Credits and Credentials
(Credit List under this article)

By the time I made it to Hollywood, the studio "golden era" had long since passed. Still, it's been a most amazing experience and I treasure it. If I'd had a clue the people I had long admired were just folks with feet of clay, I would have worked up my nerve to join them earlier in my life.

As an MGM studio employee, I worked for some of the best and most prolific writers and producers on the scene. When the Vice President of TV hired me, I acted as a script advisor. 


Esther directs a segment of "The Hollywood Stunt Show" on location.

In Comedy Development, I realized, after all these years of being paid as a writer myself, that I learned more from hearing what was said about writers behind their back than what was said to me in story conferences.

While I was working for the Vice President of Television, I wrote and sold my first original screenplay to Dick Clark Cinema Productions. Next I went to work for Stanley Greenberg, who was my hero. Some time before I met him, he had written and produced "The Missiles of October," the finest TV show ever made--in my humble opinion. I learned valuable lessons from that harsh taskmaster who would not tolerate even one script error.

While working at MGM I continued freelancing, and wrote "An Evening with Charlie Chaplin," "Murder on the Oneida," "Final Approach", "Bojangles," and "The Second Wave," all of which ended up in development and in turn-arounds and all kind of things. I've worked on a Barbra Streisand film plus several episodic TV shows, and I was Production Coordinator on "CHiPs" a very long time ago. I taught screenwriting on the University of Missouri campus for the three semesters (2003-2004), and more recently produced and co-wrote a feature film, "Lithium Springs" for Florida's Ocean Entertainment Group.

When my young son, Dean, an aspiring screenwriter, died, I made the decision to help other writers--to do for them what I wish I had done for him.

Here are a few projects I've recently undertaken:

"Screen Writers Q & A" (AuthorHouse, 2007). My answers to questions from aspiring screenwriters.

"Till Death Do Us Part" (Kidlar, a DoubleDay imprint, 2007)

"Murder in the Movies" (Hilliard & Harris Publishing House, hardback release Feb. 2008) Read the glowing reviews on Amazon.com where they've given it a 5 star rating.

"The Book of Revelations", screenwriter, currently in development. 

"Shrink to Fit", polish screenwriter. Currently being marketed.

"By Grace and Love", screenwriter, in early development. Funded by The Gifted Learning Project.

"Lithium Springs", Producer, co-writer, Ocean Entertainment, Carter Lord Executive Producer; 2004/2005 (World Premiere, Palm Beach Int'l Film Festival,April 16, 2005; Danville Film Festival, May 22,2005, San Francisco, CA; Forest Grove Int'l Film Festival, Portland, OR, June 12, 2005) Nominated for Best Picture.

"Blue Gardenia", screenwriter. Option. Blue Wave Productions.

"Blue Gardenia", Twenty minute trailer; Blue Wave Productions; 2003

"Malice in the First Degree", Feature film writer; Puerto Rico & Hollywood Film Enterprises; 2004.

""Spearfinger", Writer-Director, Topeka Civic Theater play; Fall, 2003

"Spearfinger", Audio adaptation Writer, also talent; Broadcast Club of America; 1999

"Tomorrow's News", Ghost Writer, novel; 2002

"Sarah's Mountain", Option, feature film; PSO Entertainment; 2003

"Ghost Dancer", Writer, freelance assignment; TV Pilot; 2001

"Final Prophesy", Polish Writer, freelance assignment; feature film; 2000

"Colterville", Adaptation Writer for audio, from novel of the same name; Broadcast Club of America; 1999

"Ghost on the Haunted Ship", Audio Production Writer, Broadcast Club of America; 1999

"The Shadow", Audio Adaptation Writer, live performance; Florida Dinner Theater; 1999.

"For the Love of Teddy", Audio Adaptation Writer, from a novel of the same name; 1999. The show was also performed before a live audience at the Huntington Theater, Huntington, West Virginia, 1998

"Tools of the ScreenWriting Trade", Textbook author; Oak Shadow Press;1998. 2nd Revision April 2003. Third Revision April 2005.

