Hi. Some of you may know me as the gobby bitch who writes Op-Eds which piss people off. Some of you may know me as the Welsh screenwriter living in Venice always hovering on the brink of something like success or failure. Some of you know me as the girl who wrote a memoir about living and dancing naked for a living in New York City. Some of you know me as the girl who gave birth at home and wrote about it. Some of you know me as the skinny, stressed-out single mom with a betrayal, a broken heart and a little boy I love more than anyone else in the world.
Right now, though, after ten months of contentious, vicious, soul destroying
litigation, I'm the person who's in serious shit.
I've never really been in debt. I've always lived within my means. I've been a full time writer since I was 24 years old and I've always earned enough to pay my rent and live a (relatively modest) life I really love.
This is no longer the case. I'm pretty much trapped in Venice, unable to leave, with no money until my next script comes in, which is a well paying job, but a drop in the ocean of my cataclysmic finances. I have thirty thousand dollars of credit card debt due to my divorce and mounting attorney bills. I have a great two bedroom apartment with (relatively) cheap rent near to supportive friends, and moving is not an option. I am on food stamps and save money by buying and selling used toys and baby clothes. I write
Op-Eds and
essays on the side for extra cash, and get my main income from writing feature film and TV scripts. Not being able to leave the state without permission from the court has cut my work in half. I live an active life and the little money I do have I spend on day trips around LA with my son: to the beach, the Natural History Museum, hiking, camping, swimming, on play dates with other moms. My maxed out credit cards have screwed up my once perfect credit so I can't get a loan to cover the attorney bills. I have no family support and no financial cushion and minimal child support which doesn't even cover my son's health insurance. I'm on my own, and it's scary, and for the first time in my life, I guess I'm asking strangers for help.
This is where you come in.
Short Summary
The horrific experience of going through the inefficient family court system has inspired me to start writing a second memoir and a short fictional film which I hope to direct in Fall 2015.
What We Need & What You Get
- I need at least $20,000 to simply clear my debt, help pay lawyer's bills, and get to a position where I can start to put this experience of warring over custody behind me. Once the debt is cleared, I can finish the memoir, write the film, and make my directorial debut. I'm being completely honest: the money you give me will be going to clear my debt. It's killing my writing and stifling my existence. I can't work without getting rid of this load off my shoulders.
- I'm not expecting you to help me out for nothing. I have hardback copies of my first memoir, exclusive hardback extracts from my second memoir in book form, and signed copies of the shooting script of my short film 'IRMO' to give to donors. I'm also offering people script and manuscript editing - and I am one hard ass bitch when it comes to editing. I'll whip your work into amazing shape and help you get it out there in a professional format!
- If I don't reach my goal I'll still take whatever is given to me and use it to pay off my debt and pay my attorneys (who are actually really great attorneys - I highly recommend them)
The Impact
I didn't know what I was getting into with family court. There's not enough accessible advice for women, particularly women in abusive relationships, and women who can't afford attorneys. Through the medium of prose and film, I'll be bringing my own unique experience to the world in my favorite form(s). I think it will help other women going through painful divorces and custody battles, and hopefully start to make some changes in the court system.
Risks & Challenges
You may notice I haven't talked about my son. I don't want my son to be named here, and I'm treading a delicate path writing about my divorce and a custody battle without encroaching upon his privacy, but I trust that, like most memoirists, I can find the ethical and moral path which doesn't hinder my art and yet doesn't hurt him, either now or when he's old enough to read my work.
Other Ways You Can Help
Some people just can't contribute, but that doesn't mean you can't help:
- Get the word out and make some noise about my campaign.
- Use the Indiegogo share tools!
And that's all there is to it.
