jack on my lap. (And then some rando stranger kid who kept barking at the marine life. It was so uncomfortable.) My hands gripping the fence in view of the camera is a textbook example of how to hold children who are not your own. A Social Work professor told me that it was used in graduate school textbooks everywhere, and for
a short time, I believed her. I went so far as to order one.
In college, my frat bros played sports.
I was lured in by a H.S. buddy on the
volleyball team, and the nicest guy I met
is now Tom Brady's agent. Don Yee + 1. Another kid had me carry his b-ball bag around while pledging, so people would go out of their way to befriend me, only
to be disappointed with their findings.
By contrast, another peer had me wear anything with "Smithtown" emblazoned
on it, figuring people from Long Island
would stop me on the street to chit-chat. From there, connections would develop and blossom. Now, I didn't need the help,
but 9/10 recommend. The 90s were wild. Also, that's not a staged photo, nor did I play a Varsity sport in high school. Those are Cousin Sita's hoodies and tiny medal.
If you submit your writing to any of the reputable contests and fail to make the cut, try to keep things in perspective by remembering this: The list of talented writers who win contests pales in comparison to the list of talented writers who were rejected by those very same contests. This holds true for submitting to managers and agents, applying to film schools and industry jobs, along with fellowships and residencies. Rejection isn't just part of the game, it's proof that you're living a life. Most folks stand on the sidelines armed with nothing but their criticism. When people are on their deathbeds, they don't say, "I wish I was a better writer." They say, "I wish I tried to write." The act of starting and finishing a script is a victory onto itself.
While my breakthrough script was thought highly of by several people, it was summarily rejected by every contest I applied to.
If you're a talented writer, you can't give up. And do save your rejection letters, because one day, they'll be suitable for framing.
