November 2007 Archives

What a difference an agent makes. The pitches for A Close Shave have been sent to several Canadian and American publishers, and already one publisher has asked to read the manuscript. Nothing may come of it, but the fact that someone asked to see a manuscript off my agent's query just confirms for me the value of having a book agent. She doesn't guarantee that I'll get a publishing contract, but I'm sure that she'll be able to get the manuscript read faster than me, and she'll be able to filter all the rejections so that I don't have to feel the pain of the form letter saying, "thanks, but no thanks."

I'll keep my fingers crossed, and I guess I'm going to have to start thinking of some sequel ideas to the Sasquatch adventure story. Hmmm. Better break out the idea book.

Finally got around to starting the revisions of the play. I'm cycling through the first third. So far, it's holding up pretty well. My biggest concern are the references. After 8 or 9 years, I'm not sure if today's audience will remember some of the references I had in the script to killers. I'll keep some of the references and update others, but I suspect I might have to retool entire speeches because people may not recognize who I'm talking about. Sigh. This might be a bit more work than I originally imagined. Hopefully, I'll have a working draft before the workshop.

Another one down. This one's going to hurt. It's about snoring... namely, my wife's snoring. She is definitely going to kill me for the snorchestra description. Gulp! I did get her approval so the article is not a surprise, but I usually let her read my articles before I send them off. This time, I opted not to let her see it until it runs on Friday, December 7. By that date, I'll be in Banff for the Bone House workshop and well out of her reach. If there are no blog entries after December 7, call the police. Tell them to find my body.

On a more serious note, I'm getting that itch again... the crazy itch that says I need to do something different and challenging. This was the same itch that inspired me to jump into young adult fiction. I don't know which direction to go to next, and I'm a bit worried that at my age, reinventing myself may not be so easy to do any more. Right now, I'm toying wth the idea of graphic novels or horror fiction. Not sure about what to do. I think I'm going to have to do some more reading...

I finally got a chance to give back to the two schools that have contributed so much to the Fringe Festival. Both schools are used as Fringe venues in the summer, and I've always wanted to do something nice for them. Thankfully, because of the small world that we live in, parents of kids at both schools knew me and were able to set up school visits.

A shout out to the class at the Academy. You guys had great questions. Thanks for being such great listeners.

And to the King Edward students, wow! You guys were energetic. I've never had such a reaction to my Aiya before. I think I'm half deaf now.

I hope everyone enjoyed the presentations. Remember to send your comments to the Kids Read Edmonton website!!!

Okay, I'm slowly starting to wrap my brain around the play. What I remember most about the production in 1999 was how immediate everything was for the audience, and how low-tech it was. The more we stripped away from a theatrical production, the more the audience went wild. I have to remember that the play walks a fine line between being a play and being an event. Any time it shifts to being a play has to be measured and deliberate. I can't let myself fall into the trap that the audience is willing to suspend disbelief for too long. I have to keep twisting and turning the "game," so they never know what to expect. It's important to keep this in mind as I try to figure out what to do with the sword box segment. I'm thinking I need something less showy, but still has the weird turn where the audience thinks it is going one way, but it ends up going another.

Just heard from the Life editor. She liked two of three pitches. I'm going to be writing about winter driving and couple's sleeping habits. The third one didn't make the cut most likely because it's winter and the article was about geocaching. I have to remember the time of the year when I pitch. Oh well, two articles will keep my busy enough. One is slated to run on December 7 and the other will run sometime before the New Year.

Very cool. My agent just sent me a list of publishers that she thinks are right for A Close Shave. She'll be contacting them shortly. It's really nice to have someone do part of my sales work for me. I know I have to keep up my end of the bargain and find other opportunities to connect with the publishers on her list so that I'm not just another of a thousand faceless submissions. I'm going to try to arrange some tours that take me to Vancouver and Toronto so that I can get my name out to the publishers.

