The Year of 34/The Year of 2010
Teach your children. Teach your parents.
Take the time along the way to teach yourself — that’s the sentiment I keep reminding myself is crucial.
Unlike most people I encounter throughout this walk, I don’t make proper New Years resolutions: I make birthday pacts and resolutions (that day which is my watershed, January 21st). In step with most of my fellow man however, I don’t keep so well to those benchmarks which I make so carefully for myself. Barriers are as much a part of my routine as ‘to-do lists’, dialog with no one and secret moments at the bar. Of hearing stories and looking through a peculiar lens whenever possible.
The Year of 34/The Year of 2010 is nearly upon me. In the most simplistic terms, life as I know it is in store of another revolution; if marriage turned me on a 90 degree pivot then what comes next for me is 180 degrees. A turn that comes from out of the womb at the speed of light. Kid. Child. My next great role as a parent.
Dread isn’t the word although I carry around a lot of anxiety. I’ve always seen myself as a parent. My reservations come when I see and hear other parents and their behavior — almost never their children. The whole prospect of welcoming a son or daughter however has me clutching tightly to the things which are already a part of my life. While I’m determined to be a good parent, I’m still equally intent on being a great and unique writer while sopping up the spoils. Those aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive things but the actions of parents are a constant cautionary tale of abandoned humanity and ambition. Those are the people I’m determined not to descend into being.
My overriding, humanistic objective in The Year of 34/The Year of 2010 is to take all coming changes to heart. Live them without a crippling sense of reservation. Whatever comes into my life will make me a better writer. Hopefully a more focused person on top of creative force. Almost all the rest can fall off the finger bone. I’ve spent 34 years getting this close. Enough so to taste it.
Pacts for The Year of 34/The Year of 2010 in no particular order
1.) 100 work submissions across all styles and genres.
01/22/2010 Update:
8 submissions out this previous week. 92 to go.
01/31/2010 Update:
6 more submissions since the last update. 86 to go.
03/03/2010 Update:
Four more submissions have gone out with five more today. After that I’ll be down to 77 more to go.
03/06/2010 Update:
Four email/web based submissions out today. 73 more to go here soon.
03/23/2010 Update:
Five more email/web based submissions out today. 67 more to go here soon.
05/08/2010 Update:
Two more email submissions of poetry.
2.) Read John Barth’s “Sot-Weed Factor”.
3.) Read more Science Fiction/Fantasy books/stories.
03/20/2010 Update:
Started reading Bend Sinister by Vladimir Nabokov this afternoon (very short/a Time Life Books edition). While not among the strong, aliens and spaceships version of Science Fiction work, it is a dystopian/alternative history — or a “bend sinister”.
04/19/2010 Update:
Read another really cool short story, this one about the accelerating universe and scientists knowing when the actual date we will begin parting from one another. 10 pages. Amazing story arc in just 10 pages.
07/10/2010 Update:
In the last few days, I’ve read the first 12 issues of “The Silver Surfer” anthologized in book form. It’s wonderful stuff, although not relevant to the original purpose of my reading it. The Surfer is a herald for Galacticus — I needed cues for time travel/space and distance travel. The Surfer’s board is the only important tool to his travels.
4.) Read more Erotica stories.
5.) Take a writing class.
03/03/10 Update:
I’ve been looking into the Attic Writer’s website and I’ve found a class/consultation that I’d like to take. It’s something they do for poets where you can bring them a “manuscript” of poetry and they can advise you: where to submit individual poems, where to go with the whole piece, etc… It sounds pretty cool and at only $150 it’s reasonable.
03/20/10 Update:
Spoke at length with David Beispeil of the Attic Writer’s workshops and he explained some of what the class could entail. While not a traditional class with exercises, it could focus the work down on a subject/theme and in a direction I’m hopeful to find.
6.) Take an acting class.
7.) Reinvent this regular writing schedule by learning about the important of irregularity too: how to write at work, how to write at lunch or in a cafe, how to implement a spontaneous creative structure. Learn to pick up and put down a story again.
01/31/10
This month on four separate occasions I’ve stopped working in the morning and picked up later in the day. I’ve also had a pad by my work computer where I’ve taken lots of good notes on the basic story elements and/or structure.
03/03/2010 Update:
Today I’m intentionally putting off writing until the afternoon.
07/10/2010 Update:
Today Lisa went to the Country Fair in Veneta, leaving me home to work. I’ve been at the desk most of the day and plan on returning to the desk later for a second round.
8.) Attend the Willamette Writer’s Conference.
07/10/2010 Update:
Signed up as a volunteer.
9.) Finish three feature length screenplays: Promise Before The Sword (already done with draft #1) and Patrick, Killpatrick (schemed out).
01/31/10 Update:
I’m cleaning up the first draft of “Promise…” and although it’s not sharp, I can see much of where it needs to be.
03/03/10 Update
This last twenty days I’ve unlocked the feature length version of “The Collector”. It’s at 63 pages already and they feel pretty good. I’m anticipating 30-35 more before it’s done and they will be packed with action. Draft is out to Joel and Stefan.
03/20/10 Update:
Likely by tomorrow morning I will have a rough draft of “The Collector” to send out to Joel and Stefan. It staggers down toward the end and loses some of what it builds, but right now it does that — I believe — because there is too much in the script.
