Just wanted to share two anime really quick. First up, Hanasaku Iroha is a slice of life story about a girl from Tokyo being shipped off to her grandmother's traditional Japanese inn to live and work. It has a really mellow, moving, and funny storyline. I love that the big story events are really just every day occurrences. The music and backgrounds are amazing, too. You can watch it for free, legally, here.

I've also just started watching a new series that has just begin broadcast in Japan called Kids on the Slope. It's set in 1966 Kyushu and is about teens and jazz. The music is by Yoko Kanno, so you know it's amazing. Only a few episodes in, but, so far, I have to highly recommend it. I mean, come on! Moanin' by Art Blakely on Blue Note Records features prominently in episode 1. How cool is that? You can also watch it free here.

I have decided to enter a couple of my screenplays in the StoryPros script contest. Sometime this summer, I would like to start approaching agents and managers to try and get my career off the ground. I have an option, which is great - but, placing in a contest or two would really kind of beef up my credentials. It's hard to get read in Hollywood when you don't live there, so I need to take opportunities where I find them.

I'm still plotting out bits for my submission to a writing opportunity, while working on the expanded plot of Gaia 4 for the novel. When you create a world and know everything that's going on in it, one of the hardest things to do is to determine what to share.

Every glimpse that you give the reader shapes their impressions and expectations. Revealing to much information too soon can rob a scene of dramatic impact. If you don't reveal enough you may lose the reader or leave your world flat. So, yeah ... I've got a lot of work ahead of me.

And, months later, this happened ...

I really, really promise - the blog thing is going to pick up. Life has been busy in a good way. First off, I've optioned my first screenplay! BLACKBURN BURROW was picked up by Amazon Studios and is now on their development slate.

Even better - it's going to be a comic book written by Ron Marz and illustrated by Matthew Dow Smith! Look for it around Comic Con time - I'll have more to announce then, I'm sure.

I've been struggling with what to focus on since then. I've completed a couple more screenplays, but the challenge is where to go from there. I do believe I'm going to turn one into a novel. I think a book would capture the world and allow greater exploration of the setting than my screenplay allows. Hopefully, it will generate more interest, as well.

Anyway, I'll leave it there for now! Exciting things are afoot - now, I just have to actually put in the work!

I still exist!

Wow, it really has been a long time since I posted. It goes to show you that a full-time job while trying to write full-time gives things a chance to slip through the cracks. I'm going to have to get better.

What I have been working on is a new screenplay, which I'm relatively sure will go to Amazon. Honestly, it's the only place right now for an unknown writer to even have a chance -- if you don't live in Hollywood.

I'm plotting out my Blackburn Burrow rewrite that Amazon requested. It'll be a pretty big change. It will move the movie from low-budget to big-budget, which means everything has to be re-written, even if I use some of the same scenes.

I also made the finals for Amazon Studios first Script Spotlight -- I rewrote Zombies vs. Gladiators. It would be nice to win, but it's hard to tell since every writer took it in a different direction.

A Winner is Me!

I've been away from the blog so long, mainly because I've been working on a lot of stuff. Primarily, I've been whipping Blackburn Burrow into better shape. I'm happy to say, it won the March Amazon Studios screenplay contest. The award is $20,000! It's the most I've ever been paid for my writing, so I'm hoping it's only going to go up from here.

There are so many projects I want to work on, but there just isn't enough time. Work has been crazy! Not in a bad way, I've just been really busy, and it's exhausting me. I'm working on another project I want to get done, just in case I have the opportunity to get representation.

I'll try to post more regularly. It would be a good habit to get into!

Here's a link to the Amazon Studios contest: http://studios.amazon.com/contests/

So, that didn't go so well ...

Yeah, didn't make the top 6 in the Amazon contest. Again, I didn't really expect to, but it's still a wee bit depressing. I did edit the screenplay and set up a revision, which will be entered for the February contest, but I don't expect much to happen there. Still, top 50 out of 2500 or so scripts means I don't completely and utterly suck.

However, I must be a glutton for punishment as I'm entering the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award competition. They have a young adult section, so I'm throwing Shiloh's Way into the ring.

The problem is, it's not ready. It needs massive editing. I've already cut an entire page out of the first chapter, and I'm finding passive voice everywhere. It's kind of overwhelming because the contest deadline is so close -- worse, they have a limited number of entries allowed, so it could close earlier.

So, I'm back to editing! Wish me luck!

Been away so long ...

Wow, it's been a long time since I posted here. I really should keep my blog better up to date. For those of you checking it out - my screenplay of Blackburn Burrow made the top 50 of the Amazon Studios contest. I have to say, I was pretty shocked by that. They'll be announcing the top 6 soon, I'm not really sure I have a chance at that ... Still, it's nice to be in consideration!

Everything else is pretty much the same. My mind is overwhelmed with story ideas, and no time or focus to be able to get them down into long form. I'm going to keep trying though.

I will update more often, though! Hopefully, that'll keep me on track.