thriller

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.

…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.

The countdown continues!

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**Disclaimer – this post is for the most part promoting stuff I’m doing, especially the second one, so it won’t be shared to some of the usual social media platforms because they frown on that sort of thing and I do my best to not be a rabble-rouser**

And with that out of the way…

Here’s a pair of brief but very, very important announcements:

-One week from today is the great unveiling of The Maximum Z 2025 Script Showcase! A thrilling assortment of screenplays, TV scripts and short scripts* from an exceptionally diverse cadre of skilled and savvy writers.

If you’re among those who has NOT sent in the info for your script, you have until Thursday 18 December to do so. All the details can be found here. Please make sure to read them carefully and be diligent about following the instructions.

*no webseries submissions as of yet, but it could still happen

-The crowdfunding campaign to raise post-production costs for my thrill-omedy short film SHECKY is up and running. The editing and sound departments are working their magic, and the latest cut is looking mighty good.

There are tier rewards, including invaluable feedback on scripts, directors reels, and acting reels. Great stuff all around.

If you’re a fan of indie filmmaking, terrible jokes, and supporting the screenwriting community, then I sincerely hope you can help out by chipping in a couple of bucks.

Thanks.

Let’s make a movie

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First and foremost, a huge thank you to all the donors to the crowdfunding for my short film SHECKY. We hit 50%, which has helped:

-secure the location

-book the actors

-assemble the crew and equipment

Production is set for the end of the month, but you still have the opportunity to help with funds for post-production. Even if it’s just a couple of bucks, every dollar makes a huge difference.

Like with the crowdfunding, perks and tier rewards are available, including script notes, professional feedback on your film or acting reel, along with the opportunity to be a producer on the film.

“A new homeowner discovers he’s being haunted by the ghost of a comedian telling the same terrible jokes over and over, who refuses to leave – or stop.”

If you’d like to be involved with seeing this thrill-omedy become a reality, contact me here with the subject “Project Shecky” for the details and Venmo link.

Thanks!

Happy to make your acquaintance?

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A quick reminder – just over a week left on the crowdfunding for my thrill-omedy short film SHECKY, so there’s still time for you to kick in a few bucks if you haven’t already. And a major thanks to those who have.

I’ve been pretty diligent in posting about the crowdfunding all over my social media platforms, so I’m checking them all several times a day. After initially checking my own stuff, I’ll do a quick skim of what else is going on out there.

One thing that seems to be popping up more often is a slight uptick in interest in spec scripts from reps and producers. Many are from already-established writers, but there’s also a slight increase in writers connecting with said reps and producers via social media.

Goodness knows I’ve tried doing that, but with very limited results – if you can even call it that.

On a similar note, Facebook has been posting more “Connection recommendations” that include a lot of writers and reps, plus a handful of producers. I’d considered trying some of those, but figured they probably prefer to keep their personal and professional lives separate (or even totally apart), so opted to not take that path.

I’d posted about this and got several responses back, including “You’d be better off using LinkedIn, X/Twitter or Instagram.”

Yeah, tried those too. Most of those connection requests go unanswered, with a handful accepting.

One odd exception is a few lit agencies following me on Instagram. Those responses tend to range between zero and none.

No matter what the platform is, I make a point of just being friendly (“Hi. Hope your projects are going well”) and not immediately starting with “Hi! Nice to connect! Read my script!” I hate when people do that to me, and suspect industry folks hate it even more.

I interact when I can and try to keep it respectful. Bad impressions have incredible staying power.

I haven’t tried using any of these for queries due to past experience of zero response, but you never know. Just need to do some research to see who might be the most receptive. It might be a longshot approach, but trying is better than doing nothing.

With so many other projects in the works, I’m not querying as much as I used to. One of these could even potentially attract some attention, thereby nullifying the need to query at all.

In the meantime, it’s all about the short film and having fun developing my scripts.