Choices

When people ask me to define love, I say, "Love is like handing someone a gun, having them point it at your heart, and trusting them to never pull the trigger." (Sponge Bob)

When they ask me why I laugh at my mistakes and even write them with pride in my blogs, I say, "I'm not crazy. I just don't give a damn!" (Daffy Duck)

When one time I was conducting a group activity, a student asked what road sign I love the most, I said, "I like dead end signs. I think they're kind. They at least have the decency to let you know you're going nowhere…" (Bugs Bunny)

And when for the nth time a friend would ask me what do I get from writing, I'm not even sure if there are good old souls out there visiting my site, I just smile and say, "Kung gusto mong maging manunulat, eh di magsulat ka. Simple." (Bob Ong)

And last night when Eva said she wants to quit from her work because nobody believes in her, her boss got mad at her, she doesn't even have friends at her agency, and she's crying like hell, I said, "Either you stay to prove your worth or you quit and just show them you're a loser, you have to strive for your happiness." (MY original)

My CHOICES: I remained believing in love. I continued spicing up my mistakes and rewriting my life, accepting failure but keep on dreaming until words would fade into thin air.

Jul 12, 2008

Sidney Sheldon Timeline: A Tribute to One of My Favorite Authors

1917 Sidney Sheldon is born in Chicago, Illinois.


1937 Sheldon arrives in Hollywood where he finds work at Universal Studios as a script reader for $17.00 a week. With collaborator, Ben Roberts, he also writes a number of "B" movies.


1941 Sheldon joins the Air Force serving in World War II as a pilot.


1942 Sheldon has three musical hits simultaneously playing on Broadway - the revised "Merry Widow," "Jackpot" and "Dream with Music". Mid-'40's Sheldon returns to Hollywood where he begins a long career as a successful screenwriter with MGM and Paramount Studios.


1948 Sheldon wins an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for "The Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer" starring Cary Grant and Myrna Loy. The film also wins the 1947 Box Office Blue Ribbon Award for its screenplay.


Sheldon is awarded the Screen Writers Guild Award for Best Musical for "Easter Parade," starring Judy Garland and Fred Astaire. He receives the Box Office Blue Ribbon Award for its screenplay, as well.


1951 Sheldon receives the Screen Writers Guild Award for Best Musical for "Annie Get Your Gun," starring Betty Hutton and Howard Keel.


1959 Returning briefly to Broadway, Sheldon wins a Tony Award as co-author of the musical, "Redhead," starring Gwen Verdon.


1963 Sheldon begins a new facet in his writing career with the creation of the "Patty Duke" television show. He writes an unprecedented 78 scripts in three years for the series.


1964 Sheldon creates, produces and writes "I Dream of Jeannie" in his co-production capacity with Screen Gems. He writes all but two dozen scripts in five years, using three pseudonyms, while simultaneously writing scripts for "The Patty Duke Show."


1967 Sheldon receives an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing Achievement in Comedy for the hit series "I Dream of Jeannie."



1969 Sheldon's first novel, The Naked Face, is published and wins an Edgar Allan Poe Award from the Mystery Writers of America. -- "I lost my original copy, but my brother, with his support to my fetish has provided me with another copy."


1974 Sheldon's second book, The Other Side of Midnight, hits the New York Times bestseller list, going on to hold the paper's then record of 52 weeks on the charts.


1975 Sheldon's A Stranger in the Mirror is published and becomes a bestseller in both hard and soft cover. -- "I sometimes feel this - staring flat at the mirror, wondering who my reflection is."


1977 Sheldon's fourth novel, Bloodline becomes a #1 bestseller.


1980 Rage of Angels is published and goes to #1 on the bestseller lists the week before its official publication date, staying at the top for 18 weeks and on the lists for 42 weeks. -- "One of my all time favorites!"


1982 Sheldon's sixth novel, Master of the Game, debuts at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list and stays there for 11 weeks. -- "Talk about being special..."


