Writing
Going Back to Cali?
I’m not really going back to Cali, because I never left. I was just using that as more of a fun metaphor for what I’m considering. Well, it’s fun to me anyway, and that’s what counts.
This is my website, after all. If you don’t like it, get one of your own. I hear they’re pretty easy and cheap to get these days. You can’t beat that.
Anyway, what I’m considering is a full time return to the business of show. Since I stopped making movies, TV programs and the like I’ve spent a lot of time working on various other things, including The Flickcast. I still want to do those things but, in truth, the bug to get back to my first love has bitten me again . . . and hard. In fact, I think it’s infected.
Sorry about the weird insect imagery. Don’t mean to digress. Moving on. The difference this time is I won’t be going back doing what I did before (producing, etc.). Instead, I’m going to go back on my own terms with my own projects as a writer and director. Or, at the very least, I’m going to give it my best shot.
It all sounds good on the surface and if things continue to go the way I’ve set them in motion, all should be well. Watch this space for further developments.
On a related note, the site move I recently complained about for The Flickcast is done. It actually went well and didn’t even cost me that much. So I got that going for me, which is nice.
Please feel free to resume your kind patronage of that fine website. Thanks. And my children thank you. . . Or they will when I finally get some.
Blogging from the iPad (Again)
Well, posting from within Chrome, and including a picture, is a bit of a pain. Would it be so hard to have a way to insert pictures from the photo library on the iPad? And no, there’s no way to cut and paste, at least not that I’ve found. Not into a Chrome window at least.
I guess Apple doesn’t like that idea. They probably don’t want a “full” file system in iOS. That’s what Mac OS X and Macs are for.
Anyway, on to other methods like Blogsy. I’ve tried this tool before with some success. I haven’t tried the latest version yet, so here goes.
After getting all my info set up in Blogsy I was able to get a picture from the photo library on the iPad uploaded to this site and inserted into this post. It’s the dragon pic above. Scary, right?
So far, it looks like Blogsy is the winner. The UI is a bit confusing and has a bit of a learning curve, but once you get the hang of it, it’s pretty easy to use. Not as easy as using Chrome on Mac OS X, but it may just be good enough for my purposes.
That is, unless I’m in a hurry to post something. Then, we may have a problem as thre steps are a bit time consuming. This is especially so if you’re looking for an image online to use in a post. You need to find it, save it to the photo library and if editing or resizing is necessary, use yet another iOS app to do the resize and crop, then bring it back into Blogsy to upload to your site for the post.
The resize/crop app I’m using at the moment is iResize, which seems to do the job pretty well. I guess you could always resize an image once you get it uploaded to your site but that’s not really the best way to go about it. Plus, cropping is out of the question if you do that. So, an additional resize/crop app seems like a must.
So, for the moment, it looks like Blogsy is the winner. I’m going to look into some other apps and workflows to see if I can improve my time to post and ease of use. Still, for normal blogging this setup works pretty well.
Things to Say
For those who know me well, this may come as a shock . I don’t always have something to say. In fact, finding something so say here, for this blog, is often difficult.
I spend a lot of time writing for The Flickcast and on my other comic book, TV and film projects that by the time I get to this blog, I’ve pretty much lost whatever modicum of creative mojo I had. It’s a sad state of affairs really.
I would like nothing better than to have a bottomless well of creative juices. That just isn’t the case, though, at least not anymore.
I remember a time when that wasn’t true. And it doesn’t seem all that long ago. I distantly recall being able to work hours and hours and not only not be tired, but to have lots of fresh, interesting ideas as well.
Dare I say it but I guess this is one of the things that comes with getting older. I just can’t do it like I used to.
Of course, it could also be that I’m just lazy and this is all just an excuse so I can play Mass Effect 3 or some other new shiny. I guess that’s possible too.
No, now that I think about it, I’m sure it’s getting older. Yeah, that’s it.
Let’s go with that.
Monday Blues
It’s Monday. To most people that means heading back to work after a weekend that was too short during which they probably didn’t get to do what they really wanted to do and instead had to clean out the garage or (insert chore you’ve been avoiding for months here).
For me, however, Monday is pretty much just another day of the week.
Why do I say that? Well, I’m a person who works “freelance.” As in, I go from project to project, job to job, gig to gig and get paid for that gig. Once it’s over, I’m done and I move on. Or, hopefully the same people hire me again to do something else for them or, in some cases, more of the same.
