| As a newly self published author, I am amazed by | | | | specific methods of story and character |
| how many people have told me that they have a | | | | development. It gave me an entirely different set of |
| novel or idea for a book that they always wanted to | | | | tools as a writer and I began to write my first |
| have published. I usually tell these aspiring writers that | | | | screenplay. After 3 months of writing, I completed |
| it can happen and, if they are willing to listen, I tell | | | | Dance of the Heart. The method of writing I learned |
| them my story about how I self published my book. | | | | from Lew made the process of writing much more |
| I have always enjoyed writing, mostly for my own | | | | structured and as a result, made writing easier. I sent |
| enjoyment, but knew I had a talent for creative | | | | my screenplay off to a couple of screenwriting |
| writing. My first audience was my co-workers at a | | | | competitions and readers, but like most screenplays |
| bank I worked for in Seattle, where everyday, I filled | | | | that are written, it didnt get noticed. My story sat in |
| in for the receptionist while she when to lunch. During | | | | my files for about 5 years until I decided that I |
| that hour, I wrote installments to a suspense thriller, | | | | believed in my story and that I would rewrite it into |
| set on the Oregon coast, which I shared with the | | | | a novel. I took me about a year, but I finally finished |
| other assistants on the floor who eagerly awaited | | | | Dance of the Heart as a novel. |
| my new chapters. Years later, I moved to Hawaii and | | | | When I was ready to explore how to get published, |
| sent regular email updates of my adventures to my | | | | I again picked up a Learning Annex catalog and found |
| friends, which I called Memos from Maui. Living in | | | | a daylong Book Camp, which was a workshop on |
| Hawaii is kind of like living in a foreign country and I | | | | how to publish a book. It was an informative day and |
| had fun sharing my observations of life on a tropical | | | | I quickly realized that getting my book published by a |
| island. Memos from Maui were well received and I | | | | traditional publisher was as likely as my screenplay |
| knew then that I was hooked; I had to do | | | | being made into a movie. The good news was that |
| something with my writing. Like the aspiring writers I | | | | the instructor, Penny Sansevieri, a self-published |
| mentioned earlier, I too was engaged in making a | | | | author of From Book to Bookseller, had |
| living as well as dealing with lifes other distractions. I | | | | representatives from companies at the workshop |
| have had a number of different careers, but none | | | | that offered self-publishing services to writers. They |
| gave me the satisfaction I felt when I had people tell | | | | provided me the technical support and expertise that |
| me that they liked my writing. | | | | I lacked and made it possible for me to publish my |
| Returning to the mainland, I settled into a familiar | | | | novel. So with motivation and dedication, and a little |
| routine of working for a living. One day, I picked up a | | | | help from the Learning Annex, I am now a published |
| Learning Annex catalog and came across a | | | | author and am quick to share with others that they |
| screenwriting class and decided to enroll. The | | | | too can realize their dream of seeing their words in |
| instructors name was Lew Hunter, who for years | | | | print. Its just a matter of being committed to your |
| taught his Screenwriting 434 at the UCLA Film School. | | | | dream; believing in your work and not letting anyone |
| His method for writing a screenplay is a formula | | | | say it cant be done. I am proof that it can! |
| based on the three-act Greek play. His class taught | | | | |