Melissa Birks's Lounge Discussions

Hi Sasha. Always impressed to hear of folks who are getting in the pitching room. Well done. Don't be shy about sharing your secrets! :)

Hi Sasha Gary! So glad you're here! What kind of stuff do you and your writing partner write?

Great to see you again, Sasha Gary. How is the pitching going?

Welcome to Stage 32! Feel free to send me your lifelines at success@stage32.com happy to make recommendations!

Always great to see you, Melissa. As you know, that finalist placement in our fellowship was no small feat. The competition was fierce!

Congratulations on being a finalist in the Stage 32 Feature Fellowship, Melissa Birks! :D What's your favorite historical fiction movie?

Great question, Maurice! Thanks for asking. A little dated, but I'm a huge fan of Schindler's List.

Congratulations Melissa, really excited to see where it takes you!

"Schindler's List" is a great choice, Melissa Birks! My favorite historical fiction movie is either "Gladiator" or "Braveheart."

"entirely by my sister-in-law with no help from me" Haha :D Congratulations on being a Finalist!

Yay! Congratulations!

Excellent! Thanks for planning, Emily!

Yelp is now saying Mixology at the Farmers Market has closed. The general Farmers Market hours on Saturday go until 9pm, so if you wanted to stay out later for drinks, maybe we could find another location. The two "bars" there are a bit divey. But the Farmer's Market is still a good place for outdoor dining, and plenty of dining options to choose from, though it's sometimes difficult to get a table to seat 6 or however many we have. I'm attaching a map of the Farmer's Market and clock tower for those who are unfamiliar.

Mage Lanz What about if instead of the market we did nearby at the Grove and made a res at Cheesecake Factory? I know that's not as fun since there's one of those everywhere, but this way we're guaranteed a spot and they have a 20 page menu of options. And as for drinking, I was thinking whoever wants to go out after can (I can drive and I know Christina is renting a car, or we can Uber somewhere like LaCienega, WeHo, or Cahuenga) but don't feel like they have to

Sure, I'm down for whatever, that one doesn't have outdoor dining though just FYI.

Just confirming... we're on for Cheesecake Factory at 3 pm on Saturday the 30th?

Thank you for creating the lounge! Only choosing one thing will take some more reflection. I will organize my thoughts and notes and respond to this as soon as it jumps out to me. I did love one sentence RB repeated in his talk when he said: Access is

Everything.

YAASSS! Everybody said it best. Character Character Character.

Conflict makes the story. Nothing should come easily to your protagonist

Zoanne: Make your plot twists surprising, ASK!, Take chances, work hard, never stop writing, be genuine both in your writing and as a person. Jen: Thread of the theme throughout the story, recognizing your characters wound and flaw leading to the momentum of the character and story, main character needs to be active and not passive.. RB: Importance of marketing, persistence, finish your BIO on Stage 32. Amanda: pitch pitch PITCH deck! Chris: "I talk a lot " :):):):) I know that doesn't sound like advice. But it is.

. did you record these Gilda? Brilliant. Haha love what you took from Chris.

Fantastic! Congratulations!

Congrats!

Congratulations!

Congratulations, Melissa!

My script was requested by David Harris. I'm thrilled. Echo Mitch Smith's "thank you" to Joey and the Stage 32 family for giving me this opportunity!

Fantastic news, Mitch, congratulations!

Good for you!!! Keep us posted!

Great job!!

Mitch, awesome!