Today we’d like to introduce you to Marilyn Anderson.
Marilyn, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I have an unusual background for a comedy writer and author. I got degrees from college and graduate school in biology and physiology, and worked as a biomedical information specialist at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C. Then one day I said to myself, “I don’t want to do this – I want to be a STAR!” So, I quit my job, sold my car, sold my boyfriend (didn’t get much for him) – and moved to New York to become a star.
Amazingly, I got into a Broadway show a week after I got there! After that, I started doing stand-up for a while. One day I thought, I either have to take a vacation or get a job. Let’s see, vacation… or job? Not too much to think about. I took a vacation to Los Angeles and never went back to New York. In LA, I started writing scripts. I wrote my first screenplay, which got a lot of attention, then I started writing for TV shows. I wrote for Murphy Brown, FAME and Sherman Oaks, and I was on the writing staff for Carol & Company, starring Carol Burnett. In addition to doing comedy, I can also kill six people an hour – unfortunately, not the people of my choice!
I “killed” them in Friday the 13th — the Series, for which I wrote three episodes. In 2015, I wrote and produced an Independent film, “How to Beat a Bully.” It’s a “Home Alone” kind of comedy with an anti-bullying theme. While I was writing scripts, I also authored several books. My first was “Never Kiss a Frog: A Girl’s Guide to Creatures from the Dating Swamp.” It’s published in 10 countries, and I’m currently developing it as a romantic comedy feature and TV series. Then, last year, I decided to write the book: “How to Live Like a MILLIONAIRE When You’re a Million Short.”
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Actually, my struggles are what led me to write “How to Live Like a MILLIONAIRE When You’re a Million Short.” As a writer in Hollywood, sometimes, when you sell a script, you might make a chunk of money, but you will also go through lots of periods when you don’t sell anything, and you don’t get any paychecks. This could be for weeks, months – or yep– even years! I looked around and saw many of my friends who had steady jobs and steady paychecks, yet they never seemed to go anywhere or buy anything, saying they were broke.
I might’ve not worked for a long time and gotten no paychecks – yet I was constantly going to live theatre, traveling to exotic places, and buying cool things. Everyone would always ask me, “How does Marilyn live?” One friend even joked that the three questions of the universe were: 1) What is the meaning of life? 2) Is there a God? and 3) How does Marilyn live? So, I finally decided to reveal my secrets and write them all down in a book.
It was my lifestyle of not making money on a regular basis and learning how to get luxury items without spending a bundle that became the premise of the book. Then, after it was published, and as more and more people heard about it – they asked me to do talks and events. I’ve done presentations for community groups, financial organizations and book clubs. I’ve also given courses and seminars. A big challenge in screenwriting is that when you write a script, it takes a long time for it to be realized on the screen.
When you write a book, you don’t often have direct contact with your readers. However, when you give talks or do events, you get to meet face-to-face with your audience, and that’s very rewarding.
Please tell us about How to Live Like a MILLIONAIRE When You’re a Million Short.
I’m a comedy writer and speaker – so whatever I do, I like to infuse it with humor and fun. With my new book, “How to Live Like a MILLIONAIRE When You’re a Million Short, I’m also thrilled to be able to provide all kinds of helpful information for people. I tell them how to save thousands of dollars and enrich their lives at the same time. It’s especially gratifying when I do events, to hear from the audience members directly.
People will thank me for the awesome money-saving tips… and for providing them lots of laughs, too. I’ve lived this way for over 20 years, so I’m not just giving hypothetical situations; I’m telling folks about things I’ve done – and that they can do, too. Although there are some money-saving tips that are well known, I tell them things that they haven’t heard before.
Almost everyone knows how to save money on eating out by using Groupon, Living Social vouchers or Restaurant.com certificates. Another way to experience expensive restaurants for less is going to happy hours. I love doing that; I’m a happy-hour-kind-of gal.
However, what most people don’t realize is that they can go to live theater every night of the week for free; get haircuts and styling at expensive salons for free, and spend six nights at a 4-star resort in Spain for free! I tell them how. I also share how to wear a $2,000 dress for $50 and how to buy a $10,000 sofa for $200. These are all win-win situations; they are things everyone can do and enjoy, and it doesn’t involve sneaking in or scamming in any way.
Just recently, I got over $6,000 worth of gum surgery for free and got it for a friend, too. Dental work is never fun – but when it’s free, you feel like a million bucks!
Pricing:
- How to Live Like a MILLIONAIRE When You’re a Million Short – in paperback on Amazon $19.95
- How to Live Like a MILLIONAIRE When You’re a Million Short – on Amazon Kindle $4.99
- How to Beat a Bully – Movie on Amazon, Google Play and iTunes – from $1.99 to $7.99
Contact Info:
- Website: www.HowtoLiveLikeaMillionaire.com
- Email: [email protected]
Image Credit:
Marvin Rinnig
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