First off, thanks to all who’ve hung in with my silent blog. Work, life and flu took me off the grid – not for the first time, and probably not for the last.

There is a lot of news to share – most of it pending, but what I can divulge is that yesterday marked the release of the new ScreenwritingU Newsletter with yours truly as Newsletter editor. There’s been some behind-the-scenes work on this venture for some time; I cannot tell you how honored I felt when Cheryl and Hal first reached out to me. ScreenwritingU is an incredible organization, and, when the news was released yesterday, the positive response was overwhelming – Twitter, Facebook and my various emails runneth over with good cheer and love. I cannot wait for the next issue, and look forward to a long and happy residence in this new writing home.

I’m a writer. I write about writing – mainly from the POV of a woman trying to break into filmmaking, while struggling to thrive in the City of Angels.

You know what? I’m not an expert. I hope I never will be.

When I was a little girl, I went to a pediatrician named Dr. Vandiver. He was a kind soul; he always attempted to hide the fearful needle behind his coat (although the very sight of him walking with his right hand behind his coat announced the terrible syringe). He loved clowns (I forgive him for that), and in my favorite exam room, he had a wonderful piece of framed art – a print of Czech artist Jaro Hess’ “Land of Make Believe.”

The Land of Make Believe by Jaro Hess

I suppose it is a piece that could give children nightmares; I thought it was cool. Here, you could find Little Miss Muffet and the spider; here was the spot where Rip Van Winkle fell into his lengthy slumber. Rapunzel was locked in her tower, and the cat played an eternal fiddle.

At the edge of the world was water – and darkness, and a warning: This Way There Be Dragons.

This way, there be dragons. The perfect metaphor for writing a script.

Every time I type Fade In: I do so as a new babe. The world is new. The characters are new. I may be writing in a new genre, or tackling a new visual form. My expertise flies out the window, and there I am, on the edge of the darkness, wondering if the dragons will come.

Ouroboros, anyone?

I’m battling dragons now. I’ve been working on some rewrites for others, while working on my own piece that will *hopefully* go into production soon. It is a short, not a feature, and I can assure you that writing a 9 page short is as difficult as writing a 90 page feature. Sometimes, I think it is harder, for the amount of information you have to condense in such a short block can be overwhelming. And yet, I’m here, sending pages to my partner, trying to feel my way through the world, in the dark, and wondering if on the path that I tread, there be dragons.

Now, go write.

HRH, Princess Scribe