Last week, my screenplay In Mind We Trust, the sequel to Justice Is Mind, won the prestigious Hemingway Award at the LA Live Film Festival. To quote the festival, “We have many winners for category and genre for feature-length screenplays, only one yearly will win the ‘Hemingway Award’, our most coveted award for literary works of art in the form of a screenplay. ‘In Mind We Trust’ is one of those impactful screenplays that remind us of the importance of storytelling in literature.”  This award was truly one of the highlights of my career.

Writing a screenplay, never mind a sequel, is an arduous task. I remember clearly when I decided to write the sequel to what I thought would be a one-off story. It was around the time that Cunard selected Justice Is Mind to have its international premiere on the MS Queen Elizabeth. That news, combined with a couple of friends stating they wanted to know what happened to the characters, and before I knew it, I was feverishly putting together this complex story that was far more expansive than Justice Is Mind.

When I wrote Justice Is Mind, it was written with the idea that it could be reasonably produced on a micro budget with a dedicated cast and crew. Thankfully, that was accomplished. However, In Mind We Trust is a greatly expanded story. While it centers on the Miller family, it travels from the Miller farm to Washington, D.C., and Berlin, Germany. The story also bounces back and forth from World War II to the present. I’m hoping that now In Mind We Trust has received such a coveted award as the Hemingway, combined with the other awards the screenplay has received, that it will attract some attention from the production community. 

One thing that In Mind We Trust and some of my other screenplays have going for them is that they are wholly original in content.  From the First World Universe (First Signal) to SOS United States to Serpentine and In Mind We Trust, each offers something different to audiences that are yearning for original content. I know I always love discovering new films or TV series (I highly recommend The Diplomat and Unforgotten). I would much rather invest the time in some new IP (intellectual property) than see a remake or reboot of something that was probably excellent in its original form. Side note: They never should have remade Rebecca. The original is a classic!

For now, I remain thankful and appreciative to the juries that have selected my work. The selection alone is an honor, but winning an award is more than just icing on the cake; it signifies that the work matters in the broader context of original storytelling.  The LA Live Film Festival continued their review with, “’In Mind We Trust’ has all of the ingredients that make up a very special story. The dramatic structure in this award-winning story is conveyed with integrity, from composition to conflict, climax, and denouement; this story has it all tied together flawlessly.” Those words brought brightness to a day that started off relatively cloudy.

When I think about it, I’ve been a creative writer since junior high. I remember those early days when an idea would come to mind, and before I knew it, I was typing along on my mother’s electric typewriter. I honestly had no idea that a childhood hobby would turn into writing and producing original stories. Being a creative writer is not easy work. It’s one thing to do the writing, it’s another to have it officially recognized by your peers.  The days are long, there are far more rejections than acceptances, and the waiting seems to be endless. But then, hopefully, you find yourself suddenly in the light, thanking those who recognized the hard work.

For those of you who have always wanted to write a story, don’t let anything get in your way. Just start writing. Put your thoughts on paper. Your first draft will not be perfect, but at least you have committed your idea to the written word.

First word.