For those of us who have films or screenplays on FilmFreeway we wait patiently to receive an email that says “Judging Status has changed…” Once received, we will know in moments if our project was accepted or declined. There is that moment of anxiety that flashes over, particularly from a festival that you want to be accepted into, right before you hit click to open the email.

As with all screenwriters and filmmakers, I’ve had my fair share of “Not Selected” notifications; it’s simply part of the process. We don’t create our projects for participation trophies; we create them because we enjoy the work and hone our skills in the process. But it’s always a delight when one of these notifications congratulates us on our project being accepted. This past week, I was pleased to receive one of those emails when the Roshani International Film Festival awarded Serpentine Best Script. A few days later, this figure skating political thriller won Silver in the Best Script category at the MegaFlix Movie Awards.

When I first wrote Serpentine, I had no idea that a political thriller rooted in international intrigue and government conspiracies set in the world of figure skating would resonate the way it has. I think what makes the story appealing is that so many look at the sport as a beautiful-to-watch, genteel activity laced with an undercurrent of spy networks that would be the envy of every intelligence apparatus around the world.  Imagine an intelligence network embedded in a global sports system that doesn’t have a headquarters or a name, with information largely exchanged by word of mouth.

One of the festivals that will shortly be announcing an award for Serpentine asked to screen the short film version, Serpentine: The Short Program, at their festival to complement the screenplay award. When I was preparing the film for the festival, I watched the short again from start to finish. There was a name that appeared in the opening credits that caused me to pause and reflect—Thomas J. McGinnis.

Tommy was one of the few mentors in my life whose guidance and lessons in my early years I not only still employ today, but have instilled in others. For Tommy was a true renaissance figure in the sport. From his legendary coaching and choreography career to his dedication to the sport through his work with the former Professional Skaters Association. It was Tommy who saw me in 1993 give a presentation about a dream I had to publish a magazine titled International Figure Skating. With his investment and related introductions, the magazine soon became the world’s largest for the sport.

For years after International Figure Skating, Tommy and I always remained in touch. When he heard I was developing Serpentine, he reached out immediately. It was in 2016, and Tommy’s health was failing, but the sparkle and light in his eyes at the possibility of something new in figure skating always brightened his day. Indeed, there’s no question in my mind that Tommy is watching all of his former students, including this one, and guiding us on our respective journeys wherever they may take us. If there was one takeaway from the years I knew him, it was this—in life there will be highs and lows; for the highs, be thankful; for the lows, just stand up and try again.

I leave you with one of Tommy’s words of wisdom: “Be available, but not too available.”