Not much time left…

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Just under one week to go for the crowdfunding for my thrill-omedy short film SHECKY.

The good news is the initial goal was achieved, so post-production is covered, and everything that comes in between now and the end will contribute to covering any unforeseen expenses plus potentially entering the film in some festivals. As of this writing, that’s only $419 away. Fingers crossed a few generous souls join the cause.

Tier rewards are still available, including:

– What’s the buzz? – $10 – social media shoutout

– Flavor of the Month – $25 – shoutout, copy of the script

– In the Spotlight – $50 – shoutout, copy of the script, copy of the film (after its festival run)

– The Punchline – $75 – shoutout, script, film, personalized video of me telling you a terrible joke

-On the Red Carpet – $100 – shoutout, script, film, video, 30-minute Zoom call for your choice of script notes, director’s reel notes, or acting reel notes

-Box Office Blockbuster – $250 – shoutout, script, film, video, 60-minute Zoom call, 1 ticket to screening of SHECKY in your area (if applicable)

-A-lister – $500 – shoutout, script, film, video, 60-minute Zoom call, 2 tickets

For those who’ve been following along, this project has been in the works for a long time. I’m thrilled that it’s THIS CLOSE to being done and can’t wait for people to see it.

I’m hoping all supporters of indie filmmaking, connoisseurs of terrible jokes, and the screenwriting community can find it in themselves to step up and chip in a few bucks. Every dollar really does make a difference.

Thanks, and donate if you can.

Little changes = big results

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I’d been struggling with the rewrite of the fantasy-comedy spec. I identified a few things that could probably be cut and where some repositioning might come in handy, but there were still a few details that were proving difficult.

So I did what any sensible writer would do: I shifted my attention to another project. Naturally, I’d still return to this one every once in a while, trying to find a viable solution.

Since my usual approach wasn’t working, (helpful tip – don’t try to force ideas. Let ’em happen naturally) I decided to try the tried-and-true “go for the hard turn”. Same objective, much different route to get there.

“Rather than THIS, how about THAT, which still gets us to THERE?”

The spark had been lit. Definitely some potential here, but with some reservations. How much would this drastically impact the story? This was already a major rewrite/overhaul project, but I didn’t want to get away from what appealed to me about the story in the first place.

I mapped things out, looking for scenes and story details that could be changed just enough to make a difference but also not sending things too off-course. Found a few things that matched that criteria and made the appropriate changes in the outline.

I usually stick with the outline until the entire story is ready, but I wanted to give these new ideas a test run to see if they worked on the page. I cranked out a few pages – while also keeping in mind the guideline of “keep it tight!” (i.e. Don’t go for the flourish; just write what needs to be there).

End result – pretty good. It’ll need a little more polishing, but I’ll deal with that later.

There are a few more story details that need work, but I’d say this is a good start.

–

Just 2 weeks left on the crowdfunding for my short film SHECKY. We were very fortunate to hit our initial goal and are now working towards a stretch goal. Every $ goes towards post-production, and whatever’s left over will help get the short into some film festivals.

There are several tier rewards, including a new one that includes a personalized video of me telling you a terrible joke (which is on theme for the short).

So if you’re a big supporter of indie filmmaking, the telling of terrible jokes, and the overall screenwriting community, I hope you chip in to help this project reach the finish line.

Change: embraced

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The ping-ponging between my three projects continues, with a little bit of progress for each.

A lot of this whole endeavor comes down to not only rewriting, but how each rewrite is put together. What to keep, what to cut, and most importantly: what to change.

For the most part, there’s nothing huge or drastic, but just enough to make a difference.

Is this scene necessary, and if so, where does it fit best into the story?

Is there a different way to present it so it’s not the same as its previous version but still accomplishes what it’s meant to?

What would be a more effective way to show the protagonist in action while driving the story, but also reinforces their arc?

