I feel a bit like those show-off athletes that run super goofy and slow at the end of a race they're positive they'll win with these submissions trickling down one every couple of days. Normally I'll have a week or so in between huge submission purges, where I'll knockout five to ten a day, for 3-4 days depending on how many submission opportunities I have stashed away. I find these days wonderful breaks from writing and rewriting, as they take very different parts of the brain. And, I always feel very accomplished busting out that many submissions so close together. This month is a little different as I have SO much writing and reading to get done, I have a lot less opportunity to take a day off just for submissions. Even so, submissions still pop up, and I've still got to knock ‘em down, so here we are picking them off one by one.
Submission number 392 was sent to one of my favorite Bay Area companies. They don't take uninvited submissions, so I emailed the artistic director about my play RIPPED asking if they'd like to read the play. I think it's a great fit for them, and I tried to sell it as best I could and, it worked! I got an email back today (same day!) telling me they'd love to read it, and so off it was sent.
Seeing lots and lots of plays, knowing what theaters are looking for, and knowing where your work fits, it's a huge part of the job. By doing all that leg work you gain insight that makes it more likely for you to get a positive response to what is the email equivalent of a cold call. It's a shot in the dark that anything'll come of it, but my foot is every so slightly more in their door now, and that's a great thing.
And now sleep and then back to writing for me. This new draft of Burst is kicking my butt, but I've gotta get it done tomorrow. I will get it done tomorrow. I know I can, I know I can, I know I can…