Networking is the part of the business that readers don't see, but it's the crucial part of the job because it makes the difference between a published author and an unpublished author. Case in point; the CBC commissioned Fulcrum of Evil because someone had read an article by me or about me, and thought I had the right sensibilities for a light comedy. There's no telling who may hear about me or how six degrees of separation can work in my favour (or against me if I should happen to slip up and make a disparaging comment about someone). Yikes, let's hope I haven't burned any bridges in the publishing world... yet.

Sorry, sorry, sorry, if you're trying to get a hold of the book and can't find it. I just found out that my publisher has run out of copies, and is ordering another print run. Hopefully, the books will be ready in time for Christmas, but I'll let you know as soon as I find out. If you're in Edmonton and looking for a copy, please leave me a message. I still have some copies of both titles.

Oh man, do I hurt today. I went for a run without stretching. Ouch. I won't do that again. Anyway, I've been tinkering away at a couple of non-writing related projects this week until I have enough steam to work on The Bone House. Today, I might try to tackle an article for Canadian Theatre magazine, or I may try to challenge a bunch of people to a game of Scrabulous. I'm just really, really tired, and I'm looking for excuses to put off working for just another few days. The great thing about being a freelancer is that I only have to answer to myself... although my article is due in December... hmmm... maybe I'll just get a first draft done before I shut down for the day.

My six-month dentist check-up was fun today. I was a bit nervous; not because of the scaling that needed to be done, but because my dentist article ran on Friday. Thankfully, everyone at the office enjoyed the piece and thought it was very funny. Phew! I was pretty sure that I wasn't going to offend my dentist, but you never know what a person may think when they see a reference to themselves, even if they are characterized in a positive light.

I'm not feeling like working at all today. The pressure of the weekend pretty well wiped me out. I've been playing Scrabulous for most of the day, while bemoaning the fact that I agreed to take a meeting this afternoon and teach a playwrights' lab this evening. Lesson learned. I'm not 20! Must pace myself.

Thankfully, I don't have anything that's really pressing. I should start picking away at The Bone House and The Forbidden Phoenix over the next few weeks, but each project is only about three or four days worth of work. I think I'm going to dial back the work days so that I can coast for a little while and recharge my batteries.

I knew that once I made it to Fulcrum of Evil weekend, I'd be okay for the rest of the year, and now my body is telling me to shut down for a while. I think for once I'll listen to my body. Good night.

Phew! I just crawled out of bed and am still feeling the lingering effects of a really tough week. Last night, we recorded the second performance of Fulcrum of Evil. It was sold out again, with about 20 or 30 people being turned away at the door even after we tried to sell off all the empty seats. Sorry to those who tried Saturday. I really didn't expect so many people to come.

The evening was pretty good. The audience started up revved up and raring to go. One lesson learned is the David Letterman rule. I think the theatre was too hot, and I started to feel uncomfortable after the first ten minutes, and I think the audience must have felt the same way, because some of the laughs from the stand-up comic weren't as big as they were on Friday night.

When we got to the taping, our host/producer, Peter Brown, revved up the audience by telling them that they were part of the taping. We thought the Friday night audience was good, but were polite in the early going of the play because they thought they might wreck the recording. Once the Saturday night audience had the permission to react, they reacted big time. It was great to have big laughs off the top of the show. Between the two tapings, we have a radio play that we can cut together.

The only thing that really bothered me was that I had to sit in the back with headphones to listen to the recording and make sure everything was clean. I wished I could have been at the back of the audience, listening to their reactions, but the play is meant for a radio audience, so I knew my job had to be on the headphones.

Overall, I'm pretty happy with how everything came together. There are a few lines that I'm going to ask to be cut from the final version just to tighten things up. This way of working is much closer to TV, where you shoot everything so that you have options in the editing suite.

At the end of November, the director and producer go into the editing suite to put the pieces together. I'll get to hear a version and give notes before they send it off. Human nature being what it is, we'll probably not hear anything until after Christmas holidays. February is probably when I'll hear one way or the other if we need more episodes. I hope that by that time I'll also hear the broadcast date.

Once again, thanks to everyone who came out. You guys rocked the house!!!!!

