My name is Shawnte Lawrence.There's a lot that's been on my mind. The biggest thing is my struggle to get help to get my work out there. I have come along way on life and a lot of things I'm ashamed of. Growing up in a abusive, drug addicted home made it easy for me to be a product of the streets. I became a elementary school dropout and ganged banged during school hours. I found myself involved in much deeper things when becoming a teenager and was 19 years old in prison. There was so much mentally wrong with me and everyone ignored my cries,pleas and anything that could possibly get me better. After being in a abusive relationship myself and also having four children before that relationship my life was down on the dumps. Everyday became a struggle for me wanting to live and the killing thing is that I wanted change. One day sat on my couch crying as usual and just wanted to tell someone about my pain, the way I was feeling. Then there was a part of me that was living in a fantasy to escape the pain and the realities of my life. I picked up a notebook and wrote until I couldn't write any more. Every character felt so alive because the character had some sort of me in him/her. After completing my first book I found that my visions of my books were in movie form and I wanted more than anything to show people the real visual of this characters life. In a short time I was writing movie scripts. In between time I went back to school now having my degree in business, been trouble free, the guy I was in the relationship for eleven years left me for my sister. I'm still a single mother but doing a lot better emotionally. I've gotten the run around so much that my feeling have been pretty much down about film. I've prayed real hard and I know they're great films. I try not to question God but I wonder why life has been so hard on me at times. I've done a complete turn around and have been for the last thirteen years. I don't have any money for the film, I don't know anyone that will give me the money, no one in my family is rich, I don't have friends with money. I've been fighting hard to stay encouraged and earlier I was going to give up but something in my heart told me to try reaching out on here. I have great projects , no money, but will work my tail to the bone and open minded about everything. PLEASE HELP ME SOMEBODY. Thank in advance. If anyone would like to contact me feel free 810-922-1134
Introduce Yourself : Help please by Shawnte Lawrence
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Stay strong. Try to write some short stories and post them online - we live in a world now where anything is possible thanks to the internet. The woman who wrote 50 SHADES OF GREY (which is currently shooting at Universal) started out writing TWILIGHT fan fiction(!) and she made Forbes list of highest earners last year(!!) As for money to make a movie, if I read your post correctly, you're a writer... so money to make the film isn't your concern. Check out the Black List, or Inktip or one of the myriad sites designed to help you get your work in front of the people who can get it made. If it's great, it'll rise above. But I caution you... only put it out there when you know it's great. Not perfect, but great. Perfect will come when producers, directors and actors come in with notes on how to make it better. Give your stuff to people who are impartial - and who will be hard on you. DO NOT give it to your supporters... they (particularly if they know your past) will be afraid to send you "down in the dumps" again. They'll placate you and make you THINK it's ready... and it may not be. Re-write. Refine. Polish. Then find some people who aren't afraid to hurt your feelings. Once you've done that, and you've re-written it again... and again... register with the Writers Guild... and get it online. Good luck!
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If your scripts have females in a strong lead role, I'd be interested in having a look at what you have. passionmediaproductions@gmail.com in my email. I can't promise I will like them but if I do like it we can negotiate some sort of agreement.
If you have a script, get it read and critiqued. After rewrites, you could and probably should enter it into reputable competitions. Another resource is IndieGoGo or Kickstarter for crowd funding, but first, make sure your script reads well. A lot of people will rely on it to guide them through the movie.
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Keep your chin up Shawnte remember these things: You need to be strong, watch out for sharks ,the waters are full of them and they prey on weakness. Take advantage of offers of help. You have two women willing to read your work- take them up on it. Success can happen overnight, but the spoils go to those who persevere. You're running a marathon and not a sprint. I wrote a blog about my journey maybe it will help you. Blessings. http://tinkbcoffeecopictures.blogspot.com
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I would really like to help you, and get your films made. Can I read your script? artsotelo2121@gmail.com
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I pray you find the right people to help you with your story. It sounds like a good one. God has a plan just keep looking to him for the answers. He will guide you. sometimes our struggles seem never ending. I believe that is Satan trying to interfere. Hold strong to what you believe and God will put things in place.
