My 2017 Writing Docket

I'll be honest, with all of the writing I've done this year, I know that my presence on this blog has been....well, minimal.

(It's also affected my work for Chicago Now's One Cause At A Time)

But it's been worth it, if only because I have had several stories published (all available via Amazon.com), and several in the hopper (including one from Pro Se Productions which Tommy Hancock announced on the Arts Reviews podcast, Airship 27 Productions, a four-issue miniseries from Last Ember Press, and a fourth small publisher). So in that spirit, this is going to serve as a list of things that I'll be working on throughout the next few months. Think of this as a teaser for what will be coming down the pike.

First - and this is the most ambitious thing I'm writing - is a small novelette for Airship 27 Productions for an upcoming Masked Rider anthology. I first became acquainted with the character when doing some editing work on Airship 27's Masked Rider: Tales of the Wild West Volume 2 anthology, and really thought the character had possibilities (think pulp-style avenger in the old West, and you're halfway there). Thankfully, I was able to salvage a very early story idea and craft it into a proposal. It was suggested that I expand it into a short novelette, and since I'm looking to write longer works...well, everything fell into place. It's been productive when I've found the time (work has come in fits and starts due to other issues), but I'm finding myself really gearing into getting this done. Hopefully, I should have a completed final draft submitted by April.

In other, slightly related news, I've been involved with DePaul's Pop Culture Celebrations for several years now. (Last year, I was a panelist for their Star Trek celebration; this year, they're focusing on Harry Potter). I've been asked to submit a paper for a special charity collection of articles, and more importantly...I was asked to submit a second article. So I'm writing a really short paper comparing Mal Reynolds of Firefly/Serenity to Raymond Chandler's Phillip Marlowe. Luckily, it's proven to be much easier to outline, so hopefully, I can get that article written and submitted in the next few weeks. (Of course, I'll definitely keep you posted on the status).

Finally, I have a side project that I really can't discuss (non-disclosure agreement), but it's one that I really want to get a heads-up on. This New Year's weekend, I'll be focusing on getting my writing tasks in order, but I also want to do some planning for this blog. Part of it is that I miss cranking out posts, but I'm looking to add some value - sure, I'll continue to do the usual comic/tv reviews, but I'm considering adding a more up-to-date live view of The Prisoner (the show's celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2017, and I think these old reviews could use an updating), as well as weekly reviews of new Doctor Who as well as monthly Mondays with Columbo....

...but I want to get organized enough that I start doing blog posts and reviews of Leverage on a regular basis. Why? Because given the political climate we'll be entering in 2017, it's going to seem very timely. Because it's the TNT drama that's getting a renewed interest, and quite honestly, I think there's much to be said about the show. I'm also going to take a lead from Siskoid, who regularly focuses on regular installments of key franchises (just take a look at an example of Siskoid's perspective on the DC Animated Universe). Let's face it - the show's getting increased exposure via Netflix and Ion Television, and it's about time somebody took the lead in providing information.

(Plus, hey, increased traffic to the blog).

Is all of this doable? Hopefully, if I can score some more freelance work gigs (if you know someone, feel free to forward my LinkedIn profile and my Services page), it should be much easier....and all I'll need to do is manage my time effectively. So 2017 should be a really great year (because it can't get any worse than 206), and it will be especially true if I remember to keep this particular quote in mind:

My Online and Offline Road Trips

As many of you know, I'll be kicking off my "2015 Rocketing into Spring Road Tour" this weekend with Windy City Pulp on Friday and Sunday and Columbia College on Saturday. But as I'm busy, here are a few items for you to consider...mostly, various appearances and mentions around the net for your entertainment - and my search optimization.

• Thanks to pal Roger, I now have greater appreciation for the work of librarians and realize why libraries are important.
• Right now, I'm on the hunt for new marketing clients, so consider making a referral to One Cause Consulting, as well as joining us on Facebook
• Recently, I participated in an online roundtable about writing to word counts. Yes, these things matter!
• In other writing news, here's a review for I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere.....
• ....and yet another episode of the Zone 4 Podcast
• Coming in May: I head to Oak Lawn Public Library for their first ever Fan Fest....+
• ...and join several fans for Leverage 101

Rocketing Into Spring!

The next few months are....well, let's just say that I'll probably even be less present online than I am currently. But here are some great opportunities to catch me face-to-face.

I've been working on my calendar, and over the next few months, I'll be spending many weekends socializing, enjoying my interests, and basically procrastinating (all of this while building my new marketing consultancy and finding/performing work). So if you're interested in meeting up with me, here's the highlights for April and May:

April 8th - The Doctor Who Meetup group and Chicago Nerd Social Club are putting on a joint social at The Scout, located at 1301 South Wabash. For more details/RSVP, find us via Meetup and Facebook.

