I told you Friday about our adventure at the Country Club of Detroit last Saturday. Well, last Sunday Mom and I went to Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle for the first time for Dave Coulier’s seminar Failing your Way to Success.
It was a funny and interesting afternoon, and I got to ask Dave a question, along with many others. And I like many others didn’t exactly get the answer for which I was hoping. Dave said he wanted us all to succeed and that we could contact him via his website with more questions, but this is not the case.
So, I thought I would take this opportunity to write an open letter to Dave in hopes he might see it.
Hi Dave!
My mom and I thoroughly enjoyed your seminar Failing your Way to Success. You are very funny and it was great to hear your stories and find insight into Hollywood.
I asked you a question about how to get my writing career off the ground. I have been writing for just about ten years now. I have five screenplays and five novels finished. They aren’t all masterpieces, but some are good, really good even. I just can’t find an agent, even though several have now said I am a good writer and should keep pursuing it. I think that might even be more heartbreaking than hearing “you suck” as you mentioned you heard early in your career.
You said I should self-publish. It’s something I’ve been told before and something I thought about and dismissed, but it is admittedly a thought I keep revisiting after hearing you suggest it.
Here’s the problem. I have this little blog right here. It’s not the best on the internet, but it’s good. I put a lot of effort into the posts and photos and recipes. I’m always thinking about what I can post and trying new ideas to try to build a bigger audience.
And for the most part, none of them work. This blog has been around for five years and it hasn’t really grown at all for the last three. So how do I get people to buy my book without fancy agents and a publishing house behind it when I can’t get them to read my blog for free?
How do I build an audience? How to I break through this plateau and the anxiety and overwhelming disappointment that hitched a ride along with it?
You said you want us all to succeed, so I am asking if you will directly help me. Maybe connect me with an agent. Help me self-publish. Give one of my scripts to a friend at Netflix. Something. Anything. Maybe you could even read one of my scripts and work on it with me.
At the seminar, you told us to keep working and keep the faith and it will happen, but for a lot of us that hasn’t worked and we really wanted to hear something more. With the exception of the karate comic, because if he doesn’t use that idea you gave him, he is a fool.
I’m a fan. I grew up watching Full House, and it’s cool seeing someone from this area make it. I hear a lot of people talk about how Mike Nichols mentored them, and I wonder where people like that are today. Perhaps you could be my mentor, because the position is open and you are a qualified candidate.
Like just about everything else I do, I’m not sure I expect this to work, for you to even read it, but like just about everything else I do, somehow that little glimmer of hope in my heart remains. If you read this, thank you for your time. And if you help me in anyway, I really cannot express how incredibly grateful I will be forever and ever.
Cheers,
Laura Dembowski
Now for the rest of you here for foodie business instead of Hollywood business, I give you Cherry Poke Cake. This is actually a paleo coconut flour cake that may just be my new go to recipe for cake. It’s light, fluffy, moist, and flavorful. With the syrup and frosting, it doesn’t stay paleo, but I’m sure you could swap maple syrup for the sugar in the syrup and make a coconut whipped cream. Though this is a poke cake, it tastes a bit more like tres leches and with the whipped cream frosting, it is pretty much irresistible, plus gluten free.
Here’s to cake and summer and dreams coming true.
Cherry Poke Cake #SundaySupper
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 9 servings 1x
Ingredients
Cake
- ¾ cup coconut flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 9 large eggs
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
Syrup
- 4 cups sour cherries, pitted
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup milk (I used coconut – almond, use what you love)
Frosting
- 1 pint heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
Instructions
- Make the cake. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Oil an 8 inch square pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut flour, baking soda, eggs, oil, syrup, and vanilla until well combined. Pour into prepared pan and bake about 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean or with a few crumbs. Cool for 15 minutes.
- Make the syrup. In a small saucepan, cook the cherries and sugar over medium heat. Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring frequently for 5 minutes. Cool before pouring into a blender and blending until completely smooth. This can be done a few days ahead of time.
- When the cake has cool 15 minutes, using the handle of a spoon, poke holes all over it, going all the way to the bottom. Combine about ¾ cup of the blended cherry syrup with the milk. Stir to combine and pour evenly over the cake. Cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to overnight. Extra syrup can be used in drinks or on top of ice cream – yum!