I’m also a person who, if I don’t have someone paying me to do something right that moment (which happens, believe me), is probably doing something anyway. That means I pretty much work every day. I’m not complaining, mind you. I chose this way of life long ago and I’m sticking to it.
Monday, Friday, Thursday, Sunday, it doesn’t really matter. Chances are if I’m even marginally awake, I’m doing something. These days, most of that time is spent writing.
That doesn’t mean I’m sitting at the desktop or with the laptop pounding on the keys and actively writing a story, script, comic, blog post or whatever. To me, writing also encompasses all the stuff I do before and after the actual process of inputting the thing.
Outlining, breaking a story, thinking about characters, brainstorming, research, pre-writing, whatever. I don’t really have an “official” name for that time, I just lump it in with writing. That, in turn, I consider working.
I’ve heard a saying that goes something (or exactly) like this: “If you love what you do, you work every day of your life.”
Yep, that pretty much covers it.
In Search Of A 'Great' Keyboard
If you’re a person who uses a computer and, more to the point, an input device known as a keyboard on a daily basis for hours at a time, having a good one is highly necessary. In fact, not having one can often lead to bad results for hands, wrists, back and more.
So, over the years as I’ve written and done other work requiring long hours using a keyboard (I currently use an Apple Wireless Keyboard or the one on the MacBook Air), I’ve always been in search of a good one. Notice I didn’t say a “great” one.
I hesitate to use the word “great” because I’ve yet to find one I even consider good. Sure, many of the ones I’ve tried over the years have been decent. Some could even be considered close to good. None were even close to great though.
This brings me to the problem at, well, hand. Or, hands as the case may be. I need to find a great keyboard. I say a great keyboard because I think at this point only a great keyboard can help me.
It’s the hands, you see, they are hurting. Yes, over the years I’ve developed some pain in my fingers from all the oh so important typing. So now, I need to do something about it or pretty soon I won’t be able to type at all. The horror!
I really don’t care at this point how much it costs, just that it helps and helps me keep working. Although, as someone who’s paid both very little and quite a bit for keyboards over the years, I’m not entirely sure price is the total arbiter of “great.” If it was, I would probably have found that “great” keyboard long ago.
Given the above, I’m now in search of the perfect keyboard. If you have any thoughts on the subject, feel free to let me know. I will also be doing my research and buying several to try out over the next few weeks.
I will, of course, report on what I find out, if anything. I know there’s a lot of choices out there but based on past experience, I’m not all that optimistic.
Still, miracles do happen and I’m the kind of person who tries to keep an open mind. So, let the search commence and may the best keyboard win.
By Way of An Apology: Some Notes About This Site
Happy second day of 2012. No, I don’t know how long people are allowed to say “Happy New Year” or what I just said. I’m just going with it, okay?
That kind of statement brings me, in a not so direct way, to this website, blog or whatever you want to call it. I will call it a blog or, more precisely, “The Personal Blog of Chris Ullrich.” See, it even says that up there at the top.
In other words, this is my blog and these are my thoughts, such as they are. They are not to be confused with anyone else’s or with those of anyone or anyplace I have worked, am working now, or will work in the future. These concepts are not that hard to understand so I will rely on you, good readers, to figure these things out. I feel confident you can.
Now that the disclaimer part is over, let’s talk about some other facts. I started this blog in 2004 (here’s a link to the first post ever) and it has been continuously published since that time. It used to have a decent amount of daily readers, but for various reasons, that readership has dwindled.
This is probably mostly due to the neglect it has suffered at my hands. That’s changed and this blog will now be updated regularly again.
Another reason readership has dwindled is due to this blog being moved around and hosted at various places using various hosting software. That is also done. This blog, along with the rest of my sites (including The Flickcast) is now housed permanently on it’s very own virtual server provided by the folks at Media Temple.
This blog is also now permanently run on Wordpress. It had previously been on other platforms, including TypePad, but now it’s Wordpress all the way.
It’s also been tough to find this blogs RSS feed because I’ve tried several ways to help that out too, including FeedBurner. Now that it is permanently on Wordpress, being served off of my own server and is not going to be moved ever again (if I can help it) the RSS feed is not going to change again either.
In case you’re wondering, the RSS feed for this blog is right up there in the top right corner. It’s also right here. Click on either link to subscribe and I will love you forever.
