Introduce Yourself : New to the scene, enter, stage right by David Allen Stumpf

Hey all, Pretty new to the stage 32 scene (member only about a month), so still trying to figure things out as I get my feet wet. Thanks for those who have requested to be added to my circle, if I haven't accepted yet, please be patient. I've always had a passion for writing, and decided to take it to the next level thanks to a new years resolution to write a screen play I had an idea for. The resolution was ten years ago, and finally got around to remembering the resolution and writing it around year five, but the key was eventually getting to it. Had no clue about format, form, or anything, just an idea and the drive to write, so I just dove in. Sent finished script to the Nicholl Screenwriting Competition after doing a little research, and with high hopes and a naivety only a virgin screenwriter has, promptly got rejected in the first round--welcome to the real world. Sometimes you need to be kicked in the teeth before you truly take a bite out of life, right? I had written about half of my second script at the time of the rejection, and was so devastated I didn't touch the second script for over a year. After a bit of self pity, decided to dive back in, found my motivation again, and finished the second script and sent it off to the Nicholl competition again. They obviously made a mistake rejecting the first one, right? This time, made it to the quarterfinals round, top 5%, and had 10-15 producers/production companies express interest and request script or logline, and felt vindicated, even though nothing ever came about beyond the requests. I even had one producer who was one of the readers for the competition request my contact info from the Nicholl committee and contact me personally by phone. I still remember jumping around the kitchen in excitement after hearing that on my answering machine. When I talked to him about my horror screenplay, I was so green and new nothing about how to pitch, he must have thought I was an idiot--but he was so patient and helpful. Although nothing came as a result of the producers' requests, to have companies interested in what you wrote was a thrill I continue to seek. I've finished script number five, entered in this year's Nicholl and Page competitions, and feel my writing continues to get better with each script and hope one day someone will appreciate my writing as much as my colleague at work does who reads, edits, and critiques my screenplays. Fingers crossed. My screenplays are all in the thriller/horror/action genre, with the quarterfinal script being a zombie movie (script requested and read by BenderSpink, one of the producers of the walking dead). My latest falls into what I like to call horror/noir, think LA Confidential meets Night of the Living Dead. Can't wait till July to read my email from the Nicoll competition congratulating me on advancing once again to the quarter final round. I repeat, fingers crossed everyone. For those of you who read all this, thank you for your patience and interest, and hope to read about some of your success stories as I hopefully add some of my own. Peace and harmony--David Stumpf