Editor’s Picks — Top 10: Imagine Making a Blockbuster Movie When You Are Writing

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The movie Titanic flopped. ‘Titanic’ sinks again (Spectacularly),” Kenneth Turin wrote in her LA Times review in 1997. Even Cameron himself knew it. “We labored the last six months on Titanic in the absolute knowledge that the studio would lose $100 million,” the writer-director said. “It was a certainty.”

David Cameron had chosen a topic everybody thought they already knew. They didn’t think anybody could have a new perspective on what happened.

The film critic for the Sunday Times wrote, “Cameron’s overweening pride has come close to capsizing this project,” which he called “a hackneyed, completely derivative copy of old Hollywood romances.”

For seeing “Titanic” almost makes you weep in frustration. Not because of the excessive budget, not even because it recalls the unnecessary loss of life. What really brings on the tears is Cameron’s insistence that writing this kind of movie is within his abilities. Not only isn’t it, it isn’t even close. ~ Kenneth Turin

So, what made it an epic blockbuster after it failed to perform?

It was the Japanese, Thai, and Philippines youth who gave it new life. The people in these countries watched it for it was — an irresistible love story, not a cliched disaster. They loved Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet’s performances and they adored the story.

Titanic is one of the highest-grossing movies ever made. The enthralling saga is often a guilty pleasure in serious movie-lover circles, despite its 11 Oscars. ~ a review by Sandie Angulo Chen

What was David Cameron thinking when he selected the topic of his movie? Cinema had seen 12 productions since 1912 — two every decade. The 1958 film A Night to Remember was an adaptation of Walter Lord’s 1955 book. Almost all of the movies, including the 1964 musical The Unsinkable Molly Brown, had failed to perform. There were around 28 documentaries and 30 TV productions about Titanic.

Cameron was clearly inspired by the challenge of reproducing the event with a physical verisimilitude and impact inconceivable in the numerous previous film and TV versions of the event. ~Todd McCarthy wrote in Variety

David Cameron wanted to make an epic blockbuster movie — a story of never-ending love that paralleled — and yet somehow dominated — the tragedy of the sinking of the White Star Line’s R.M.S. Titanic on her maiden voyage from Southampton on April 15, 1912.

Everybody loved the movie. Titanic has earned almost $2.2 billion. Notice how critics change:

But that’s the magic of Titanic — a young boy can gloss right over the romance and focus on the action, while a teenage girl can concentrate on the swoon-worthy love story, and grown-ups can sit back and enjoy it all — even if they pretend not to later. ~ Sandie Angulo Chen

When you are writing, think of writing an epic blockbuster every time. It’s okay to think it will flop — like David Cameron knew his movie would fail. Give it your best shot anyway.

It is not what you write but how you write it. What was going on in your head when you were writing? What did you expect? Did you see people changing their opinion of your work?

When you are willing to do whatever it takes to be successful, something far away triggers a chain of fortunate events. Or it seems like that.

Go ahead. Write your blockbuster today.

Here is our blockbuster — hopefully — list of top 10 stories:

10. Put a New Spin on Your Attitude and Watch Your Life Change!

Jill Reid is the author of “Real Life” and founder of Pathway to Personal Growth. She is exploring happiness, life, relationships, health, and personal success.

She is a fine writer. Her writing style is informative, frank, and engaging. Do check her other work.

We all have goals, whether short-range or long-term.

Defining and meeting those benchmarks is often considered one of the necessary tasks at the beginning of a new year. But when our lives and directions change — and they do — our “plans” become a less-than-reliable checklist, in need of a few alterations.

Which is why I take short breaks throughout the year to evaluate how things are moving along in my life — where I am personally and professionally, what I’m doing to improve myself and my career, and the general direction I’m headed.

9. A Question of ‘Cojones’ — Lottie Watkins, Congress, and Two Black Boys from SW Atlanta

Andrew Jazprose Hill writes stories from the heart and tempers them with his mind. He is an award-winning writer. With a background in talk radio, newspapers & TV news. Novel in progress.

He is an excellent writer. His is writing style is frank, honest, and absolutely engaging. Do not miss this masterpiece.

When we talk about cojones, what we’re really talking about is courage. Not giving in to fear. We’re all afraid sometimes, but people with courage feel the fear and do the scary thing anyway. This is not an abstract point to be debated. Sooner or later, a dragon of one kind or another will appear in everyone’s life. Most will run away and hide. A few others will grow a pair. Here’s a story about one of them.

Once upon a time, two boys rounded the corner of an Atlanta neighborhood looking just like other Black kids in this part of town — except for one thing. They wore suit jackets and neckties. A dead giveaway for Catholic school. Standing up when the teacher enters. Remaining quiet until called upon. Prayers to begin the day. Prayers at the noonday Angelus bell. Tuition your working-class parents scrape together every month.

8. 5 Quotes By Mel Robbins That Will Make You Unstoppable

Margaret's Reflections is an observer and lover of tea, running, words, and the outdoors. She writes about fitness, productivity, satire, and psychology.

Mel Robbins is a keynote speaker, bestselling author, coach and entrepreneur.

Yet, her life’s work was all a gigantic mistake. At 41 years old, she found herself in the midst of intense personal turmoil. Her family was 800k in debt, she was unemployed and fighting with her husband. Her drinking habit was bordering on addiction.

She felt like an utter failure.

7. 5 Useful Tips for Any Guitar Beginner

Markus Skårnes writes about self-improvement, writing, music, and whatever he feels like. He wants you to enjoy his work.

He is a fine writer. His writing style is charming, frank, and to the point. If you are a guitar beginner, here is something for you.

