Kissing Frogs

I'm a Star Trek fan - not at the Trekkie level, but I often quote the Prime Directive and First Contact when it comes to letting people be themselves and trying not to disturb them. Up until this morning, I would almost have a panic attack at the thought of networking. I’m an introvert, but when the situation dictates, I can come out of my comfortable cocoon and transform into a social butterfly – but that was in a prior career when it meant survival.

I’m taking a course from the Hollywood Game Plan author Carole Kirschner, and last night’s bonus episode was The Ultimate Guide to Stress-Free Networking. Carole inspired a new perception of confidence and attitude about “getting out there.” Being a super techie, I created my Contacts database this morning to hold my Native American Media Alliance fellowship cohorts, along with the producers, agents, and managers with whom I have made “first contact.” I have 56 records so far. In my prior career, I had over 11,000 – so I have a ways to go.

Another homework assignment was to make a list of my screenwriting objectives, and my highest priority is to pitch my entry to Nicholl’s, Last Woman at The Austin Film Festival in late October. Like the producer of The Godfather, Allen Ruddy, I worked in technology before devoting myself full-time to screenwriting - and I like to write scripts about sci-fi and technology going wrong - or, as we like to say – “unexpected results.” I was lucky to learn the craft of screenwriting from the ultimate source of frightening Sci-Fi: Jack B. Sowards, who wrote Star Trek II - The Wrath of Khan. He was my instructor during my Advanced Screenwriting Program at UCLA. I don’t know the name of those things that went in the ear that ate the brains in that movie, but this blog is about frogs. Yes, frogs.

I was born and raised in California; my mother’s family moved to Anaheim in the late 1800s. I grew up in Escondido, and when we’d go to Disneyland, my parents couldn’t tell me because I’d get so excited - I’d throw up. I’m that big of a Disney fan.  I think it was a Disney movie that coined the phrase, “You have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find Prince Charming.”

A few years ago, I wanted to sell my software company and write full-time.  I met with 24 companies that wanted to buy mine - but things never worked out. I’d tell my husband, “Well - that was another frog.”   I had pretty much given up until one day, an investor asked me to call a young man who was getting started in the business and needed help.  Networking – oh no!  I didn’t want to help a competitor - and all this frog-kissing and running my company was stressing me out - but I did it anyway. We had a wonderful chat.

It was a shock to discover that we had attended the same high school in Escondido - even though we ran companies thousands of miles away - in opposite directions. Even weirder was when I heard his last name, and we figured out his father was my brother’s best friend.  It got even stranger - the next month, we were each returning to Escondido - it was his grandmother’s 90th birthday and my parent’s wedding anniversary.  We agreed to meet, and he ended up being the prince I was looking for, and even though I’m not uber-rich - his company bought out my stock by paying me enough each month to enable me to write full-time. Now I’m looking for a princess or prince to be my manager, agent, publisher, and/or producer, - so I’m ready to start networking and pucker up to kiss more frogs!