It's not a good habit to be in -- updating one's blog only every so often. There was a time when I was writing at least something in it every single day. So, I thought I should clear away the cobwebs and write something for a change.
Right... where to begin?
Last month sometime, I came up with an idea for a children's chapter book series -- not for kindergarteners who only know a few words, but for the older kids who are more perceptive to so-called "vocabulary words". Quite honestly, I don't think I could manage to write a Dick, Jane & Spot-type book... I'd spend months just dumbing down my vocabulary. But, I digress...
The series is that of mystery, akin to The Boxcar Children or Encyclopedia Brown or something. The protagonist's name is "Eric Porter" (an Anglicised version of "Hercule Poirot"). He is in the fourth grade of an American elementary school (where he shall remain, in perpetuity -- too many perfectly good kids' book characters have been ruined because their respective authors decided to age them like real people), he has a sister in second grade, named "Leah" and he enjoys playing "Holmes & Watson" on the playground, where he is Holmes and his friend, Jason, is Watson.
Thus far, I have fourteen potential plot ideas, but only ten of them will be written into actual volumes. I've written two books already (they're not very long -- the longest is 18 pages in Microsoft Works) and the third one is forthcoming. Once I've finished it, I know a publishing firm here in town where I can have it distributed. That's likely to happen by Q1 2011, so look for the first three books in the Eric Porter: Private Detective series to show up in a bookshop near you.
Next, I've managed to find that Enterprise episode I was talking about in the previous entry. It was a series two episode called "Carbon Creek". That information turned out to be irrelevant, however, as I couldn't recall what I needed it for. Pathetic, really.
Proceeding, now. On Thursday last, I attended a broadcasters' job fair to see what kind of opportunities exist for a free-agent manly announcing voice. Two television stations, two radio co-operatives, and our local PBS/NPR affiliate were represented. One of the TV stations' representatives right put me off ("We're not a radio station," he said, "We don't need announcers." Well, my good sir, I imagine your advertising division would argue against that statement!), but the other told me just to send along a demo CD of all of my voices and accents and they'd listen to it (I know: "Kiss of death. You'll never hear from them again." It's something, anyway). The PBS/NPR affiliate told me the same thing, whilst adding that they will have need for a fill-in announcer at some point in the near future. So, tomorrow or the day after, I'll be recording a new demo.
An aside -- I know that people want to appear as professional as possible when looking for a job in such a fiercely competitive market as mass media. However, this job fair took place on the hottest day of a 1.5 week heat-wave. Air temperature of 100 Fahrenheit, dewpoints in the 70s, heat index of 110. I was hot enough in my simple (though tasteful) polo shirt and trousers -- there were two blokes and a (really cute) girl in attendance who wore suits! In retrospect, I probably should have contrived to get that girl's mobile number... oh well.
And finally, I seem to have become something of a celebrity amongst the staff of a small coffee-shop and bakery known as Thé Cup ("thé" being French for "tea"). See, there's a piano at this shop. If you were to know me, you'd know that my motto is "Give me a piano and I'll play it." Also, this Thé Cup has proximity to a local high school, meaning they're likely to attract my kind of audience. The highlight of my piano repertoire is a medley of ten or eleven songs from Mario and Zelda (plus, my inability to play the proper harmonies in the Super Mario Brothers theme has led me to create a distinctively New Age chord progression to play instead of Kondo-san's time-tested chords).
Anyway, I went there today... well, yesterday, I guess (I haven't slept yet)... and ordered my usual: Earl Grey tea and a scone. After I'd been sitting at the table with my order for, perhaps, three minutes, a girl from the staff approached. She introduced herself as "Dani" and said that she, personally, "loves [my] piano-playing". Now, I've gotten myself into more trouble than I care to recall, speculating about relationships on this blog. But, suffice it to say, I believe I will contrive to return to Thé Cup tomorrow.