Why am I taking valuable time out of your day to tell you all of this? The answer is simple: I owe you an apology.
I owe you this apology because if you’re reading this blog, and have read this far, I should not have taken you for granted. I say that because people who regularly read a blog are often frustrated when it isn’t there when they go to find it. They are also often frustrated when they go to read a blog and find it hasn’t been updated in a long time.
I’m guilty on both counts, but I can change. In fact, I already have.
If you take a closer look you’ll see I’ve updated this blog more times in the last month than over the last several months. I realize that’s not a foolproof way to tell I’ve changed, but I just wanted you to notice.
I intend to keep writing here. Even though some have pointed out blogging is dying, I actually feel it has helped me immensely. I also feel there’s still an audience for quality (or in my case at least prolific) blogging.
So, I’ll keep doing it and doing it here (as well as various other places like The Flickcast) and if I’m lucky, people will start coming back to this blog and enjoying it. I think it’s possible.
Thanks for reading and feel free to check back here often. I’ll be around.
Convergence and Balance
I’ve often mentioned here that I seem to have my feet in two different worlds. There’s the world where I go forth and make money to buy the things I think I need, to pay my bills and to save for the child I don’t have yet’s college education.
There’s also the world where I fulfill my creative needs by writing or expressing myself in other ways. I also call this the “real work” world. If you’re a writer, you know what I’m talking about.
Most of the time those two worlds do not converge.
With 2011 winding down and with me being another year older (and presumably wiser), it’s occurred to me that I need to make those two worlds converge more frequently. In other words, how can I make more money doing that which creatively satisfies me?
I realize this is quite the dilemma for so early in the morning (I’m writing this at around 6AM Pacific time) but these are precisely the times when you tend to think about these types of weighty issues. I can’t help it, the thoughts just come to me and they need to be addressed – sleep or other considerations be dammed.
Returning to my point, I need to figure out a way (or ways) to make money doing what I love. I’m sure people out there must have faced a similar situation, so if you’re reading this and feeling inclined to help, chime on in.
Until help comes from unexpected but welcome corners of the Internets, I’ve gone ahead and formulated a plan on my own. Or, at least I’ve got an interim plan until something better comes to mind.
In truth, my plan is relatively simple as it involves doing pretty much what I already do and how I do it. The main difference is in how I will allocate my time during the day and what I will focus on.
For example, under this new plan I will now spend as much time writing something (a short story, script, blog post, etc.) as I do on the Internet. I include time spent on Facebook, Twitter, etc. in that as well. I also do this in hopes of reducing the time I spend reading Twitter, on Facebook or reading mindless blog posts.
Going along with that will be an attempt to “reduce the clutter” of my online information stream. In other words, I will visit fewer sites less frequently and try only to read those sites that feature what I consider to be “good” writing and not attention grabbing link bait disguised as writing.
I will also schedule my day better. I will allocate blocks of time to tasks and only do those tasks during that specific time. Of course, this will have to be somewhat flexible to allow for creative bursts of energy and inspiration so if I’m “on a roll” I don’t have to cut it off to fit a particular schedule.
Going along with that I will also have a definitive cutoff to the day when I won’t, for example, answer emails from clients or deal with other matters that don’t have anything to do with the creative world.
I think the term I’m looking for here is balance. Although, that may not be exactly applicable in this case. I’m not looking for balance, per se, I’m actually looking for a way to spend the vast majority of my time in that second, creative, world.
The best case is that those two worlds converge completely and I spend all of my work time doing those things which make me the happiest. If I could make a few bucks in the process, all the better.
Obviously, I’m still working on the full plan, but I feel pretty good about it so far. At least I’ve mostly identified the problem and are taking some steps to remedy it.
I know I can do better and I know this plan will evolve over time like any good one should. Stay tuned to see how the goes.
But until then, this is what I’ve got. And really, what did you expect at 6AM?
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Note - I’m not sure what the pic above has to do with this particular topic. I just like it, okay?
Keyboard Considerations
I’ve been trying to use just the iPad 2 for a few days to do my writing work and I came to the conclusion that I need a keyboard. That’s not to say that typing directly on the iPad 2 wouldn’t work for most people, or for me under different circumstances, it’s just that right now my fingers are a bit sore and it’s time to explore other options.
