Writing: A Voice for Me

All my life, thus far, I always feel as if I'm screaming and no one hears me. The same goes for when I try to do stuff like Relay for Life and my messages go ignored. I try not to be pushy or demanding but it makes me feel insignificant when I participate, ask for donations and people just ignore me. I know that's what's happening because when other people do similar events, people respond, I respond. It's kind of the same with some old classmates as well. They kind of act like "oh hi," like I have the plague but when they met my sister they're all like "Oh you're Gemma's sister. Yeah I went to school with her," and they all love her while never gave me the time of day and still don't. That's why my sister never heard me speak of them or I was never friends on facebook with them. The same thing goes for certain people in my life as well. Their feelings are significant but mine are not. I'm just too sensitive and overreact about everything. It took confirmation from my close friends to find that I'm not crazy so then I ask myself, what's wrong with me that people react to me in this way?
Everyone says stupid things or things they regret so why when I do it does it then define me? I don't define myself by that but others do. Therefore writing has been my outlet. I'm happy to see people reading it and caring about what I have to say because for once I feel like I'm being heard. I carry a lot of things with me and the experiences I've had have ended up being transformed into one of my stories. I know with my rants I get very passionate about what I'm talking about. I don't mean to judge others or come down hard but there are double standards going on. I'm like the queen of having double standards done to so I know what I'm talking about.
To all of you who read my blog and follow me on twitter, I appreciate it because it means you like reading my thoughts and opinions. It is you who help me to use my voice because you let me know you're listening. This is why I write. It's not just because of my love for books or my love of exploring my imagination. It's because it's an outlet for me to share with all of you. So as I continue to work hard to get my writing career off the ground, I want you to know that I will remember all of you on my rise to do what I love and to make a living doing it. I hold you all close to my heart and to those I help with my constructive criticism, I thank you for being open to it and communicating with me about it. You, my readers, are the best and I love you.
I have one more class and then I graduate with my Masters in creative writing. So let's get this party started! Thank you from the bottom of my heart and God bless each of you.

Foreshadowing of a Literary Life

I believe that reading is a powerful activity. It helps your thought process by expanding your mind to endless possibilities. I've always loved reading. When I was a child, my favorite books were The Babysitters Club series, Sweet Valley High series, James and the Giant Peach, and any novels by R.L. Stine (well with the exception of the Goosebumps series). As I got older I stumbled upon Lurlene McDaniel, one of my all time favorite authors next to R.L.Stine and Karen Kingsbury. I also developed interests in biographies, more notably J. Randy Taraborelli's Michael Jackson biography, Michael Jackson: the Magic, the Madness, the Whole Story. These authors have a vast influence over the writer I have become and am developing into today.
When I started playing video games, reading took a backseat but through college I started to read a bit for pleasure again. This is how I got introduced to the Harry Potter series and Terry Goodkind series (which I still have to finish). I found my favorite genres to be Fantasy/Sci-Fi, Christian, Biography, Romance, and yes even the Young Adult genre. I have a variety of books in my collection right now including some self help books.
I currently have one novella to my name called Angel in Battle which I recognize as being published before its due time. I have that story on the back burner due to attending graduate school where I am studying creative writing. I'm working on a screenplay which was created in my screenwriting class but from a story which was meant for a novel but shines as a screenplay.
I knew I would be a writer because I began creating stories in junior high. My first was called The Rose Princess. The inspiration came from a souvenir I bought at the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire. It was a copper rose which gave the scent of a real rose. It was beautiful with glistening colors at the tips as if it were dipped in oil. Writing has always been apart of my life. I denied it at first because my family pressured me into it and I wanted to make sure it was what I wanted to do. Now that I've chosen my path, I love every aspect of it. I thank God for the gift of writing and have vowed to use it to entertain others as well as help others with the finances which can be gained with a successful story. I wanted to give you some background of myself to prepare you for the posts ahead. I want to share my journey with you in hopes you may learn the ins and outs of pursuing writing as a career and also to inspire you to follow your dreams.

