Day #146: West Side Success

Cheri and Patti Finley enjoyed well-deserved accolades as the audience members fell in love with the world of West Side Story. It was a great opening night. It always helps when you offer free wine.

But even without alcohol, people are going to love this production. We've got a tight-knit cast and some wonderful voices.

Speaking of the theater, I have volunteered to serve on the board of the Canyon Theatre Guild. I had planned to return to this service -- but I was hoping I'd be a millionaire, and that whenever a problem arose instead of debating what to do, I'd just write a big fat check and toss it onto the boardroom table.

Day #145: I'm Getting Serious About Drawing

I've got this story I want to tell... and it needs to be a comic book... or a graphic novel, or something of that nature.

So, I've been drawing up a storm the last few days, and it feels really good. I've never been a professional caliber artist... I don't know that I'd even consider myself a talented amateur. However, I have been doodling all of my life. I've gone through phases, starting in elementary school, in which I would constantly draw. It started with an obsession with the Peanuts comics. It was reignited in my teens with Bloom County and Calvin and Hobbes.

In junior high, I spent a whole school year drawing a comic book called "Ninja Man." And when I worked at the Grand Cinemas, I spent most of my box office time drawing "Space Bounty Hunters." Those creative, just-for-fun projects didn't shape me into the next Jack Kirby. But as I've returned yet again to the drawing board, I'm realizing that many of those cartooning instincts are still in tact.

I don't know if anyone will like this new story. And I don't know if I'll ever be able to draw well enough to be the one to tell it... But I'm gonna do my best.

Day #144: How Do You Pronounce... ???

Today, I used all of my (so-called) free time scanning through my notes, making sure that "Around the World in a Bathtub" is as accurate as possible. I've also been trying to finish writing the glossary, and the most daunting part of that process is creating the pronunciation tips in the parenthesis.

It's fun but very challenging research. This is the first time in my life that I've ever wished that I majored in linguistics.

But that feeling passed very quickly.

"Around the World in a Bathtub" will be in bookstores next year, all thanks to my editor Alyssa and the good folks at Charlesbridge Publishing.

Day #143: A Bad Blogger Habit

I have picked up a bad blogger habit. It's called procrastination. Instead of writing one blog per day, I've allowed the days to stack up, and then after a week passes I frantically try to make up for it by writing seven blogs at once.

I've been doing this for about a month now. Hopefully my awareness will make this bad habit go away.

Day #142: Awesome "Vicky" Monologue

Vicky is a character from a short play of mine called, Cinema Limbo, which takes place in the world of "Enjoy Your Show," a novel about the "Royal Cinemas."

As I've stated before, a lot of Youtube monologues involve people sitting in front of their computer doing a cold reading of a script. So, I really admire it when there's a professional and cinematic quality to these monologues.

Belinda Vargas has definitely created my favorite version of Vicky so far.

Day #141: Around the World in a Bathtub (Revisions)

I've been enjoying the revision process for my latest picture book. My editor at Charlesbridge is very insightful (and friendly).

I'm currently fine-tuning some of the back matter and the glossary portions of the book. I can't wait to find out who the illustrator will be!

Day #140: Drawing Ducks

Onto my next bright idea... I'm drawing ducks today. Lot's of ducks. I'm not particularly good at drawing ducks... yet. But I'm hoping to get better because there's a story/comic I'm hoping to draw this summer. More details coming soon...

I might even post some pictures.