Fortunately, I already have a solution. I’ve dropped some hard earned cash on a keyboard case and stand combo from Incase. It’s called the Origami Workstation and it features a place to hold your Apple Wireless Keyboard (I already had one of from a previous experiment) and to hold you iPad or iPad 2 either vertically or horizontally. I usually pick horozontal, just in case you were wondering.
With the iPad 2 and keyboard in place things have gotten much easier on my hands and fingers. Yes, I realize having to bring a keyboard with you begs the question as to why I don’t just use the MacBook Air. That’s a valid question and one I could answer by just saying I just don’t want to. The truth is I’m not just doing this just for me. I’m doing it for you. For those of you who want to know if you can get along and get work done with just an iPad 2 and that’s it. The answer is, so far, yes you can – unless you have a problem like I do. In that case you need to make some adjustments. Problem or not, the iPad 2 is especially useful if you’re a writer, or some other type of creative person, who’s job it is to put words in a certain order and upload, print or otherwise share them with people. It really is a great tool. It’s likely if my hands were a bit younger and I haden’t spent the last ten or more years pounding keys I would have gotten away without using an external keyboard. Sadly, I can’t. You might be able to, however. And you should try. It makes the idea you can bring a small device like the iPad 2 with you, and that’s all you really need, that much cooler. My needing to use a keyboard doesn’t change the fact that the iPad is a great writing tool and so far has proven to be very useful in my everyday work. Now to get back to it. I’ll let you know how it’s going, don’t worry.
The Great-ish Writing Experiment
I think in the spirit of trying to make things work, and also challenging myself a bit, I’m going to try to use the iPad 2 as a writing/blogging tool as often as I can. Let this post serve as the first-ish example of that. I say -ish because I’ve already done at least one or two with the iPad 2, but that was before. Now, I’m going to take it more seriously and consider it more of an experiment, or test , then I did before. One of the first questions to ask when embarking on a journey such as this is do I use the built-in keyboard on the iPad 2 or do I use an external one? It’s an important question because, to be honest, my fingers do get kinda sore when using just the iPad 2’s touchscreen keyboard. However, that may be more a function of the fact that by the time I start using the iPad I’ve already been typing for a few hours. Maybe my fingers would hurt no matter what? I suspect they would. So, with that in mind I think I will try to use the touchscreen keyboard for now and see how it goes. I’ve got an extra Bluetooth keyboard I could use but that sorta defeats the purpose of using the iPad if you have the also lug around a keyboard. At any rate, I’ll know soon enough if my fingers can’t take it and then I will consider other options. Fortunately, as I discussed in an earlier post, the rest of the writing/blogging experience shouldbe pretty good on the iPad 2. I guess I’ll find out. In case you’re the sort of person who likes to know the more technical, nuts and bolts kinds of things, I’m going to list the tools I will be using during this experiment. Here they are: Apple iPad 2 (of course) - Apple’s device excels at so many things and has a battery that lasts a long time. It has become an indispensable part of my daily work (and fun). Blogsy - This is the primary blogging app I’m using. It allows for complete control over posts and offers the ability to insert photos and video. Pretty much everything you need and pretty easy to figure out and use. IResize - This is a great app that allows you to resize images to fit in a blog post or other writing. You can load any picture from your Photos on the iPad and change the size, resolution, etc. and then save the changed version for use in other apps like Blogsy. IAWriter - This app let’s you get back to basics and just write. It removes distractions and lets you focus on the words. Plus, it syncs with Apple’s iCloud and its own OS X desktop version to allow you to work on whatever you want and have it available on the iPad or your Mac with whatever changes you’ve made already there and synced. Other tools: Pages - Appple’s own writing App is pretty good and I used it quite a bit before IA Writer and Blogsy came into the picture. Now I use it less frequently, especially as oit doesn’t support sync across the mobile and desktop versions using iCloud as IA Writer does. At least not yet. FDX Reader - Sadly, my favorite screenwriting app Final Draft doesn’t have and iPad version yet. I’ve been assured one is on the way, but until then, I still need to use the MacBook Air when I want to write in Final Draft. However, I can at least read scripts in Final Draft format (instead of PDF) on the iPad by using the terrific FDX Reader app. This app allows you to load scripts written in Final Draft and saved as .fdx files and view them in their native format. Very useful and saves you the time and effort of saving scripts as .pdf files plus if your a writer on the go or collaborating with another writer it also makes it easier to quickly review the current draft. So, this is my challenge and those are the tools of choice. Of course, figuring out what you want to do and choosing the tools to accomplish a task is often the easy part. The hard part is doing the actual writing. I’m goin' in, wish me luck.
