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This One Is For The Hill by Hollywood Jim a.k.a. The Gripe Guy

Recently I started to question myself as a writer.  I remember being in college and an English professor saying that unless my writing skills improved, my work would never get published. My goal was never to be a published writer, so I didn’t think much of his comment…until lately. I am finding that his words haunt me occasionally.

Ten years ago I was managing a store in Denver. I was put in charge of the store’s business marketing plan including all of its print advertising. It was a position that demanded contact with area newspapers and publications. I soon became friendly with a newspaper publisher who asked me to write an advice column. My first reaction was “Me!? Write an advice column!?” but, as one who never passes up an opportunity good or bad, I said “Yes!” immediately.

What started out as writing for fun quickly turned into something bigger than ever imagined!

The bi-monthly column became a weekly column due to its growing readership base. People loved what I had to say and I was flattered. Not once did I consider my writing skills great, but my Denver personality as “Hollywood Jim Advice” soon was recognizable in stores. Invitations to promote local events as Hollywood Jim poured in. The Hollywood Jim Advice column helped the newspaper and the store that I still managed, but my satisfaction came from knowing that living breathing persons were reading and reacting to my words, good or bad! I was a writer and loving it!

In the years that followed I contributed to several publications in the Denver area. Recently, I began to question if the Hollywood Jim popularity was the result of my writing or the persona that was created. Are Hollywood Jim and Jim, the writer, one and the same?

SedonaEye.com contributing writer, Hollywood Jim Franckowiac, and fan

SedonaEye.com contributing writer, Hollywood Jim Franckowiac, and fan

After arriving in Sedona from Denver, I chanced to meet Rita Livingston who offered me an opportunity to write as the Gripe Guy for the Sedona Times, followed by C. Bentley Hill, the new owner and publisher of the Sedona Times newspaper and web site. On the street, I am occasionally recognized as the Gripe Guy of Sedona. Last month, my first book was accepted for publication and is due out in the Fall. So why in the world am I questioning my worth as a writer now? Let me tell you, folks, that change is always difficult!

Recently, I was contacted by a woman doing work for several online publications. She wanted web site writers and asked for samples of my writing. She liked the articles that I submitted except for the very last one, an article written specifically for a particular site. I got a call saying that my resume was impressive, but the last article was poorly lacking in grammar and punctuation. What!? Considering my goal was not to write the great American novel, I did think the last submission was quite acceptable but accepted her critique with an unusual graciousness.

However, a day later, I got a nasty e-mail from a Colorado reader commenting on a year-old published article. Colorado called me “bitter and pathetic.” Hey! I will admit to being “salty” but Colorado’s words gave me a few minutes pause. I began to question my writing, but before long I made the decision to offer Colorado the opportunity to eat my words!

Okay, I write like I talk because I’m not a college-educated English major! I’m just me, Jim, the guy who gets a thrill knowing that someone is reading what’s on his mind. And yes, sometimes the message comes across as jaded or contrarian but I love the writing process, and no matter what Colorado says, I will keep the text editor open on my Macbook and get back to writing my second book! I may not be able to wrap my brain around a perfect sentence structure or fully understand the theory of black holes in outer space, but I can learn. (By the way, a black hole isn’t a black hole at all, but a dense mass in outer space.)

So, my second book will be better than the first, because I am learning how to be a better writer. So to Colorado and others, my writing isn’t for everyone. Some will appreciate it, others will not. I am grateful for the written word path and where it leads. I am thankful for my successess and for my mistakes but mostly I am thankful for the people in my life who accept that I am human and perfectly imperfect. So, this one goes out for the Hill, with thanks.

Have comments for Hollywood Jim?  Want or need Hollywood Jim’s free advice? Write  HollywoodJimAdvice@Yahoo.com today.

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Read www.SedonaEye.com for daily news and interactive views!

1 Comment

  1. AR Shock DJ says:

    dah griper reads in Denver, pandemics partee like golden dazeys

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