Beginning a Writer's Life

The Scan That Started
It All

To think that this all started with a Facebook post...

As part of the "Throwback Thursday" hashtag on Facebook (otherwise known as #tbt, I had posted some photos and documents that I had scanned, but never had done anything with. One of them - you'll find it on the left - was a rejection letter for a Columbo proposal that I had submitted back in my college days....and it not only got some great comments (including pal Jeff's "All the cool kids were writing Murder She Wrote", but it also got me thinking about my current writing "career"....

(Just thank God I couldn't find my long-lost Doctor Who pitch from high school, which involved the Fifth Doctor, Ice Warriors, and crystallized uranium)

One of the reasons I started this blog ten years ago was to keep my writing skills up to scratch (as well as - let's face it - have some kind of presence online). It's faltered in the past year due to other issues, but ironically, one of those issues has been an increase in other forms of writing...the kinds of writing that can potentially pay bills, or - more realistically - grab me an extra-large coffee from Dunkin' Donuts.

It's a challenge trying to balance both blogging and writing fiction - in fact, that's Chicago Now and Comic Related. Yet, since I began writing the Wonderman webcomic for Excelsior (check out Siskoid's great blog breakdown/shout-out), things have been busy. (One note - I've actually written three scripts for Wonderman, due to my not reading e-mails properly...and yes, my comic script is a little wordy, why do you ask?)

part of the reason why I've given myself a bit of a break when it comes to blogging. (Although I've worked hard to maintain my regular work for both

But creative/fiction writing has been a challenge - partially, it's about carving out an appropriate amount of time. (Meaning that I am learning the hard way that insomnia can be a writer's best friend). Mostly, it's the cliche of perfectionism, and my desire to have my characters to seem real, even if I'm "only" writing pulp.

(First big news - I'm stating, for the record, that I'm a pulp writer. There may be some that will complain that I'm "better" than that, or that I may be wasting my talents....but have you read any Raymond Chandler? Dashiell Hammett? Jim Thompson? I'll wager that some of my favorite authors like Jonathan Kellerman and Sara Paretsky are pulp. But I also like the fact that pulp is the ultimate democratic art form, and that with an increased call for a diverse range of characters in more literary aspects, pulp seems a natural choice. Plus, I happen to like writing stories that are a bit escapist - as a child, I would be off in a corner drawing superhero stories as I recited the dialogue; it only makes sense that I want to continue that in my adulthood)

It also means that, within the next few months, I'll have some works coming out that I'll definitely promote here - stories that were written late last year, and which kept me from writing the blog. Details are forthcoming, but expect to see me in several Pro Se Productions anthologies. (Oh, and by the way? Tommy Hancock, the impresario of Pro Se, is a gentleman and a scholar, and knows how to rock a fedora). I will also have a story published in Dreamer's Syndicate: New World Navigation, an anthology assembled by a great blogger/writer named Mark Bousquet. (Read his blog - you'll like it, trust me). And in my "free" time, I'm crafting a tale of a "classic" pulp character for Airship 27 (which will be everything you've come to expect from me....and which I'd better get back to writing at some point...)

Writing has been a welcome relief from some of my other, more down-to-earth pursuits. (Plus, writing fiction is more enjoyable than revising and editing cover letters). But when I look at the scope of my life - how creativity has driven much of what I've done - I realize that right now, on some level, I'm only just starting....and at an age where I'm wondering if many other chances have passed me by, at least I can take advantage of one opportunity that makes me feel less obsolete.

A Different Kind of "Fireworks" On the 4th of July

As many of you long-term readers may know, things...have kept me a bit busy for the past few months. Thankfully, life is beginning to settle into a more comfortable form of uncertainty.

On the job front - have been progressing slowly, with one really brief assignment and a ton of interviews. Here's hoping that I can break through and actually do some actual long-term work. Thankfully, my powers as a blogger have enabled me to keep current on some new releases (those Doctor Who DVDs aren't going to watch themselves, you know), and keeping a semi-structured day floating between wi-fi hotspots keeps me going.

But all in all, some good things - the Zone 4 podcast is going great guns, I'm starting to get back into the swing of blogging for Chicago Now, I'm coming back into my own on Twitter and Facebook and yes, I know about that other blog at the old domain. Trust me, I'm on it like a bonnet, but until you hear from me otherwise, please point your browsers to http://blogthispal.blogspot.com.

(That's the new hip phrase that I want the teenagers to use - on it like a bonnet. I'm sure pal Roger will write a blog post with that very title)

So today, I'll be heading over to Mom's and hanging out with her and Chucky, the cat. Part of my time is going to also be spent catching up on writing (I have WonderMan issue 4 to write - issue 2 is drawn, and I sent the script for issue 3 a few months ago) and doing some blog and other writing (including Comic Related and Chicago Nerd Social Club, as well as some long-overdue tweaking on this blog).