Writing On the iPad
Since the iPad first came out I was hoping it would completely take the place of my laptop for most things. I was especially hoping it would allow me to use it when I go to events like Comic-Con in San Diego and other places I’m covering for The Flickcast that require me to post to the website during the day. Unfortunately, as an early adopter, I got one of the first iPads released. And although the hardware was darn good, the software, and in particular apps for blogging, left something to be desired. Cut to today and I’m using the iPad 2 and there are lots more apps out there to do most of the things you want to do on the iPad. Sadly, there’s still a shortage of good blogging apps. Fortunately, all you really need is one. I think I’ve found that one. Or, at least I’ve found one that’s as close to perfect as I’m going to get right now. What’s the name of this amazing, life changing blogging app? Blogsy. It does most of what I need it to do in the writing area. I can write a post in either HTML or visual mode, add photos and videos and set it to publish. Combine that with resizing photos using the great iResize app and the iPad has become almost a complete replacement for my Mac laptop. It does take a bit of time to get used to blogging on the iPad and also, typing on the screen itself is a bit hard on the fingers. Still, for short things like blog posts (just like this one!) it works very well. I’m going to be using Blogsy more and more and I’m sure I will find things I don’t like about it. Still, it has enough going for it already that I’m very pleased and happy I found it. Also, I’m sure they will improve it over time with updates.
Behind the Scenes of 'Blade Runner' with Sean Young
I don’t think it’s much of a secret that I’m a film nerd. I love movies of all genres but have a special place in my heart for sci-fi. Among my favorites is Ridley Scott’s 1982 film Blade Runner.
The film, an adaptation of Phillip K. Dick's novel "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep," made quite an impression on me as a young man. I saw the film at a rough cut screening in San Diego after having won tickets on a local radio station and was treated to a version somewhat different from the finished product. It was a great experience.
I've watched the film so many times since that day and each time I still see something new in it. It was definitely before its time and not something soon to be repeated -- any potential reboot/remake notwithstanding.
One of the stars of the film is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sean_Young">Sean Young</a>. She played Rachel, the replicant who thought she was human. During my travels in Hollywood I almost worked with Sean on a film but she ended up doing it and I ended up dropping out. At least I had the pleasure of meeting her once during pre-production.
She could not have been nicer during the meeting and towards the end even put up with a few<em> Blade Runner </em> questions from me that had absolutely nothing to do with the project we were talking about at the time. I enjoyed that meeting very much.
Recently, Sean <a href="http://s94802126.onlinehome.us/msy/My_Albums_13-16/Pages/15._Polaroids.html">put up a bunch of polaroid photos</a> of her, and others, taken during the <em>Blade Runner</em> shoot. They are pretty cool and show a lot of my favorite actors as their younger selves. They also give us a glimpse into the friendship and bond that takes place during the making of a film.
I've often heard people in the business describe the filmmaking process as like going to war. You have a mission and you have a group of people all working together to reach a common objective. I've never been to war nor do I ascribe the same significance to filmmaking as I do to the sacrifices made by our men and women in uniform.
However, I get what they mean. Long hours, sometimes difficult working conditions and a sense that you're isolated except for the rest of the people working with you can lead to that esprit de corps often talked about in military circles.
I've experienced the bond and friendship that comes from hours, days, weeks and months "in the trenches" and often it <em>is</em> an amazing experience that you keep with you for the rest of your life. It's one of the things I miss most about working in the business, on set, helping to create something.
Still, I do like what I'm doing now. Writing is, in some ways, much harder. But is also very rewarding when you know you've done a good job on something. As you often work alone, you don't develop the camaraderie and bond as you would on set but the sense of accomplishing and creating something is certainly there, and often more pronounced.
No, I don't think I would change how things are now. I've got my memories of the good times and I'm still great friends with many of my comrades in arms. For me, those are enough.
Looking For Inspiration
No matter what I’ve achieved in my life, occasionally I find myself in need of some inspiration or motivation (or both). Usually, whatever I need comes from inside me and I end up making it work somehow.
