Blog - Page 51 of 143 - Sonia Marsh

How Do I get My Book Made into a Movie?

December 19, 2013 by Sonia Marsh 20 Comments

Like most authors, I really, really want my book made into a movie, and I also believe, like most authors, that I have a unique story that lends itself to a screenplay.

The question is how do I get my book in the hands of the perfect Hollywood producer who will fall in love with my story?

First, let me tell you what happened to me on the day I launched my first book: Freeways to Flip-Flops: A Family’s Year of gutsy Living on a Tropical Island.

I received a phone call from an associate producer of a new TV talk show scheduled to air in the Fall. They found me online by Googling keywords like family/travel/adventure/gutsy. Marianne, the associate producer prepped me for the show, and although things were changed at the last minute, she helped me develop a pitch and suggested I contact (GMA) Good Morning America. Here was the pitch she developed for me: “I took my affluent teenagers to live in the jungle.” I followed her advice but had no luck with (GMA).

But I won’t give up, so I’ve been spending time listening to webinars on how to get your book made into a movie and all of them have asked me to pay a fee for either:

Turning my book into a screenplay or
Guaranteeing that my material will be reviewed by producers without the need of an agent. All I have to do is purchase a set of books and videos (offered at a one-time special low fee) that will help me prepare a 3-5 page in depth description and analysis of my book and capture the attention of real producers.

I asked an award-winning playwright if this is how I should proceed and she said:

“The way this usually works is the producer should be the one paying to option your book, not the other way around. And there would need to be a written option agreement between you.”

She added:

“Unless the person is clearly a working screenwriter in Hollywood with LOTS of connections, even if he wrote the script, the chances he could get it produced are small. You think the publishing world is tough? Hollywood is worse.”

I have come to the conclusion that the best way to get your movie in the hands of a producer, is to either:

Know a Producer
Have a contact in the film industry who knows a producer, or who is close friends with an agent/producer/someone in the business
Have a bestseller if you’re indie-published, which will bring attention to your book; think Amanda Hocking
If you have a literary agent, have them help you with their film agent contacts
Make things happen yourself through networking at conferences, asking people you meet.

In a article by Warren Adler in the Huffington Post, Warren states:

“It is difficult to explain this reality to an eager questioner who believes he or she has created a work of genius. My usual answer is to advise them to find a way to attract the attention of the “Hollywood agentry,” those intrepid and seasoned soldiers whose experience and contacts are geared to gain the attention of stars, producers, studios, writers and the entire gaggle of entrepreneurs who put their judgment on the line and find the money to reach the entertainment marketplace.”

“The real future for novelists may be in venues yet to come made possible by technology that might be just beginning to emerge.”

I am curious what Warren means in this last statement. Sounds interesting.

Warren Adler, best known for “The War of the Roses” garnered outstanding box office and critical success with Golden Globe, BAFTA and multiple award nominations internationally, Adler went on to sell movie and film rights for 12 books, all noted for his character driven and masterful storytelling.

Here is another article I found helpful, “Turn You Book Into a Movie: Tips and Guidelines.”

Even in this article, they stress the importance of contacts.

“In any business, it’s important to make great contacts. If you’ve got big dreams of being a Hollywood blockbuster writer, then it may be time to launch yourself full-on into the Tinsel Town community.”

(Please note, I’m an indie author who is passionate about marketing and sharing with other indie authors on my blog. Please join our Gutsy Indie Publishers Facebook Group where we welcome you to ask questions.

If you’d like links to webinars on this topic, please e-mail me at: Sonia@soniamarsh.com

I hope you join me in Making things happen yourself through networking at conferences, and asking people you meet.

I refuse to give up.

What about you?

“Waiting for My Camel to Come Back” by Ian Mathie

December 16, 2013 by Sonia Marsh 19 Comments

The Camel at Ngiouri Well

“My Gutsy Story®” by Ian Mathie

I travelled south from the Bilma oasis, in the empty wastes of the Sahara, with a small Hausa salt trading caravan. We had been going five days when we reached the well at Ngiouri. Situated below a small hillock with a stone cairn on top, the well had not been visited by anyone else for some weeks, and we found it choked with windblown sand. It took us twelve hours digging, passing baskets of sand up a human chain to the surface for disposal, before we were able to get at the water which collected in a small cleft in the bedrock.

