Yesterday, I completed my last round of edits on SOS United States. Early next week, I’ll prepare the document and send it to a few readers for review. While that process is ongoing, I will start the search for publishers and literary agents to pitch, while also reviewing the numerous self-publishing companies.  Although I don’t have a specific date on when I’d like to see the book published, I am hoping for the end of the year. It would make for a great Christmas gift!

Another project I’m starting to develop for SOS United States, is a combination book/film teaser trailer. From the expanded narrative elements of the book, along with what already exists in the script, the goal is to bring the world of SOS United States to life to develop interest in the story as both a novel and feature film. In addition to creating a trailer, another phase of the project is the creation of a dedicated website to further promote the project and to act as a central resource once the book is published and, hopefully, the eventual feature film.

Regardless of when all this comes to fruition, the book is complete. At just over 80,000 words, the creation of this work has certainly been a task. This is the first time in my career I’ve written a book based on one of my screenplays. It certainly took a good deal of creative imagination, a fair amount of writer’s block, and the expansion of my vocabulary to bring it to this state. At minimum, it’s been a great exercise in creative writing and project management.

As a creative, I do believe it’s important to always have a project going. There can be chasms of time before a project comes to life (or if you are an actor, being cast in a project). This is why I think it’s important to always have something in development to keep the creative juices flowing. Many years ago when I lived in Los Angeles and was just pitching one project (First World) and waiting to see if the show I was on (Skating with Celebrities) was going to get picked up for a second season, I could tell I was getting a bit stale creatively. A producer told me that I should always have a variety of things in the works at different stages as you truly don’t know what’s going to hit next. While I certainly agree one wants to have a few irons in the fire, I do think it’s important that you don’t spread yourself too thin creatively. For me, I generally focus on one thing at a time (SOS United States), get it to a certain point of completion, and then proceed to the next project while managing the others.

Case in point is the sequel to First Signal – First Report. Just yesterday I received a call from one of the actors in the film that an associate of theirs had not only discovered First Signal, but researched the project until they found the website. When they learned that sequels are in development, they wanted to know when the next one would be released. I have to say it was great to hear this news after a trying week. As First Signal was a profitable film, and, if YouTube is any indicator, there is strong audience enthusiasm for the sequel. Over the next couple of weeks, my plan is to reread the script and then begin the search for locations. This would be an epic project, but as F. Scott Fitzgerald said, “Nothing any good isn’t hard.”

Creative writing is an art. It’s not easy. You come up with an idea, then you must express it in written words. It’s an arduous task, but there’s nothing like the feeling of constructing a new world from scratch and seeing it come to life in a book or the silver screen.

Projects