Last night, the cast and crew of the CBC Radio comedy, Fulcrum of Evil, got our first taping under our belt. The evening was pretty fun-filled. The first shock of the night for me was the fact that we sold out by 7:35 pm. I know this, because my friends bought the last two tickets and scolded me for saying that there would be lots of tickets at the door. We were able to get a few people in because some comps didn't pick up and we sold all our empty seats. However, a few folks were turned away at the door. Apologies to anyone who tried to get in on Friday and couldn't.

The first act, Peter Brown did a sound demo with Eric Wagers, who seems to have his own following as a sound effects guy. Peter instructed the audience how to be a mob so we could record their voices. Then, while our recording engineer, Corey, edited the recordings a stand-up comedian, Lars Calliou, entertained the audience for about 20 minutes. He was pretty darned funny.

After the intermission, we started to record the show. I wore headphones to listen for sound quality of performances, so I didn't hear the audience as well, but I think they liked the show. It took a little while for them to start laughing loud enough to hear through the headphones. I suspect that they were a bit polite because we forgot to give them permission to laugh. I think people thought that because we were taping, they weren't supposed to make any noise. We're going to make an announcement for tonight. Part of me also wonders if I should get the fact that Saddam Hussein is the house guest out sooner.

The cast were great. Everyone really delivered. I think nerves and energy made the start just a little rushed, but then everyone settled in fairly quickly. As I was listening to the performances, I noted a few lines that could be cut and I'm wondering if I should snip them for tonight or just do it in post. I suspect for the sake of the actors' rhythm, I might leave the cuts for post. It's kind of freeing to know that the live session is not the final session and that I can still tweak after the show is done.

The other weirdness were the retakes which happened at the end of the performance. I remembered watching the taping of the sitcom Wings, and the crew just did the retake after a flubbed scene, so that the audience still remembered the context of the scene. I'm going to suggest to the director and producer that if something goes horrible wrong in a scene we just do the retake right away. Hopefully, nothing will go horribly wrong... now that I said it, I'm sure it will happen.

The audience reaction at the end was great. Lots of people came up afterward and congratulated the cast and crew for the show, and there was a buzz in the air about the project. I'm really proud of the work everyone did on the show. While I know a satire is not everyone's cup of tea (I'm sure CBC will get a few angry letters from some folks), I think what we pulled off last night was a pretty cool thing. Recording a pilot for a national broadcast in Edmonton with all local talent is a pretty big coup in an era where most major creative projects end up in Toronto or Vancouver. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I get an order for a series, because I'm already thinking about possibilities for the next episodes now that I have the pilot under my belt.

On a writing note, a pilot is very much like a super-hero origin story. You have to set the context for everything and introduce the major players in the story. While the pilot has to be self contained, you still need to leave enough seeds for future episodes. It's a delicate mixture of story and teaser. Too much of one will wipe out the balance. I'm hoping I got it right, but I won't know until the big wigs make the final decision in February. Fingers crossed.

On a personal note, my thanks to all who came out and gave their support to the show. The proceeds from the ticket sales will be donated to the Young Alberta Book Society, a literacy group that promotes Alberta literature to students by sending literary artists to schools and libraries across the province. The monies raised from the two nights of taping will go a long way to ensuring that we'll have a next generation of readers. Thank you!!!

And if you want to see the show tonight, there are still tickets available (I hope). Best thing to do is to book them through Tix on the Square to guarantee you'll have the tickets.

Too many things have happened to make separate entries, so I'll post them all here.

First of all, my Edmonton Journal article is out. I hope my dentist likes it. It's all about the fear of visiting the dentist, but I cast him as the friendliest dentist in the city (which he is). That wraps up my articles for a while, as I have no more in the "vault," and I have to wait to see if the features editor likes the three ideas I just pitched.

Last night's Fulcrum of Evil rehearsal was pretty productive. As long as a writer stays open to suggestions, the rehearsal process can be inspirational. I trimmed away repetitive lines and "cut to the chase" a few times. My director caught a few typos and awkward phrases. Actors came up with some great suggestions, and the producer noted a few awkward sentences. We made pencil changes (basically, script changes on the fly). I'm pretty happy with how everything is fitting together.

