#121. The Astrals, The Conformists

I've managed to do it again. With all the excitement I'd generated for myself early in the year over The Astrals, and then the almost utter lack of interest from those who were exposed to the script (I've gotten nothing but experience from being a reliable contributor in the exercises at Digital Webbing, least of all any kind of workable reputation) got me right back on the exercises there, which meant another 22 page script, the fourth I've written now. This time it was based on characters I'd created for an earlier exercise, one someone had decided to base around Dinos, Bots, Capes, & Babes (or, a random collection of generic comic book types). I'd fallen in love with the characters then, and now I got to reimagine them, recast some flaws and rename them, so that they became the Conformists. And so I became so worked up about them...Suddenly I have a new interest in the ongoing plans to launch my way into comics. I have more plans, more strategies, than actual attempts. I still hide behind DW's Talent Search pool for that. All I get with that is wet, but I have no money to speak of, so I can't exactly go the Drew Melbourne route of actually paying someone to work with me. Instead, I shuffle along pathetically.

...But the Conformists would approve. They're a wacky lot. Did I mention one of them has cosmic dandruff?

#120. Writing, Music, TV Shows

The sorry saga of "my homepage" only continues. The current version feeds my Star Trek stories, and now has the latest one, "Often Wrong." Having finally gotten that story out of the way (my computer problems, which began last fall, necessitated the delay, as well as other events chronicled and/or hinted at here), I'm now free to work on other writing projects, including the short story "Speed of Gravity," the Astrals project, and the poetry collection project, Ex Patriot. And that's not even it. There's another challenge at Digital Webbing, another 22 pages, but it means I get to revisit characters from other challenges, so it's not really that bad. Ryan Ottney also sent along the contract for the FANthology, which I've got to get in the mail. "Speed of Gravity," by the way, is intended as an entry into yet another contest, and among other reasons, might be another delay for the self-publishing of Colinaude, the Angry Avenger. One non-literary concern would be the girl of my dreams, whom I of course did not see coming, probably doomed to stay right there. What is it about opposites attracting, anyway? Can it ever really work? If only life weren't so complicated...

...However, if one thing's not in question, it's that Boston's own Dresden Dolls are a band worth checking out. I picked up a sampler of their upcoming album at Newbury Comics the other day, and found out on the ride home with LondonPortCode bandmember (and co-worker/manager) James just how much they rocked. They really do. He also says they sound more produced than they used to. But what the hey.

Are you watching Scrubs, Lost, My Name is Earl, and The Office? You certainly should be, and Prison Break, when it returns, as well. Also, 60 Minute Man is the next great TV series. Mark it down.

#119. Self-publishing, Lost, Jude the Obscure

Another entry, another month. Technically, I now have another blog, attached to my new myspace area, which I created after reconnecting with an old friend from a bygone era. You can read that shit here. But this will always be my first, true love. As far as blogs go.

My current dilemma is self-publishing, which technically (the word of the day, apparently), has been a dilemma since last year, when I was trying to find a job, any job. This one self-publishing house was the first place to favorably contact me in that period, and I was all excited. This is concerning our dear friend Colinaude, you understand. Except I didn't have the funds then, and I told them so, and they decided to keep in contact. This meant a lot of phone calls, relatively speaking, in the ensuing time. Different contact man, same calls, same e-mails, etc. (The first guy I even set up with g-mail.) But same problem lack of funds, even when I found employment. Last month I thought I was finally going to do it, and then then it didn't look so favorable. I should also mention that in between the initial contact point and now, I came across a different self-publisher, which actually looked like a better deal. So I've had that to contend with. When it finally happens, and it still looks to be "soon," I have to contend with the lyalty issue. Do I go with the house that's been so eager, so willing to add incentives, or do I switch?

Anyway, watching Lost this week John Locke happened to bring up Dostoyevsky, famous author of Crime & Punishment and such, and reading about him (because I've never actually read him, but that will change now) made me eager to become more familiar. He's yet another kindred literary figure I'll have discovered recently, along with Charles Bukowski and the book Jude the Obscure. And it's only made me more eager to see Cotton in print.

Call it hubris, but I call it motivation. There really is a market for the kind of stuff that interests me. Chat more later...