Plans

I feel like writing about what I have planned for myself for when I'm done with my current writing exercise. I feel like I can really plan forward now that I feel good about writing and am more confident in finishing an exercise.

How many ideas do you have planned?

My wife always tells me, whenever I bring up future writing, "one thing at a time!" She knows how easily I can be distracted from what I'm currently working on by the allure of another exercise. It has happened before, I've abandoned projects to work on something else...but I always felt it was more of a decision than a distraction in those cases. Anyway, she does a good job making sure I stay on track.

But I don't see the harm in planning ahead so that I know what I'm doing later. I mean, the old adage goes that you're only as good as your next what-have-you, right? So I'm just trying to keep that true for myself: I may be creating with this one exercise now, but it's no good if I have no idea what I'll be doing next.

That being said, here are my plans.

Currently, I am developing the exercise about the brothers trying to reconnect in retro Cleveland. I'm making good progress with my method of less structured writing. There is a big part of myself in this story, too. I consider this the first "half" of my own personal story.

Next on my list of exercises is the other "half" of my personal story. It actually deals with a young man who struggles with completing writing projects, but has a lot of potential. He's suddenly presented with an easy way out, takes it, and it blows up in his face.

After that exercise, I plan on developing this idea I had about buccaneering on the high seas! This one will, no doubt, require LOTS of research. But it's a neat idea that came to me suddenly one day. Who knows?

I feel like doing all of that will really give me the experience I need to tackle this HUGE, ambitious story I created years ago. It was way beyond my scope then, and there was no way this David could beat that Goliath at that time of my life. I'm very excited about the idea of returning to this incredible story and adapting it to the screenplay format (it was in novel form before). So that's the next exercise. It's a fantasy genre adventure that spans hundreds of years, and multiple chapters. Very excited.

Then, I think, I am going to try and put together this idea that's also based off of my life, and the lives of a few very good friends of mine. They originally had the idea to write a stageplay that incorporated all the funny inside jokes they enjoy together. They mentioned that the problem with it was it never got off the ground. I think I could really make a heartfelt story out of it, concerning friends and how growing up together can affect each person. So that's what I'll plan on.

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Edited 8/12/11 for another idea that came to me:

I have something else finally. It's a story revolving around the creation of the universe in the event known as The Big Bang, and how it relates to humanity in the current time. I'm very excited about this one, and it, too, will require TONS of research, which I welcome!
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Edited 8/22/11 for another idea that came to me:

Inspired by a true story, I came up with the tale of siblings who've never known their father and are always told how great he was, and they are finding they have to form their own opinions. This one, I feel, has a lot of potential. I love the reality of it.
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Those are my ideas for now. I have more sitting in the wings, but I don't want to plan everything out TOO far ahead, to allow for other things to cook and develop. But this is pretty exciting as it is. Now...BACK TO WORK FOR ME!