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You put your heart on your sleeve and its hemorrhaging. I know sometimes you have to tell people exactly where you're coming from to get what you need. But you never want to put yourself in a situation to be seen as a charity case. Present your strongest case of what you're able to professionally offer. Try to keep home life scenarios to yourself. I'm not trying to sound cruel. But you painted a vivid picture of yourself and people judge by book covers. Are you a NY Times best seller or a limited print self-published author? Perception is crucial in a image conscious business. Don't "tell" your hand before the first card is played.
@Justine I not insensitive to a personal set of circumstances. I was more so commenting on portraying yourself in a non-flattering light.
A flattering light is for me a lie, it paints a false image of who I am, I want to be honest, warts and all, I lived a lie for way too long, this took it's toll on my mental health, so from 2009 onwards, I have been brutally honest, I call it as it is, never going to try and fake it to make you see me in a better light, better now than if you hire me and I then reveal my true self, I have faults, I have flaws, I am honest, extremely hard working, dependable, take it or leave it...time for lying is in the past!!
we can only be your true authentic selves... that way people who meet us meet the real us... x:)
That is just the problem, the real me is simply not good enough, never will be, I do not meet the standard, I am a failure. I hoped I was not, look I tried, I made decisions, mostly bad ones, upset a planet full of people. Not everyone is happy, successful never has a bad day, once I am working, being creative, being useful, I am great, not going to bullshit anyone, that is over, that person died in 2009, and glad that person is dead, shit happened, I somehow survived world war 3 and 4 in my life, only to be beaten to a bloody pulp in ww5, all I have is me, and me alone, trying to shout out, help me, stop judging me on my past, but no, suffer you wretch, suffer, and when it is over, here have some more suffering....
it sounds like you have had a wealth of life ... and have reached a point of real honesty with yourself and with other people. Speaking only for myself, I have looked at my life many times and asked "who am I judging myself by?", and I managed after a long time and a lot of working on myself... to get to the realisation that I am good enough as I am, the past is the past, I move forwards. I don't have to take all my past with me into the future. I can work on myself and leave some of it behind.... but that's just me. I had to change my perception of myself. And then other people's perceptions didn't matter so much. But that's just me... everyone is different.
A wealth of life, what is that? Nope, 1 part time pathetic career, never done much, or been many places, poor as a church mouse, realized at age 34 I was nothing and heading for further more of the same, made the decision to change that, and in the end, I am worse for it, should not have made the decision I did in 2009, oh well. Wont do that next time around.
I'm almost certain I can't help you from Sydney but I wish you all the best. Sounds as if you have done your years the hard way.
The reason your not manifesting money is your attached to your story and playing a victim/ the why me attitude is a victim. Your not looking at it as all things for a reason and embracing your path, trauma, pain and otherwise. Instead your behaving as an energy siphon that is taking and telling negative stories and analyzing yourself as mentally unwell. If you can't accept yourself and your story, which by the way you are choosing to tell in the light that disempowers you, then you cannot accept others. You should erase your story and never waste anyone's time telling it again and tell a story of survival, Overcoming, and gratitude. Then people will want to work with you.
What??? Negative energy siphons??? Erase my story??? I know I will never be good enough, or have all the right skills to even get a chance. I accept that my career as pitiful and pathetic as it was is over, through no fault of my own, and I miss it, and the longer I am not active, the harder it becomes to get back, technology moves on, and being inactive I do not have access or the skills or more importantly the speed to even warrant submitting my resume, I sure hope no one here suffers this fate...
Justine, you are a true gothic. I applaud you for that.
Sounds like you got a great book inside of you! Good luck on your future endeavors.
Alle, this is good to know. I am writing a story about my daughter's and my journey. I personally like to watch stories about people's journey's more of them should be made.
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Thanks everyone for the responses. I have three scripts ready at the moment. Although I shared a little about my life I find my life being like so many others. With that being said a story of my life would be one heard of before so being a writers i use my imagination to develop a new story people really don't talk about. I'm a writer with a message.
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l will help you in any way I can. I am not a producer or a director but I have great insights. I am and actor and I would eventually like to produce/direct. Good luck with your project.
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Shawnte, send me a message here. Let's take a look at your work.