I don't think I'm going to attend the screenwriter's group anymore. It's a group where members are assigned parts and do a cold reading of other members' scripts. Most of the members are actors, but you'd never know it.

It's painful to hear these so-called actors butcher my work: They mispronounce the words , they step on the jokes, they totally disregard my punctuation. I swear, they must think the punctuation marks are just there to make the text look pretty.

Not only can't they act, they can't even read!

I entered a revised version of "Bordertown" in the Slamdance Screenplay Contest. I received pretty good coverage from them for my previous script "Jilted." The script didn't win a prize, but I'm hopeful that "Bordertown" will fare better this time. I also entered the Final Draft's Big Break screenplay contest. Lord know I could use a break.

I'm getting tons of activity on inktip. Today alone my script received nine log line views (including one from the William Morris Agency), plus one synopsis view and one script view. I'm glad I uploaded my revised script yesterday.

I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much. Lord knows, I've been disappointed before, but I have to be somewhat optimistic. There appears to be something about my script that's attracting industry attention.

I'm starting to see new activity on inktip.com. Someone from the production company of Darren Grant' (director of "Diary of a Mad Black Woman) just read my logline for "Bordertown."

I'd be so happy if someone just options it. I really believe in this script and, lord knows, I put my heart into it.

I listed my latest script on inktip,com, where writers list log lines, treatments, synopses and scripts for producers to read. Mostly, the producers just look at the log line postings, but in the last two weeks two producers downloaded my script.

I'm not getting my hopes up too much, but I can't help but be a little encouraged.

I think I'm going to take down my submission, "Bordertown," from TriggerStreet.com.

I'm not getting many thoughtful, well-reasoned reviews, so what's the point of leaving it up? Well, actually it's gone beyond that. They're actually panning it. In fact, there are some comments that might actually be considered flaming.

Why do people have to be like that? They could just say they don't like it. They don't have to be mean about it.

It looks like I'm never going to sell my screenplays. Hell, I can't even get anyone to read them.

Oh well, maybe I'll try again to get some short stories published.

I just posted my feature film screenplay on TriggerStreet.com, the Kevin Spacey-founded online writer-community site. I think you have to register to read the scripts, but you can do so for free. In any case, I invite everyone to read the script and give me your impressions. You can even review it on the site.

As for finding the script on TriggerStreet.com, you shouldn't have trouble. It's called "Bordertown" and my TriggerStreet screen name is jg1453.

We read my screenplay "Bordertown" at the Long Island Screenwriters Group. The group, mostly comprised of actors, read members' scripts aloud and comment on them.

It didn't go quite as well as I hoped. For one thing, they all found it difficult to read. The script contains a lot of unfamiliar words and Spanish words. They had a lot of trouble just pronouncing them.

As for their impression, they generally liked it (some parts got some pretty good laughs), though the end of the selection didn't get the response I hoped for. I meant it to end in a strong "act out" (in TV, the dramatic event, cliffhanger, etc. occurring right before the commercial). The selection of the script didn't have the great pay-off I thought it would, probably because it was a cold reading and the script just wasn't read well.

I finally decided to participate and now it's even worse: You have to read four scripts, all of which are assigned! I'm just in a masochistic mood, I guess. And make no mistake, these scripts are bad. They're not even written in proper screenplay form, which really bothers me, since it shows laziness. It doesn't take long to learn--not if you're willing to make an effort.

There's a great book, David Trottier's "Screenwriter's Bible," that tells you everything you need to know: when to write all caps, the difference between a series of shots and a montage, etc. You can learn it all by looking at the sample screenplay he provides in the book.

I just read a script form a guy who's been a TriggerStreet member for four years and the script wasn't even close to being written in proper screenplay form. That's why it pisses me off that my own scripts are overlooked. They may not be artistic masterpieces, but they do tell a story and they are in correct screenplay form--a form I made the effort to learn.