04/19/2010 Update:
As far as I can tell, what I’ve gotten to with “Ancient Gallery” is a completed screenplay. Excellent. The loose ends are tight. Sent it out to Rima Bauer Greer this morning.
05/08/2010 Update:
My feature length screenplay, “Promise Before The Storm” is, for all intents and purposes, done with this draft. It’s a good draft. It’s got some real life to it. A few abrupt movements but overall, the action makes sense.
07/10/2010 Update:
My writing contract with Donald Murphy is about 40% fulfilled. It’s a good little time travel feature. Will be done — I suspect — by middle of August.
10.) Win the Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting.
04/30/2010 Update:
Screenplay, “The Ancient Gallery” has been entered in the Nichol Fellowship.
11.) Write a 2,000 word essay which drives at the heart of my poetic style.
12.) Attend 10 local readings/new literary events.
07/10/2010 Update:
Will be finally attending an event on Wednesday night. I’ve sworn myself off of figuring out something better to do.
13.) Find a secondary outlet for entertainment review work.
01/31/10 Update:
I’m putting together a query letter to send out to movie magazines in the next month.
14.) Increase the readership of this blog: I’d like to see 10 usable comments from real readers.
07/10/2010 Update:
Although I have no comments to show for it, I’ve received word that an old friend reads this blog.
15.) When Lisa gets pregnant, focus my efforts on finishing Part I of the novel and writing Part II.
16.) Publish 10 Poems.
01/31/10 Update:
Although it doesn’t count to this year’s total, I received the new Deronda Review with “Self-Inflicted Famine” in it. Pretty cool magazine too. Lots of cool work.
03/09/10 Update:
In the shortest submission consideration ever www.elimae.com has accepted my words-on-page poem, “Ghost Story.” Should be nice to see how they handle that in print. Or on-line.
04/19/2010 Update:
Word from Dos Passos Review that they’re taking “South China Sea” which is exciting news. Love that poem. Sad to see it go somehow.
05/25/2010 Update:
I got word on Thursday morning that The Driftwood Review will pick up two poems — two excellent poems — “Alms Posture” and “The Tea Ritual”. Very pleasing. I even got word from the Roanoke Review who I had to notify of a simultaneous submission that they were “happy for me.”
17.) Publish 5 Short Stories regardless of genre.
03/03/2010 Update:
I’m awaiting word from the “Terminal Earth Anthology” on a short story, The Beautiful Room Is Empty. On March 15th I will receive word from them on whether it makes their pages.
07/10/2010 Update:
The “Terminal Earth Anthology” is picking up the short story, The Beautiful Room Is Empty. Word came about 10 days ago.
18.) Publish 3 Freelance Articles.
19.) Complete production of the short film “As Told By A Friend”.
03/03/2010 Update:
Stalling here. Got to get the video back and into Stewart’s hands for an assembly edit.
03/06/10 Update:
Just established a meeting for next week and picking up the erstwhile footage with a simultaneous delivery to Stewart.
03/20/10 Update:
I’ve just purchased the necessary hard drive and shipped it to Erik Fauske. Should have the footage in the editor’s hands by mid-week. Awesome news.
04/19/2010 Update:
Back to some pretty “bad” news. Drive failed. Reshipped. Hand off to Stewart is next week instead.
04/29/2010 Update:
Stewart picked up the footage last night. He’s going to work off of his own drive while the “bad” drive is replaced and returned to me via UPS by next week.
05/03/2010 Update:
Drive is in my possession finally.
07/10/2010 Update:
Parts I & III have been rough cut. Part II will come soon after. Editor and I have discussed some of the particulars, the goals and needs of the section and I have faith he’ll be coming up with a cut by mid-month.
20.) Learn to be more decisive about the direction I take in writing all stories.
21.) Experiment with drugs and therapy.
22.) Reconnect with the source of my stories. Find those people and places that are interesting and inspiring. In the winter months, this definitely means less television at 6:30 pm.
23.) Involve Lisa with more of the process, even if it’s to more comfortably keep creativity sequestered.
03/10/10 Update:
After sending word out about the publication in elimae, Lisa got wind of the publication. I’m awful at this. I really am. We had a long, painful talk about why I don’t tell her what’s going on with my creative world.
04/20/2010 Update:
Told Lisa right away about the publication of “South China Sea.”
07/10/2010 Update:
Considering all of the changes — see latest updates — Lisa and I have been much more in touch with what my writing career is doing. I’ve made money, I’ve got an opportunity to break through — it’s hard to keep contained.
24.) Use my voice to record the reading of a short story/poem.
01/31/10 Update:
I started a Podcast file in Rock Band for “Where We Are Not Native”
25.) A dozen new connections in the writing world.
03/20/2010 Update:
Connected to Portland poet, Sam Lohhman (Peaches & Blaque) and Attic Writer’s Director, David Beispeil.
07/10/2010 Update:
I’m fairly certain some of the strongest connections I’ve ever made came in the last month: Travis Short of Black Water Productions and David Lyons for the Simon Says project have been beneficial as well as Karen Peralta with Rainbow Writing Group. Making large strides here.
Posted: December 29th, 2009 under Blog.