A return to prose

Okay, I've got this idea for a story.

I don't ordinarily write prose. Not anymore, anyways. I spend my time writing lyrics and screenplays and proposals for screenplays--hopefully one day something will get produced, But prose? Not so much. Just doesn't appeal to me after beating my head against the "gotta be published to get published" wall.

Of course now I am published so a few more doors are now open to me that weren't before. Which now means that it may not actually be a waste of time to sit down and write a story.

So, as soon as I work out a few more details I'm gonna start on this tale that's inspired by my song, "Inside." It should run to about twenty thousand words or so, I guesstimate.

It'll be a horror story, but in the end it'll be about love, and how it may be the ultimate act of love for someone to allow them to destroy themselves.

These are the things I think about.

It should be pretty intense. There is a very difficult concept that lies at the heart of this thing that, if I can convey it properly, will be quite wonderful. If I miss the mark, though, it'll . . . what's the word? Suck. That's the word.

So, wish me luck, and I'll keep you posted. I wrote a little on it a while back and posted it here but I think that'll change significantly.

If you want to hear the song that I'm basing this on click the links to your right or at the top. Feel free to check out the other tunes, too. I feel sure there will be one or two that you'll dig.

Projects in the queue

A friend of mine who knows a helluva lot more about the TV and movie industry is giving me feedback on some stuff I sent her--one was a screenplay, the other a proposal for a TV series. She's gonna give me some more on the screenplay, but she gave me enough on the series proposal that I can start revising that. She really dug the series idea, and I value her opinion, so I'm excited about it, too. Anyways, rewriting the proposal is moving up the to-do list. Then I'll probably have more detailed feedback from her on the screnplay and can rework that. I've got a little more I want to add to it now, anyway.

But first I want to finish this song cycle, Ashes and Bone. Got two more tunes for it. I'm maybe two-thirds of the way through the third tune, "Walks Like a Man." I'm hoping to be done with it in the next few days. I'll be doing the vocal today, and maybe some lead guitar work. I know there will be more guitar tracks. Whatever else it needs. I'm digging it, so far, and the further I get into it the more excited about it I am.

After that will be an instrumental piece, "Said and Done," (title may change later). That will close out the Ashes and Bone song cycle, with four tunes. That's when I'll revisit my screenplay and re-enter that world. (The proposal is much shorter and won't take nearly as long so I can fit that in while I'm working on other stuff.)

The next song cycle I'm calling Cold Iron, and it'll be composed of extremely heavy stuff. Like, Black Sabbath inspired tunes, heavy, slow backbeats, thundering, menacing guitars, that sort of thing. I'm realy looking forward to doing that, too. It's the music I love, and while I know I'm weird I also know I'm not the only person in the whole world who digs that kind of music.

So, keep your ears open for "Walks Like a Man," coming up in the next few days! Busy, busy . . .

Updates and whatnot

So, this is my final day of vacation.

Of course I also get the weekend, but I guess that doesn't really count. Though I'll be busy working on my projects, nonetheless.

Speaking of projects, this is where I am:

Laid down the rhythm tracks for a new tune, "Inside," (see previous posting for lyrics). I'm very happy with what I have so far. So far it's shaping up to be something special.

Got about half the cast in this spec script I'm working on killed off now. Most of the rest will be shuffling off this mortal coil soon.

Also, at the suggestion of a friend I sent a story to a small press editor who is putting together a horror anthology and wanted some entries--even though my story is too short he let me submit it anyway. He did like it, a lot, apparently, and suggested I expand it to meet his length requirements. I may do that, I don't know yet. Always good to get positive feedback, especially from an editor and a published author. So, that's encouraging.

So, next up on the tune--some synth lines and some guitars. Got to track a guitar solo. Fills and whatnot. Then, last of all, the vocals. I hope to be done with it by next weekend, but we'll see. I may finish sooner. Or later. Depends on what else happens. Going back to work after being off a week will be a challenge--I know I'll have all kinds of catching up to do. It may leave me too worn out to do much when I get home, for a couple days.

As for the weekend, nothing special planned. Gonna continue working on my projects. Giving Atari a bath. Buying some groceries. Watching some TV--I went DVD shopping yesterday and got season one of Warehouse 13, the film Let The Right One In (haven't seen it yet--I plan to screen it tomorrow), and a disk that had four really awful horror movies on it. For inspiration, don't you know.

How about you? Any weekend plans?