The only thing that worries me at this point is the X factor. How will the cast deliver in front of an audience with only a day and a half of rehearsal? Will the actors stumble over their lines because of the short rehearsal process? Yes, the actors will have scripts in hand, but it's still pretty nerve-wracking to do a show in front of an audience. I think that's why I stopped acting. I just don't have the personality to get up in front of an audience.

Anyway, I'm really pumped about the cast. Jeff Haslam is doing a bang up job as the lead. If this thing takes off as a series, I can really run with his character and get him to do crazier things. His character will have the coolest arc. Mark Meer is hilarious as Saddam. Davina Stewart is very funny as Nadia. Beth Graham has an awful song (intentionally bad) which she belts out with imperfect pitch as a very funny teenager. Anne Marie Felicitas does a great turn as a 10 year old Buddhist boy (hmm, I think I'm typecasting her). Nadien Chu and John Wright rounded out the cast and really brought their characters to life.

My most memorable moment of the rehearsal: Darrin Hagen playing the sitcom theme, with Jeff and Nadien singing something that could have easily been an '80s theme. Very funny.

And the highlight of the week! I got on Big Breakfast this morning and met Wendy Sandwith in person. I've been a big fan of her since she started on the show, and I've always hoped that I'd get a chance to meet her. Turns out, she's just as nice in person as she is on the show. Plus, she's thorough. She really impressed me when she asked questions about my school presentation on my grandmother. That takes a bit of searching to find out, and I was pleasantly surprised to get a question I hadn't expected. It's always nice to talk about something different.

Hmmm, as I look back on this blog, it looks like I'm shamelessly dropping names. Okay, back to the business of writing. Fulcrum of Evil is in pretty good shape. I heard that the executives will most likely decide if they want the Fulcrum of Evil to become a radio series by February. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that tonight and tomorrow's tapings go over really well with the audiences, so that it will convince the executives to green light the project. It'd be so cool to have a national show using Edmonton actors. But one step at a time. We have a tech rehearsal today and I'd better keep focussed on the script to make sure everything is clear.

Yay! My publisher sent me the images for the cover of The Mystery of the Mad Science Teacher and the rebrand of The Mystery of the Frozen Brains. They both look awesome. I just want to see them printed on on paper before I commit to them. I want to make sure the titles are legible.

And today is the big day. First day the actors get a hold of the Fulcrum of Evil script for rehearsal. I'm looking forward to hearing the script read aloud. Here's a preview article from the Edmonton Journal.

Big shout out to the students at St. Gabriel. Your questions were great. I'm so glad you read the book. Big thanks to one student, whose mom was the one who got me to come to the school. Thanks S. for telling your mom about the book. I hope you get a chance to read the first book.

Barely slept last night thanks to the wind storm. Holy smokes, it was crazy. I thought the roof was going to fly off. Add the fact that my wife had to get up super early this morning and you have mental sludge. A day when my fingers are barely crawling across the keyboard and my mind is a big pile o' porridge.

Thankfully, I have a day before Fulcrum of Evil rehearsals and I'm sitting on The Bone House revisions until next week when I have time. This would be a good day to sleep. If only I could cancel my meetings. Sigh.

Final stretch. I just got off the phone with my producer. I had a last-minute fear that the opening of the show needed something to foreshadow Saddam Hussein. The play starts with a sitcom theme song then goes into a news report. Originally, I had some random stuff about terrorists, but I figured this would be a good place to work in a mention of Saddam, so that at least his name was mentioned and his later reveal would be a surprise but not a non-sequitur. I think even at this late game (only 3 days to rehearsal), it's important to be cruel with the script and be sure that everything works. I find that now more than ever that I've been taking a harder look at my scripts after everyone says it's working. In the same way that I don't listen to bad advice about my scripts, I also don't let compliments snow me into thinking there's nothing more to be done.

The polished draft went off today and now I sit and wait for rehearsal to hear the actors rip through the lines. I'm going to stay on my toes and listen carefully for any opportunities to punch up a joke or clarify the story. It's work, but it's fun.

