It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles.

"...Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels or by demons, heaven or hell."

For battle, read screenplay contest.

This is my friend Mr. Buddha, part of him at least, helping me to keep my feet firmly on the ground. He's good at that.

On Monday, I learned I had won a screenplay contest with my fantasy feature-length script The Melting. The official announcement went out yesterday, just when I had resigned myself to the fact that it was all a Big Wind-Up, that they had changed their minds and someone else had won after all.

 My delight is hard to put into words. The prize is extraordinary. No, not loadsa money. Loadsa money would be very acceptable but ephemeral.

This prize is worth way more than that to me.

It's the chance to meet one-to-one with a top UK producer who will help me hone my pitch and then "recommend and facilitate introductions to any relevant industry connections to whom the project can be taken forward." 

Absolute gold dust!

Even if it looks more like demerara sugar - that's Buddha speaking again...

People have been so kind to me. A writing friend, (you know who you are, Marnie) posted the result on another website, which I wouldn't have done. British reserve and all that. The congratulations have been flooding in. David Birch even made me a fantastic poster to inspire me.

How cool is that?

It's all fantastic, great, wonderful, marvellous and any other positive hyperbole you can think of BUT - I'm certain to reach for the self-destruct button at any minute.

NOT doing that would be a SUPREME victory.