I Am A Writer

I watched a movie on netflix the other day called Shadows in the Sun. Now we do not have netfix at home and probably will not ever subscribe to it, but my daughter has it here in New Brunswick so I watched a few things. I can watch the same movie, if it is a good one in my opinion, over and over and not get tired of it. Like Pride and Prejudice or Little Women or The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel or any of the Shrek movies . . . but not get too obsessive like my granddaughter putting 22 minutes of How the Grinch Stole Christmas on a loop for 4- 5 hours in the quilt room.

Shadows in the Sun is a story about a young city editor who is sent to the remote Tuscany countryside to convince his literary idol, a famous writer who hasn't written anything in years, to sign with their big publishing company. The logic is that his name alone would make a best seller and of course, lots of money for the publishers. As the story unfolds, we learn that the writer is not able to write because of fear resulting from unresolved grief. Now my psychology and counseling self is being drawn into the story. . . that and the lovely farm country and they steal back a cow. There was some great advice given to budding writers and I am going back to watch it again before packing my bags because I have a plane to catch. I am going home tonight . . . just long enough to get a massage and repack to catch another plane. This time  my Sweet Husband will be flying with me for 5 days to a cattle convention.

I have been researching self publishing and looking for one that would publish a couple of books I have been writing including my story about Denine my profoundly handicapped daughter.  So, I have been in dialogue with 2 different publishers in recent months and they both have been calling and are awaiting my return to talk to me. The one sent me an 11 page contract and the other a 5 page contract. I was advised to not sign anything until talking to my lawyer first. Well that may take a few days. Most of the self publishers I have checked out offer 3 similar packages. In essence, I pay them to publish my book and so they have my money and I have the agreed upon number of books printed with the option to sell more on line or in stores depending on how much money I give them . Do I want my book to be made into a movie? Do I want it featured in O Magazine? Decisions, decisions. It is almost as stressful as deciding what fabrics to buy to make a new quilt, after I design said new quilt which I am not very experienced at.  

I am a writer. It sounds good to say it. I am a writer. I write lists. I write research papers and book reports. I write in my journals. I write in my blog. I have mounds of scrap paper laying around with writings on them. My mind is often alive with words that long to be recorded. It's a left brain thing. I am a writer. If I tell myself enough times, I may start to believe it. And I will watch the movie again with pen in hand to write the advice given because, well . . . I . . . am . . . a writer.

Blessings,
Chris