GOAL: finish my novel by Dec. 31

Posted inWriting
Amid all these other projects, one of my goals this year was to finish the dystopian science fiction novel I've been working on. My progress has been unsteady, but it is moving forward. I'm roughly 25,000 words into it. But that's not far enough. I need to get the first draft finished by the end of this year. That's my personal goal. So I'm calling myself out. First draft finished before the end of the year. If I do not do that, I suck. That is my deadline. First draft, end of the year. Deadline. I am committed to doing…
Pitched Vol 1

Making the rounds in Baltimore

Posted inComics & Graphic Novels, Random Musings
So I spent this past weekend in Baltimore, making the rounds at the Baltimore Comic Con. Despite not really being a comic convention guy -- I don't shop for old comics, get sketches from the artists, or any of that other fun stuff -- I had a great time. That's because I accomplished my two primary missions. The first was to spend time with some great people. I met with some buddies for a now traditional weekend and crazed fun, met up with many folks from IMWAN and elsewhere, and in the process wore myself ragged. I've already told all…
Photos Eric Took, aka Photography Post

Photos Eric Took, aka Photography Post

Posted inRandom Musings, Works by Eric
Earlier in the year I shared some photos I took, 'cause that's what blogs are for, right? If only because I'm kind of itchy to spend some time outdoors and take some more photos, especially now that the weather as cooled, I thought I'd share a few more. Click the images for much larger versions. This was taken in Treasure Island, Florida: This next one was taken at a Lakewood BlueClaws game. I've tried to give it obnoxious, arty names like "Man in field" and such, and then laughed at my stupid idea. And finally, "Waiting," at Tampa International. So…
Revisiting an old music collaboration

Revisiting an old music collaboration

Posted inMusic, Works by Eric
It's hard to believe that it's been four years since I made this first blog post. It's even harder to believe that it's been four years since Tim Granda and I spent a few woozy Thursday nights at his apartment in Red Bank, NJ recording the music mentioned in that post. Sadly, while those sessions created some awesome memories and solidified a good friendship, musically all that resulted were a few rough sketch ideas and two semi-finished songs. I hoped to finished at least a third before we were through, "Keep It On," heard here as two rough idea sketches,…
Getting through those difficult chapters

Getting through those difficult chapters

Posted inWriting
Sometimes the words don't come. It's not a matter of not having ideas, it's that the ideas won't come out. You sit down, place your hands on the keyboard knowing you need to get something done ... but nothing happens. You don't have any words. I've had a few of these nights recently as I've tried to get back into the swing of things. Six weeks away from writing ended up being far too long. As I previously blogged, for me routine and momentum are absolutely vital in staying productive. Short breaks are fine, but those extended breaks can put…