My Personal 2006 In Review
I try to take some time as the year turns over to look back and forward and see how I'm doing with various goals. It's self-indulgent, intentionally so, so feel free to skip this one!
Last year I actually set some specific goals, so this review is easy:
- Get a short piece of genre fiction (sci-fi or horror or mystery) published SOMEWHERE respectable
Sort of -- I saw three short genre pieces published by various Sam's Dot Publishing titles, two online and one in print. But the payment for these was not at a professional word rate, and I've concluded that this is not where my talents lie. So while I may write something of this sort now and then, for fun, it's not going to be a focus in 2007.
- Complete my personal "childhood comedy icons hat trick" goal by getting something into MAD magazine
Nope -- while I pitched a dozen or so ideas to MAD during the year, I have not had any responses on anything. I'll keep proposing pieces when I think I have something appropriate in hand, but this remains an elusive goal for 2007.
- Contribute at least one article or cartoon to every 2006 issue of The Wittenburg Door
YES! 8 issues in a row and running at this point. I love what these guys do and am proud to appear in their pages. The editor's encouragement back in mid-2005 was very valuable when I was trying to figure out if I could do this writing thing for real, and I will always make time to contribute as long as they will have me.
- Get the screenplay for my short film project finished and storyboarded
Nope. Although I did finalize my old feature screenplay started in 2001, at the behest of a YPR reader in California who had asked if I had such a project in the works. No word on that front has been forthcoming, but I still like it; I need to circulate it more widely in 2007.
So 1.5 out of 4, but I'm not complaining. I'm going to refrain from making a specific list this time, because a lot of great things happened in 2006, so there's much to look forward to in 2007:
- CRACKED: I'm starting to feel at home at this brash little comedy upstart, and since May have been contributing to the website and magazine here and there. I have material lined up for the next few issues. There's another new project in the works under the Cracked brand, so I hope to have some media news to report as 2007 gets underway.
- Collaboration: My good friend Wayne Gladstone and I are collaborating on various projects, including a book-length work. He's a great, talented guy and we get along well in person, so I'm really enjoying this opportunity to come up with new funny stuff via teamwork.
- Mysterious Canadian TV project: A producer who read one of my media satire pieces contacted me to be involved with an interesting little project I can't say anything about yet. Production is supposed to start in the spring, so with any luck I'll be spending some time across the border. Nothing definite's going on yet; nature of the biz.
- Readings: I did my first public reading for Yankee Pot Roast in Manhattan in August 2006, and I hope to do that again next time I can make it out there. As much as I can work "remotely" for what I do, there's something special about hanging out with fellow humorists and cracking wise in person in the Big Apple.
- Just writing and drawing: My first year's creative earnings included a healthy chunk from some bland corporate animation/consulting work that my heart wasn't really in; it was too much like an extension of my day job. I made a decision to drop that project and haven't regretted it; I've almost been able to replace the income doing work I truly want to be doing, and that's a blessing.
I have to pinch myself now and then because I'm actually becoming that guy I wanted to be when I was in college. I can't ask for more than that.
Last year I actually set some specific goals, so this review is easy:
- Get a short piece of genre fiction (sci-fi or horror or mystery) published SOMEWHERE respectable
Sort of -- I saw three short genre pieces published by various Sam's Dot Publishing titles, two online and one in print. But the payment for these was not at a professional word rate, and I've concluded that this is not where my talents lie. So while I may write something of this sort now and then, for fun, it's not going to be a focus in 2007.
- Complete my personal "childhood comedy icons hat trick" goal by getting something into MAD magazine
Nope -- while I pitched a dozen or so ideas to MAD during the year, I have not had any responses on anything. I'll keep proposing pieces when I think I have something appropriate in hand, but this remains an elusive goal for 2007.
- Contribute at least one article or cartoon to every 2006 issue of The Wittenburg Door
YES! 8 issues in a row and running at this point. I love what these guys do and am proud to appear in their pages. The editor's encouragement back in mid-2005 was very valuable when I was trying to figure out if I could do this writing thing for real, and I will always make time to contribute as long as they will have me.
- Get the screenplay for my short film project finished and storyboarded
Nope. Although I did finalize my old feature screenplay started in 2001, at the behest of a YPR reader in California who had asked if I had such a project in the works. No word on that front has been forthcoming, but I still like it; I need to circulate it more widely in 2007.
So 1.5 out of 4, but I'm not complaining. I'm going to refrain from making a specific list this time, because a lot of great things happened in 2006, so there's much to look forward to in 2007:
- CRACKED: I'm starting to feel at home at this brash little comedy upstart, and since May have been contributing to the website and magazine here and there. I have material lined up for the next few issues. There's another new project in the works under the Cracked brand, so I hope to have some media news to report as 2007 gets underway.
- Collaboration: My good friend Wayne Gladstone and I are collaborating on various projects, including a book-length work. He's a great, talented guy and we get along well in person, so I'm really enjoying this opportunity to come up with new funny stuff via teamwork.
- Mysterious Canadian TV project: A producer who read one of my media satire pieces contacted me to be involved with an interesting little project I can't say anything about yet. Production is supposed to start in the spring, so with any luck I'll be spending some time across the border. Nothing definite's going on yet; nature of the biz.
- Readings: I did my first public reading for Yankee Pot Roast in Manhattan in August 2006, and I hope to do that again next time I can make it out there. As much as I can work "remotely" for what I do, there's something special about hanging out with fellow humorists and cracking wise in person in the Big Apple.
- Just writing and drawing: My first year's creative earnings included a healthy chunk from some bland corporate animation/consulting work that my heart wasn't really in; it was too much like an extension of my day job. I made a decision to drop that project and haven't regretted it; I've almost been able to replace the income doing work I truly want to be doing, and that's a blessing.
I have to pinch myself now and then because I'm actually becoming that guy I wanted to be when I was in college. I can't ask for more than that.