- When the cake has chilled, make the frosting. In a large bowl whip the cream until stiff peaks form. I did this by hand, but a hand or stand mixer will definitely work. Beat in the sugar and vanilla. Spread most of it over the cake in an even layer. Save extra for dipping cookies or making an ice cream sundae.
- Serve immediately. Cake may also be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
Additional chilling time is necessary
Cake recipe adapted from Elena’s Pantry
Don’t forget to check out the other Sunday Supper dishes! Thanks to Christie from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures for hosting!
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Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board. Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.
Good for you, Laura, for finding another way to ask your question. As for your cake, I can see why this cherry poke might be your new favorite. With all the food sensitive folks in California, your recipe is definitely a keeper!
There is one thing no one will ever be able to say about me: that I didn’t try.
I’ll have to try this cake for my paleo friends! I sounds delicious!
I hope, somehow, Dave sees your letter. All you need is to get your foot in the door and I know you’ll succeed! Your cake looks terrific!!!!
I hope so too, Liz. Thank you <3
It takes a lot of courage to post something like this, I think. It is great that you are so committed to your goals.
It seems like you’ve been working on your writing for a long time, which is great. However, I think that one thing you might think about is how you may need to do a lot of things you DON’T like–things that don’t make the most use of your talents–before you get to do the thing you love. For example, maybe it would be a good idea to move out to LA and just take ANY job–as an assistant, for example–with a production company. Then, you would be taking active steps not to ask other people to give scripts to executives, but to make connections yourself. You would be able to show people in the industry that you’re a hard worker who will do anything to get what she wants, including moving across the country and fetching coffee. Or, you could move to New York and take a copy-editing job to get your foot in the door at a publishing company. These are just examples!
It’s true that a very few people “get discovered” and start doing what they love right away. But that’s just not the way it usually works. I’m sure you can find a lot of stories of people with great talent who have to spend 10, 20, 30 years working their ways up to the point where they can make the most of their abilities. A big part of this would be 1. being in the right location, and 2. working jobs in a relevant industry, even if they are not THE job they really want.
Just something to consider. If nothing else, changing your scenery–even if just taking a job locally–can give you some new writing material for a while! It could be a fun adventure.
Hey Becca! I totally appreciate your comment. I have been working really hard to make connections from where I am with authors and agents and executives, but unfortunately they haven’t panned out either. With novels, it doesn’t really matter where you live, with scripts, it is very tough to get your foot in the door from anywhere, including LA. With that said, I am dying for a change of scenery, and waiting for the right opportunity. Without going into too much personal detail, I have really bad anxiety that prevents me from just picking up and moving without a support system. That’s why I have the blog and put myself out there in as many ways as are possible for me.
I love poke cakes, this looks great! My in-laws have sour cherry trees right next to their house and get to pick what they want, will have to get some to make this.
No. Way. I am so jealous they have cherry trees, though the ones at the farmers’ market have been pretty awesome. Thanks, Erin!
I recommend taking a course, either about self-publishing or marketing your product! Getting a book published is very, very difficult these days and self-publishing can definitely help you get your foot in the door. But you have to know how to market yourself. The same is true with a blog. You have to think of it as a business and start testing marketing strategies until you find what works for your audience. There are tons of resources, blogger groups, etc. out there. You are such a hard worker, but something I learned as a blogger is that you can’t just be a good writer/photographer/recipe creator, you also have to be a super smart businessperson and understand how to sell. Good luck!!
Hi Jennifer! I totally hear where you are coming from. I can’t tell you how many articles I have read about blogging and none of the tips are really helpful. I’ve done it all and for whatever reason, it doesn’t click. I am doing a redesign very soon, so I am hopeful that will help. Self-publishing is something I am still considering, but I have a new novel to send out soon and want to see what happens. Thanks for your comment!
Wow, this looks really wonderful! So full of flavor. Blog traffic is interesting, isn’t it? I used to have a TON, but it’s fallen off the last couple of years. But then, I’m only posting once a week and do virtually no social media — and my impression is that social media drives most of the traffic these days. Good luck with your efforts!
Blog traffic is definitely interesting (maybe a few other things too). I post at least three times a week and do all the social media, even those obnoxious IG stories, but it’s not getting me a thing 🙁 Who knows, maybe one day it will all change. Thanks for your comment, as always, John!
Really great letter to Dave and I hope he sees it! I hope I see this cake one day!! Looks and sounds delicious.