Way Too Many Projects

 "There never seems to be enough time to do the things you wanna do once you find them."

-- Jim Croce

During the semester, when I'm buried beneath my proverbial stack of essays, I think of all sorts of projects I'd rather be working on. And then, when I have free time, but no energy, I start listing those projects... 

And every once in a while, I finally get around to working on some of those ideas. It's rare, but it happens. 

The Master List of the major literary projects are all documented on my Doodle Board. 

As you can see, my most ambitious goal is to write (and publish) 8 novels. They should be novels that I'm proud of, so some of my earlier works don't qualify. (Sorry, Rapture & Joy!) 

I've got three ready to be discovered... 

VISIONS IN THE MIDNIGHT REALM

TWIXT & TWERP

BLOOMSQUASH

And then I've got the one published (basically self-published but with the help of Skyrocket Press). That would be CAMP OMIGOSH... 

That leaves four more novels to create... and I don't have many ideas what to work on next in that department. I do like the idea of doing a western adventure... And I also love the idea of continuing the stories of the existing novels (but it would be nice to have an audience that's interested in the first books before I start working on sequels!) 

The next big blank section on the Doodle Board: Eight Chapter Books. 

Ideally, this would be a project in which I do my own illustrations but I'd be happy if I cam up with something Abi could sell with a professional illustrator in mind. I've always been impressed/jealous of the Capt. Underpants success, and would love to create something in he same spirit... but perhaps with less nudity. 

I have written four separate chapter books... and none of them have gotten close to selling. (Some of them my agent doesn't bother sending out.) 

The first was THE HOMEWORK ELVES... which was a bit too silly for Abi's tastes... She suggested something more educational, and so I created... 

THE AMAZING LUNCHBOX (in which a five inch Ben Franklin appears inside the magical lunchbox... and educational mayhem ensues). This also never went anywhere. 

Then it was THE BUGGLE BUNCH... about a group of young insect friends who play Buggle Ball and go on adventures in the gigantic backyard that's their world. (This got sent out to a couple places, but did not generate interest.) 

and the last, also involving insects... 

SPY BUGS... This one is a playful combination of James Bond meets Animorphs... A pair of kids are chosen to become bugs in the spy world, and they are given incredible powers that allow them to morph into various insects. (I don't think this one impressed my agent enough because it never got sent out...) 

Then there is that blank graphic novel, waiting to be published...  

Long ago, I created DUCK TOWN... but it's in black and white (unshaded, unfinished, really)... and I would love for it to be in color. And I think I've only finished the coloring the first two chapters. And even those, I'm not sure that the colorization makes it look good... So, I've put this on the back burner long ago, until I have enough time/energy to do it myself... or enough money to hire someone who can do a good job of it. 

OR... I could start a brand new graphic novel from scratch... but I really love those Duck Town characters and wish they could exist on someone's books shelf... at least my own... 

The good thing about my Doodle Board progress is that I'm only one book away from completing my goal of having EIGHT PICTURE BOOKS traditionally published. So, I think I'll be able to finish that goal, hopefully within the next five years. Just need ONE MORE good idea. 

Because there are 88 keys on a piano (and I like the number 8, if you haven't guessed) I foolishly decided to write 88 plays. The good news is, I have only 42 more plays to go, so I'm passed the halfway point. I hadn't written a play (on my own) since 2020... so it was fun to write a new one-act recently. It's called DAD JOKE INTERVENTION... and it's coming soon from Eldridge Plays! 

The thing that's been happening to me lately is that now that I'm 51 years old, I am continually coming to terms with the fact that I did not make it big... I was not a young prodigy with a thriving career in arts and entertainment. I'm one of the many dreamers whose visions did not manifest... at least not in the ways we hoped it would. No Academy Awards (not even a nomination!). No three picture deals. No New York Times Best Seller list. No hobnobbing with fellow elites. 

I am not so pessimistic to say those things can never happen. Some of those things might. I still want to write stuff. I still want my work to get out into the world. I still have things to say... and I'm still starved for attention (though maybe that's quelled a little bit... or, at the very least, I've gotten lazy enough, it feels like it's quelled...) But one thing that will never happen is that I will never make it big while I'm young. I'm a grandfather now, for cryin' out loud! My younger days are behind me... 

So, now the thing that I desire the most (aside from world peace and happiness for my loved ones) is pretty simple: FREE TIME.  But... as Jim Croce says... well, you know the words!