Been awhile since I blogged. In all honesty it is not my favorite thing to do. When spending what free writing time I have away from a full-time job all I want to write about is that which I can put into a story. But then that is not the only responsibility of a writer in the digital age. So I am back to give any lengthier updates that won't fit on Twitter or Facebook. After a review of a year's worth of notebooks, something I like to do every February, I have filtered things down to my annual "Black Book List."
I began the "Black Book List" last year, and I should probably go back and do the same for nearly ten years, but that's for another time. There's enough to work on as is.
So I went through the 2013- 2014 "Black Book List" yesterday and found 110 possible story ideas. That adds to my to do list that already includes 54 ideas from the 2015 "Black Book List" and the 23 other novels and novellas in contention to be written. And it does not include any screenwriting endeavors I might get involved in.
This reminds me of what happened back in 2003/2004. I had more story ideas than I knew what to do with. And I was desperate to tell them all. Reality being what it is concessions were made. So for the next five years I began to merge those ideas into several Anthology/ Multi-Chapter screenplays like Creepshow or Crash.
If I were to attempt that now, I have the flexibility to weave those 164 potential stand-alone story lines with each other into screenplays, novels, or novellas, even short stories should I decide to release a book of them.
I prefer to adapt to a situation rather than force a situation to adapt to me. And when it comes to story ideas, more is better than less. I have to grit my teeth and accept that some of these story ideas may never see the light of day. But we'll see.
A plan for the next eleven months has taken shape over the past month. However, I also spent a large part of February stressed out about how I might plan for the future beyond 2015. With so much work begging to be written and such a limited amount of time I began to have a variety of doubts. Not just about how I would ever be able to finish one year's worth of story ideas, let alone two decades worth, but whether it was wise to continue pushing so hard to produce material.
I made a promise to myself before I decided to return to the blogosphere. Be positive. As a writer I like to lift the veil and find out what is really going on. So I am a bit cynical by nature. I'll try my best to keep that contained to characters in my work and off these pages.
So, back to the 2015 plan. Have to remind myself, "Keep it simple, stupid." That is the idea at least. My main objective is the rewriting of a novella I wrote back in 2009, Harold and the House Fly. If I do nothing else over these next eleven months but get House Fly ready for publication, I will be satisfied. But hopefully I will get more done.
In addition to the novella, a serious organizational effort is in order for the twenty three works that are primed and ready to be written. This involves an objective "going-through." Eliminate a few stories from contention, if necessary. Time and experience dictate that if there is no reason to work on something, then don't. That's easier said than done, of course.
My absolute favorite part of writing is the creative thrill ride of writing a first draft. It is my bliss. It is the reason I write. I want my readers to experience the same thrill. And it is always good when I get at least one new project written in a year. I have a feeling I will be writing at least one new screenplay with my writing partners Charles Thomas and Ryan Schube. However, I would also like to do a first draft on one of the ten or more novellas that I have been marinating on for years. Better yet, I'd like to have something completely new race to the forefront and demand my attention.
I can't forget education, improving my writing skills is a big part of every year. I'm not sure if I am quite there, but my number one technical writing goal is to write such a quality first draft that there is little need for rewriting. Whether that will ever be possible, I have no idea. It's a great goal though.
My last writing goal of the year is simply miscellaneous. Most years I don't complete all of my writing goals for the year. I usually underestimate how long it might take to write something. This year I am allowing for the unexpected, or better yet, I will not get stressed out should I not achieve my goals for the year. Miscellaneous also includes the unexpected. I have considered writing a play, but I am not planning it for the year. Would I write a play or any type of story if the time seemed write? Yes. Inspiration is at the heart of all writing and I am merely her servant.
The year has opened nicely so far. Psykosis has been released. I've had a month to catch my breath and regain my writer's bearings. A plan for the rest of the year is coming together nicely. I look forward to seeing how things will unfold from here. Keep you posted.
