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This morning I found the following YouTube video in my FB
stream and it has both bothered and inspired me for the last few hours:
I was, of course, deeply affected by this tragic lover’s
tale of how ignorant hatred destroys people’s lives, literally. And I was also
inspired by the young lover’s determination to tell his story through creating
a movie and his efforts to combat bigotry in the world. I felt a thread
connecting he and I because at the core of all my novels is that same mission
to combat bigotry through telling inspiring gay-themed stories. It is what
drives me as a writer.
But I must admit I was equally impressed by the way this man
is going about telling his story. He first made a YouTube video, something
anyone can do, to get his message out there. The video went viral and so far
has gotten over two-million hits and over forty-thousand comments and letters.
As a writer trying to promote my books, I found these numbers staggering.
The popularity of his first video planted the seed to take
it a step further and develop a full-length documentary. The young man lined up
a producer, director, and writer. Now he needs money to make the film, and
where did they go to raise that money? You guess it: YouTube.
This second YouTube video was created to get the word out
that everyday people like you and me can contribute to getting this film made.
As the author of three screenplays that are sitting on my shelf waiting for me
to raise enough money to get them produced into movies, I was blown away by the
idea of using social media as a way to raise that money. I’m on a high right
now, thinking that perhaps I can travel down this same path and someday see my
own work on the big screen. It’s an amazing idea.
We do live in a time where almost anything is possible if
you have the imagination to see a way and the boldness to follow your vision.
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