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Breaking News! (and some archives)
Read My LiveJournal for Current News.
It's so much easier to make updates there. But I will continue to post the big news here too. Please visit zainybrain.livejournal.com.
DARK BLOOD in QuarterFinals in Final Draft Contest
Top 500 in 2500 submissions for 2007/08. I also got to send it to producer Andy Cohen with Grade A Entertainment, and to Seth Lockhart, agent/ manager with Creative Instinct.
Associate Producer Gig
I took a development job (meaning: getting the script story into shape and assisting with casting) with Bright Shining City. The psycholological suspense screenplay, DEEPER & DEEPER, was written by local playwright and indie-award -winning actress, Cyndi Williams, from a story by Mariusz Kotowski. Production is scheduled for May/June 2008. It's fun work!
Pola Negri Biography Project
I took on an editing project in November 2007 for Mariusz Kotowski, producer and director of a documentary on mysterious but uber-famous and talented actress of silent movies, Pola Negri. His company Bright Shining City Productions produced the documentary, and he and co-writer created a bio on the fascinating woman -- who was born in Poland but lived the final years of her life right in Texas. Mariusz gave me editing credit on the title page, too!
San Diego Film Festival 2007 Networking
Because I was a reader/judge for the American Screenwriters Assn screenplay contest, I got to attend the conference and film festival. Networked with some of the classiest people in the screenwriting craft industry, and hoped to get some business going with some of them. And I did indeed get notes (great ones!) back on HEAVEN & NELL from Andy Cohen, producer with Grade A Entertainment.
HEAVEN & NELL is a Second-Rounder at SlamDance, Cynosure & Writers Network 2007
Three screenwriting contests this year chose HEAVEN & NELL as one of the top 10%. SlamDance is pretty well known. But Cynosure is a less famous contest with a good cause -- promoting more scripts with female or minority protagonists. So, woo hoo! Austin Heart of Film this year, for the first time, didn't second-round me. I entered it in the comedy category, and while it's humorous, it's not got a "yuck a page" that a comedy script needs. I'm working on one a'them for next year. Plus then Writers Network selected it as a semi-finalist.
Teaching at DilloCon Again, 2007
In 2007, Patrice Sarath and Jayme Blaschke coordinated the writers' workshop at ArmadilloCon. I was a pro teacher again and one of two instructors giving a special lecture.
THE CUNNING MAN Got to Second Round at Heart of Film 2006
Based on a friend's advice, I'm entering multiple scripts into the good, reputable screenwriting contests. So that's why THE CUNNING MAN got another quarter-finalist award (i.e., top 10 percent) at Austin Heart of Film. I only did a Saturday panel badge this year, but with my group, Austin Screenwriters, I got to host an evening with Daryl Freimark of New Line Cinemas, and then take Hollywood producer, Curtis Burch, to dinner.
HELLO OFFICER is Filmed by Big Plume Productions
The short script I dashed off in an hour earlier this year completed filming in the Clarksville area of Austin 2005 Oct 15-16. We ran about 3.5 hours of film for what will be a 10 minute short! Producer/director was Angela Lee of FilmAustin.us. It was quite an experience -- especially since I was the Script Supervisor. It went well, and looks pretty funny. Big props to the folks who acted and crewed, all for pizza, tshirts and deferred payment. Once it's edited we hope to get it accepted to some film festivals. More on the experience and some photos at my blog, here and here.
HEAVEN & NELL a Second Rounder at HoF
Just got notified that my script was one of the second round winners (top 10%, usually) at the Heart of Film Screenwriting Contest for 2005. Now my badge at the conference next month will have that on it!
Best Little PitchFest in Texas - July 2005
My screenplay HEAVEN & NELL was one of the 10 finalists in the "First Fifteen Pages" contest at this event (didn't win, though). I got to pitch to 10 Hollywood producers and agents, and am sending scripts to six of them. Woo-hoo!
The Black Mother - Featured on RevolutionSF.com
I always liked this hard science fiction story -- it sold to the first market I sent it to (Analog), plus it won the Galaxy Fair Short Story Contest years go. It combines necro-zoology, the goddess Kali, and an animal preserve in Nepal. Fall 2003 it got a new life as a "classic reprint" on RevolutionSF.com. Neat picture too! Read it here.
French Version of Anthology is Released
The adult fairytale anthology Snow White, Blood Red that has my story "Little Red" was just reprinted yet again (it's never gone out of print since 1993) -- in France! It was a trip to get Blanche Neige, rouge sang in the mail! Since I can read French, a little (un petit peu), I could tell the translation was very fine. For instance, the title of my story in French is "Carmina." Cool!
