Of all the many things I’ve written (novel and graphic novel manuscripts, short stories, feature screenplays, TV pilots, corporate sustainability and investor reports, newspaper and magazine features, etc.), I’ve never written a short film script. So I decided to remedy that during a down week this summer, and it came out … weird.

Possibly the weirdest thing I’ve ever written. So weird I honestly considered banishing it to the backwaters of my ‘Old Writing’ folder, never to be seen again. Just read this madness:

A serial killer seeks a cure for loneliness when he develops a special relationship with the severed hand of one of his victims, only to discover it points him in the direction of true love.

Yes, that’s a logline for TAKE MY HAND, the rare horror comedy romance musical short film. Alas, the discomfort of weird is often hiding the fact that weird is our creative self at its most original. So…I submitted the script to a couple of film festivals. The first results back?

• Semifinalist — Creative Screenwriting Shoot Your Short Screenplay Competition 2024
• Semifinalist — Filmmatic Short Screenplay Awards Season 9

Hey, nothing like the good feels of others embracing your weird. Given the nice early reception, I submitted TAKE MY HAND to a few other competitions, and we’ll see where it goes from there. It features a small cast in one location, and I could honestly see teaming up with filmmaker to produce this one myself and send it on to film festivals.

Contest season never stops, and here are a few other accolades that have come my way this year:

• Semifinalist — DAN OVERLAND (comedy feature), Richmond International Film Festival Screenplay Competition 2024
• Quarterfinalist — DAN OVERLAND, Portland Screenplay Awards
• Quarterfinalist — AEVUM (sci-fi drama TV pilot), Emerging Screenwriters Drama Screenplay Competition 2024
• Quarterfinalist — AEVUM, Filmmatic – Inroads Fellowship Season 7
• Quarterfinalist — AEVUM, Filmmatic Drama Screenplay Awards Season 9

Swag and Pitch Season

I’m a writer, so I spend a lot of time writing. And I edit. And I submit to contests. And I spend time worrying how to get my projects published or made. On that last point, I decided I’m going to get off my couch and do something about it this fall, and I’ll be pitching my paranormal horror feature screenplay THE TUNNELS at the Richmond International Film Festival in September and Austin Film Festival in October.

To get up on a stage and pitch producers, filmmakers and other industry folks, you gotta look good. So I’m going to look good in Jay Hodgkins screenplay swag. Behold: New threads for film festival season!