by Dianne Burnett
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GENRE: Non-fiction
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Get
ready to laugh. Get ready to cry. Get ready for a whirlwind of an adventure.
Settle in for a powerful, poignant story of inner strength and courage-and get
a fascinating, behind-the-scenes look at the making of Survivor, the world's
most popular reality show.
Spinning their mutual
love of exotic adventure into gold, Dianne Burnett and her former husband, TV
producer Mark Burnett, co-created Eco-Challenge, an expedition-length racing
event televised on Discovery Channel that catapulted them into the arena of
reality TV and set the stage for Survivor-a modern-day Robinson Crusoe with a
million-dollar prize. But Dianne and Mark's fairytale marriage did not survive
their Hollywood success . . . she found herself left behind, her contributions
unrecognized. She lost her partner in life and began to lose her identity. In
that experience, she found an opportunity to grow.
A fascinating,
fast-paced, heart-warming "page-turner," The Road to Reality takes
readers on a roller-coaster ride-complete with a zesty romance, as well as the
ups and downs of going for your dreams-while it imparts the lessons learned as
Dianne discovers what really matters in life is something beyond fortune and
fame.
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Excerpt:
Dianne Burnett: What I learned writing The Road to Reality
I couldn’t be quiet anymore. That would have been the polite
thing to do; zipping it was the societally-preferred course of action. Just
smile and take it. For years I did just that.
We do, after all, have two wonderful sons. I didn’t want
them to feel torn in what was happening between me and my husband, Mark
Burnett. I smiled at dinner parties, showing up with guy friends, explaining my
husband was “on location” with Survivor or attending another awards dinner in
New York. I explained to the boys that Daddy had a new clubhouse where they
could play and where he could work.
The impact of an absent husband no longer living at home,
however, sent my world into new orbit. I went from “Does not compute” to the
realization I had to find my own path again. The one I’d been on before I met
Mark—who, like me, came from a modest background, but who took me gallivanting
around the world--the handsome Brit with whom I had a synergy and shared a
belief that we were unstoppable. And we were.
We had no background in doing what we were doing, no fancy
degrees, no connections. We had nothing but sheer will, and the willingness to
research, put together proposals and run through our pitches again and again.
But we did it—first with Eco-Challenge, the world’s premiere
endurance-adventure race. And then with the idea for a TV show, that was a
modern-day Robin Crusoe story. I gave the name to the program that would
catapult reality TV into new directions. “Survivor.” And my handsome hubby
finessed the concept, developed it, and pitched it.
Nobody bit. Ever single network gave it a red light. But
Mark kept honing his pitches and I kept coaching him and encouraging
him—“Honey, I know it will fly!”
And it did.
But winning at the lottery machine of life destroyed our
marriage. Nobody preps you for success, for the way your credit cards suddenly
don’t have limits, and you cause a sensation walking into a room. We went from
“aspiring” to “golden” in six months time. And after another year, the union
that had defined me for over a decade was seriously unraveling.
The truth is I didn’t know my marriage was effectively over
until radio host Howard Stern announced it to the 18-34 male listening
demographic. As calls came flooding in from friends asking if Mark and I were
divorcing I took it calmly, still believing we’d get back together, that our
trial separation wasn’t permanent. But then, as another year, then another went
by, with Mark and I both dating other people, I understood that I had to get
back on my own road. I didn’t want to be defined by my relationships any more.
I wanted to have my own life again.
It wasn’t easy. At
first, I felt like Chevy Chase in Vacation, caught on the roundabout, trying to
forge my own way, trying to find my road again. I could see where I wanted to
be but I wasn’t yet there. Writing this book proved to be the ideal exit.
I began writing it when I realized that I couldn’t get to
where I was going until I understood where I’d been. So I went back and
traveled my past, back to Commack, Long Island and the talent shows we put on
at the swimming pools, back when I dreamed of entering showbiz. I relived my
life discovering a tale of making one own way, with a love story at the heart,
and a lot of adventure in between.
I understood finally that it wasn’t the destination that
mattered, it’s the journey. And as I wrote the last words of The Road to
Reality on a balmy, palm-breezy evening in the Gothic Quarter in Barcelona, I
turned off the computer, walked into the night and felt like at last I’d found
my road again.
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Review: This has been on my to read list for awhile so I was glad to finally get to read it! This book is a well written to the point type of book. A book showing a fearless women! A good read all around!
Dianne Burnett
is an author, producer, and actor of stage and screen. She is also a
philanthropist and entrepreneur. Dianne and her ex-husband, Mark Burnett,
joined their creative forces to invent Eco-Challenge, the impetus for Survivor,
which kickstarted America’s reality-television show craze and went on to become
the longest-running and most lucrative reality TV series of all time.
Following the
success of Survivor, Dianne produced and acted in the stage play Beyond Therapy
at the Santa Monica Playhouse, served as Executive Producer of the indie film
Jam (which won Best Narrative Feature at the Santa Fe Film Festival), and acted
in Everybody Loves Raymond. In memory of her mother, Joan, who lost her battle
with esophageal cancer in 2010, Dianne formed Joan Valentine—A Foundation for
Natural Cures, a nonprofit organization that serves as a resource for those
seeking alternatives to traditional medicine.
She also
recently launched a multimedia platform and social network: called
theotherside.com, it explores alternative views on everything from
relationships to health. Formerly of New York, Dianne now lives in Malibu,
California, with her family.
LINKS
https://www.facebook.com/TheRoadToReality/
https://dianneburnett.com/
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ReplyDeleteSounds like a great read.
ReplyDeleteYour book sounds interesting. I hope that it is a success.
ReplyDeleteHappy Friday! I can't wait to check this one out :)
ReplyDeleteHow long did it take you to write your book?
ReplyDeleteDid you come up with the title of the book before or after you started writing it?
ReplyDelete