Until tomorrow, friends - have a happy and safe 4th of July, no matter where you live.

Your Sunday Mashup Moment of Zen

Yes, folks, it's the House, MD/Cracker crossover we've all been waiting for!

(OK, I know it's from Blackadder III, and that I'm the only person I know that absolutely digs Cracker...but in other news, blogging pal Siskoid said some nice things about my webcomic. Go read it. Now).

5 Things I Learned From Writing WONDERMAN

As many of you are aware, I made my webcomic scripting debut with Wonderman for Excelsior Webcomics....and yes, it is obvious that it's a debut.

In a spirit of armchair quarterbacking (or "a perfect case of 20/20 hindsight), and in the manner of another, better blog - here are the top 5 things that I have learned from writing Wonderman (and other comics work):

1. Public Domain Characters, Creatively, Are the Best of Both Worlds - One of the nice things about writing a public domain character is that not only are the details already preordained, but there's a greater flexibility in being able to take the character in a unique direction without worrying about creating thoroughly unique characters and/or editorial mandates. Thankfully, since nobody "owns" Wonderman, I was able to mix pulp-era writing, some Eastern thought, a bit of 12 Step recovery philosophy, and political intrigue. 
2. Show, Don't Tell - One of the more embarrassing things I've learned is that my captions are way too wordy. In doing panel descriptions, I need to (and have started in other works) front-loading full blooded descriptions into the art and let that do the heavy lifting. And on that note:
3. When describing panels, use detail, but not as much as Alan Moore: In another script, what I realized after seeing the final art is that I omitted a critical detail....which the artist omitted as well, since I didn't say it. Thankfully, since this was a more comedic script, there was a great, final joke that having this omission made funnier. (And I won't spoil, since I'm still waiting on having it colored)
4. Notebooks Are Your Best Friend - Two months ago, I received an e-mail asking me if Wonderman # 2 was ready. Thankfully, I had stockpiled some ideas in a bound notebook (including a page-by-page plot), which turned an almost impossibly insurmountable task into a day and a half of frantic writing. 
5. Don't Be Afraid to Take Chances - So far, my comics work has been more about developing skills than, say, a paycheck. But I'm currently working on two prose projects (one personal, one commission), plotting another Wonderman, and wondering whether my Victorian detective project should be prose or a comic. These are second to my current job search, but at the very least, I have a pretty good creative outlet, and at least one thing that builds my confidence.

My Comic-Related Activity This Past Weekend

It's Saturday night - our regular Zone 4 recording had been rescheduled, and my mom was having some health issues (she's better, now). So what did I choose to do?

Attended the Comics Meetup/24 Hour Comic Day at pal Terry's shop, conveniently located near the Red Line stop.

Talked with some fellow creators (it's weird to say that now, especially since my work hasn't been completely released), had a great time, and quite honestly....it's just what I needed.

And above - some of the sights via my smartphone's camera. Enjoy!

No, I Didn't Party Too Hard On Labor Day....

...But this has been one helluva week - busy, draining, and just one really tough experience.

Part of it is the surprise deadline of needing to crank out Wonderman # 2 for Excelsior - please check out updated pages at the current site.

Plus, I've been updating One Cause At A Time, and participating in the latest episode of Zone 4.

The photo on the left - Michael Palin as Batman. Because that seems to make a lot of sense right now.

Please Read My Webcomic

Pages are coming out on a regular basis, and you should be able to use the link in finding an RSS feed.

Just click on the graphic and you'll be taken straight to the website.

Friday Pie Time

Probably the biggest news in my life this week would have to be...the release of Wonderman #1 via Excalibur Webcomics. Here's a direct link, and they're posting one page at a time. If you like the strip, please feel free to leave your comments below. Would love to read if people like my writing, and (other than the recent commission for issue #2) there's room for more of my writing about Fred Duncan.

Speaking of which, if you know someone in Chicago who needs social media training, I'm putting on Sherlock Holmes & The Social Media Mystery on September 10th. Yes, there is a small fee, but it's a relative bargain. For more information, please visit the Dabble page (and forward this link - http://bit.ly/Ss6k0S - to your pals).

There's also a great episode of Zone 4, where we basically praise a great American hero and trash talk a national disgrace. Yes, friends, this week Captain Ron, Brant, John and I manage to talk about Neil Armstrong and Rob Liefeld in the same conversation, with various results. It's something you definitely need to hear.

Finally, I think I may have a new addition to the Job Stalker team (will need to follow up this weekend) and there's plenty to read at One Cause At A Time. (I've been asked why I don't have a Facebook page for it - given that I just started, and am running other FB pages professionally, I think it might be overkill - what do you think?)