2/27/07

Felt so blah this morning. Sorting out some things before I go back to classes (UGH). Sometimes talking with some people is like walking into a wall. Maybe I’m not asking the right questions.

Decided to put some of my energy into a new script. I came up with something that starts as a silly story, but has some complex overtones and undercurrents. It did allow me to see a way to “fix” a cast list for my current project. I got seven pages done. I may work on a few more.

I need to drink more water. Last night I had 48 oz. I am sure I can do 72 oz. Why? To flush out all the effects of the sugar and caffeine I ingest so easily. I need a balance, and I can’t concentrate when I’m too amped off of coffee, chocolate, and/or tea. What can I say, no writing is a bad day for me. My joy leaves me. Even if the day is dull, I at least have something to fall back onto.

I have fallen in love with En Vogue’s “Love U Crazay” from their Masterpiece Theater CD. I want to hear it all the time. No, I am not in love. The song has a vibe I’m feeling.

2/26/07

It’s been a hectic night. I got myself a latte. Yeah it costs, but I wanted something good. February has been a trying month. So much that someone pointed out a lot of people have awful Februaries. Wow. I am sure all negative effects will be washed away

Having chips and chili tonight. Wish I brought the sour cream to go with it. That cool against the heat is delicious. Digging the sounds of Mary J. Blige. “Your Child” is the song of the week.

2/25/07 The Perfect Pitch

Decided to take advantage of all the sequential art-writing magazines in the library, and see what they said about creating proposals and pitches for companies. What can I say; I want to maximize my chances of success. At bare minimum I want to hold the editor’s eyes on my pitch/proposal long enough for him to read the entire submission, and have a desire to want read more.

According to my reading, less is more. I initially created a three-page proposal. This is not counting the script, the synopsis, or the cast list I created. I decided to go to the publisher’s website and print out their guidelines. I know there are things the publisher wants. My goal becomes, how can I keep this pitch simple, within the publisher’s guidelines, while maximizing the impact?

This is what I have so far:
Cover Letter (a must)
Submissions agreement form (another must)
A complete synopsis of all six issues
The script (first eight pages-as requested)

I wonder if the cast list is needed, but then I realize that I need something so that the editor knows who is what in the story.

2-16-07

I don’t want to write today at all. It’s been a trying day, and I have gone from being calm to being upset through a series of ups and downs that is called my life. I digress. I wont give into despair. I pray for the silver lining, and I don’t give up. I have to say, this day drained me, and I felt stress coming. Now I’m on the laid back side.

Decided to hold on the typing of fiction today. I will give it a crack tomorrow, with a vengeance. Somewhere between there I will peep a movie or two. I want to put my feet up, relax and call it a night. I don’t want to get up early tomorrow. I am cooking, as I need a good meal.

2-12-07

I have yet to drink my two bottles of water. I did not eat lunch at a proper time. I have let the days past me by without the usual upkeep I need to keep going. Did nine pages of my revisions today. I am out of pep for it right now. It’s one of those days, where I put my best effort forward this afternoon, and now the muse has mellowed.

This is not a bad thing, as it gives me time to rest my mind. I am printing out a copy of the proposal, so I can revise it as well. I needed a change of pace, that’s all. I am so tired, yet working hard to get things done proper.

Questions

What am I doing to make my future better?

Not simply OK. Not getting by. Not going through the motions. How proactive am I to ensuring my dreams?

Do I even know my dreams? What could I possibly want that's real, lasting and so what I need in my life?

What does it take to get what I want?

Yeah, I Write This Blog!: I Like This Picture

Yeah, I Write This Blog!: I Like This Picture

I Like This Picture

This got snapped in the spur of the moment. The sun was beaming in my window. I was watching this noir film, The Big Heat, and decided to take it. The film has some intense moments, and is rough on one of the ladies, who in turn is consumed with revenge.

I didn't bother with Photshop alteration on the picture. I may add some filters later, but it's not important for the moment. All that matters is that I enjoyed taking it, and showing it as is.


