Sherry, Here
And glad of it.
Hello, fellow “ILLUMINATION” writers and editors. I’m Sherry McGuinn.
A Chicago-area native, I am an award-winning writer and screenwriter. Writing isn’t something I do, it’s who I am. And I wouldn’t have it any other way. Even on those days when I look at my stats and think, “WTF?”
When I say I’m glad to be here, I’m not just referencing this platform. As a breast cancer survivor, I’m glad to be alive. I’m glad to be damn near anywhere. Although, like the rest of us, I’m going “nowhere,” fast. That’s okay. That’s how it has to be. For now.
On Medium, I am the owner of the publication “Rogues’ Gallery” and co-editor of “The Militant” with my friend Stephen Sovie. I’m also an editor for “The Partnered Pen,” “The Narrative,” and “Ain’t Yo Mama’s Tea Party.”
Currently, I’m a top writer in Satire. Just the other day, it was Satire and Humor, but the second one seems to have disappeared. (Sometimes, I don’t get this place.)
I’ve been married for a long time and owned by cats equally as long. They are the light of my life. As always, they’re doing their best to keep my husband and I sane…and laughing. I feel blessed to share my life with them.
I love all animals, in fact. I believe their souls are beautiful and pure.
OCD and anxiety have been my constant companions for as long as I can remember. Both are unpleasant, as anyone who struggles with these disorders knows, but OCD can be particularly vicious. It makes you do things that “normal” people would consider to be insane. But I deal with it in my own way.
What else is there to do?
Regarding my screenwriting: To say that this journey has been a roller coaster of a ride is understating it. I’ve had two short films produced, one in New York, the other in Los Angeles. Both won several awards, including “Best Short” at the Pan African Film Festival in Cannes.
My high point came when the Executive Producer of The Dallas Buyers Club optioned one of my feature screenplays, a female-driven thriller.
I attached a director — me, not the producer — and things were going swimmingly until the EP decided to take his company in a “truth-based-stories-only” direction. The option fell through and the script rights reverted back to me.
It’s a crazy business and, just as it is in any industry or career, you have to be ready to take rejection…over and over, again. But the pitbull in me won’t give up. I will keep beating my head against Hollywood’s door and I will make it.
Those who read me know that I don’t mince words and I don’t suffer fools. I do my best to tell the truth because we don’t have time for bullshit. Not now. Not ever. If other people don’t like my edge, they don’t have to read me.
I suppose that, like anchovies, I’m an acquired taste! (Love them, by the way.)
I also love to make people laugh. When a story I’ve written delights a reader and makes him or her feel a modicum of joy, if only for a little while, well, that makes my day.
“ILLUMINATION” is a great name for this publication. I’m looking forward to shedding light on topics close to my heart. I want to engage you, entertain you and make you think, perhaps in a way you never have before.
So, know that this is not the last you’ll hear from me. I’m looking forward to contributing whenever I can.
Stay safe and thanks for reading.
Sherry McGuinn is a slightly-twisted, longtime Chicago-area writer and award-winning screenwriter. Her work has appeared in The Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, and numerous other publications. Sherry’s manager is currently pitching her newest screenplay, a drama with dark, comedic overtones and inspired by a true story.
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