Why Writing A Short Story CAN and DOES Lead To New Opportunities
Author, screenwiter and past Talent Camper Mark Renshaw just posted about a recent thrilling journey that began with a short story he wrote – we don’t know which, but it could well be the one he wrote for Singularity50.
Here’s what he said…
Sharing this as the whole insane opportunity came about because I had managed to get a few short stories traditionally published.
I’m so glad I can finally talk about this. It’s been insane keeping my lips sealed, but now that the trailer is out I can spill some of the beans.
A couple of years ago, the company behind the Netflix TV show Love, Death & Robots (Blur Studio) got in touch with me. I thought it was a scam at first. They said Tim Miller, the director of Deadpool, had read some of my published short stories and wanted to invite me to pitch ideas for an exciting new series they were developing for Prime Video. I was like, yeah right.
Turns out it was legit.
I had to sign an NDA which is why I had to keep quiet when I wanted to scream it across the multiverse! The show was to be called Secret Level, an anthology of animated stories based on some of the biggest gaming franchises in the world.
I accepted and spent the next few months being paid to pitch ideas for an episode. I was sent materials about the IP, secret exclusive info that I’m still not allowed to reveal due to the NDA and I was to come up with as many ideas as possible. The deal was if they picked my pitch (and several authors had been invited) I’d then get a commission to write it as a short story and they would then adapt it into a screenplay and produce it as an episode.
I sent my pitches and then disaster struck. Blur Studio could not get clearance from the franchise I was working on and they dropped the episode. My heart sank. I thought my shot at the moon was lost.
A few weeks later they got back in touch saying they really liked my pitches and there was one episode left. I was invited to pitch again, so I dived back in.
The IP I was working on was outside my comfort zone but I loved the entire experience and I was proud of the ideas I pitched.
I’d love to be here telling you they picked one of mine and my episode will be in the show, but alas they went with another author’s pitch. It broke my heart. The head of development at Blur Studio sent me an email to say they really liked my work and would consider me for future projects, which was nice of them.
For a few months I was being paid to work on my dream job and I loved every single second of it. The teaser trailer for Secret Level is above and it is due out on Amazon in December.
Filmmaker, author, screenwriter and founder of Twisted50. Currently directing splinter unit on Mission: Impossible 8.
