Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Comics, and Novels, and Stories... Oh, My!

Well, things are moving along on the comic ideas I've had. I'm working with one artist on character concepts for the dark fantasy, and am 90% certain I'll be working with him all the way through to the contest. I've been approached several other artists, waiting to hear back from them with some sketches, and hopefully will find an artist for the second pitch soon. Meantime, I'm outlining and synopsizing and scripting my way to complete stories for the artists to draw, on the off chance we actually win the contest on one of these pitches.

On the novel home front, my revisions for book 2 have been on a backburner for a little while as my concentration has been directed toward the comic pitches. I started some work today on revising, with the idea that having stepped away from the project for a little while, I'd have a better perspective. However, after printing out the book, I began reading through and looking for changes to make... and I found myself drawn into the story. My OWN STORY! How often does that happen to a writer? I know that on my first novel, and on every short story I've ever written, I can usually look back on the and feel pride, but very rarely do my own writings draw me in as if I were a reader instead. I can read my own work, and see both flaws and strengths, but this book is different. It was like reading an old favorite novel, instead of like critiquing my own work. I have to admit, it makes it difficult to find places to revise as my agent has suggested... but I LOVE this book! Not just as a writer, but as a reader. Regardless... I have to go murder a bunch of my darlings, and in many places replace them with new darlings, to please my agent.

And short stories... oh, my! All of my short story work has dropped by the wayside. I have mutiple projects that I had been outlining (one of which got turned into the dark fantasy comic pitch), but I haven't done any work on them in a couple of weeks or more. Short stories are often considered the true test of a talented author... and it seems I've let those particular skills desert me lately. Ah, well... there's plenty of time for that, I suppose. I shouldn't stretch myself too thin. I should concentrate on the things I already have an agent for, and the things where other people (artists) are likely going to be depending on me to do my part.

And last, but not least... I'm broke. I need a job BADLY. I've been looking, and I've been interviewing, but nothing has solidified. I've even been contacted by multiple recruiters and contract agencies based on my resume and qualifications, and they all seem excited about working with me, but none of them has turned into a job yet. It's driving me crazy. I'm not just a little broke... I'm BROKE broke. As in, have to borrow money for my son's school lunches broke. As in, going to be lacking in certain creature comforts like electricity, water, and shelter broke, unless I can come up with some way to make some money. It's not that I'm lazy, it's not that I'm unqualified... it's just that there are only a few things that I know how to do that can earn me enough to live on, and I can't seem to find anyone who wants to pay me to do them. It's getting frustrating.

That's enough about my personal life... I'm sure that's not what you're here to read about. I just throw it in there because it's yet another of the examples of real life intruding on my writing time and my frame of mind.

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