Just found out that my dentist article for the LIfe section will run next Friday. That's my last piece, so it means I have to hustle with another round of pitches. Between all my touring and my other deadlines, I haven't had a chance to keep up my Life articles, so I may not have too many pieces in December. In fact, I might not get in until January. Sigh. This is when I need a clone.

That's what my wife calls a particularly tough day. I'm staring at a stack o' work and not feeling any desire to tackle the projects. Plus, I spent all day in a school doing an artist in residency, so my brain is a bit fried for story ideas. Boy, do I appreciate what teachers have to do. It's not easy saying upbeat and on your toes for so many kids for an entire day.

I'm glad to see the stories are taking shape. Some are looking really fun and cool. Others just need some more work, but that's the nature of writing. Not everything can be a gem on the first pass. That's what revision is for.

Another week to go. I'm sitting on the draft until I get a few more notes and then I'll do the final polish. Also, the composer is supposed to have the song ready for Monday. A lot of people are getting pumped about the idea of the live taping. Hats off to the CBC producer who came up with idea. I think that's what's made this process the most fun. Nothing more terrible than doing a comedy with no audience.

I can't believe so few words can cause so much grief. I've been agonizing over the manuscript for a picture book about my cats. I've told the story over and over at all my school visits, and I've been writing and revising a draft for the last few months. Today, I really went for it and wrote what I think is a decent draft. It deviates from the story I tell, but I think it has a nice thruline. I've sent the manuscript to my book agent for her feedback. I'm sure that there's more I can do to the piece, but I just need to know if this thing is worth working on for a publishing house or if this is something that I might want to self-publish and sell out of my trunk. I'll update on this when I hear from my agent.

In the meanwhile, she's sent a few comments on A Close Shave, my Bigfoot manuscript. I'm going to make the changes and get the thing back to her. I'm getting excited about landing another publisher for a new book. Fingers crossed.

We had a music meeting today with Darrin Hagen, our composer who will come up with various pieces of music and play live. Because of the live nature of the show, the more we can do on the fly, the funner it will be for an audience. I have to change/cut one line to accommodate the change from a character singing on a karaoke machine to singing to a piano. I think it's a good change, but it's one of the realities of writing for production. Every technical element that comes into play can change the script, and the smart writers are the ones who take those changes as opportunities rather than as compromises.

I'm waiting for a few more notes from the producer and then I can do my final pass before the rehearsals. I'm sure I'll do a few more changes after I hear the actors next Thursday. We record on Friday, November 16 and Saturday, November 17. If you're interested in hearing the show, please come out and be a part of the studio audience.

Finished out the week with a visit to a north end school. The students and staff were awesome. I was really taken by all the questions about my personal life and the childhood connections to the story. The kids really wanted to know what was fact and what was fiction. It was pretty cool.

Most memorable moment: During the break, one girl appointed herself my security detail and kept people from asking too many questions. She was very much in charge, and she was awesome.

Now I'm prepping for the artist-in-residency for Virginia Park School. Should be a lot of fun. We're doing group projects rather than individual ones, so I'm really looking forward to brainstorming with the students at Virginia Park.

Revising the play, I was reminded of a very important lesson about notes. It's great to run notes, but remember that the note shouldn't override the intention of the scene (unless the intention is wrong). As I was cycling through the script, I started to revamp a problem scene, until I realized that I was changing the intention of the scene. I had to step back and take a look at what the scene was doing for the rest of the script. Once I got back on track, I threw out the revised scene and tried again but this time to make sure that the point of the scene was made.

I think the scene works much better now and is clearer. I hope it's funnier too. Anyway, I'm glad I caught this now and not later. I'll do a general polish this afternoon and send the revised version to my producer so he can distribute it to the cast and crew.

We have a music meeting on Monday, but I can't make it. I'll have to send my notes in advance. Grrr. Why can't I be in two places at once? I'm thinking that next year I'm going to have to get a lot tougher with myself about school visits. I have to be a little more stingy with my time so that I have the room to work.

Update: Polish finished. I punched up some humour and cut away the repetition. I'm sure that when the actors do the first read, I'll find a few more trims. Nothing like having great actors do the work of the script. I can't wait!