What the hell? I haven’t done an entry since the end of March? I know most of you Ryaddicts must be pulling your hair out at this point. I wish I could explain my absence. It might be my addiction to World of Warcraft or my recent involvement with Facebook. I wish I could say that. But truth be told, I have signed gag orders with the government promising not to disclose too much information. Let’s just say that certain ninja skills were required in a place I like to call Ear-nay Fghanistan-way. The world is now safer because of me. You’re welcome. Medal of Freedom please… [Making grabby hand gestures.]
Getting back into the swing of things takes a little time and practice. I have created two pages on Facebook. One is dedicated to all the crazy wackadoo that one would expect coming from me – even though I have toned down my language now that both my boys are on FB. The other page is dedicated to me as a Comic Book Writer – which is infinitely more professional and probably more insightful.
But I am trying to get back into the swing of things. With a little bit of luck, my current comic book publisher and I are in negotiations to possibly create my first 100% original project for them. You have to understand how big a milestone this is for me creatively. All of my projects thus far have all been adaptations of classic novels, mythological stories, or commissioned projects. Even with all my other publishers (Image, MVCreations, and Arcana), all my works have been commissions… except for one.
That title is known as THE PRAETORIAN. The artist assigned to that project (the ridiculously talented Robert Gill) is chewing through Issue #3 as I write this blog. So between THE PRAETORIAN and this current project that I have submitted, it would give me two books that are all me. 100%. Which means if they suck story content or character wise, it is all on me. On the other hand, if they are a success and people like them, it is all on me. And that is pretty darn cool. I am not saying that Robert and I are creating the next Drizzt Do’Urden or Red Sonja or anything – that will be kind of up to the readers to decide. But to create a character that has the potential to be out there in the comic book lexicon... Well that should be the dream of every comic book creator.
As a creative individual, you inevitably want to flex your muscles. You want to expand your horizons to become a better writer. I took on the task of writing STOLEN HEARTS because I wanted to see if I could write a romance book. I wanted to see if I could. Thankfully, given the editorial comments, blog reviews, and reader praise, I guess I did a pretty good job. But you never know until you try. That is why you have to get out of your comfort zone every now and again. Broaden those horizons. You won’t be sorry. At least if you fail, you fail while daring greatly…
Getting back into the swing of things takes a little time and practice. I have created two pages on Facebook. One is dedicated to all the crazy wackadoo that one would expect coming from me – even though I have toned down my language now that both my boys are on FB. The other page is dedicated to me as a Comic Book Writer – which is infinitely more professional and probably more insightful.
But I am trying to get back into the swing of things. With a little bit of luck, my current comic book publisher and I are in negotiations to possibly create my first 100% original project for them. You have to understand how big a milestone this is for me creatively. All of my projects thus far have all been adaptations of classic novels, mythological stories, or commissioned projects. Even with all my other publishers (Image, MVCreations, and Arcana), all my works have been commissions… except for one.
That title is known as THE PRAETORIAN. The artist assigned to that project (the ridiculously talented Robert Gill) is chewing through Issue #3 as I write this blog. So between THE PRAETORIAN and this current project that I have submitted, it would give me two books that are all me. 100%. Which means if they suck story content or character wise, it is all on me. On the other hand, if they are a success and people like them, it is all on me. And that is pretty darn cool. I am not saying that Robert and I are creating the next Drizzt Do’Urden or Red Sonja or anything – that will be kind of up to the readers to decide. But to create a character that has the potential to be out there in the comic book lexicon... Well that should be the dream of every comic book creator.
As a creative individual, you inevitably want to flex your muscles. You want to expand your horizons to become a better writer. I took on the task of writing STOLEN HEARTS because I wanted to see if I could write a romance book. I wanted to see if I could. Thankfully, given the editorial comments, blog reviews, and reader praise, I guess I did a pretty good job. But you never know until you try. That is why you have to get out of your comfort zone every now and again. Broaden those horizons. You won’t be sorry. At least if you fail, you fail while daring greatly…
“It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.”
Teddy Roosevelt, speaking at the Sorbonne in Paris, April 23, 1910
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