The years go by.

And today, my screenplay emerges as well-developed and polished, ready to show.

But how does an optioned screenwriter get a deal for their project in Hollywood?

My beloved producer, an accomplished woman with good studio, TV and development credentials, will not allow me to reveal who or what the story concerns, but I can say that my project is a musical biopic about an international star.

The project began as a New York stage presentation with Broadway aspirations. To that end, a lavish backers audition Off-Off Broadway attracted stage and screen folk, the late Lucille Lortel among them.

My staff and I then tried another book writer – we already had a good score by a talented young composer. The writer, well-known in the Off-Broadway community and recommended by Harvey Fierstein, wrote a dark version of the star’s life.

There followed two other musical book writers that tried their hands, and more backers auditions on both coasts, and finally, someone said to me, “Your version looks like the best.” So I moved to Hollywood, to make a movie.

First, I needed to learn the very specific and demanding art and craft of screenwriting, which took a few years.

After having a couple of screenplays under my belt, I encountered my producer, a woman who had worked at the studios and is a development specialist that took a liking to my script.

An option was signed – and oft renewed – and we both have been living in Development Hell ever since. During this time, the industry has undergone several changes, as has public taste.

The once-dead musical genre became reborn and highly profitable once more, thanks to such mega-hits as “Chicago” and “LA LA Land,” among several others.

And so we seek new agents and managers – Hollywood, are you listening? – as well as opportunities to pitch.

See you at the Oscars!