Other times, I need to look elsewhere for what I need. Today is one of those days. So, to help me move forward and do what I need to do, here's a little inspiration from my man Steve Jobs.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc?rel=0&w=480&h=390]
Whatever you may think of him or Apple, he certainly knows his way around public speaking. We could all hope to be this good at something someday.
Money quote:
"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma, which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice, heart and intuition."
Yep. I needed that.
Me, Me, Me
Yes, its all about me. But seriously folks, this has been a very interesting week. I’ve met a lot of great people, been told my work both sucks and is brilliant and found a great artist I’m going to work with. So, as I said, a very interesting week indeed.
I also went to Book Expo America last weekend here in LA and I just have to say, I was a bit disappointed. Maybe I didn't look around enough or spend enough time there, but it seemed like it wasn't really the show for me. If I was a guy who owned a book store and was looking to buy books to fill it up, then it would have been a great show for me.
As I was just a lowly writer looking to meet some people (particularly in comics and graphic novel publishing) I was sorta out of luck. The few places that were there had booths staffed by people I already knew or featured companies where I already knew someone higher up the chain than the guy in the booth. So, from a practical "networking" standpoint, not much incentive to chat them up.
I did talk to a few people and they were cool. Still, I got the sense from some of them that even they were not exactly sure why they were there. Really, I think most people in comics and graphic novel publishing are just looking ahead to San Diego Comic-Con anyway. I know I am. That's going to be a blast as usual.
In other Con news, I will most-likely be in Chicago for Wizard World later this month with ComicMix Managing Editor Rick Marshall, Editor-In-Chief Mike Gold and some of the other gang. That should be fun, especially as I've never been to Chicago before (I know) and am going to stay a few extra days to check out the city, eat the food and generally get into some trouble.
I'm really looking forward to that trip. If you happen to be in Chicago during that time, be sure to say "hello."
Oh, before I forget, what would a post about me be without some links to my recent work? Here you go:
The latest <em>BSG Weekly</em> at <a href="http://www.comicmix.com/news/2008/06/03/battlestar-galactica-interview-mark-verheiden-on-adamas-motives-and-cylon-babies/">ComicMix</a>
My latest interview with Dark Horse Comics Editor/Writer Scott Allie at <a href="http://www.comicmix.com/news/2008/06/03/interview-scott-allie-on-pitching-comics-myspace-and-the-digital-medium/">ComicMix</a>
And, here's a photo I took last year that I still really like -- which isn't always the case. Happy weekend.
<img src="http://cullrich.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/raindrops.jpg" alt="raindrops.jpg" border="0" width="425" height="256">
Writing Stuff
I don’t know about you, but many times when I’m writing a story, a script or something else that calls for a particular character to have a name (which happens frequently – characters need names after all), I sometimes get stuck on what name to use. Fortunately, through the miracle of modern technology, this problem is now a thing of the past.
Behold, the <a href="http://www.unled.net/">random name generator</a>. Refresh a few times to get the name you want and then use it for all its worth. While we're on the subject of writing, here's a few other cool writing-related sites (and sites maintained by writers I like) that I sometimes use for inspiration, knowledge and/or to steal ideas from (No, not actual story ideas. More 'how' rather than 'what').
In fact, I actually 'borrowed' some of these links from fellow writer and all-around-nice-guy (aka 'non-dick') Wil Wheaton. Turns out we have similar tastes in writing resources. Who knew?
<a href="http://www.janeespenson.com/">Jane Espenson</a>
<a href="http://verheiden.blogspot.com/">Mark Verheiden</a>
<a href="http://www.millarworld.tv/index.html">Mark Millar</a>
<a href="http://garthennis.net/">Garth Ennis</a>
<a href="http://www.warrenellis.com/">Warren Ellis</a>
<a href="http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/14734">4 Must-Read Books for Aspiring Writers</a>
<a href="http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/14723">Some Very Helpful Grammar Lessons</a>
And, seeing as we happen to still be on the subject of writing, one of my comic books is inching dangerously close to actually getting art to go along with its wonderfully realized prose -- which also means its inching closer to publication too. For now, that's all I can say. Still, this is very good time for me and may lead to an even better time soon. But as they say in the news biz "More on that story as it develops."
In other words, I'll let you know as soon as I know.
I write stuff
When sitting down to write a blog post, sometimes its kinda difficult to think of something to write about. As most of my writing these days is about things I really like, that leaves fewer of those things to talk about here at my own blog.
