Letter of Support from Steven L. Sears,

STEVEN L. SEARS
PONDALEE PRODUCTIONS

This letter is in support of the Scriptwriters Network.

But first, an introduction: let’s get this out of the way.

My name is Steven L. Sears. I am a screenwriter, author, and producer. My career encompasses over fifteen separate TV series and countless development deals among the major studios and networks for the past forty years. My credits as a writer and producer include such series as THE A-TEAM, RIPTIDE, HARDCASTLE & McCORMICK, JJ STARBUCK, STINGRAY, WALKER-TEXAS RANGER, HIGHWAYMAN, HOLLYWOOD DETECTIVE, GRAND SLAM, JESSE HAWKES, SUPERBOY, S.H.E. SPIES, SWAMP THING, RAVEN, XENA-WARRIOR PRINCESS, SHEENA, and many others. I also speak at universities, conventions, and various associations on the topic of entertainment in general and the film/television industry specifically.

I mention this not to brag but to give an understanding as to my perspective in this letter of support for the Scriptwriters Network. I am, by trade and passion, a screenwriter. But I prefer to think of myself first and foremost as a storyteller.

Storytelling is something we tend to take for granted. We can all do it to a certain degree. It spans the range of telling a joke to writing the novel War and Peace. Film and Television are forms of entertainment, but too often we dismiss entertainment as frivolous endeavors. Something we do after the “real work” is done. In fact, storytelling is the most important part of our existence. It is a part of our evolution and is a marker between what we were and what we are now. Storytelling has incredible power. It can touch the spirit, it can motivate actions, it can mold our world and it defines who we are by allowing us to touch others around us in our shared experience. More, it allows us to see our own world through the eyes of others and to understand that we are not alone and need not be afraid.

It has power. In the medium of film, television, and interactive media, it has immense power.

But it all begins with people. Sometimes a lonely figure in front of a keyboard, struggling to create characters who have never been born, in situations that seem to defy the imagination, on adventures that make our adrenaline flow, with a noble purpose we only wish we could aspire to.

And while creativity is a gift we may have, it still needs to be crafted. Storytellers still need direction. They need instruction on the technical format, the business, and access to those who have traveled that path before and are willing to give the benefit of that knowledge to those at the beginning of their career.

This is exactly what the Scriptwriters Network does. In fact, it is the mandate of the organization.

I was first introduced to the Scriptwriters Network many years ago by its President, Melessa Sargent. She asked if I would be interested in speaking at one of their events. I was immediately attracted to her commitment to the Scriptwriters Network’s focus on education and that it was a non-profit. I accepted and found myself in front of some of the most passionate and inquisitive creative minds I’d ever met in one group. Creative storytellers of all races, cultures, ages, and backgrounds, eager to learn what it was like to follow your passion and, more, make a difference with it.

I was sold. I have sung their praises ever since.

One of the more striking aspects of the Scriptwriters Network is its merging of creative and business. I’ve seen other programs that feel those two things are on opposite ends of the spectrum, in perpetual conflict with each other. It creates the fiction that pure art isn’t a viable career, and any art that shows a profit must not be creative. My experience has told me that this is not the case. True, compromises are always made between art and career, but they can be made to accommodate both. The Scriptwriters Network follows that same philosophy. Their programs run a wide range of topics, from their outreach programs and mentorships, to panels with professionals of all backgrounds and experiences. There are also invaluable lectures from those who occupy the executive space in a creative industry. The Scriptwriters Network allows access to both sides of production.

These programs didn’t exist when I began my career. I had to learn by hard experience, trial and error, and trust the advice of those professionals who were willing to talk to me. That last part goes right to the core; access to those whose advice I could trust. At the end of the day, it comes down to people willing to help others.

Just as storytelling starts with that lone figure in front of the keyboard, organizations like the Scriptwriters Network begin with those who created it and run it. It begins with people who have a passion to help others pursue their dreams. People like Melessa Sargent and her outstanding team.

It is true, there are many companies and organizations who claim to do the same, but when it is a non-profit, finances can be difficult. The goal is not on a spreadsheet, it’s in a belief in the necessity of those who will bring us together with their imaginations.

I believe in that. I hope you do as well.

I apologize that this wasn’t a short note, but any investment requires thought and consideration. With that, I am asking you to consider investing in the future of creativity by contributing to the Scriptwriters Network and supporting those who are making a difference in the lives of so many. Imagination is the caretaker of our aspirations.

Thank you for your consideration.

Steven L. Sears

Steven L. Sears
www.PondaLee.com
PO Box 1034, Montrose, CA 91021