The floodgates are closed. The Nicholl application deadline is now a thing of the past and I am curious how many entries there are. Since I"m sure it is a ridiculously high number in the 7000-ish range, I have long since given up any hope of winning the thing. I would, however, like to advance before I die. It's at the top of my Screenwriting Bucket List, a list that is rather short and contains goals that are unlikely in my real world. But in my sometimes delusional and often contrived reality, I would like to ---
- Advance in the Nicholl at least once.
- Attend a big Hollywood premier and sit in the audience.
- Watch an epic beast of a film get shot.
- Hear one of my favorite screenwriters say about my work, "what a great story".
If I reach those goals, I have a secondary list.
- See my own film get made.
If I reach THAT goal, I do have yet another list.
- Witness a great actor begging on his hands and knees to portray my character.
- Author a screenplay that gets caught up in a bidding war.
- Receive a phone call from Hans Zimmer or James Horner saying he just finished my score.
Once I'm dead, there is still one more list.
- Be remembered by my children as somebody who left a positive footprint on this earth.
You know what? I think my last goal may actually be the only one that really matters. After all, we only have one life, one earth, and two feet. But yeah, I'm one of those 7000-ish. I don't really believe in luck but best of luck anyway to all my fellow screenwriting buddies who entered!
