How One Word Transformed a Hollywood Screenwriters Career

How One Word Transformed a Hollywood Screenwriters Career How One Word Transformed a Hollywood Screenwriter's Career With more than 25 produced credits to his name, Stu Krieger is best known as the writer of the animated classic, The Land Before Time. Almost 30 years later, Stu is here to share how moving outside his comfort zone has shaped his career as a writer. This fall, Stu is publishing his debut novel, That One Cigarette.Yes to publishing my novelAfter the talk had been posted to YouTube, I received an email from Publishizer, a company that connects authors with publishers after launching a pre-sale campaign to generate interest in the project. They asked if I’d thought about turning the topic of my Ted talk into a book. I hadn’t, and told them instead about the novel I’d been working on. After my pitch, I was asked if I’d like to work with Publishizer to try and get my book published. I said YES.The next challenge was to find an editor. Publishizer founder Guy Vincent suggested I check out Reedsy. He said he knew several writers who had worked successfully with e ditors through them and asked if I wanted to give the site a look? I said YES. On Reedsy I hired assessment editor Lauren Hughes, who would become the first outside eyes to read and offer a detailed analysis of the manuscript’s strengths and weaknesses. Her in-depth memo was incredibly positive and encouraging, and her suggestions for improvement were sharp and beneficial. I said YES to her notes and revised the manuscript accordingly.After a successful pre-sale campaign with Publishizer - that resulted in over 300 books sold - I received interest from fifteen publishing houses and signed a deal with Harvard Square Editions. My first novel, That One Cigarette, will be on sale November 24, 2017.All of this is happened because when opportunities arose, I said YES to them. In each instance, I had no idea where the new road would lead, just that I wanted to meet each challenge head-on. Staying engaged in life is a really good way to keep from being dragged under by the inevitab le gravitational pull of aging. Staying engaged in life is a good way to keep from being dragged under by the pull of aging. One of the perks of becoming a professor has been that I’ve learned to listen to the things I tell my students. This â€Å"practicing what you preach† business really has its benefits. Who knew? I am endlessly encouraging my students to be proactive. If you can’t see something as a possibility for you, there’s no way it can happen. I often tell my students that one day I’ll go to court to legally change my name to Professor Nike, because when they come to me with a dream, a goal, a project they’re hoping to pursue, my response is always the same: â€Å"Just do it.†I have no idea how That One Cigarette - a counterfactual history tracing four families from November of 1963 to January of 2009 - will be received. There’s no way to know if it will get some decent reviews or if my readers will enjoy it. What I do know is that when someone asks me if I have a book coming out this fall, I can tell them†¦ YES.Please  share your thoughts, experiences, or any questions for Stu Krieger, in the comments below!That One Cigarette is available for pre-order from Harvard Square Editions.