Quoted from Gary in Houston My only goal this year is to get to next year in better mental shape.  This has been a shit year, and it's taken its toll. But as my dad always used to tell me, "Better days are ahead."

Rooting for you, mate

Figured I’d bump this to see where everyone was at, goal wise.

My 2020 goal to sell two features started off great with a bang in February. I found a production company that really liked a script I’d written, signed a writers agreement to develop the script further then...

Fucking COVID.  Things were put on hold, but slowly things started to progress. I was asked to do several rewrites until we felt we had a great script. They sent it off to their foreign partners and that’s where we hit the snag. They wanted more rewrites. Then another and another until we changed things so much I was progressively losing the story and it showed.

So, that went down the drain. However, they still like my writing. My foot is still in that door. They want to see something else. Another spec. So, I need to get cracking.

So, yeah, goals not met but hopeful nonetheless.

Steve

I felt bad for not participating in 2020 goal setting. Now that we're almost through with the year, I'm damn glad!

I come from a long line of underachievers. Our family motto: "When good enough, is good enough."

I make sure to set that bar low enough so every day is a success. Check!

Quoted from JEStaats I felt bad for not participating in 2020 goal setting. Now that we're almost through with the year, I'm damn glad! I come from a long line of underachievers. Our family motto: "When good enough, is good enough." I make sure to set that bar low enough so every day is a success. Check!

You’re a wise man, John.

Very funny, John, and I agree!

I try to stay off these threads cause promises, promises...

Mine is simple :

To write a feature length screenplay. Finally.
That'd be nice.

P.S. Just noticed Gary's comment from June (above).
Hope you're doing okay, mate. Thinking of you.

I don't think anything has changed since I reviewed these halfway through the year...

Quoted Text Okay, time to set some goals... 1) Crowd fund the first 3 issues of the Shaka comic. Issue #1 set to hit Kickstarter in March. 3 was ambitious especially with COVID, but it looks like issue 1 will fund which means issue 2 will happen and we should get it up before the end of the year. 2) Enter all 2020 OWC's. Zero entered to date, actually entered one but pulled the script on the first day because I couldn't commit to reading. 3) Finish at least one feature, be it one in progress or a new one completely. Not even close 4) Write my first pilot ever. Nope 5) Have one short produced.  Completed!! A New Present was filmed and looks amazing, even if I say so myself. It even had a song written specifically for it by Dutch musician Alain Clark. I have it stuck in my head constantly. Also had The Painter produced. Pretty similar goals to last year but I think they cover most bases in terms of writing and content creation. I'm super excited about what this year might hold. Good luck everyone, hopefully it's a productive 2020.

I actually had another short produced, The Painter, but God damn it was bad.

Also had two shorts filmed in Nigeria, still yet to see the finished products.

And Issue 2 of the Shaka comic will be out in 2021.

That's all, not overly productive but still had some good things happening.

Quoted from MarkRenshaw My main focus is to get the Cyborn novel published and an agent. I'm gathering lists (checking them twice) and sending out query letters. I'll also be looking for network/pitching sessions I can go to. I will continue with writing screenplays. I'm prepping The Broken Kingdom TV pilot and Bible for pitching at the London Screenwriting Festival in April.

Well, what a year. Despite COVID I did try with all my heart to do this above. I spent months querying around 300 literary agents and publishers. Lots of rejections, even more no replies and then suddenly I had three requests for the full manuscript. Several months and a lockdown passed with me biting my nails, but ultimately they turned it down saying they loved the book, they just didn't think they could sell it. Sci-fi comedies are just not popular it seems. I may look into self-publishing next year. Vanity, yes, but I've spent over three years now writing Cyborn (the short, the feature, the novel and then trying to get it published) so even if no-one buys it, it's going out there somehow!

Despite everything, I had a good year. I sold three options for actual cash, two shorts have been filmed. One in Mexico, the other (Atoll's Edge) in New Jersey. Both directors have been quiet in post-production, which isn't usually a good sign, but I will reach out to them in the New year and see how they are getting on.

I wrote loads of shorts, a feature and I'm just finishing off a one-hour TV pilot. I got an email yesterday from a guy who claims he's been working on The Batman and Mission Impossible this year and he's interested in a few of my short scripts. I haven't had time to check this out (and of course I'm dubious about his claims) but a lead is a lead.

And today, got an email letting me know my short comedy Geriatricks (which is on this site) won 2nd place in The Red Script competition, which includes a cash prize and promotion. I'll take that!

Whatever you managed to do or not to do this year, it was enough. Give yourselves a pat on the back for making it in one piece and here's to a better, brighter new year my friends.

Quoted from Warren And Issue 2 of the Shaka comic will be out in 2021.

Where can I pick up a signed copy of issue #1?

Quoted from AnthonyCawood My goals are same as Libby and Pia's... as outside of a few shorts I was pretty unproductive last year and made a bunch of crap excuses as to why. Oh and be more regular on here in terms of contribution and on the Opportunity posts which have been somewhat Ad Hoc of late

2020 started awfully, lockdown completely f*cked me up mentally and I couldn't find any motivation to write... then an OWC and Challenge turned that on it's head and I think I've finished the year with 20 new shorts and 1 feature completed this year.

Have sold/optioned about 6 shorts this year so far, though don't think any have been completed in 2020, perhaps not that surprising.

I've added a few more to the Opportunities posts, done 5 more interviews, reviewed a script and re-written half my screenwriting Articles too - so productive on that front too.

2021 I'd like to finish my WW1 Horror feature, complete one other and finish my kids TV pilot.

All the best to all for the new year!

I don't even want to read what my goals were for this year. Whatever they were, I'm sure it didn't involve not writing and instead paint the house and build, Tiki bar, isolate myself, and not seeing my family.

I did option a handful of shorts but have not kept contact with them, so have no clue what the status is on those. I have two directors waiting for Desert Tears, but I still couldn't muster up the energy to finish the rewrite.

Conclusion: I have poor self-discipline and when under stress, I like to paint?  

Quoted from Grandma Bear I don't even want to read what my goals were for this year. Whatever they were, I'm sure it didn't involve not writing and instead paint the house and build, Tiki bar, isolate myself, and not seeing my family. I did option a handful of shorts but have not kept contact with them, so have no clue what the status is on those. I have two directors waiting for Desert Tears, but I still couldn't muster up the energy to finish the rewrite. Conclusion: I have poor self-discipline and when under stress, I like to paint?

From my read - I thought you were at least 80% there - BRING IT HOME!

Even though I didn't set any goals for 2020, I look back and it really wasn't such a bad year:
- 4 Comics illustrated (Fibre of Being, Badman 3, Astral Plane, and In the Red) and another (Saints and Sinners) in the works;
- Off Grid produced as a podcast; and
- I was contacted by a high school English teacher in Dade County, FL, to do a ZOOM read of 'An Occurrence on Owl Street' with her students. That was a very interesting and fulfilling experience to openly discuss the subject matter and how it related to George Floyd where I was the only white person in 'the room.'

Yeah, not a bad year at all.

Quoted from JEStaats ... I was contacted by a high school English teacher in Dade County, FL, to do a ZOOM read of 'An Occurrence on Owl Street' with her students. That was a very interesting and fulfilling experience to openly discuss the subject matter and how it related to George Floyd where I was the only white person in 'the room.'..

Wow, John! That's something different.

Quoted from LC Wow, John! That's something different.

Yeah, it was pretty cool. I was able to steer the discussion away from racial to humanity as a whole. I won't lie, I was nervous as hell and had no idea what to expect. Loved it.