So, rather than bore you with a lot of nonsense and try to fill, vamp or otherwise make stuff up, I'm just going to plug some of the articles I've done recently at other sites to which I contrbute. So, without further to do, here goes:
Dark Horse Comics Editor Scott Allie <a href="http://www.comicmix.com/news/2008/03/24/interview-scott-allie-on-serenity-buffy-and-the-joss-whedon-universe/">talks about</a> <em>Serenity</em>, <em>Buffy</em>, Joss Whedon, Mike Mignola and potential new <em>Serenity</em> comics (pitched by yours truly).
Writer Brandon Jerwa <a href="http://www.comicmix.com/news/2008/03/26/interview-brandon-jerwa-on-battlestar-galactica-season-zero/">talks about his comic book:</a> <em>Battlestar Galactica: Season Zero</em>
Also, here's a couple photo galleries from the recent Wizard World show in Los Angeles:
<a href="http://www.comicmix.com/news/2008/03/19/comicmix-at-wwla-photo-gallery-people-places-and-events/">People, Places, Events</a>
<a href="http://www.comicmix.com/news/2008/03/19/comicmix-at-wwla-photo-gallery-costumes/">Costumes</a>
Speaking of conventions, I'll be heading to New York mid-April for the <a href="http://www.nycomiccon.com/App/homepage.cfm?moduleid=2577&appname=100453">New York Comic Con</a>, which takes place April 18-20 at the Jacob Javits Center in NYC. If you happen to be attending, be sure to say hello if you see me. And, if you happen to be a comics pro looking to plug any of your upcoming projects, feel free to contact me as I am in the process of scheduling interviews during the show.
Last, but not least, the search for an artist to collaborate on my two comic book projects is almost over. I've narrowed it down to the final ten and will be doing some interviews next week in LA and perhaps one or two in NYC following.
Then, I'll make the selection and that lucky person will be able to get to work helping me create some very cool comics. More on that as it develops. Meantime, have fun watching these New York Comic Con videos.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXRpPja3AMA&hl=en]
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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgQBVVdL2Nw&hl=en]
Cool Art and Wizard World stuff
Sometimes in my travels I come across cool things and want to share them. Here’s an example of that:
<img src="http://cullrich.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/thorages001006-07large.jpg" alt="THORAGES001006-07large.jpg" border="0" width="450" height="373"><img src="http://cullrich.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/thorages001004-05large.jpg" alt="THORAGES001004-05large.jpg" border="0" width="450" height="373"><img src="http://cullrich.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/thorages001002-03large.jpg" alt="THORAGES001002-03large.jpg" border="0" width="450" height="373">
These panels were part of the 'Mondo Marvel' presentation at Wizard World LA this weekend -- which even though it was pretty small was still a great time. I attended the panel for ComicMix and was pretty impressed with this <em>Thor</em> artwork by Patrick Zircher. This guy rocks and I think will have along career in comics.
I also got a chance to interview a bunch of other cool people at WWLA including another artist whose work I like very much: Jacen Burrows. That interview is <a href="http://www.comicmix.com/news/2008/03/17/interview-jacen-burrows-on-garth-ennis-warren-ellis-and-crossed/">already up</a> over at ComicMix. Here's a couple of things from him including a page from 303, which he did with Garth Ennis, and a Blackgas cover, a book he did with Warren Ellis:
<img src="http://cullrich.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/jacen303large.jpg" alt="jacen303large.jpg" border="0" width="350" height="499">
<img src="http://cullrich.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/jacenbg2large.jpg" alt="jacenbg2large.jpg" border="0" width="350" height="545">
I also had a chance to talk with <em>X-Force</em> and <em>Dark Tower</em> writer Peter David, <em>Battlestar Galactica</em> Co-Executive Producer Mark Verheiden and superstar screenwriter Zak Penn. Look for those articles soon.
You know, its pretty cool to work in the business I work in. This writing thing is pretty darn fun.
Wizard World LA and Other Stuff
I’ll be at Wizard World LA this weekend checking thing out, doing interviews with some cool people and generally getting into trouble. So, if you happen to be going yourself, feel free to say “hello” if you see me. Or, look for me on Twitter @chrisu.
I’ll be hitting the show floor and visiting a few panels in particular. Among the panels I’m most interested in are the Marvel Ultimates panel, Mondo Marvel, DC Nation, X-Men, anything Indiana Jones and Star Wars related, the Screenwriters panel on Saturday and anything else that seems interesting, unusual or worth a look.
