Michael D. Sellers, Writer — or, the new me, sort of

Those who have followed the meanderings of this blog over the years know the basic outlines of my life story and my interests — that I was a film school graduate who got started in Hollywood, then went on a 10 year detour as an intelligence officer working for our government before returning to film in 1991. Since then I have made somewhere around 20 movies as producer and/or director. Along the way I’ve written quite a few screenplays, but I never put “writing” at the top of the list of things I do. Other things that define me: I have a deep and abiding love for the Philippines, where I lived for fifteen years and found my soulmate; and I have had a lifetime love for the imaginative fiction of Edgar Rice Burroughs — author of Tarzan and John Carter of Mars– whose stories expanded my belief in the treasures that life could bring, and encouraged me to chase adventure, sometimes with a good outcome, sometimes not — but who instilled values that at a minimum kept me out of the trap of a timid, boring life. I also have a fascination for boxing, a “sport” that is a fascinating test of character, and I have a thing about dolphins, and have made some movies about them that reflect that fascination.

Out of all of that, it has evolved over the last 20 years that my definition of self–at least in the work/creative sphere–has been filmmaker. Producer sometimes, director sometimes . . .

Well, that’s about to change.

The truth is . . . for me, whether it’s a movie or a book or a song or a blog post that I’m working on — it’s all writing. The genre or format changes; the demands of the particular medium must be met — but at the end of the day, it is all about having an idea and expressing it, sharing it, hopefully having an impact with it, and maybe, just maybe, there is an opportunity to leave a mark when you go.

I started as a writer and became a filmmaker. Now it’s time to acknowledge that the filmmaker is returnign to his roots for what is, statistically speaking — the fourth quarter of my game.

I write, therefore I am.

It’s on mugs and T-shirts. What does it mean?

I was bitten by the bug to express myself long, long ago and once bitten – it has never left me even for a moment. If you have been bitten by this bug, you know what it’s like. If not — let me try to explain. It creates a mentality where you feel that unless you process your own existence and learn from it so that you can express yourself in some way that communicates to others and shares something of value–you haven’t really justified your right to exist. To simply live your life is not enough; you must learn something from it and express it in ways that are meaningful to others, and if you don’t — you’re a slacker and you failed at being a human.

So I’m a writer first, and going forward that’s how I’m going to think and act and work and dream.

There. I just got up and took down the virtual “Michael D. Sellers, Filmmaker” hanging over my consciousness and replaced it with “Michael D. Sellers, Writer”.

Here we go. . . .

My first adventure as Michael Sellers, writer (make that Michael D. Sellers — Michael Sellers is the deceased son of Peter Sellers and/or the Washington Redskins football player so I need a middle initial for clarity) began in December, when with the help of my son Patrick and his company I published John Carter and the Gods of Hollywood and the results so far are encouraging. There is something to build on.

I will start writing about my writer’s journey here . . . .hopefully I’ll be connecting with other writers, and learning about the brave new world of indie publishing.

For starters, here’s my latest pitch for John Carter and the Gods of Hollywood — my first book, which is out now and the marketing and promotion of which is consuming a lot of my energy and focus. More about the book, and my journey with it, later…..