From:  Current.com;
Writers seem to be underecognized and under-appreciated by the general masses, as a result of Hollywood attitudes.  TV and movie fans rush to congratulate actors on a beautiful peformance, but they forget that there couldn't have been one at all without someone to formulate the concept.

"Anybody can make history!  Only a great man or woman can write it!"  Oscar Wilde

A few years ago, I wrote a comedy screenplay, and for a few years, I tried to sell it with no luck.  A few people in the movie business took a look at it...but no cigar!  During this time, I tried to learn as much about screenwriting as I could, and what I learned was pretty dismal news for the writer!

One of the things that irritated me the most about screenwriting, is the fact that when a script is sold to a studio, the writer is not wanted anymore...and is not even allowed on the set of the production!  The writer may or may not have a hand in the first re-write, depending on the contract. 

And, I read several accounts, whereby a writer sold a script after years of trying, and directors and producers and even other screenwriters re-wrote the script...that it was not even recognizable by the original writer!  Actors even got into the action and added their two-cents here and there, etc.  Talk about frustration for the writer!

I also learned about ageism...discrimination against older writers in Hollywood...there's a lot of this going on!  There's a lot of selfishness and greed in Hollywood, so I decided to do something else with my writing!  When the movie is successful, the director, producer and actors take all the credit!  But, when the movie is a dog...the writer is at fault, of course! 

 I took my script, broke it down, and used the ideas on my website and articles, etc.  There's too much ugliness in Hollywood for me...no thanks!   

"The purpose of a writer is to keep civilization from destroying itself!"  Albert Camus

From: BRE Magazine.com;
Stevie Wonder; Carol King; John Lennon; Smokey Robinson; Lionel Richie.  What do all these people have in common?  They're all consumate songwriters...highly skilled in the art of creating the very foundation of our musical landscape.  In today's music scene, a bevy of different producers are called on to mold the current musical offerings and they then lauded with the most credit.  Projects are producer-driven and little respect is given to the originators of the project:  the songwriters! 

Like millions of others around the country, I've been to a few concerts in my day.  I've seen very few singers or band members give credit to the writers of the song, unless it was one of their own, etc.  I've seen some singers not even introduce their own band members to the audience.  The singer gets the spotlight...and the big bucks...and the writer?  Probably the short end of the pencil, of course! 

Humor writers!  Erma Bombeck was once quoted as saying that writing humor is 50 times harder than writing anything else.  I agree!  I've been in the humor business for over 50 years, and people can judge for themselves whether  my work is funny or not! 

How many late-night talk show hosts would be funny and successful without their army of humor writers, putting it all together behind the scenes?  In the recent writer's strike (2007-08), the shows didn't even go on the air, but were replaced with re-runs as soon as the strike began!  It's easy to be funny, when somebody else writes all the material for you!  But, who makes all the big money?  The talk show host, of course!  The team of writers aren't  even acknowledged to the audience...are you kidding... recognize a writer?   

"If my doctor told my I just had 6 months to live, I wouldn't brood.  I'd type a little faster!" 
Issac Asimov

From: Hope Is My Anchor.com;
"Our need is not to feel that writing has to be a career for it to be worthwhile...nor, that it has to be prepared by formal study before it can be fulfilling to the writer.  If you feel you have an unrecognized talent for writing, or if you simply love to write, and want to do it...my advice is to write.  But write without ambitious pride...which makes you feel it is a "waste" of what will never be published.  Write to communicate with someone, even if it's literally only one person.  It's not a waste to write beautiful prose and poetry for one person's eyes alone."  Edith Schaeffer

" Writing is an equal opportunity tormentor!"  Steve Cousmer

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