Also, during the show I’ll be interviewing some cool writers, artists and other creatives, mostly for Comicmix, so stay tuned for those to show up during and after the show. Its gonna be pretty fun.
In other news, I recently went back home to Encinitas for a few days to help Mom look through some stuff. Mostly boxes that were stored in the various places my father used to keep things that I asked him to hold onto for me.
While going through some of this stuff, I was thrilled to discover some of my old comics that I thought were gone long ago. It was great to see them again and think back to a simpler time when I was a kid and first started reading the adventures of Captain America, Green Lantern, Superman and Spider-Man.
Finding these comics was also great because some of them featured the work of one of my favorite artists of all time: Jack “King” Kirby. The ones I liked the most were for Kirby’s Captain America “Mad Bomb” story, starting with issue #193 and leading up to Caps' 200th issue.
I’ve since brought all those recovered gems back with me to LA and they are currently enjoying a place of honor, complete with new bags and boards, in my current collection. Seeing the old and new comics together really shows how far comics have come in terms of print quality and presentation.
However, that doesn’t take away anything from my older “classic” comics at all. In spite of their age and less-advanced printing and presentation, they’re still a great read and the art still packs as much of a punch as it ever did.
Why says newer is always better?
Cool. I want one.
Even though its not practical at all, I really want one of these. Why? 'Cause its cool. Anyone care to order one for me as a gift? I don't mind, really. I like gifts.
On another note, I've been working quite a bit at ComicMix this week trying to help raise the page views by having more regular content. So, if you get a minute (or ten) be sure to click on over and browse as many of the articles as you can.
In fact, if you really want to help out, try reading and then commenting on a few. That would be nice. If you do that, you don't have to get me a Han Solo desk.
Sounds fair, right?
Too Much Work?
I remember not too long ago when I was complaining (at least a tiny bit and mostly to myself) that I was doing something I really didn't love rather than something I do love. The thing I love is, of course, writing. I wasn't doing enough of it to make me very happy.
Of course, other events have transpired to interrupt the flow of words from my somewhat feeble brain, through my fingers, out to the keyboard and then up to Wordpress and this blog. But even with all the interruptions, I wanted to write more -- and, if possible, get paid for it in the process.
Cut to (as they say in "the biz") today and I pretty much have the exact opposite problem I used to have. Now I have too much writing work. At the moment, there are several sites to which I currently contribute, used to contribute and they want me back or are about to contribute. There's even one I can't even talk about yet which looks to be even bigger than the rest.
Of course, this is also the time when I'm doing a lot more Mac consulting than I was before so that kinda gets in the way of writing too. Although, consulting pays way better (at least for the moment) then writing does. I'm trying to limit my consulting to mostly worthy causes like favorite non-profits or schools but still, that takes time and that's time away from writing.
Really, I think something has got to give and at the moment I'm leaning towards the Mac stuff being the time consuming item that may get the "Spanish Archer" as my friend used to say. In other words, it might have to go. Or, at the very least, be far more limited. After all, I really think that in this life, given the pretty much unknown duration of it we have, you should try to do things you love rather than things you don't.
Really, I feel like I shouldn't complain too hard at this situation as it could be far worse and is for many people. I'm lucky that people have decided that I'm good at a couple new things. In the past, I've pretty much only been good at making movies, producing other shows and getting into trouble.
But now, I can add writing to the list of things I can do. I'm not saying I'm great at it but I think I can string a sentence together without too much trouble. Who knows, maybe this new writing gig (once it starts) will end up being the one that takes me to the next level -- whatever that might be? I guess anything is possible but to have the possiblity is a great feeling and one I would like to have more often.
I'll see what I can do about that.
My influence grows
No, I'm not really that important -- although I would like to think so. I do, however, have a bit of new news. As of this week I will now be writing for yet another highly regarded and popular tech-related website. In addition to the usual place my words show up (TUAW, CBR, Cinematical) I will also now be contributing to the site Download Squad as well.
This new site covers all thing software and related and should prove a very interesting and rewarding time for me. After all, I love me some tech so it seems only natural I would start contributing to yet another site devoted to it. Fortunately, the bosses at Weblogs/AOL (particularly Victor Agreda, Jr. and Grant Robertson) saw fit to throw me a bone and let me join up. I wonder what took them so long?