A number of years ago, a friend reached out to me for a bit of advice. Her father had written a few books, and it appeared that he was being given an offer by someone to option one of them. She wanted me to look into it and check out the particulars. It didn't take more than a few seconds to realize that it wasn't an offer to option the book, but more of an offer of services to write a treatment of the book, for a fee. It really wasn't a bad offer. The fee wasn't that large, but it wasn't what the author was expecting.
I chatted with John, the author, for a bit, and told him that, if he felt confident enough in his story and was willing to pay the fee, he should consider it. I told him that if he wanted my two cents worth (and that may be overpriced), I'd be happy to give him my feedback if he'd send me a copy. The book arrived a few days later.
I'll first say that it's very well written. His style of writing is very picturesque. As I was reading, the scenes were jumping off the pages. The story itself is quite engaging, but John's writing brought it to life.
-It's the true story of a woman named Maria Magdalena. She was born and raised in Mexico, got married and had five children. Years into her marriage, her husband abandons the family, and she is left with the challenge of feeding her kids. Facing the possibility of starvation, she decides to go to the U.S, where there are better opportunities.
Once across the border, she connects with a man who has taken quite a liking to her. It's not long before he's feeding her and providing her with shelter, but it comes with a price. The relationship turns abusive as he scares her with threats of being arrested, imprisonment, and deportation.
Escape is her goal, but it isn't easy. Even when she thinks she's free, he tracks her down. This story is all about Maria's determination, strength, spirit and belief in God that drive her to overcome any obstacle, while maintaining a thankful heart.-
It's because it was such a good story and so well written, that I offered to adapt it into a screenplay if John so wanted. He was all for it and so began our journey to bring this story to film.
The trailer is finished and will be available for viewing soon.
Thanks to Kimaya for doing a terrific job of producing and keeping me on schedule.
Thanks to Kevin for your work and your patience with me as I pestered you with endless re-edits.
Thanks to Karine for your performance and the finishing touches you applied.
Thank you John. It took a lot longer than we expected. Life seems to work out that way, doesn't it? I'm glad you enjoy the trailer. Let's see if we can bring this whole story to life.
Thanks Marte. It took a while, but I know you understand.
Keep an eye out for the trailer. I'd love to hear your feedback.