Onward and upward, as the say, is the goal. It can be with a job, in life, or even in fun. No matter the case, striving to move is all part of the journey.
A journey that brings us to the monthly update.
After The Totalitarians, a play I assistant directed, closed about a month ago, I found my nights free to concentrate on some neglected projects. Plays in need of edits, novels to finish, and works to promote and submit had mostly gathered dust. It was time to focus again.
This is not to say I stopped writing altogether in that span. Still have a few side jobs that pay a little bit. And of course, continued to write about Boise State athletics over at Bronco Nation News.
I have been working a lot over the past few weeks on The Blue Gem, the follow-up to 2014's The Dragon Princess. It seems, as it has for most of my life, writing pages for a fantasy novel comes in spurts. I can go months without touching it, despite my attempts to. Once I sit down and get going, though, the words flow. The goal now is to keep the momentum going.
While much of my attention has been devoted to this novel, I have also taken a moment to begin editing two novels I'd previously written for National November Writing Month. The first, Palm Trees and Paradise, is a coming-of-age story told via flashbacks and the present day. The second, Through the End of Time, is one I've been working on for roughly 15 years. It deals with religion, the apocalypse, and the fulfillment of prophecies. The focus on these two have been the editing of one chapter per week, at least for now.
The one place in which focus has been dropped is with playwriting. I'd written a few ten-minute plays over the past few years, but nothing new had sprung forth on the full-length front. I am in the process of editing The Latitude of Life and continue to submit Solace. The good news is that ideas have started to pop up regarding some new plays. It's now time to start forming them into a story.
Short plays, to be honest, have never been something I've poured energy into. The stories I want to tell usually come out to be longer. The same can be said for screenplay writing. While I've written a few shorts, I struggle to come up with ideas to be told within the time frame allotted. Missing the first few deadlines for the One Potato Screenwriting Competition, I finally have an idea worth exploring. Let's see if I can finish it up before the final deadline.
And finally, I have spent a few nights a week working on this:
My role for this show has been in the capacity of Dramaturge. Diving in to the world of fairy tale princesses and their sometimes true origins has been fascinating. I really have learned to enjoy the research aspect of theater, plays and playwrights over the past few years. And this show was no different.
And I was lucky enough to sit in on a few rehearsals. The people involved with this show are strong, talented and ready for you to see their work. The play opens the day after Thanksgiving.
Tickets are available here: http://m.bpt.me/event/2602369