I started playing guitar about 17 years ago, and it’s been a fun journey. I’ve learned a lot on the way, but I wish I learned some of it earlier.

As a beginner guitarist, there are tons of resources to learn from. You can find libraries full of chords and tabs and YouTube lessons for any technique imaginable.

The downside is that it can be hard to know where you should focus. I’ve been there, learning a bit of this and a bit of that, but not really getting anywhere. It’s fun, but sometimes you need direction.

6. One Night Count of Homeless Canceled or Delayed

Rose Bak is a freelance writer, author, and yoga teacher who lives in Portland, Oregon.

She is an exceptional writer. Her writing style is informative, direct, and engaging. Please do check her other work.

Every other January, cities and counties across the nation conduct the “One Night Street Count”, a census of people experiencing homelessness across the country. The count is scheduled for January 27th, but that count won’t happen in many cities, including some of those that have been the hardest hit by the homelessness crisis.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many cities have determined that it just is not safe to conduct the street count this week. This risk to volunteers, staff, and individuals experiencing homelessness is too great.

5. American Sexism — The History and Future of American Women

Holly Kellums is an author, social media influencer, recovery coach, and human-potential activist.

She is a superb writer. Her writing style is emotional, honest, and engaging. The topic she is talking about makes it a must-read for all human beings.

As far back as we can remember, perceived ugliness and misconduct of this world has been blamed on women. Women have been oppressed, abused, raped and silenced for hundreds of years.

From Eve’s inability to control her desire for forbidden fruit to the women brutally murdered in witch trials, the labeling of feminine energy as toxic, disposable and harmful permeates western history and American culture.

4. Admit It, Nothing Makes Sense

Bradon Matthews is a writer, model, and flower child gone wrong. He write about the things has learned; from great thinkers and from his own crazy life experiences.

He is an excellent writer. His writing style is honest, to the point, and very engaging. Don’t miss this one.

The truth of things is often so painful we choose ignorance.

This world hurts. 2020 and the start of 2021 have made my point far better than I possibly can. Despite all our best efforts, despite trying to be decent people, despite doing nothing wrong, hundreds of thousands are dead, millions are jobless, the world burns, and our institutions face insidious corruption.

In response, conspiracy theories abound. In response, we blame. In response, numbing agents are crafted out of anything and everything. All this to avoid facing a bitter conclusion: none of this is fair, nor does it make sense, nor are we in control of it.

3. Thanks For Volunteering, But I Wish You Were White

Rebecca Stevens A. writes about racism. She says, ‘But there are so many other things I would like to write about instead. Help me dismantle racism so that I can get to that.’

She is an extraordinary writer. Her writing style is frank, honest, and thought-provoking apart from being incredibly engaging.

Follow her. Read her. Wait for her next story.

I’ve always wanted to help others, so when I graduated from university, while I was looking for a job, I volunteered for the local Red Cross society in Geneva, Switzerland. The organization offered free First Aid training, and a few days later I became a certified volunteer. My first assignment was to help a disabled elderly white lady do her weekly grocery shopping. She had polyarthritis.

On my first day of work, I left home in my Sunday best eager to make a good impression. The Red Cross made it clear that I would have to cover all my travel expenses to get to my place of work. I was not to accept any money from the beneficiary under any circumstances. There had been incidents where elderly beneficiaries had been extorted by badly intentioned volunteers.

2. My Daughter Found A Dead Woman On Her First Bike Ride Without Me

Emily Kingsley is a big fan of good books, funny looking animals, and great stories. She is always ready for the next big thing.

She is a wonderful writer. Her writing style is frank, honest, and full of suspense. You’ll love her other work too.

If cities are made of blocks, suburbs are made of loops. The house I live in with my husband and our kids is at the end of a cul-de-sac that connects to a half-mile loop of pavement. In the decade we’ve lived here, we’ve covered the loop thousands of times.

At first, it was just with our dog for daily walks. Then our daughter was born we graduated to a stroller and then a red Radio Flyer wagon. She grew up and graduated to a scooter and finally a bike with training wheels.

1. How to Tell Whether She’s Open to Being Approached or Not

At number one, it is Shannon Hilson. She is a full-time writer and a language nerd. She is the girl with the most cake.

She is an outstanding writer. Her writing style is frank, to the point, and beyond engaging. If you started reading this story, you’d probably like to read it to the end.

Do check her other work. Read her. Follow her. Wait for her next piece.

I’ve had many guy friends complain to me over the years that figuring out what women want from them is next to impossible these days. This is especially the case when it comes to facilitating a meet-cute with someone attractive they stumble across out in the wild.

Do women still want men to talk to them, or do they strictly want to be left alone? It’s actually both, but it depends on the woman, as well as the circumstances. You’re probably pretty safe chatting someone up in a social setting where people are there to mix and mingle, like at a party or a night club. But what about everyday places like the grocery store, the gym, or the street — places where women aren’t necessarily looking to meet new people?

This post is part of the Top 10 Series — you can meet almost 400 top writers with these links:

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Final Thoughts

If your story was selected in the Top 10, please share another one of your stories with a brief introduction and a short convincing review. (Please write the review in the third person and start it with your name.)

I must have missed something today. I cannot read every story on Illumination and Illumination-Curated. I try — and fail daily — to read all of the masterpieces.

I am inviting you to join our private Facebook group for Illumination writers. Also please follow my publication — positive minds.

Dr Mehmet Yildiz has kindly allotted the top 10 series a full shelf on the front page of Illumination-Curated:

If you find any mistake, typo, or other error, please leave a private note for correction. Thanks.

To be included as a top 10 writer, read these curation guidelines carefully.

You can read my curated stories here.