Diana Amsterdam - Writer

To all of Diana's friends, if you haven't heard by now, she passed away Monday evening after an aggressive recurrence of her cancer. Since I can't reach out to you all individually, here is a link to an evite for a celebration we are having of her life this Sunday in Manhattan. If you can attend and share her amazing life stories, please come. The link to the evite is http://evite.me/Qa1HMmPDAF

Diana's husband, Sandy

Tap to RSVP to Let's Celebrate Diana! You're invited to Let's Celebrate Diana! - Click here to RSVP

Children of Bellevue on Twitter “Join the Junior Board of Children of Bellevue as we host a night of laughter. Doors open at 6:30 PMand last entry time is 7:15 PM. Participate in a raffle to win a 5-class card to Modo Yoga NYC or 2 tickets to Sleep No More. Raffle tickets are 3 -> $15, 5 -> $20 or 8 -> $25.”

Feeling caught up--finally! Friends of Titanium Girl-Sidekick Naming Contest deadline is fast approaching-we have some incredible names-we can use some more! Psst...Once I get a name, my superhuman powers activate!

https://titaniumgirlfightscancer.com/sidekick-contest/

Sidekick Contest – Titanium Girl Fights Cancer! Sign up for the By Renee Barrett – Senior Writing Assistant to Diana Amsterdam It’s Titanium Girl and her fearless sidekick . Against me, cancer doesn’t stand a chance. I am trained and ready to stand by our superhero’s side, and kick the p**s out of any cancer cell that come...

Here she is! My new Assistant, Renee Barrett. Renee is a Lehman College Top Scholar, a passionate published writer, and a seeker after her dream: To make her living as a writer, as I have for twenty-five years! Renee's journey shows her to be a fighter and a person who follows her north star, even when her circumstances are difficult. And who could resist these two sentences: "As a writer, I pay strong attention to detail, am a self-starter, and have an excellent vocabulary. Additionally, I excel at balancing multiple tasks within strict deadlines without compromising editorial standards." Renee made me a believer! The first ten people to write in congratulating Renee may count on a half-hour of my time, gratis, to discuss any writing goal.

Mr. Anthony Foreman, you are our winner! So happy to make your acquaintance because of this site, which brought us together. Here is what you win: 1/2 hour of my time, which usually costs $125 per half hour. You may choose one of the following to be your topic of learning with me: Basic Expositional Writing. Writing the screenplay format. Craft for writing a stage play. Writing a short film script. How to Market and Sell to the entertainment industry. Or, if you have an idea for something you're burning to discuss with me, let me know what that is. I'm so proud to have the chance to help you on your writing journey. FOR ONE DAY ONLY, anybody who writes me, with good grammar and correct spelling, and a sense of pride in the writing craft, that they'd like 1/2 hour of my time, free, will get to choose what they want to learn from the list above.

You want to learn, I want to teach! As a multifaceted writer, I write fiction as well as memoir, plays and screenplays--Now two of my short stories have been published, one is up for a prestigious national award, and a third has been read aloud audio-book style by actor Richard MacDonald. Contact me!

Now that I've come out of the cancer closet, that news has eclipsed my thirty-year writing career. Hey, I'm still writing, and working just as I've always done. As the latest, my producer on The Way Out. www.sanfordsilverproductions.com is forming a brand new division to market and sell the many works I've written for clients, and other worthy screenplays and TV pilots as they come our way. Heading up that division is the remarkable Lauren D'Errico whose confidence, moxy, brains and stunning presentability will open doors and build our rolodex in the entertainment industry. Welcome aboard, Lauren!

Hey Budding Community! As you know, I've come out of the cancer closet and I'm offering all I know during nine years to any and all who can benefit! Please visit my blog at www.titaniumgirlfightscancer.com and although we're soon to be migrating all content (to Word Press) if you join, I promise your membership will go with us. There is no charge whatsoever. Once we migrate, you'll get notifications (as you wish them), event announcements and newsletters.