April 9th - It's time for another Chicago Geek Breakfast - a casual networking event at Wow Bao. We sit and we talk, and build relationships - click the links for details and to RSVP

April 18th - Chicago Doctor Who Meetup is holding its monthly screening/lecture of a classic Who episode: check out Meetup.com for details

April 17th and April 19th - I will be a guest/attendee at Windy City Pulp and Paper . April 19th - that Sunday - I will be reading "Crossing McCausland" from Tall Pulp and serving on a 2:00 pm panel. Now, what will I be doing that Saturday, you ask....

April 18th - Daina of the Sherlock Chicago Meetup group and I will be co-presenting on gender roles in Sherlock Holmes at Columbia College's one-day Geek Culture Gala. Check out details via Facebook.

April 24 - 26th - Yes, I'm doing C2E2 this year - special thanks for the press pass. I'll be the confused looking one with the well-worn "old school lawyer case".

May 2nd - Please join me for "The Wibbley Wobbley Timey-Wimey Guide to Doctor Who" at Oak Lawn Public Library's first annual Fanfest in celebration of Free Comic Book Day. It's family friendly, has a nice south side location (on 95th street just west of Cicero), and - more importantly - free to attend!

May 9th - Come join me at the DePaul's Celebration of Supernatural - I'll be on the morning panel for antecents of the show, and we're conveniently located downtown - 14 E. Jackson, near the Red/Orange/Blue/Pink/Brown Lines. (Special thanks to Brant Fowler of Comic Related/Zone 4 Podcast for his assistance and expertise, since I'm engaging in a "crash course" in the show). Although it's free to attend, I suggest RSVPing via Eventbrite

May 10th - Chicago Nerd Social Club Leverage 101 event; details to follow. (Here's the obligatory Leverage-themed blog post)

May 14th - Yes, it's another Chicago Geek Breakfast at Wow Bao.

May 16th - Chicago Doctor Who Meetup will have an event at Blue Box Cafe in Elgin. Details forthcoming (because - let's face it - nobody likes spoilers. Nobody

May 20th - It's a very special Who Meetup. Trust me, it's that good.

May 30th - The Chicago Doctor Who Meetup and Chicago Nerd Social Club is putting on a brunch for Who fans at Medici's in Hyde Park. Please check out details via Meetup and Facebook.

As I stated yesterday, my life's changed in many ways. I'm glad now to say that I'm happy busy....and hope to see you, dear reader, at an upcoming event.

Return to Form: A Review of FLATLINE

Minor spoilers and speculation. You have been warned.

To be honest, I kind of entered this viewing in a particular state of mind: a really rough week personally and professionally meant that I ended up viewing this with a group at a local venue. (To be honest, I really wanted to just view this alone, but there you go). So I half expected, given my feelings about the past few episodes, to really hate Flatline.

To my surprise, I thoroughly enjoyed Flatline, which not only has a strong premise, but also follows up on the themes of the past few episodes in a very intriguing way.

Like Neil Cross in Series 7, Jamie Mathieson was commissioned Mummy on the Orient Express on the strength of Flatline....and with this script, you can see why. It's one of the few Who stories that actually has a plausible scientific base (I think someone's been reading Flatland ), and that is reminiscent of an earlier story featuring a classic Doctor.

(And if you're curious, it's Survival .A group of us will watch it at a comic shop in December).

What makes Flatline work so well is that, like most great Who, it grounds the fantastic within the everyday. A railway station that's being painted over for graffiti becomes an invasion point for different invaders. The Doctor tries to engage this new entity....but fails to do so. There's also a nice sense of realism, even down to one character - after all is finished - not changing. (And yes, it happens in Survival too. There's also a Scottish Doctor in that story as well). Plus, there's a great end-of-episode blurb that's reminiscent of The Christmas Invasion....another episode with a Scottish Doctor (but with a fake Cockney accent).

There are also some "why-didn't-they-think-of-that-before?" moments: the gradual shrinking of the TARDIS. The "Addams Family" moment. The idea of invaders from "another universe". The Doctor acting as "coach" for Clara (which reminded me of that Leverage Season 4 episode where Hardison leads the "double prong monkey con"....and all of Nathan Ford's interactions with Parker in Series 5).

