I've been pondering the wisdom of sending the 10-draft outline, 2nd-written draft of my screenplay to a contest. I think it's going to take at least 3 more written drafts to get my screenplay to a final draft state, and 3 drafts is really an optimistic number. But entering my screenplay into a contest is the only way to measure how I stand up to the competition. Sending the secreenplay out into the world is a also a good place to end the project and move on to my other types of writing.

I'm looking forward to starting Nanowrimo in November and I even have a new novel idea. The working title to my new novel will be "The Crow Priestess". It's about an 18 year old superstar head priestess of an ancient tribe, and her rise and fall from power. This will be my first attempt at fantasy type literature, and I am so looking forward to it. I won't have to deal with conventions of reality. I will be able to create this wild and fantastical world where magical creatures exist and people can do fun magical stuff. I can make my characters literally as big and powerful as I want them to be, or small and insignificant as insects.

My 18 year old superstar priestess will be betrayed by her fellow priestesses, who crave her power. I see the novel as study in power, and how it affects people. People who want power but don't have it, people who have power and don't care about it, and people who want power and will do do anything including murder to get it. My teenage superstar priestess has an ancient family secret, which is the source of her power and her abilities. She has been sworn never to reveal it, but the power of her position goes to her head and she ends up revealing the secret. Pride is her downfall, and it will cost her the head priestess position and practically her life. I decided that I didn't want to kill her off at the end, but she will be left at the end to ponder very painfully the consequences of her actions.

Isn't that more of a fun plot than my silly family drama baseball screenplay? I would have given up on the screenplay a long time ago, if I didn't have this crazy urge to finish it. By October 31st, the baseball screenplay will be done, sent off and out of my hands, and I am so looking forward to that day.