LET'S KICK CANCER'S BUTT TOGETHER! Welcome all warriors. My name is Diana, AKA Titanium Girl! I am one of the longest-lived metastatic cancer survivors in the USA. 

This writer, as many of you know, has been fighting metastatic cancer longer than most, and I'm still here. My writing projects are going strong, and now, I've written something entirely new! A BLOG that I will be updating on a very regular basis. Containing the tips, advice, experience, and knowledge of a 20-year warrior in this global fight. Please direct your friends to: www.titaniumgirlfightscancer.com
If you or someone you know is fighting that fight, sign up for the blog, so you can get a notice (brief, no pressure) when a new blog post is published. Love to you all, and here's hoping, praying, and fighting for the right to live another year.

LET'S KICK CANCER'S BUTT TOGETHER! Welcome all my sister warriors. My name is Diana, AKA Titanium Girl! I am one of the longest-lived kick-ass-of-cancer survivors in the USA. 

For centuries, when a royal court launched a new project in the arts or architecture, the court hired a wizard or wizardress to guide and guard against evil forces; and to ensure the project's success. I am now seeking such a person to guide and guard the most important writing project of my life. He or she will be a true wizard i.e. someone who has not sought to monetize a gift (although I will be paying this person). He or she will have a long true history and backstory as psychic and author. Do you know such a person? If so, please recommend.

Drum roll! We have a winner! The 1st Diana Amsterdam Writing Skills Contest. What is the most important skill a writer of story must have? MAKE US CARE. Congratulations to Melissa Bell for getting it right and winning $500! If you'd like to see Bell's entire 3-answer entry, write me here or at [email protected] And stay tuned for an upcoming webinar "HOW TO MAKE US CARE." FREE to all writers that entered the contest.

Hey! Have you done anything this week that you've never done before? I have, and (I'm guessing) I'm a lot older than you! First, I ran a contest (still running! enter! $500!) and then I got a short story published in a literary journal. So go, do!https://www.amazon.com/Orca-Literary-Journal-1/dp/1942797214/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=orca+literary+journal&qid=1561726982&s=books&sr=1-1

Orca, A Literary Journal (Volume 1) Orca is about fiction. Short stories and flash. We are a literary journal and we believe in the literary style of writing. Orca is published three times a year, in February, June, and October.All the work we publish comes through the submission portal.Fiction published in Orca may be nominated fo...

ONLY 4 MORE DAYS TO ENTER! I'm thrilled to present my first contest ever! Diana Amsterdam Story Skills Contest. The prize? $500

To enter, please read the following carefully. Answer the three questions.

1. What is the most important skill a writer of story must have? Frame your answer as so: A writer must be able to __________. Keep it short! The correct answer is less than ten words.

2. Why is this the most important skill of all?

3. Give me an example of a movie, TV show, play or novel that demonstrates this skill. How does this skill help the story?

Guidelines:

I hope to see correct answers and also professionalism (grammar, spelling, and form).

No more than one page, please! Longer entries will be disqualified.

"Writer of story" can be a playwright, screenwriter, memoirist, novelist, or TV-pilot writer.

The skill I'm looking for pertains to the craft of writing, not to outlook or philosophy.

Feel free to share this contest with writer friends and colleagues.

Please note that the winning entry must have LIKED or FOLLOWED this page. Send to: [email protected] Your entry will be acknowledged by return email.

Must be received by July 1, 2019. The winning entry -- chosen solely at my discretion -- will receive a $500 check from one of my companies, The Writer Panel.

If you'd like to see more about my credentials as writer, writing coach and teacher, go here. https://dianaamsterdam.com/

In the event that there is more than one winning entry, prize money will go to the first person to get it right. Good luck!