Selected Wendy Appearances
Convention
August 15-17,
2008
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ArmadilloCon30 Science Fiction Convention and Workshop in Austin, Texas, at the DoubleTree Hotel. I'll be on some panels about writing and filmmaking. Sadly, despite many years of working on the writers' workshop, I was royally snubbed by the person who took on running it this year. More about the event at www.armadillocon.org |
Awards Banquet
April 24-26, 2008
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The Nebula 2008 Awards Banquet is in Austin in 2008. I'll be there, hanging out at the Omni Hotel bar and loitering downtown to do networking. Nothing from me is nominated for an award -- this year! |
Conference & Film Festival
September 27-30,
2007
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San Diego Film Festival + American Screenwriters Assn Conference in San Diego. I get to do the conference for free because I was a judge for the screenwriters' contest this year. More about the event at www.sdff.org. |
Convention & Workshop
August 10-12,
2007
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ArmadilloCon29 Science Fiction Convention and Workshop in Austin, Texas. I'll teach in the writers' workshop and be on some panels. More about the event at www.armadillocon.org |
Convention
November 9-12,
2006
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The World Fantasy Convention was in Austin, Texas. I was moderator of a panel (just one, but lucky to get that, what with all the truly famous people coming in) on creating memorable supporting characters. Other panelists with me included Dave Duncan, Melanie Rawn and John Moore. I also had lovely houseguests for the week -- Charles deLint and MaryAnn Harris. Read about it at www.fact.org/wfc2006 |
Convention & Workshop
August 19-21,
2005
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ArmadilloCon27 Science Fiction Convention and Workshop in Austin, Texas. In addition to panels at the convention, Jennifer Evans and I coordinated another one-day workshop on Friday, August 19th. It was to be the last of a line of very successful workshops as Jennifer retired from workshopping and so I did too. We were very lucky to have some awesome pro writers and editors volunteer to read and teach. The roster included Jim Minz, Charles deLint, Deborah Chester, Martha Wells, Sean McMullen, and more! This was especially unusual in that Charles deLint does very few teaching gigs at all; we were honored.
I also did my first reading at an ArmadilloCon, well, actually a table reading of a script. Friends in the audience read the parts from a screenplay "Perfect Beauty" based on my horror story in Gorezone. Read the latest at http://www.fact.org/dillo/writers.htm |
Mythic Journeys Conference, Atlanta
June 9-11, 2006
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Another incredible event where writers, poets, artists, dream tenders, Jungian psychologists, and more convene to honor of Joseph Cambell and the power of myth. The Mythic Journeys event was partly founded by people in Intersticial Arts, which includes Jane Yolen, Terri Windling, Delia Sherman, and Ellen Kushner. This year I arrived Wednesday night for the whole, extended, more private pre-conference. I was blessed by Don Fernando, a Mayan shaman! They'll have these every two years. More info and photos on my LiveJournal blog. |
Workshop
August 8,
2004
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ArmadilloCon25 Writers Workshop -- Jennifer Evans and I coordinated this SF/F/H workshop again. This year we had
almost 45 people participate! I was also a panelist at the con, and especially enjoyed talking time travel on a panel with Dr. Vernor Vinge, and how about how Hollywood treats SF writers on a panel with Joe Lansdale. |
WLT Class on Writing
April 24, 2004
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Writers League of Texas classes - I taught a well-received class on writing craft for the Writers League of Texas. |
Mythic Journeys Conference, Atlanta
June 4-7, 2004
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Wow, what a weekend! I met writers, poets, artists, dream tenders, Jungian psychologists, and more at an incredible conference on the 100th anniversary of Joseph Cambell's birth. The Mythic Journeys event was partly founded by people in Intersticial Arts, which includes Jane Yolen, Terri Windling, Delia Sherman, and Ellen Kushner. I made some new friends and hooked up with old ones. The workshops, the dialogs, the music circles. It was wonderful! More info and photos on my LiveJournal blog. |
About Me, Wendy Wheeler
I was born with a clown face -- a big wide grin, round blue eyes, naturally yellow & curly hair, a roly-poly body -- that seems to give me amazing Kid-Fu. I received a Bachelors of Fine Arts from the University of Texas, with most of a minor in Zoology. Ironically, my vocation and avocation is writing. By day I write marketing communications and manage media relations for CSC, one of the largest computer services companies in the world. By night I write my own fiction and screenplays, teach classes, design games, and more. I've become more political over the years, and have marched for peace, done fund-raising and activist activities for the environment and human rights, etc.
What I have not done: illustrated cookbooks, painted tiles, or designed posters. That is a different Wendy Wheeler who must be in her mid 60's by now. I think she lives on the West Coast (California or Washington), and I don't have an email address for her.
Science Fiction & Fantasy Conventions
Being a published SF/F/H writer is fun! Science fiction readers are among the most literate, educated, tech-enabled readers in th world. I like that! The fandom community is also so organized and committed. Did you know you can find a SF/F convention somewhere in the USA on almost any weekend? Right here in Austin is one of the best groups -- FACT, the Fandom Association of Central Texas.
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