About Me — Cynthia C. Farley
Tips for a Vegas Wedding, film making and writing a book
I have been on Medium since last November and before that, I worked a lot and took film courses. Here are a few things that I am sharing about myself that you may find interesting.
- I got married in Las Vegas one rainy November. I and my partner arrived for a 3-day trip and the next day, we hopped on a bus to go to city hall to get the marriage license.
It was interesting when I got there. In fact, at the marriage registry, other women were giggling like me, too. It was serious business but it was also exciting. Afterward, we chose to get married in a Vegas wedding chapel, which was inexpensive and the most costly item was the Wedding photos which were about $300!
If you want to get married in Vegas, it’s a good choice if you are on a budget. You can pack a fancy dress from home and even get an Elvis Impersonator to sing at your Wedding.
You can save even more money by bringing along a good friend to take digital photos of your big day!
2. I worked at eBay Canada answering emails from buyers for about 1 year. The work was routine and the pace was fast, as we had a quota to do every day.
I loved the free bagel days and the free juice from the vending machine. During my time there, I hoped to learn how to be a top seller on eBay. I didn’t sell a single thing during my time there. By the time I finished my shift, I was too tired!
3. I served as a deacon at my local church for a few years. I oversaw the practicum of the preacher’s son, who is now a successful youth pastor in my city.
If you have an inclination to work in the area of religion, it’s a serious calling and an important work for the people who rely on their community churches.
You can research and enroll in a program near you.
I have located a website that provides free ministry courses for people around the world. The site is called Christian Leaders College and the site advertises free courses in general education, theology, and the Bible courses, among others. Check it out here.
4. I worked in a collection agency making calls to collect overdue credit card payments from customers in the United States. During one month, I got an award for the highest sales and bought everyone pizza!
The work conditions were stressful because the collection reps had to meet the quota on a regular basis. I saw many agents come and go(involuntarily!) due to agents not meeting the monthly targets.
The office atmosphere was also depressing. If you have ever watched the Netflix series, The Office, you will get the picture of a dysfunctional workplace.
I wrote a sci-fi novel partly based on my office experiences working in various places. It’s now available in paperback at a low price now.
If you want to write fiction, you can self-publish your own book for free on Amazon Kindle.
If you are thinking of using an online publishing company, check out the reviews before you use them.
My friend’s mother used a vanity publisher and sent me her book. When I received it, the contents were not about a lawyer-detective, but it was filled with historical information. The book had the correct title but the wrong contents. I told my friend and when his mother heard about it, she was mad! She paid a lot to use a vanity publisher. Do your research before you select a vanity publisher.
5. I produced several short films and both got accepted at Toronto’s Commffest. This festival is very accommodating and if you ever want to submit a film there, I found the organizers very gracious and helpful.
If you want to be a filmmaker, you can study online or attend a community college. I didn’t complete my digital film program because I was working full-time at the time.
I took just enough courses to become confident in my abilities.
If you have a film, you can submit it to Film Freeway and Withoutabox. Keep track of your submissions. One of my films got accepted for a festival in India.
If you have always wanted to make a film, there are so many opportunities available for aspiring filmmakers. Or start making Youtube videos. Before I went to film school, I ended up casting a young man who appeared in several of my short films. I encouraged him to take acting classes to get bigger roles. Sometime later, he appeared in a local TV series. His name is Andy Yu and he has been described as Hollywood’s fastest-rising Asian actor.
When I met him, Yu worked in catering and got his experience doing a lot of short films made by local folks like myself. He did some voiceover work, as well.
If you want to be an actor, try working in student films, or make some films yourself. It’s an amazing experience working with creative people. Several of my independently produced films ended up in a festival in Toronto. These days, I am not making short films anymore, because I am having fun with Medium.
That’s all today. I want to take a moment to recognize: Autistic Widower
Hope this article gave you things you didn’t know before.
If you are new to Medium, please join here, and support writers like me who make it as a writer. By joining today, you can also start a great side gig and make money as a writer, too! Some writers are earning double and triple digits every month!
New! Another way you can show support is if you can buy me a coffee here. (Many thanks in advance.)
Don’t miss a story and subscribe here to get my latest articles. Please also show your support by following me and following this fine publication, About Me.