1983 "Sidney Sheldon Day" is celebrated by Mayoral proclamation in his hometown of Chicago.


1986 Another Sheldon #1 bestseller, If Tomorrow Comes, is published. -- "I ask this question, too... what if it comes? Am I ready for the challenge?"


1987 Advance orders for Sheldon's eighth novel, Windmills of the Gods, are the heaviest in publisher, William Morrow's history. The novel debuts at #1 two days before its official release date. -- "When will the windmills stop?"


1988 Sheldon's novel, The Sands of Time, debuts on the New York Times bestseller list before its official release date. Advance orders exceed one million copies. -- "Another favorite. The first ever book that made me cry a river."


Sheldon receives a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.


1990 Sheldon's tenth novel, Memories of Midnight, a sequel to his first blockbuster hit, has a record first printing for publisher, William Morrow of 1.1 million copies.


1991 Sheldon's international bestseller, The Doomsday Conspiracy, is published. -- "I almost believed in aliens. Well, I still have some thoughts of it, though."


1992 The Stars Shine Down is published and sets record breaking sales for the author. -- "Will it still shine over me if it did?"


1993 Sheldon receives the prestigious Prix Literature 1993 at the Deauville Film Festival.


1994 Sidney Sheldon publishes his thirteenth novel, Nothing Lasts Forever, a dazzling novel that sweeps readers into the frenetic world of a big San Francisco hospital. Sheldon is named National Spokesman for Libraries For The Future. -- "Indeed it is. Happiness. Sadness. Failures. Successes. Everything. The only permanent thing on earth is change. And so our life cycle goes."


1995 Sheldon is honored by libraries across the country, the American Library Association and The Los Angeles Public Library, with their Honorable Citizen Award. Sidney Sheldon's fourteenth novel, Morning, Noon & Night is published. -- "Another worth a thousand reads."


1997 Sheldon is honored by The Guinness Book of World Records as the Most Translated Author in the World. The Best Laid Plans is published with an initial printing of one million copies. Best Laid Plans hits New York Times Bestseller list



1998 Tell Me Your Dreams is published and hits the New York Times Bestseller list. -- "This made me feel more like a real psychotherapist. One of my dreams in the making. Not much Freudian. I better like Adler and Rogers and Piaget and Ellis and Erikson."


1999 Sidney Sheldon honored with "Great Authors of the Twentieth Century" Stamp and it is declared Sidney Sheldon Day by Mayor of Beverly Hills


2000 The Sky is Falling published. -- "A real good novel."


2004 Are You Afraid of the Dark? published. -- "Sometimes I am. But this is where I feel God's presence the most."

2005 Sidney Sheldon's memoir, The Other Side of Me, is published. -- "The last of his book to be published before his material departure. And I have to get a copy of this book to complete my set of Sidney Sheldon collection."


2007 Sidney Sheldon passed away on January 30, 2007. His wife, Alexandra, was by his side.




To the man, the author who has first captured my heart to read novels... I am forever grateful of the wonderful travels you gave me. My mind and my heart and my soul journeyed with each character - from Manila to the different states in the US to France to historic places in Europe and to all giant and little alleys in the world. I cried with every sorrow and took joy in every triumph of good over evil. I sighed in every love story that never was and laughed at every detail of foolishness you played with your pen. Thank you for carrying me through every end of the chapter and every closing of the tales you told. I really am.


Have a peaceful rest. Your tale I know had a real happy ending...
Timeline is courtesy of:

3 comments:

SandyCarlson said...

That's a lovely tribute to a great and prolific author who made many people very happy.

Unknown said...

This article is what you do for an author like Sidney Sheldon,one of world most loved authors.It a salute to his work.He has actually made reading fun.Every novel i read made me more eager to try another of his novel.He has really made things difficult for other mystery writers as it is very difficult for them to reach his level of imagination and excellence.

Anonymous said...

Sidney Sheldon is one of the most amazing authors i have come across,Infact it was his books that inspired me to read.. I have read all of his books.This blog is a great tribute to his awesome work....