TwoCents | VICTORIES AND NUGGETS - by Jefferson Nnadiekwe

Deep breath... Alright, let's get the good news out - I placed 2nd in a recently concluded screenwriting competition... yay!!! Sure I was gunning for first, but when I think about how big the competition was and imagine the hundreds if not thousands of entries that were sent in, 2nd place is huge. And for that, I am so grateful to God for this talent he has given me, and myself for honing and sharpening it. I vividly remember the afternoon I came across the announcement post for the competition like it was yesterday. I also remember going through the comments and visiting the pages of the writers who had indicated their interest. I will have to admit, I did feel like entering the competition was a futile effort, as I saw way more experienced writers throw in their hats into the ring. Thankfully, I shook up the jitters and decided to give it a shot. And today, I have a recognition and honor from a pool of experienced filmmakers.  That is the first lesson I Iearned from this experience - compete! If you wish to go far in your career, you have to be willing to go up against the best in that field. Sometimes, we get so comfortable and content with where we are that we do not see the heights we can attain. As long as we have family and friends who tell us that we are 'good', that is okay with us. But you do not really know how good you are until you test yourself against hungry and talented individuals gunning for the same thing. So do not be scared to compete. Another thing I learned from this journey is to always be prepared. I am not ashamed to say that I have wished to break into the film industry fully. I am also not ashamed to say that it hasn't always gone as expected. However one thing that remained constant is I kept preparing myself. Through continuous idea development, sharpening my skills and sourcing for writing opportunities, I unknowingly prepared myself for this moment. Once, while nursing a disappointment, a friend of mine said to me 'the good thing is that you are getting yourself ready for when that opportunity comes'... And boy was she right. For sure this is a launch pad to greater heights, and I would have missed it if I wasn't prepared. Preparation is nothing without consistency, and I wouldn't be one of the winners in this competition if it wasn't for consistency. Let nobody deceive you, consistency is hard - and that is putting it mildly. Putting in the work in varying degrees daily can be frustrating, especially when it seems like the results aren't coming. One thing I have learned is that the results are always present, but because we fixate on the grand picture, we overlook the little wins. Ironically, these little wins are the steps towards the bigger ones. In the past, I have fiddled with the idea of pivoting into something else. Especially those times it felt like everyone else has their lives figured out and I'm flailing. At those times what kept me going was the thought that all of the hard work and aspirations would be for nothing. Do I wish it happened sooner? Of course. However I am recently learning that there is no actual deadline for the rewards of hard work to manifest. My final lesson is a petty one - do not throw your pearls to swines. Sometime last year, I entrusted one of my stories to a 'producer' who clearly couldn't handle such story. Said producer tried desperately to make me believe that my script was incomprehensible and in her words 'maybe na you and your friends go watch am'. In less than a month after she said that, here I am with a recognition by seasoned industry folks.  The point of my little story is not everyone would appreciate your craft and it's much better to identify those people and avoid them. A swine cannot comprehend the value of a pearl after all. In a situation where you misjudged and indeed cast your pearls to swines, count your losses and move on. The people who would appreciate your work are out there. There are a lot of lessons I could draw from this bit of good news, but I will leave that till next time when I am the king of the mountain.

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