A Certain Point of View: Writing, Film and Stuff

  I don't know why, but apparently, there are some folks who need to be reminded that "opinions" stated as "facts" are not really facts.  I don't care if a person firmly believes something as ridiculous as "you're not a real writer because you don't have a publisher behind you" or any such nonsense.  This is my official position on the topic:  My New Resolution: I will no longer listen to anyone who says, “You’re not a real writer.” I write every day. That makes me a writer. I studied journalism at both South Miami High and Miami-Dade College. Even won an award for my work on the college student newspaper during my freshman year. That, too, makes me a writer. I’ve written for clients, and I have also been paid by websites for my writing. That makes me a professional writer. I have  two self-published books available for sale on Amazon  and Barnes & Noble (online store only, though!). A third book is in the works. That makes me a writer,...

Hi, there, Constant Reader. I'm sorry that I have not dropped by recently, but I've been busy writing paid blog posts  at Cerebral Palsy Guidance (CPG), a site that provides information about one of the most common disabilities that afflicts children and adults - cerebral palsy (CP). This isn't my preferred type of writing gig; I'd rather be paid for writing reviews of movies, books, computer games, and music albums, to be honest. But I have CP - I acquired it as the result of an injury at birth - and the site owner wanted a blogger with some insights about living with the disability, so I was asked to contribute. I accepted the gig, not because I like the topic, but because I need the money. I didn't set out to become a spokesperson for the many people who live with CP in the U.S. and elsewhere. I am more comfortable writing about, say, the merits of Saving Private Ryan and arguing in favor of George Lucas's much-maligned Star Wars prequels than the ups and d...