Who's left out? The TV and film jobs that pay real money to writers are finally opening to women and people of color. Diversity is now desirable to producers, agents, publishers and awards committees--for all but SILVER WRITERS. Folks, I'm writing better than ever! My writing is s*xy, vital, and nuanced--not musty, fusty, or cutesy. Knock knock open that last door!

Thank you to everyone who Liked and Shared my recent post about my hero & client, Sherman Jackson! Because of your 50+ shares, that post reached over 4000 people. I visited some of your pages--people far & wide, from all walks of life and every bow in the rainbow--and I am so honored to be connected with you.

Stop complaining. Some people have real problems, and they still pursue their dreams. The man in the black hoodie is my hero and client, Sherman Jackson (with l-r childhood bros Cobra and Kevin). Of Puerto Rican heritage, he rose up from the gang-ridden streets of Queens, joined the Marines, got his law degree--all so he could fight for and exonerate his childhood friend wrongly accused of murder. And he did it! I'm honored to be writing the story of this real American hero.

Good free advice about writing query letters--based on decades of experience writing and receiving them. Please share with anyone who is trying to be a writer or dreaming about getting their story properly conceived and written.

https://dianaamsterdam.com/2019/03/10-most-common-query-letter-mistakes/

Ever hear the expression, "I need to get that in my ear?" This doesn't refer to a Q-tip--This is writer talk that refers to the cadence, idiom, curse words, and language used in a particular time and place. Currently, I'm writing a TV pilot set in Queens NY street culture in the 1980s. I'm organizing a Language-Listen: a get-together of folks from that time & place. I can write any dialect if I can just hear it!

Get your tenacity on! Have you abandoned worthy pieces of writing because you're discouraged by rejections? The #1 mistake that writers and artists make is giving up to soon and too easily. Recently, I resurrected "old" writing that was nothing but files on my computer. Lo, a short play was accepted into a prestigious ten-minute play Festival Short+Sweet Sydney; a screenplay made the Quarterfinals in a Hollywood RomCom Contest, and my short story "Beggar by Day" was accepted for publication in the literary Journal Orca at UCLA Extension Writers' Program.

Fire Inside! Do you know anyone who burns inwardly? Driven by deep obsessive desire, this person is a worthy protagonist (the main character of a story). I'm thrilled to be writing the story of such a person. Sherman Jackson is driven to find justice for his unjustly-imprisoned friend while also driven to free himself from the demons of an abusive childhood. The story has been named "Fire Inside."

What makes a great story? Desire. Not the get-in-your-pants variety but the deep, soul-deep need that drives someone to overcome impossible obstacles. Just this week, I was hired to write just such a story: about a young man who fought his way out of the mean streets of gang-riddled Queens, became a Marine, and went to law school--all so he could fight for the exoneration of his childhood friend who had been wrongfully convicted of murder. Can you beat this for a great story?

I needed to research the life of a medical intern (first year after med school) for a TV series mini-bible I've been hired to write. And wow, did I learn a lot! The average intern begins work at 5 and is often at the hospital until 8--for a six-day work week. If she's married to someone who's not a co-worker, that marriage may be in trouble! Interns work so closely in pressurized teams that s*x on the job is common; and after work, she needs that beer with colleagues. (Eeuw alert!) Interns doing surgical rotation must, without moving, hold open the body being operated on sometimes for hours. The first sight of copious amounts of blood can cause fainting. There is widespread use of uppers, most commonly Adderall, to get through the day. Most interns are passionate about their work and really want to help but some (surprise!) are just in it for the prestige and money; they often go into plastic surgery. The good news is that now, in medical school--even in specialties like surgery that have been male enclaves--there are more women than men! Thanks Donna Hoke for this valuable connection!

Congratulations to my Writer Panel writer Andy Rooster Bloch for landing a dream job for the Panel! A talented writer came to us with a short story that she wants to make into a screenplay. Andy will be helping her enrich the story by opening it up, adding characters and locations--prepping it for its next life as a screenplay!

