March Madness - - I survived it ! ! ! = THE BIG REVEAL

 

I’m not talking about the NCAA College Basketball Tourney here.  However, I did participate  in a “pick ‘em” league for pure fun and bragging rights (no monetary rewards)  and tanked after two rounds.  All my picks (high-seeded teams as well) got knocked off.  When we got to the Final Four I only had one team left (Connecticut) with little chance of picking up any more points in my fantasy league. ( I picked Ohio State and Pitt for the final game, with Pitt the victor.)  I really don’t know what I was thinking when I entered this contest and felt I had a good change to pick up the most points.

I had a similar “what are you thinking?” moment when I set a personal goal for the month of March.  What made me think that I would be able to post something to this web site every single day in the month of March 2011?   Yet, that is exactly what I determined to try and do some 32+ days ago. And, with a few exceptions, that daily content has been an actual review.

I’m relieved and glad it’s over.  There were days when I felt too tired to do this  --  and I pushed myself. There were days when I put something else off in order to get some content on this site - - and they are not things that I could or would neglect on a regular basis.  I’ve got plenty of catching up to do at many levels right now. 

I’m an aspiring writer.  It’s a hobby of mine, and this website has been a great outlet for me to post my writings on a regular basis.  In addition to comics, I’d like to write about music, movies, books - - and even attempt some short-story writing.  I’ve often heard that if you want to become a writer you have to read within your genre of choice and also write something every day.   I’ve often been in agreement with that philosophy but found it difficult to pull off every single day.  So, for starters I wanted to see if I could do that for at least one single month.  I’ve also read and heard that doing something repetitively and consistently is the way that you build a new habit.

Have I learned anything from this experiment?   Oh yeah, and then some!                                                            I’ll need to answer this in two parts. 

Here’s PART ONE:   I now know that I can actually do something like this - - and it helps build a sense of confidence in my abilities.  Also, after writing every day it becomes easier to do and starts to require less time.  Additionally, doing this every day has made it easier and quicker to also gather my thoughts and not meander around trying to figure out how to start an article, etc.  And,  I realize that I love this type of work!  Which leads directly to  . . . . . .

PART TWO:  I’m giving up my day job and reducing it from a full-time salaried position to a part-time consultant (at higher fees, naturally) in the same industry.  That frees me up more time to devote to writing . . and to reveal what else is in the works for yours truly - - - a potential gig with a major comics publisher.

I’ve been trying to make contacts within the industry and have been somewhat successful in that certain E.I.C.s have been visiting this website and scrutinizing my work.  It’s worked like an on-display audition for me.   Through some e-mail correspondence I’ve elicited some serious attention as well as some serious responses to challenge me further.  A comment was made to me  that “you know working in comics requires incredible discipline and often long hours and long days.  It can become a grind – but you still have to grind it out.”   . . . . . . . .  My work here in the month of March has been my answer - - my way of showing that I can do it.  And I made that undisclosed interviewer aware of my goals in February.  I really kept what I was doing under the radar with a few exceptions.

So, if all works as planned  - - sometime before the end of 2011 you may actually be able to read some well-known superhero and horror titles scripted (or assisted) by me.  I can’t steal the publishers thunder by giving specific details before their own press releases get out - - but some more changes are scheduled to occur.  My stories will be single issue super-hero team adventures, often with a moral or revelation at the close.  Many story arcs will conclude and cross-over events wrap up  - - as the publisher reverts to stand alone tales in order to encourage people to try more titles as well as not distress new readers (who often object to having to buy more and more books to complete a story).

Also, some of the books I’ll be taking over are written by a very popular creator with 3 famous initials (starts with B, ends with B).  He has also expressed an interest in walking away from these titles and trying something different.  Rumor has it he will be involved with re-boots of once popular books, also focused on single issue tales.  I can actually tell you their names because the characters and titles are going to be “morphed” a little bit to more suit this writer’s style.  ( Two Gun Kid, Night Nurse, and a new version of Planet Terry). 

Lastly, I’ll be working on a brand new title utilizing some scripting techniques that have worked successfully for recent cartoon movies - - make them for children but add content that adults will understand so that they can enjoy the film along with their kids.  First title to debut will be THE ULTIMATE AMAZING ASTONISHING SPYDER-FLEA.  In one upcoming story, the UAASF is attracted to an unusual scent and travels below the belt/south of the border into a type of Bermuda Triangle, where he enters the Pubic Forest and skirmishes with the incredible micro crab lice of the scheming Dr. STD.   Another story has Spyder-Flea being drugged and abducted by a traveling flea circus where he is made to perform on command.

Of course, I intend to keep posting articles right here on the BC REFUGEES blogspot.  I hope that you will check out some of the new things coming up that I will be involved with.  I’d do the same for you.  Just kidding, friends . . . . . Happy April 1, 2011 to you . . . . may the “fool”  be with you (all day).