More recently I've been speaking as the author of "Murder in the Movies". People always asked why I wrote  a novel after all those years of writing screenplays. I reply honestly: I was trying to think of ways to murder my philandering husband when it dawned on me I had the makings of a pretty good book! So, I decided to get royalties rather than jail time.

And now, the workshops:

Appalachian Film Festival, Huntington, West Virginia(two days; independent)

Kansas City, Missouri, Communiversity, a division of the Univ. of Missouri-Kansas City campus. Three semesters

Topeka, Kansas, Tools of the ScreenWriting Trade 6 week workshop (independent)

Charlotte, North Carolina (Mint Museum of Art, with Don Gold, two days)

Raleigh, North Carolina (Art Space, with Don Gold, Jack Allen, two days)

Denver, Colorado (Trivoli University Center, with Colorado Film Commissiioner Michael Kline, Don Gold, two days)

Jupiter, Florida (Burt Reynolds Ranch, with Don Gold, Jack Allen, three days)

Dallas, Texas (Dallas Screenwriters Association, with Don Gold, Mark Schulman, two days)

Charleston, West Virginia (West Virginia Writers Conference, independent, three days)

Providence, Rhode Island (East Coast Screenwriters Conference, with Anne Marie Gillen & Paul Mason, two days)

Orlando, Florida (KVG Studios, independent, two days)

Winter Park, Florida (Art Museum, with Don Gold, Jack Allen, Paul Rabwin & Randy Torno, two days)

Miami, Florida (Business Women's Center, with Jack Allen, Randi Cushnir, two days)

Austin, Texas (St. Edwards University, with Texas Film Commissioner, Don Gold, two days)

Kansas City, Missouri (UMKC campus: 1995-thru present; independent, one day)

Tampa, Florida (FMPTA, Tampa chapter, with Don Gold, two days)

Orlando, Florida (FMPTA State Conference, with Jack Allen, three days)

Cripple Creek, Colorado (Cripple Creek Film Festival, with Colorado Film Commisioner Michael Kline, Don Gold, Anne Marie Gillen, two days)

Colorado Springs, Colorado (Master Class. Independent, two days)

Concord, MA (independent; with Don Gold & Anne Marie Gillen, two days)

Mr. Dora, Florida (independent, one day)

Pittsburgh, PA (Pittsburgh Writers; with Don Gold, two days)

Pittsburgh, PA (Pittsburgh Writers, Master Class. Independent, two days)

Colorado Springs, Colorado (Pike's Peak Area Screenwriters, with Don Gold & Paul Rabwin, two days)

Mr. Dora, Florida (independent, six weeks)

Cocoa Beach, Florida (independent, two days)

Ocala, Florida (Brick City Square, independent, one day)

Daytona Beach, Florida (Daytona Community College, independent, one day)

Tampa, Florida (Barnes & Nobles, independent, four hour workshop)

Palm Springs, California (independent, six weeks)

Greenville, NC (Eastern University, independent. Guest lecturer)

Raleigh, NC (St. Augustine's University, independent, four hour morning workshop)

Raleigh, NC (Screenline, Raleigh Community College, independent, two days)

Columbia, Missouri (Rag Tag Cafe, independent, two days)

Topeka, Kansas (Shawnee-Osage Library, independent. Guest lecturer)

Topeka, Kansas (Thoroughbred Systems, independent, six weeks)

Raleigh, NC (Quail Ridge Books, independent, four hour workshop)

Yucca Valley, CA (Water Canyon Coffee Company, independent, six weeks)

OTHER DRIBS AND DRABS ...

JUDGE:

CRYSTAL REEL AWARDS, Florida Motion Picture & TV Assoc., Excellence in (Florida) Films (Best Film, Best Screenplay, Best Actor, etc.).

C.A.S.T. Project, Screenwriting Contest,Hollywood, California.

Kansas City Screenwriting Contest, Kansas City, Missouri.

Recipient, SPIRIT OF HUMANITY AWARD for outstanding contribution to beginning filmmakers and screenwriters.