I realized while drafting Part 1 of Kingdom of Fief, a medieval comedy-fantasy I’ve been working on for the past few months, that the protagonist’s desire line isn’t strong enough to propel the story forward. So this week, I revised it. I wanted to make her immediate goal more clear and to cut the timeline … Read more
I just got back the final version of the ebook cover I commissioned for my upcoming Harry Potter parody. It’s called Hairy Squatter and the Scientist’s Groan. Here’s the premise: Hairy Squatter is a bookish twelve-year-old orphan whose great ambition in life is to become a world-renowned cultural critic. While happily working his way through … Read more
Confessions of a Hallway Hustler is a retelling of Brian De Palma’s Scarface (1983) in the style of Diary of a Wimpy Kid. The protagonist Tony Montana is a 12-year-old lovable scoundrel who gets kicked out of his elite boarding school in the imaginary European country of Luxland for breaking one too many rules. In … Read more
This week I’ve been working on the second draft of an early chapter of the The Kingdom of Fief where Aliyah jousts with Skippy at Merrymount Middle School’s annual Med Faire. This is when Aliyah snaps — meaning she becomes, in her mind, a knight-errant. “Prrrfffft,” the trumpets screeched once more.Aliyah and Skippy ducked under … Read more
I got this idea for a little side project — a Wimpy Kid-style retelling of Oliver Stone & Brian De Palma’s version of Scarface (1983). One of the constraints I’ll be putting on myself is to see if I can finish a rough draft in a weekend — this weekend. So to prepare, last weekend … Read more
You see, my mom was going on a trip with her new boyfriend. She wouldn’t say for how long. His name is Ponce. The new boyfriend. I guess he’s okay. He’s nice to me, I guess.While Mom was gone, she arranged to send me to my aunt’s house. Aunt Fatima lived in Merrymount, which was … Read more
I’ve been exploring this idea of motivation again as it relates to the kinds of tasks I’ve tasked myself with doing on any given day. There’s a new feeling that is starting to supplant the more familiar resistance. This new feeling still feels kind of nascent and amorphous, but it’s this idea that the tasks … Read more
I’ve been revising what is now the Prologue, as well as Chapters 1 & 2. As I mentioned in my previous post, I’m doing what I can to keep the Delay bugbear at bay. I shared the most recent Prologue with my Discord writers’ group. I was planning to share it with Scott Dikkers and … Read more
For the past couple weeks, I’ve been working on a second draft. It’s going slower than hoped. Part of it is that the first draft — which I dictated and transcribed — is a mess. I can live with that. I’m just glad the first draft exists. It took me only two weekends to produce. … Read more
The old frame Dearest friends, brave souls all, please lend…umm…an ear. For I sing to you the song of Sir Aliyah, Knight-Errant.First Among Equals in the Order of the Frilly Garter.Most Cherished Champion of Her Royal Highness, the fairest and most kindly Queen Gwennifer.And who am I who presumes to be worthy enough to tell … Read more
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