Five winning stories will be selected by a panel of judges, and the winning entrants will each receive an Amazon Kindle 2 as well as Dragon NaturallySpeaking upgrades for three years.
In 2003, after years of struggle trying to break into the entertainment industry as a screenwriter, I was invited to pitch original story ideas to the head writer of Law and Order, an extremely talented and generous man named Michael S Chernuchin. I traveled to Universal Studios in Hollywood, sat across from Michael in his plush office on the studio lot, and proceeded to sell the first story we discussed, an episode that aired in prime time the following year, entitled "Vendetta".
What Michael could not have known was that five years before, when I was 27, I had been struck by severely crippling nerve damage in my arms that threatened both my career and my personal sanity. The pain left me unable to write, hold a book, or drive; at its worst, it even required my wife to hold a fork for me so I could eat. For months I spiraled deeper and deeper into depression; even now, I can easily recall the devastating physical and emotional toll I suffered as I had to deal with the horrifying fact that my arms, for all intents and purposes, were gone, and my dream of becoming a writer was almost certainly gone with them.
In the midst of my depression, I came across the Dragon NaturallySpeaking program. If memory serves, the first version I bought was 3.0, and I have proceeded to buy pretty much all subsequent versions Dragon has produced since that time.
Dragon NaturallySpeaking has proven to be the only reason I have been able to continue to pursue my career. Because of Dragon I have written romantic comedies, horror films, television pilots, cop shows. I have assumed dialects, fallen in love, been murdered and killed, changed the world. My wife still rushes into my office sometimes with alarm when she hears me shout "He's got a gun!" or "Because I love you!", unaware that I have simply gotten caught up in my work, and am excitedly dictating character's dialogue to my computer. And the only reason I am even able to get emotionally caught up in my work, the only reason I can get that excited, is because Dragon works as well as it does, freeing me up creatively to write exactly how I want to.
Perhaps one day you will come across my episode of Law and Order in reruns, with my name credited as the writer. But technically speaking that "Written By" credit wouldn't be correct. It should say "Spoken By", because that is exactly how that script, and every one I have done since then, has been created. Should that moment come, please know that Dragon NaturallySpeaking is responsible for far more than simply giving a writer a chance to earn a living. It has allowed me to pursue my dream, and for that I will always be profoundly grateful.