First Word

I am very, very fortunate in that I am working with a tremendously talented individual to get the California Girl Chronicles pilot into shape. I just read the notes on it, and I have to say, it's a completely different take on what I wrote -- and that is a good thing. The one thing I learned a long time ago, know what you don't know and learn! Sometimes as we become more experienced with our writing and hone our skills, we get a little self-satisfied. You think, hey I've published some 35 books and sold two scripts. I should know this stuff already. Well, only a person with a lot of hubris and major ego thinks there is nothing else to learn. I used to play that game "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" (the board version) with my family and consistently won. No, not because I knew all of the answers. I knew I didn't know and was willing to admit it, and since I was playing against folks who actually might have had more knowledge, but who didn't know when to j...

A good friend of mine dove into the screenwriting field with complete commitment to become a screenwriter. He put it well when he said, "What else can I do?" These words are the comments of a true writer. When writing is your art and represents your passion -- and you commit to your art and passion with 150 percent of your soul, it will work out. I wanted to become a writer when I was 10 years old. Some people marvel that a 10-year-old knew what she wanted, but it's true. I've committed my life to my craft. I've never wavered from the complete desire to go forward. And with that absolute commitment, I've always succeeded and became professionally published at age 22, and the journey doesn't end. Like my friend, "What else can I do?" And with that commitment comes the persistence to go forward. You cannot allow roadblocks, naysayers, critics or anyone else to put barriers in your way. You go forward and you keep going forward. You knock on doors -...