By the time we were able to begin watering our camels, I had developed a slight fever, but still had to wait for a drink as the animals are always watered first. The well’s refill time was slow so it took almost half an hour for each of the fifteen camels to drink before any of the humans got a drop. Being an outsider who had joined the caravan for my own convenience, my camel and I had to wait until almost the last.

By the time my turn came the fever had developed, and I was confused and fumbling on the verge of delirium. When my camel had drunk the first of its intended two buckets of water, something spooked it and it shied away, wandering off into the darkness before I could get a firm grip on its lead rope. Everyone else was too preoccupied with making their own food and settling down for a good night’s sleep to notice. It was eighteen hours after arrival that I finally got a drink myself, having been without water since the previous morning when out original supply ran out.

When dawn came there was no sign of my camel, and the rest of the caravan was preparing to move on. Their party included old people who were in need of medical attention, and could not afford to delay. Hamidi, the caravan master, came to speak to me, saying they could not afford to delay. I would have to remain at the well until my camel came back, while the rest of them went on.

“Will it come back?” I asked.

“Oh, certainly,” he assured me. “A camel can only go nine days without drinking if it has had a full stomach. Yours had only had one bucket. It will be back before that as there is no other water within range. Camels can smell water from many miles away.” He said the pause would give me time to recover from the fever.

Hamidi also assured me that if anyone else found my camel they would bring it here. A white man travelling alone with a camel does not go unnoticed. I and my camel had aroused plenty of discussion at Bilma. Another caravan was due to follow this route four or five days behind us, so if all else failed I could continue my journey with them.

“Just be patient,” he said as he left me, and by noon the caravan had moved on and disappeared over the southern horizon.

Once I was on my own, I moved my camel saddle and baggage panniers onto the rising ground of the cairn topped hillock. Using a pair of four foot long poles, carried for the purpose, and a cotton sheet, I rigged an awning to provide shade, attaching the back to the saddle and weighting the corners with small stones collected from the desert around me. The shade was welcome in the rising heat, and the slightly elevated position enabled me to see some miles back down the route along which the next caravan from Bilma should come. It had the disadvantage of exposing me to the incessant grit-laden wind.

Late that afternoon as I dozed, I heard a familiar gurgling noise. I sat upright, expecting to see the second caravan arriving, but the shimmering desert was empty. When the sound came again, I scrambled from my shelter and looked around. Still there was nothing to see. It was only when I staggered further up the mound, and could look down the other side, that I saw the source of the sound.

A large bull camel was couched, its left foreleg bound with rope to stop it rising. When it saw me, it let out another gurgling bellow. It was completely alone and there was no sign of anyone camped nearby. I wondered where its owner was and how long it had been there. Had it been there before the caravan left? I had seen nobody else at the well, which was in full view of my awning.

It was quite possible the camel had been there for several days, and it had clearly not had a drink in that time. I lurched back to my awning, pulled out my canvas bucket and a half filled water skin, and dragged these over to where it sat. Its head came down immediately as I poured water into the bucket, and in seconds it had sucked this dry. I refilled it twice and as I pulled the bucked clear, the camel shook its head vigorously, its lips flapping and spraying frothy saliva in an ark which glistened in the bright sunlight.

Still not fully recovered from the fever, I lurched back to my shelter and lay down to rest. I awoke in the cool of predawn, feeling thirsty. My water skin was all bit empty, so I took it down to the well to refill it.

The wind, which never stops in this part of the desert, had deposited a generous pile of sand in the well, and it took me all morning to dig this out before I could get at the water. Even then it took the cleft a long time to refill each time I had taken a couple of bows full and decanted it into my water skin. The water was brackish, tasting very like Epsom Salts and I knew not to drink too much in one go or the results could be uncomfortable. It was almost dark by the time I dragged my full water skin out of the well, so I returned to my shelter, ate a few dates and rested.

For two more days I rested and waited. Each evening, when I climbed the hillock to look, the bull camel was still there, waiting patiently. It gurgled when it saw me, but made no effort to rise. After two days, feeling better myself, I gave it another drink.

On my seventh day at the well, the camel’s owner turned up, with two other camels and a small flock of scrawny goats. He watered his animals, thanked me for giving water to the bull and gave me a gourd of fresh goat’s milk. Then he bid me a safe journey and in minutes he and all his animals had disappeared over the horizon.