That's my artwork on the wall, and I need to draw some new pictures, just for me.

Pitching

If writing were a sport I would dare say I would be good at it. As it stands I have been horrible at actual sports, and never thought again about what I could have missed. Can’t look back like I wish I had been a better player. My games are different, and so my speed.

I have been working on the proposal for my limited series. Here’s what I do know; I didn’t get to graduate school by not writing and presenting in a professional manner. I know how to make professional proposals, and I know how to get my foot in the door.

It’s time to work those skills. I know I can hold the attention of an editor if I catch his eye. I am playing to win here. I want to get published. I have worked so hard putting my ideas together, and I am so near the point of submitting my material.

For me the work is just beginning. Never say die, and never say I give up. I will have my stories published, and I will become successful.

Thank You

I want to thank my friends Beatty, Jackie and Nicole for your comments. I was really feeling down. I needed to find a way to bounce back. I do appreciate your support. Of course, I did bounce back. All I can say is that I felt that things in my life were not working out the way I expected, yet I know, as Jackie says, the blessings are on their way. I needed to hear that.

My Writing XII

The hand edits are done. All that is left is to add them to the script. It's time to put this in high gear as I want to spend the next few days doing the updates proper. Afterwards its a direct examination/revising of the cast list and proposal. I think another week will suffice.

Masters: Whenever I am done with making drafts I create master files. Its time to have some master files for this series.

My Writing XI

I am knee deep in correcting spelling errors in my scripts. I decided to take a moment to check over the things I need t in order to submit my project to a perspective publisher. I have read two companies' submission guidelines. While very different in many ways both companies are very similar in what they want. I need to maintain a high level of professionalism in my submissions. That, in part is what has gotten me into graduate school. So, I need to look like a professional, and be a professional writer. This is not an obstacle, by the way.

I am more than capable of good writing. I am more than capable of putting together a professional presentation. I am so excited and nervous about submitting this project. Excited because I love the project I created. Its something I stand behind 100%. To see my project in print would make this a dream come true for me. I truly believe submitting this material is a stepping stone for me as a professional writer. I am very nervous because submitting is a competition. I am competing with other hungry writers who want the editors time and consideration. I am not even accounting for the established creators who do have the time and consideration of the editors.

Writing a story to completion has been a very satisfying challenge. I am not stopping there. I want to try two new projects. I have a sci-fi story that I want to tell, and I want to write something more in the humor vein. When the time is right (they're completed), I will submit them for publications well.

I do have two short stories I am working on. I hope to have them published as well. I have a great artist for the projects, so I feel I'm on the right track. My friends and I agree, 2007 is our year to make things happen. I don't have to feel it. I know this. We will succeed.

Checklist for submitting my project

• Cover Letter
• Release Form
• Proposal
• Cast List
• Synopsis for all six chapters
• First eight pages of script
• Completed Script Ready to show at a moment's notice.

Getting Up When I'm Down

I have been feeling blue, and I feel I hit the bottom. All I will say on this subject is that after a series of woes and setback, I have felt as if the universe had a vendetta against me. Sometimes it weighs like a ton of bricks on my head. My stomach gets in knots, and worse I had a killer migraine, complete with nausea, and sensitivity to light. If all I'm going to do at the bottom is feel miserable, well, I need to get up from under. Well, a little misery is more than a handful. There is no happiness when I am sufferening. Sometimes I can't see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Well, I say "never give into that feeling of misery." Yes I feel so bad, but I know I will get over all that ails me. I belive in myself, my talents, my heart and soul. I have passions, I have ideas. I know I can achieve greatness. That power is within me.

I'm not perfect either. No one is perfect. There are no miracle or instant cures for me to take and feel better. There is only hard work, dedication, love and support. I can't fail now, because I have all the tools God has given me available. Maybe I was meant to taste the blues, and get so low, because I'm about to get back up, and work at being strong and postive. I will become a successful author/artist. I will help nurture others' talents. We will all manage our upsets, because I know there are greater goals in life.

