Happy Fall

Taken on an annual pilgrimage to Half Moon Bay

I realize it's been a while since I've posted anything, and there's a reason for that. Several actually.

After a number of blissful years living off my nest egg and focusing exclusively on writing, I needed to rejoin the work force and once again have a steady paycheck. So, that's one reason I've been neglecting my blog. And let me just say how very fortunate I was to be able sit out most of this dismal job market. Re-entering it has been a challenge and I'm nowhere near the job or pay level I was when my last position was outsourced. But that's the risk I took, following my heart. And I do have a book that I'm extremely proud of. This last year of marketing Delta Legend on my own has been an education, that's for sure. Were I to document my deepest desires in a book it would be called, 50 Shades of A Powerhouse Marketing Team.

But the other, more interesting reason I've been absent here is because what little spare time I manage to find these days is dedicated to a serious polish of the original spec of Delta Legend. Incorporating all the wonderful growth that occurred through writing the novel version of the story has been exciting.

It's been more years than I care to admit since I've even had a version of Final Draft on my computer. I threw in the towel and fled Hollywood back in 2001, and there have been numerous incarnations of me ever since. I opened a shop called The Junkman's Daughter and worked in a number of professions outside of writing: catering, hotels, the beer and wine industries.

I even dabbled in Branding, naming the wine Sauvingnon Blonde and later selling the trademark to Nova Wines who make Marilyn Merlot. Sauvingnon Blonde is the perfect addition to their brand line. Donna and Bob Holder of Nova have created a lovely wine and done a brilliant job with the name. I never would have been able to make it what it has become under their banner. But as you can see, when you attempt to suppress your creative nature, it comes bubbling out in other ways.

But back to the polish of Delta Legend the screenplay. Once it's done, I'll write a post about the experience of revisiting the original spec after all these years—from screenplay to novel and back again.

Once my partner, Tom, returns from being on tour for 2 months in Europe and the UK and is able to take back some of the day-to-day operations of running this facility known as TomLand, I will dedicate myself to wrapping up the polish in short order.

What then? Well, being that virtual pitching is now a viable option, I plan to see if having dual platforms holds any appeal in Hollywood right now. We know they are actively mining the literary world (especially YA) for the next big thing to adapt, but will there be any interest in a self-published book that's not yet been discovered on a grand scale? Time will tell. While I used to be an actress, these days I'm much stronger with a query than a pitch, and that will come in handy.

The upside of this unique offering? The book is already out there building an audience for the film. Taken to a traditional publishing level of marketing, it could soar. Second plus? The spec already exists. Sure it will be rewritten, but the first draft is in the hopper. I'll let you know if the dual platform of self-pubbed novel and screenplay draws any interest.

So, that's what's been going on in my world this Autumn. Hope your Fall is full of color and creative energy. Judging by the number of hits my two posts regarding turning a spec into novel get, I'd say 2013 will see a lot more screenwriters joining me in this endeavor I call Driving In Reverse. I hope so, I could use the company. It's been a rather solitary journey 'til now, but one I wouldn't have missed for the world.

Happy Halloween, Everyone.