I sat, alone, through the heat of the day. Just before sunset my own camel came back. She sucked greedily at the first bucket of water I offered, and then, on a whim, I pulled the bucket aside and refused to give her more. I tucked the lead rope into her head collar and let her go. After a moment’s hesitation, she turned and ambled off into the desert as before.

Five days later there was still no sign of the second caravan from Bilma and I was beginning to wonder if I had made a very foolish mistake. As the sun kissed the western horizon, I heard a familiar gurgle. My camel had returned.

This time I watered her well and did not let her go.

Ian Mathie – Bio

Born in Scotland and taken to Africa aged three, Ian Mathie grew up in the bush. After short service as a pilot in the RAF, he returned to West Africa as a rural development officer. Well adapted to living in the bush, Ian worked with isolated societies, sharing their hardships and understanding cultures from the inside.

Following political changes, he returned to the UK and retrained as an industrial psychologist. Since then he has designed and run award winning personnel development programmes in UK, Europe and Africa.

Now restricted from travelling by a medical condition, he lives in south Warwickshire with his wife and dog, and writes books, mainly about Africa.

Ian Mathie new book Sorceres — Soon to be published

Please check out Ian’s Website
You can Ian’s books on Amazon here.
The UK Amazon link is here.
Also on Goodreads and Facebook.
Not on Twitter.

SONIA MARSH SAYS: This is an unique “gutsy” story Ian. I think had I been in your place, I would not have let my camel wonder off. I know you have learned many life lessons from all your years in various parts of Africa. I truly enjoyed reading your first book, “Bride Price.”

***

Do you have a “My Gutsy Story®” you’d like to share?

Would you like to submit your “My Gutsy Story®” and get published in our 2nd anthology?

Please see guidelines below and contact Sonia Marsh at: sonia@soniamarsh.com for details.

You can find all the information, and our new sponsors on the “My Gutsy Story®” contest page. (VIDEO) Submission guidelines here

Our December 2013 stories have started with Marian Beaman and Fee Johnson, sharing their “My Gutsy Story®.”

Winner of the November “My Gutsy Story®” Ed Robinson

December 12, 2013 by Sonia Marsh 5 Comments

Congratulations to Ed Robinson for winning the November “My Gutsy Story®” contest.
All four authors shared inspiring and motivational stories, and they shall all be included in our 2nd
“My Gutsy Story®” Anthology.

1st Place Ed Robinson.

Ed wrote about how he quit his job to live a simple life on a boat. Ed and his wife Kim have found their paradise.

2nd Place: Lola De Maci.

Lola De Maci wrote a remarkable story about her journey towards getting a Masters Degree in Education, despite fighting breast cancer. She never gave up.

3rd Place: Janet Simcic

Instead of letting cancer stop Janet from doing things with her life, she took a different approach. Janet took on projects she’d put off because she’d been too busy. Her story will energize and motivate you.

4th Place: Boyd Lemon

Boyd has a fascinating story of how he decided to uproot at age sixty-six, after spending his whole life in California, and moved to Boston. After that he decided to move to Paris. He has written several books.

Thank you to all four authors. Your stories are all WINNERS.

***

Do you have a “My Gutsy Story®” you’d like to share?

MGS FINAL COVER Small — Click on cover to see on Amazon

Would you like to submit your “My Gutsy Story®” and get published in our 2nd anthology?

Please see guidelines below and contact Sonia Marsh at: sonia@soniamarsh.com for details.

You can find all the information, and our new sponsors on the “My Gutsy Story®” contest page. (VIDEO) Submission guidelines here

Our December 2013 stories have started with Marian Beaman and Fee Johnson, sharing their “My Gutsy Story®.” Next Monday, December 16th, Ian Mathie will share his “My Gutsy Story®.”

“How Writing Saved My Life” by Felicia Johnson

December 9, 2013 by Sonia Marsh 33 Comments

“The Best Kind of Therapy”

My Gutsy Story® by Felicia Johnson

When I was six years old, my second grade teacher, Ms. Medley, gave me my first writing assignment. The only rule of the assignment was to write one paragraph about something that I wanted. My assignment was titled: I Want A Dog. Paragraph one started with how much I would have liked to have a dog (very much), why (because they are so cute and fluffy), and why I couldn’t have one (our home was too small). Then, when I finished with the reason as to why I couldn’t have a dog, I began a second paragraph. Then a third and a fourth. By the time I ran out of paper, I had written 100 pages.