Book Review-Arm Candy

Arm Candy by Christopher Gaida
Brace yourselves because this is going to be a detailed review (that's translation for a long review) but trust me this is worth your time. I'm going to start with the title Arm Candy: A Celebrity Escort's Tales from the Red Carpet. I don't think the title does the book justice and I'll tell you why. After reading the book the first and second time and after meeting Chris, this book is so much more than tales from the Red Carpet. This is not just a man giving secrets about the ins and outs of Hollywood from a backstage point of view. This is not a "psst...psst...I have an exclusive expose on Hollywood secrets." This is a unique look at the reality of Hollywood. It is the story of man who took a chance, a leap of faith if you will, and found his niche. He took advantage of an opportunity that opened many doors for him but also allowed him to meet extraordinary individuals who would otherwise be out of his reach.
In Arm Candy, Chris gives us insight into what a celebrity escort is, taking us out of our initial perversion of the word "escort" and setting us on the right path of what the job entails. What I love about this book is Chris's approach to sharing his story. He includes a whole chapter of special Hollywood terms going into full detail of their meaning and how they are used. He does say we can skip over the chapter but if you're interested in broadcasting, film, television, etc. you will pay close attention to this chapter. I did learn some new terms such as "craft service" and "what's your twenty?" Not sure what that means? You have to read the book.
I also give him props for doing the job because I know with my memory and how I can drift sometimes, I would be fired within the first few minutes. When he describes how he felt when he saw LeeAnn Rimes's boyfriend checking out other ladies while she was being interviewed and how he wanted to protect LeeAnn, you can truly feel that sense of duty. I felt that was a power moment to share because it was such an "ah-ha" moment of confirmation that he is where he is supposed to be, in the field he's meant to be in. That moment, I feel, was also a foreshadowing of how far he would rise in the business. He became a valued and desired escort because he took his job seriously. He wasn't there for him. He was there for the talent he was assigned to. He was there for the shows he worked, the crew for those specific shows. When you think about it, no one wants to be around someone that is constantly gushing over them when their job is to pay attention to detail and to take care of the talent. It reminds me of when I met Chris at his Barnes & Noble signing here in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. My friend Marisol was with me and the difference between us when we were talking to him really shined through. Initially I thought I was going to react like her because I was fascinated by Hollywood and got starstruck quite often however I surprised myself. "Oh my god you met Whitney Houston? I love her! Did you meet Taio Cruz? I love him! I would just die if I met him!" That was her reaction. I'm not saying it was a bad reaction. She got excited, as anyone would, hearing that he escorted this celebrity or that celebrity. I took on the professional side asking things like "Do you have a favorite celebrity that you escorted? What part of Pennsylvania are you from? How did you come to be in LA? How did you start?" The difference between my friend and I just amazed me that night. He told me how he was a cancer survivor and we discussed that as well as Relay for Life. I had a very enriching conversation with him and when I read the book it was like we were having another conversation but there are no questions. I was reading his story.
I can tell you that Chris's tone in the book is how he really is. He is very encouraging and open. He is truly one of the nicest people I've met and I do hope to have more conversations with him.
Back to the book, Chris focuses chapters on particular celebrities, one of my favorite chapters being on Julia Roberts. He's right. Seeing them on television or in film and then meeting them in person are two separate personas. However Julia sounds as gracious as she appears on television. One that did not surprise me at all was his discussion on Diana Ross. Granted we do obtain preconceived notions of a celebrity's personality by how they carry themselves from what we see on television but her behavior did not surprise me. True diva form in every way from what I read but Donna Summer, the complete opposite. It's important to remember to remain humble in the industry because you give yourself a bad reputation and you will begin to fade into the background. Sandra Bullock is one of my favorite actresses and she's one celebrity I wouldn't mind meeting. Her reputation precedes her it sounds like. She sounds like she is exactly as she appears and I was happy to hear that.
I don't want to give away too much but I also want to highlight his stories about Susan Lucci and Rosie O'Donnell because within those stories, Chris touches upon how cancer affected his life when he was diagnosed with it and when his mother was diagnosed. These individuals are fantastic and unbelievable, not that there was any doubt but I was amazed to hear how incredibly kind and heartwarming they actually are.
Chris is also sure to encourage each of us to go after our dreams. I'd like to share a great example of Chris's heart. I was going through a rough time with my ex and took time to walk around my apartment complex to clear my head. I don't remember the whole conversation we had but I know it had to do with the walking because it made me feel good in my time of depression. I told Chris I wasn't walking on a particular day and when he asked me why, I said it was because it was raining hard and I will never forget his response to me. Now this isn't word for word but it was along the lines of, "so? it's just rain. just do it" type response. I was taken back because no one ever responded to me like that but I now take it metaphorically too. Chris knew that walking made me feel good about myself and cleared my mind so he was encouraging me to do it and not let a little bit of rain stop me from keeping that routine. Metaphorically I apply it to my career as well. I am about to graduate with a Masters in Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University. I'm not giving up on my dream and through the words he said to me that day as well as the words of encouragement in his book keeps me going. I've learned to value his opinion. I don't know Chris too well but I do think of him as a friend though we never hung out but we had conversations here and there. This book is a must read for everyone because to me it is so much more than the talent but it's about that underlining message. Chris exhibits great strength in his courage to step outside his comfort zone as to not hold himself back. He has opened himself up to endless possibilities and now I am doing the same. He inspires me both as a friend and as a fellow writer. I have shared this on Facebook and I mean when I say that I am endorsing more than a great book but also a great individual. If you haven't done so, order this book now. It will change your life in more ways than one.
To Chris,
Thank you for sharing your story and just being you. I always wish you the best in all your present and future endeavors. Thank you for being a great inspiration and reminding us that our dreams can be our reality. We just need to take that leap of faith. Here's to many more conversations.