Place a bid! You could "win" me cheap--at a much lower cost than I charge through my two writing practices. This is a surefire way to get an hour of my time to read your script (the first 30 pages) + give you handcrafted notes + follow up with a phone call to answer your questions. I love TRU and am honored to offer my services to their annual auction. Go here to place a bid and take your script higher for a much lower price!: http://biddingowl.com/tru Through tomorrow (Sunday) night only!

BiddingOwl - Theater Resources Unlimited Auction Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) is the leading network for developing theater professionals. A nonprofit organization created to help producers produce, emerging theater companies to emerge healthily and all theater professionals to understand and best navigate the business of theater. 

Did you know that every year, this festival in the Nevada desert attracts hundreds of thousands!? I'm thrilled to be coaching the creator of a new musical for the stage set at Burning Man. The hero is a Millennial woman who is at first a prop for men's desires and then realizes that she's the most skilled tech wizard at Burning Man. Story = Change. What story do YOU want to write?

Which one is a real apology? As a wordsmith, I know that subtle differences in phrasing can make a world of difference. 1. I’m sorry your feelings are hurt. 2. I’m sorry that I hurt your feelings. 3. I’m sorry if anything I may have done might’ve hurt your feelings.

I've just been hired to write a mini-bible for a new TV series about a female doctor and I need to interview a current or recent medical intern preferably at a major teaching hospital. Please email me at [email protected] if you know anyone who might answer a few questions! Thank you so much!

Advice for writers and wannabe writers! Don't self-publish until you've tried the traditional publishing channels! I have recently self-published my first book through Amazon, and found the process complicated, frustrating, and lacking in support. Authors who sell a lot through Amazon/Kindle must make it a full-time job! Do you have that kind of time and money (it isn't free). If not, get together your book proposal, your powerful query letter, and your list of likely agents (and try at least 20!) before you swim downstream through self-publishing. I can help you with all of the above! https://thewriterpanel.com/ You can also find me at my ever-hot Diana-only website: https://dianaamsterdam.com

Home Now that you've come to the right place, choose your panel. Check out Shop to see our products, services and pricing. Branding & Copywriting Promo Pieces Writing for Hire Self-Help

Is it worth $1.99 to acquire just one confidence-building social skill? And many more? If yes, as part of my new adventure into self-publishing, for one day only you can purchase my new self-help book "Truly Useful Social Skills" for just $1.99 on Amazon with a chapter on social media by guru Laurie Jamaitus THE CLOCK STARTS AT 11 a.m. today for this one-day promotion! https://amzn.to/2pfHoiq or http://bit.ly/TrulyUseful Let me know if you have any trouble clicking through, please, as I'm learning the self-publishing ropes as I go!

Grandma WAS right! My first self-published book, "Truly Useful Social Skills" is for everyone who has ever wished to be more at ease in social situations. Here's one of the fun illustrations in the book by Eliza de Macedo Furtado. Buy it for yourself or that shy loved one! Here:
https://thewriterpanel.com/self-help-books/

Diana Amsterdam - Writer updated their website address.

Can a writer be an entrepreneur! We gotta be! Today I launch my new website! I'm hiring writers to be part of this, and offering ALL my writing services at more affordable prices. Branding & copywriting. Promo pieces. Writing for hire (and we have our first job!) Self-help books. Please visit and noodle around. It's the friendliest, most adorable website ever.
https://thewriterpanel.com/

It's not a fairy tale and she didn't live happily ever after. Yes, she corresponded with George Washington, learned to read and write despite the fact that she was a slave, read prodigiously, published books of poetry hailed on this continent and in Europe, and insisted on her emancipation. But she died in poverty in her early 30s after losing three infant children to illness--something, as I've explained to my own granchildren, that happened a lot in 1778. Phillis Wheatley was the first female African-American poet. As I research my screenplay-for-hire about the American Revolution, I came upon her untold story and am deeply inspired by her courage against all odds.

Diana Amsterdam - Writer