Monday morning came, and Ms. Medley read a few students’ paragraphs aloud. When she finally got to mine, she held up my notebook to the class and said, “Felicia has written a novel! It is called I Want A Dog.”

After school, Ms. Medley took the time to explain to me what a novel is. She explained that a novel is a prose narrative made up of characters, emotions, and expressions. She told me that the writers who produce these novels are called authors. Ms. Medley said that if I keep writing, filling up a hundred-plus pages of notebooks, then one day I could be an author.

I asked her if I was in trouble for doing the assignment incorrectly. Ms. Medley’s reply was not what I had expected. She said, “Felicia, the assignment was completed correctly as long as it was written by you, and you feel that everything that you want to express is in the story.” I said it was, and she replied, “Okay. You’re a writer. Keep on writing.” I never forgot Ms. Medley’s encouraging words, and I kept writing through my adolescent years.

Growing up, I suffered from child abuse. My parents had me when they were very young, and my mother was single for the majority of my teenage years. As the oldest of my mother’s four children, I took on a lot of responsibility taking care of my brothers and sister. Being forced to grow up fast had its consequences.

When I was fifteen years old, I had a best friend named Holly. Holly was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder. My friend lost her battle with BPD and committed suicide when she was only fifteen years old.

I developed major depression and I was put on medication and saw a therapist. However, I found that writing was the best therapy. I wrote journals about my memories of Holly, and what it was like growing up. Before I realized it, the journal had turned into a novel of great memories. Coping with depression through writing saved my life.

Years after Holly’s death, I had an idea to write a story about a girl who suffered from depression and BPD, but survived all that she had been through. I started on a story, with Holly in mind and combined a bit of what it was like growing up for me and surviving my own experiences.

I knew that if I had continued down the path of healing, that I would be able to help others who had suffered from child abuse and mental illness through my writing. Therefore, I continued to write and produced my first novel called Her. Her is a story of hope and survival.

Speaking out through writing was the gutsiest thing that I can say I’ve done. My gutsy story is about speaking up and speaking out through my writing. I use writing to help others who have suffered abuse, people who struggle with mental illness and their family, friends and loved ones. I share my story to help others, instead of using it as an excuse to not accomplish my goals and move forward in life.

I’m a youth advocate, mentor, and behavioral health worker. I speak out against child abuse and work to raise awareness about mental illness, particularly personality disorders. As a mentor, I’ve helped youths who are in patient treatment transition to living an independent life outside of the hospital. I’ve helped them prepare for job interviews, pay their own bills, and apply for colleges after finishing high school. I’ve seen many youths who struggle with mental illness transition from being completely dependent on they system, to gaining their independence and living on their own.

I’ll never forget the first time Ms. Medley had told me what an author is. From that moment, I knew that was my calling. Writing is my life because writing saved my life. Writing brings out many relatable emotions and thoughts to share with others. I don’t only write for myself, but I write for others. I try to always write with a purpose. It is as Maya Angelou said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will not forget how you made them feel.” I write to make my readers feel. Writing about the truth and speaking out is the gutsiest thing I’ve done and will continue to do.

***

FELICIA JOHNSON is a writer, mental health worker, student, and big sister. She loves ice cream, and seeing her little sister, Laura, smile. She is an active youth mentor at Youth Villages Inner Harbour and article writer for The Personality Disorder Awareness Network (PDAN). Johnson’s debut novel, Her, is a survivor’s tale of endurance that illustrates the complex illness of Borderline Personality Disorder. (http://www.herthebook.com)

Please connect with Fee on Twitter, and on FaceBook.

Her Amazon Link.

Her Goodreads Link.

SONIA MARSH SAYS: “Writing is my life because writing saved my life.” What an amazing story Fee, and I know many writers can relate to your words of writing being their therapy.

I hope others feel encouraged to express themselves and work through their problems through writing. Have you been in touch with Ms. Medley? I hope she sees the positive effect she had on you, and the youth you have mentored.

***

It’s time to vote for your favorite one of four November “My Gutsy Story®” submissions on the sidebar.

