I actually never thought of myself as a real writer until very recently. Of course, I've been writing poetry practically all my life, but that didn't count. Hardly anyone ever got to read them. I wrote and directed my first stage play in the eight grade, but that didn't count either, even though people had to buy tickets to see the play that was performed at my school. I had my own column with a local newspaper (about art), just before we left Canada, but that wasn't real writing either. I just aired my thoughts about art and creativity, and they got published. Big deal! You know all that already if you read my bio.
Also, like I've already mentioned, after I directed my first "Hollywood Project", I tried my hand at screenwriting (mainly because the producer/writer of that production encouraged me). Friends and relatives back in Canada loved reading each and every one and wanted more! Surprise! But since I never sold any of them (not for the lack of trying), it wasn't, of course, real "writing".
About a year ago, a producer friend I knew through WIF (Women in Film) asked to read a couple of my unsold screenplays. A few weeks later, she called me on the phone, and the first thing she said was, "Hi screenwriter!" I guess that was the one moment in time that I realized I was a "real" writer. Thanks, Unni! Although my writing career didn't suddenly take off like a rocket, Unni's simple greeting to me did change the way I looked at myself. The picture to the right is me with my little computer, Mimi, who now has sort of retired from the arts (she wrote all the episodes of my mini series) and just does the basics, like the accounting and bill paying. My bigger Mac, Mikey, helps me with the creative edeavours, like writing, graphics, my web site and editing.
As well as all that editing, painting, and web page building, I'm in the process of writing and illustrating a text book "shoot to edit", based on my experiences as an editor, production designer, director, teacher and etcetera...It's targeted for the student director, and/or micro budget filmmaker. A major publisher of film text books is waiting for my first draft. Along with the text book, I hope to direct the video, "shoot to edit". Script is already half done.
I'd love for you to read one of my screenplays, but they're too long to put on a web site, so...