Notes for each project are dotted with questions that need addressing (e.g. WHY DOES SHE DO THAT? WHICH IS SHE MORE LIKELY TO DO?, etc.) – all with the intent of helping me figure things out.

Also very helpful – a collection of notes from readers with questions, comments, and suggestions. Some have had quite a lasting impact.

It’s becoming easier to make these changes. Some long-term darlings have been sacrificed, all for the greater good – resulting in what is hopefully a better and stronger story.

It’ll be interesting to see what the end result for each project is, with every day seeing a few steps forward.

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Good news for the crowdfunding of my short film SHECKY! We hit our initial goal, which was all about post-production. There are still a few weeks left, so a stretch goal has been added with whatever’s raised going towards helping out with film festival fees.

All the tier rewards remain in place, with the addition of a new one that includes a personalized video of me telling you a terrible joke. And in case that sounds weird, it’s keeping with the style of the short’s story.

So if you’re a supporter of indie filmmaking, the telling of terrible jokes, and the screenwriting community, I hope you can chip in. Every dollar really does make a difference.

Thanks!

Not perfect. Just written.

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Some decent progress this week on two of my three big projects for this year.

The one that really resonates is the continuing work on the outline for the new action-comedy spec. Came up with a few more scenes and sequences, while the laborious task looms of fitting them all together in the most effective way.

But something became very obvious while working on one sequence:

Too much effort was going into the details of the scene, and not enough on “what’s the point of this scene?” I was creating more work for myself than necessary, trying to get everything right the first time out.

Silly writer. That’s what rewrites are for!

One of the most important parts of the first draft is just to get the damned thing written. There’ll be lots of work down the road, so why stress about something that’ll most likely be changed in one way or another?

This has really helped my frame of mind. There’s still a ways to go, but the road feels a little smoother.

On top of that, while taking a few breaks along the way by watching some personal favorite films, I noticed how so many scenes really adhere to the “get in late, make the point, move on to the next one.”

I’m going to try and apply that to how I put scenes in the outline together, and then refine it even more as I move on to actual pages.

There’s always something new to learn, and this is no exception.

-Crowdfunding for post-production of my short film SHECKY continues! We’re at 73%, with just under a month to go. Hope you can chip in – and take your pick from some sweet tier rewards!

…and looking ahead

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Last week was all about 2025.

This week, to paraphrase the words of Dr Emmett L Brown, we plan for… the future!

-First and foremost, nailing down the story of the new action-comedy spec, and churning out at least 1-2 drafts. I’d say it’s about 2/3 of the way there. Still some details to work out, but I like how it’s developing.

Also nice – several readers have already volunteered their services to give it a look and subsequently tear it apart. In a helpfully critical way, of course.

-The other big thing is doing a major polish/revision on my western and fantasy-comedy specs. They’re good, but there is definitely potential to elevate the quality of each.

I’m also very fortunate to have a manager who’s really psyched about helping me on all fronts, from feedback on pages to getting the scripts out there.

As last year wound down, several columnists and podcasts talked about planning a strategy for achieving writing goals over the course of the year. A few really hit home for me, and I’ll be putting my own spin on that approach.

Looking forward to seeing how it all goes.

-Another significant project for this year is seeing the completion of post-production on my thrill-omedy short film SHECKY. The crowdfunding is just about halfway there and as of this posting, hovering around 71% funded.

Several readers of the blog have chipped in, and I once again put out a sincere request to anybody else who can contribute and is willing to do so. This is a long-in-development project for me, so any help I can get to reach that finish line is highly appreciated.

There are also some fantastic tier rewards, including invaluable feedback on scripts, directing reels, and acting reels. Click on the link above to take a look around and see if anything strikes your fancy.

-Lastly, my hosting of The Creative Writing Life Podcast continues. Guests are already lined up into February, and I’ll see what I can do about finally adding some theme music.

Those are the big ones for the next 12 months, and no doubt other things will show up.

Exciting times are ahead, chums. Make your 2026 as amazing as you want it to be.