Do you have a “My Gutsy Story®” you’d like to share?

NOW is the time to submit your “My Gutsy Story®” which may be included in our 2nd ANTHOLOGY.

Please view our 1st Published Anthology here.

You can find all the information, and our new sponsors on the “My Gutsy Story®” contest page. (VIDEO) Submission guidelines here

Ready For a Move? 3 Ways to Connect with the Locals

December 5, 2013 by Sonia Marsh 8 Comments

02-100_1863 — Blue Heaven Restaurant in Key West, Florida

If you’re like me, you’ve probably spent a vacation in a sunny part of the world, and while sipping a cocktail said, “Duke (insert your loved one’s name) how would you like to live (insert location)?”

Duke and Sonia enjoying a tropical drink in Florida

Now granted, these locations change as you mature, and while Cancun may be the place for you when you’re twenty-three, Naples, Florida, may be the place for you when you’re a boomer trying to escape from Freeways to Flip-Flops.

So if you’re serious about the move, you’ll probably visit a few times, just to make sure you weren’t under the influence of too many tropical cocktails.

At home, you’ll spend hours on the internet looking at realtor.com, and zillow.com, and then, if you’re like Duke and me:

You’ll hop on a plane to see the short sale that just came on the market.

Why? Because:

It’s such a good deal.
You will never be able to afford a house on the ~~water~~ canal again.
California is just too expensive to own a house on the water.
There’s a Home Depot in Naples, (unlike Belize) so you have plywood if a hurricane hits us.
You can always rent it out until you move.

If you’re responsible, which boomers ~~are~~ tend to be, you’ve researched other aspects like:

Finances
How your lifestyle will change
Traffic during rush hour
Jobs (do they even hire boomers?)
Gas prices (cheaper than California)
Food prices (supermarkets are the same but restaurants are much cheaper and their fish is so fresh compared to ours in California.)

There’s one important thing missing; something that will give you peace of mind before your final decision to move.

“How can I ~~interview~~ meet locals with similar interests to mine for coffee/lunch/dinner so I can dig down and get the scoop on what it’s really like to live here?”

So here’s what we did to connect with people prior to our 3rd vacation in Naples.

Find MeetUp groups related to your interests prior to visiting, or create your own MeetUp and ask people to join.
Find specific people online with similar interests and e-mail them before you visit. Arrange to meet them for coffee or lunch.
Connect with someone you already know who lives there, or ask your friends if they know someone in that location you can e-mail ahead of time to ask questions.

We looked for Meetups online. You can search for Meetups in different cities in the U.S. You can even create your own. Since Duke is interested in indie films and people with similar interests, he organized a MeetUp at The Pub, in Mercato, Naples, where we had a wonderful evening chatting with other writers, TV and video production people.

1-100_1947 — MeetUp Group in Naples, FL.

I looked online for local authors and writing groups, such as The Gulf Coast Writers’ Association, and other MeetUp writers’ groups, and I found Christine Otis, a local author, and e-mailed her. She had moved from PA, less than a year ago and said she loves Naples. This was so encouraging for me to meet her and learn about all the writing groups in the area. We met for lunch, and she was so helpful and encouraging.

Christine Otis, author, and me at the Mercato for lunch.

I also had the pleasure of meeting Ed Robinson and his wife Kim, on their boat “Leap of Faith.” We met online and he submitted a “My Gutsy Story.” Ed and Kim, also made us feel comfortable about living in Florida.

And finally, we had the privilege of meeting science-fiction, romance writer, Linnea Sinclair, and her husband for dinner one evening in Naples. Duke connected with Linnea a couple of years ago, when he made “The Down Home Alien Blues”(watch trailer) movie, based on one of her novels.

As I strolled on the beach in Naples early one morning, I noticed a woman wearing a San Diego sweatshirt. I asked her, “Are you from San Diego?” She said, “No, but we used to live in Huntington Beach, CA.” After chatting for ten-minutes, she said exactly what I was hoping to hear, “The quality of life is so much better here.”

So when are we moving?

Here are 4 short videos I took in Florida:

1). Bonita Springs Beach, FL November-2013

2). Downtown Key West, FL November -2013

3). Butterfly Conservatory, Key West, FL November -2013

4). Blue Heaven Restaurant, Key West, November-2013