(K)nightmarish Lessons Learned:

So, I just turned in my draft of our Knightmare radio play that I'm doing with Decoder Ring Theatre. Along the way I've learned a few lessons that I feel I should chronicle if not pass along to you, my fellow pulpsters:

(Note: These are some of the lessons that inspired the Pulp Writer's Warm Up seen below)

1. Real life drama (which I won't go into other than to say it was both financial and legal and a pain in the ass) got in the way of my writing. This is a major no-no here at the Mad Pulp Headquarters. It prevented me from moving forward and honoring my commitments in a timely manner. It wasn't professional of me, and it really hurts that I was so paralyzed by it. If this weren't a personal, non-paying gig I would have fired myself.

2. During this time, I learned I have a lot of good friends who stepped up and for that I am grateful. You know who you are as you listened to me whine, and didn't offer me cheese with that.

3. I realized I like owning my characters. I like building things and laying the groundwork for people to build upon what I've started. Gregg is going to have his hands full with the script I've turned in, and I am sure he will hit it out of the park (or slap it into the goal. Whatever it is you Canucks do...) I am so happy I acquired the rights to do The Knightmare and make him my own. I know Cameron Tyler would be proud.

4. This internet thingie is really built on the short burst entertainment model. I am trying to embrace that in my work, realizing that most folks who read (or listen, or watch, or play, or interact with) material online do so in small increments. It makes sense to build on that and not try to shoe-horn longer forms onto the web - not only for attention-span reasons but for bandwidth issues too.

(Yes, I am talking yet again about the serial. Get over it)

5. It's hard writing a radio drama. You find yourself laying a ton of narrative pipe in the dialog (characters asking questions. Exclamations with tags of info on them, vague references) and it doesn't sound right - at all. Thank Dog I am working with Gregg who has a better ear for that than I do because he knows what works and what doesn't. I will have to do more of these things and develop my chops.

6. I also realized/cemented/committed to doing my next project online. Moving forward and building the infrastructure for NewPulp. More on that later.