But ultimately, what makes this episode work - and redeems it in my eyes - is the acknowledgment that sometimes, in being the Doctor, "goodness doesn't come into it." We've seen Clara serve as a Doctor surrogate....and although she's good at it, she also doesn't see things in their perspective. For her, it's about balance - some people died (or as the Doctor would put it, the "wrong people died"), but for the Doctor, it's about life in general. Having this reassertion of the Doctor's morality - and the idea that the season is as much about Clara's possible corruption as it is about the Doctor's redemption - really makes this a must-watch.

Although I'm still unsure how I feel about Mathieson's Mummy on the Orient Express ...

Leveraging the Doctor: A Review of TIME HEIST

Fan reactions to Doctor Who episodes can be tricky: either they're absolutely in love with the show, or feel that Steven Moffatt is the worst producer ever. (Of course, five years ago Russell T. Davies was the worst, Phillip Segal was the worst before that, and there's no love lost for John-Nathan Turner). I say this because sharing opinions can be tricky - I've had Listen "justified" to me by several people, as if my thinking that it's ending - seeming too much like fan fiction - is somehow contrary to the group mind of "Who" fandom.

Time Heist, however, is actually one of my favorite episodes....and it's gotten very mixed reviews. The biggest complaint is that it's "not at all like Hustle/Leverage/name-your-favorite-caper-film here...and that's simply not fair. Time Heist is a gem of an episode - where Moffatt's love of the plotty-wotty actually works within Who's format.

Admittedly, I'm a fan of caper/con movies, and that genre has a particular set of tropes and mechanics. There's the intro of the team, the mission, the complications...all of these work like clockwork. Time Heist works precisely because one of those complications...is time travel. Although some may complain that one of the twists is telegraphed....well, given one of the plot elements in Listen, I actually hadn't seen it until the very end.

There is also some complaint about the use of other familiar elements (like the Rogue from X-Men-esque "person who loses self when touching others)....but Doctor Who has always cribbed from popular culture. (Remember the reality show-pastiches from Bad Wolf? Or even the 24-esque real time nature of 42?). This is a caper, plain and simple - and capers are like meatloaf: you know the ingredients, but it's the extra flourishes that make it more than just comfort food.

Douglas MacKinnon's direction is one of those "extra flourishes" - Time Heist is so unlike Listen, and yet both share the same visual flair. (In fact, I'll argue that the first 35 minutes of Listen are a nice, taught little thriller). It's not meant to be an outright romp (like Robot of Sherwood), and there's something unabashedly pleasing about the Capaldi Doctor denigrating his past (when he mentions "big scarf" and "bow ties" in the same contemptuous breath) while trying to determine just what kind of man he is, good or not.

Maybe I should put Time Heist into my category of "Who stories I like but which other people may not". Like The Lazarus Experiment, Boom Town, 42, and Fires of Pompeii, they rarely get the love they deserve. Trust me on this, Time Heist is Doctor Who stretching itself and taking some chances, some of which may or may not pay off.

If you disagree with me, I will fight you. And I will win.

Your Easter Viewing Moment of Zen

While I'm heading to Mom's to enjoy an Easter feast, here's some videos to help you pass the time.

First, the latest Batman video (by Bruce Timm) that you may have seen floating around the Internet:




Next, a BBC documentary about Machiavelli that basks in several layers of pop culture television goodness:




Your Cab Calloway/Betty Boop crossover moment of zen:




And finally, one of my favorite episodes of Leverage - see if you can guess why? (And yes, I've posted this before).



Happy Easter, everyone!

How to Effectively Leverage Post-Birthday Blogging Time

Ironically, all of these accounts
are spambots. Talk about
pots & kettles

As you may have noticed, I've been a bit negligent in my blogging activities....but I have some perfectly good excuses.

• I was finishing up a draft story for a compilation to be published this summer. Thankfully, I've learned my lesson in terms of learning how to better manage my time.
• This past Thursday, I had a birthday. However, most of the time was spent dealing with someone who....well, let me put it this way: between an Internet sock puppet making comments on another forum (which meant me making a screencap of the comment and needing to block that person), a spam attack, and some rude e-mail comments threatening legal action, I was kept busy because...well, I expressed an opinion.
• Freelance work is going OK, but also focusing on getting more contract work, as well as regular business stuff. So yes, I've been busy. 

So my apologies to you, dear reader, for my absence....I'll be writing a ton tonight and tomorrow, but until then....with apologies to Ion Television, some episodes of Leverage for your viewing pleasure.


And thanks for your patience and interest.

(Edit - since the original illegally-posted YouTube videos were taken down - and to generate some revenue for the blog - why not purchase LEVERAGE on DVD? You can get a complete run of the series for just a little under $100. Enjoy!)