"At its
best, the sensation of writing is that of any unmerited grace...You search, you
break your heart, your back, your brain, and then – and only then – it is handed
to you.”
-- Annie
Dillard
I have written over a dozen screenplays over the years. Many of my screenplays have been based on autobiographical material. My first optioned screenplay, NINE LIVES, was based on the true story of my best friend, who died of cystic fibrosis. This script was eventually put in development at Lifetime. Secondly, there was HOME GAMES, based on the life story of Michelle Grace, former wife of Chicago Cubs’ first baseman Mark Grace, about being a Major League wife. This screenplay was commissioned by the actress and eventually made into an HBO series. My original screenplay FEELING THE SQUEEZE, a comedy about a man whose three girlfriends find out about him and exact revenge as they learn about the meaning of love was based on the true story of a close friend. I developed this with an executive at Hunt Lowry Productions and it was well received by executives at both Disney and Warner Brothers, though never ultimately purchased.THE DAY SHE DROVE ME, based on autobiographical material, is currently under option and Junction Films (MONSTER) is attached to produce, with actress Lauren Holly attached to direct.
I’ve also written two thrillers on assignment for Paris-based Textraxis films, and several more original dramas.
In 1999, during the course of my studies for the MFA in Creative Nonfiction at Antioch University, I began writing a memoir, Walking Away, about caring for my mother during her end stage liver disease, and her substance abuse when I was a child. An excerpt was published by Peralta Press, and the book is currently in the hands of agents and publishers and will hopefully find a home soon.
I have now written a book about writing screenplays based on personal experience. Please see my new website for THE MOVIE OF YOUR LIFE: Shaping True Story into Screenplay. You can also visit the Facebook page here.
My latest screenplay, Safe With me, was co-written with Dottie McGrew, and tells the true story of her childhood as the stepdaughter of a Russian spy during the Cold War.
In 2008, writer Amy Born highlighted my memoir in her “Survivor” column for Colorado-based Serenity Magazine. You can read the article to learn more about the book.
Currently, I am a contributing writer for the online magazine Suite101.com. Topics I cover are writing for stage and screen, travel, and non-profit organizations.
For several years I was a regular contributor to Elevated Living Magazine. These articles range in topic from home and garden, profiles, non-profit organizations, the arts, and include a visit with writer-director John Sayles on the set of his film SILVER CITY.
I also contribute from time to time to DiningOut Magazine. Check out my Chicago-area cookbook reviews or my Q and A with a Peruvian chef based in Toronto.
Last, but not necessarily least is All the Come and Gones, a collection of poems I’ve put together from the overstuffed file of soulful scribbles, which, thankfully, never seem to stop bubbling up from deep within.
I have written over a dozen screenplays over the years. Many of my screenplays have been based on autobiographical material. My first optioned screenplay, NINE LIVES, was based on the true story of my best friend, who died of cystic fibrosis. This script was eventually put in development at Lifetime. Secondly, there was HOME GAMES, based on the life story of Michelle Grace, former wife of Chicago Cubs’ first baseman Mark Grace, about being a Major League wife. This screenplay was commissioned by the actress and eventually made into an HBO series. My original screenplay FEELING THE SQUEEZE, a comedy about a man whose three girlfriends find out about him and exact revenge as they learn about the meaning of love was based on the true story of a close friend. I developed this with an executive at Hunt Lowry Productions and it was well received by executives at both Disney and Warner Brothers, though never ultimately purchased.THE DAY SHE DROVE ME, based on autobiographical material, is currently under option and Junction Films (MONSTER) is attached to produce, with actress Lauren Holly attached to direct.
I’ve also written two thrillers on assignment for Paris-based Textraxis films, and several more original dramas.
In 1999, during the course of my studies for the MFA in Creative Nonfiction at Antioch University, I began writing a memoir, Walking Away, about caring for my mother during her end stage liver disease, and her substance abuse when I was a child. An excerpt was published by Peralta Press, and the book is currently in the hands of agents and publishers and will hopefully find a home soon.
I have now written a book about writing screenplays based on personal experience. Please see my new website for THE MOVIE OF YOUR LIFE: Shaping True Story into Screenplay. You can also visit the Facebook page here.
My latest screenplay, Safe With me, was co-written with Dottie McGrew, and tells the true story of her childhood as the stepdaughter of a Russian spy during the Cold War.
In 2008, writer Amy Born highlighted my memoir in her “Survivor” column for Colorado-based Serenity Magazine. You can read the article to learn more about the book.
Currently, I am a contributing writer for the online magazine Suite101.com. Topics I cover are writing for stage and screen, travel, and non-profit organizations.
- Writing a Screenplay Based on a True Story, Inventing a Frame to Contain and Shape the Story
- How to Write an Autobiographical Screenplay, Clarifying the Story by Identifying the Personal Journey
- Ways to Keep a Screenplay Focused, Choosing Parts of the Story That Belong
- Autobiographical Screenwriting and The Pursuit of Happyness
For several years I was a regular contributor to Elevated Living Magazine. These articles range in topic from home and garden, profiles, non-profit organizations, the arts, and include a visit with writer-director John Sayles on the set of his film SILVER CITY.
I also contribute from time to time to DiningOut Magazine. Check out my Chicago-area cookbook reviews or my Q and A with a Peruvian chef based in Toronto.
Last, but not necessarily least is All the Come and Gones, a collection of poems I’ve put together from the overstuffed file of soulful scribbles, which, thankfully, never seem to stop bubbling up from deep within.
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