Already eating Pie...weeps.

Scott: I didn't even send you a logline and I'm STILL holding my breath to hear the names on Friday! Congratulations to everyone who made the first cuts today! I am so excited for you--and I don't even know who you are yet! And congratulations to everyone who had the courage to try, too. There are a lot of different kinds of winners in the Quest--in fact, there's room for everyone to be a winner--and if you didn't get the email you were hoping for today I really hope you are deciding right now, or have already decided, to go forward with GOYOQ along with how else you will turn this into a victory for yourself.

Why do I even bother?

I didn't get an email, :-( but I LOVE and appreciate the fact that you even gave us all the opportunity to at least try to be part of the Quest Initiative. This is such a great opportunity that you've made available!! I definitely plan on participating in the GOYOQ, which I'm still very excited about. Thanks for doing this QI at all.

Drys tears. Heaves a big hulking sob. Join us in GOYOQ on sniffle sniffle The Board. (Link on top left hand corner^^^)

PS When I worked in Japan, at the end of a project (or the work day) you'd say to everyone "o-tsukare-sama deshita", which translates literally as something like "you must be utterly exhausted". If you were a junior (as I always was), that would be followed by something like "domo sumimasen", which doesn't translate well but implies thanks and being in one's debt. You must be utterly exhausted after all the work of running this, publishing the updates, evaluating all those loglines, and notifying people today. We are inestimably in your debt. Thanks so much, Scott. Otsukaresama deshita. Domo sumimasen.

Woops. Guess I quit my job a little prematurely. Just kidding. I can't find a job. Congrats, Questers!

The selflessness you've shown by simply providing the opportunity speaks volumes. Thank you, Scott. I am truly grateful. Can't wait to dive into GOYOQ ... Congrats Questers!!!

I echo Shaula's sentiments. Thank you so much for what had to be a daunting task without so much a blip or slip on this incredibly informative blog. That's dedication to people, not some ulterior motive, and a rare quality in this world. Again, thank you. Win/lose, accepted/rejected, triumph/defeat, they're all the two sides of the same penny. We get to chose how we'll spend it. @scotty1time...That line will keep me giggling for days. :-)

With a renewed confidence, he sweeps the tears away from his dejected face and starts a new Final Draft document, preparing for GOYOQ. "I'll show them!" he cries out to no one in particular. "I'll show them all!" He slams his hands passionately onto the table, causing the cherry pie, that he was eating to console himself, to fly from the table and onto his face and hair. "Eureka! I think I'll write a comedy. I'm excited for GOYOQ! Let's do this thing!"

Another echo. Thanks so very much for the opportunity and the challenge. Onward to GOYOQ!

What a gorgeous picture. Where is that winding road?

Congrats to the winners and nothing discouraging for those of us that didn't make the cut. I love the insight on these posts and will continue to follow this very closely. I look forward to finishing my first spec and laughing at you, Scott. Then we can grab a beer. Good luck to all and remember - you still would have had to put in the tremendous amount of effort required. Win or lose, why not still put in the effort? You never know when your life could change!

Thank you. For the chance. For everything you put here. A lifetime debt, sir. (and back to the words.)

First: Scott – You remain an absolute star. Second: Here's an interesting way of looking at the "failure" of not getting through: There is a fantastic article about luck and how some people are luckier than others - This is not some karmic power that surges through the universe - it is simply that "lucky" people tend to do more, try more and are more open to opportunities. This also means that they FAIL more too... A "lucky" person will try 100 things this month, 10 will come off. They will fail 90 times. An "unlucky" person will try 10 things this month, 1 will come off. They will only fail 9 times. When we look at the first of these people we are inclined to say “lucky bastard” We have to be open to enter things like this. All the time. If we enter more, we will fail more, but ultimately it might lead to something GREAT. It's a pretty long article - but well worth it: http://youarenotsosmart.com/2013/05/23/survivorship-bias/ Now let’s get out there and make our own luck! The Fifth Ape

awesome! the quest is always a fun experience. For me, didn't spend as much effort as the last time due to my own heavy schedule - but it's the opportunity and learning experience that counts, right? Kudos!

Thank you for the opportunity. Good luck to all of the writers who made it to the next round.

Well, OKAY! So, I didn't get chosen. Such is life sometimes - but I'm still pounding away with my projects because I've realized this is my path and I'm sticking to it. Mil gracias, Scott, for the opportunity and the challenge to forge ahead. Congratulations to the Questers!! We await your developments along the way. And to my fellow GOYOQuesters, I'll see you at December's finish line with our completed, fabulous scripts.

TFA, thanks for that article. I skimmed it, definitely looks worth reading. Your take on things via the article is spot-on and if you don't mind, I'd like to use the article and your comments as the basis for a GITS post, okay?

Scott - Be my guest.

Congratulations to all of the finalists! Scott, at the top, you wrote that you may contact other people, and as I recall, you also wrote that during the last Quest selection process. Out of curiosity, did you end up contacting anyone else last time?

Melinda, yes, I did talk with a few other writers who I thought showed promise. Offered to provide support and gave them some free Core lectures as well as feedback on possible story ideas. I may do that this year as well, however I am more pressed for time nowadays, so I have to be really selective with what I take on, saying "no" more often than "yes" to requests, favors, etc.

Fingers crossed, then. :)