Just what obstacles are holding me back in life? What is keeping me from my dreams? It's time to map out some plans, chart some goals, and be happy with life, insted of fighting with life all the time.

Expect some exciting thoughts and ideas from me.

My Writing X

It's been a while since I wrote something worthwhile on my blog. Chapters one through six of my comic book have been reformatted proper. I printed them out and began searching them for spelling errors. It's easier to take a pen and mark the changes I need to make.

The next step is me making the final corrections. This will take a full day, so I will break the work down. Already edited chapters one and two today. I will work on three and four soon. Five and six will be done tomorrow.

Then I will finally make master files with all chapters. I will get the proposal, cast list and summary done as well.

The Funk is Deep

I feel very under the weather. On the blue side. I didn't write today. I did four pages last night, and will likely do four more during my break. Maybe I need another day off. I feel like I am losing some momentum. Now I'm sleepy. As if I need that now. I so need to be out of this funk. It's like a gloomy month. Febuary should be fun.

Call It a Night

I don’t want to write today at all. It’s been a trying day, and I have gone from being calm to being upset through a series of ups and downs that is called my life. I digress. I wont give into despair. I pray for the silver lining, and I don’t give up. I have to say, this day drained me, and I felt stress coming. Now I’m on the laid back side.

Decided to hold off on the typing of fiction today. I will give it a crack tomorrow, with a vengeance. Somewhere between there I will peep a movie or two. I want to put my feet up, relax and call it a night. I don’t want to get up early tomorrow. I am cooking, as I need a good meal.

My Writing IX

Working on revising chapter five now. Was very excited. Reread chapter four, and I am loving it. Hope to get three pages done before work. On my break I can do at least four pages uninterrupted. Eager to revise the proposal now, and I am more than pleased I decided to revise my work before making submitting. At this rate I may be done at the end of the week with the reformatting and revisions. it's bot exciting and sad, as I have placed much time into working with this material. It will do me good to move on from it. When I submit it, the real and nervousness can begin. ROFLMAO!

I will start a new (mini) series then.


UPDATE: I went to check the pages I revised last night. I did five pages before I went to bed. I can do more if I put my mind to it.

On Being the Man, Yes I Am!

You know, sometimes I don’t know what to do with myself. I sit and wonder about what could potentially be. I went off on a daydream and thought about an active career in feature and fiction writing. Yeah, I was the man hot damn. More importantly the vision is so close to where I am now it scared me. To be at the threshold of living a dream is truly a blessed experience.

The one thing in my dreams that touched me the most is that I did not doubt myself. I wasn’t afraid to speak my mind. I wasn’t scared of style, substance, and critiques. I didn’t want to wait for people to “validate” me as a writer. I know who I am, and I know what I want out of life. It’s time for that golden outlook.

It wasn’t about merely trusting and listening to my own voice, but rather already knowing what I was about. I saw a clear split from where I am, where I was, and who I became. In that moment I knew (though it scared me), that I have arrived. Not to the world, not to everybody else. I have arrived in my mind. I have changed. I believe in me. I simply feel like that champion I was born to be. I tell my brother all the time “we were not made for nothing, and I mean it.

Welcome to the new me. I am making the strides I dreamt about.

My Writing VIII

Got out twelve more pages, so i am please with the progress. I will keep moving until I am done, and I can send out the proposal. :-) Yaaaaay! Go me! I am so happy to work on something that's important to me, and show personal enthusiasm, as opposed to wishing it would happen. my best motivation, I told myself I could do three pages, and expanded from there. Even though i felt completely lazy, I wanted to write. i did it. i am very happy I did it too. :-)

My Writing VII

Managed to get 12 1/2 pages of revisions done today. I am tired. I wanted to stop at nine, but pressed on during my break. Afterwards I could go no further. Decieded to look at the proposal, and tweak it proper so that I can submmit the story. I feel a great desire to work on some new material, but I'd love to get the current one out of my system.