Creativity | scribbled revisions

May 2, 2019

How a failed contest entry turned into my first screenplay

I saw a call for a contest for short horror stories, the only caveat being that it includes “Whatever you do, don’t turn around.” So, I wrote what I thought was a compelling story and entered the contest.

I didn’t win.

Not the end of the world. Yet as I thought back to the story, I thought, I’m proud of this. Why limit it to just a short story contest?

Could it be expanded to a novel?

Naw, that didn’t appeal to me.

But I wondered — how would it look on screen?

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September 26, 2016

In Praise of #ThreeFictionalCharacters

There are lots of Facebook trends. They’re all fun to watch and follow. For example:

Ice Bucket Challenge
Love Your Spouse Challenge
30-Day Thankfulness Challenge
“If you agree with this, share it. If you don’t, you’re not supportive of [insert cause]

These are all awesome and trendy, but I never really have been enticed to participate. However, there’s a recent one that I can’t help but love: #ThreeFictionalCharacters. Read the rest of this entry »

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July 20, 2016

Book Blog Tour for Charades

It has been a whirlwind since the release of Charades, and an awesome one at that! I think the most exciting part of this journey is to hear people’s responses to the story, so it has been fun to talk with my readers after they finish the book. Read the rest of this entry »

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June 20, 2016

Charades: Initial Reviews

It has been an exciting few weeks following the release of Charades. Combined with the joy/fear that comes with releasing one’s work to the world, there’s the anticipation of hearing how it has been received. Read the rest of this entry »

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May 29, 2016

Book Release!

After four long years, Charades is finally completed.

Let the storytelling begin!

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December 5, 2015

Lament for Sundays

Sunday was my favorite day.

We had the liberty of sleeping in. Taking turns, rather. One of us would get up with our (almost) two-year-old daughter while the other slept for an hour, and then we would trade. We then enjoyed breakfast together as a family, got dressed and headed to church.

Once there, we greeted the familiar faces and settled into our seats. We sang songs, listened to the sermon and were filled with hope. We would occasionally squeeze each other’s hand, make eye contact and smile. We smiled because we had a secret that few knew of. A beautiful secret that was growing inside my wife. Each Sunday, we marked one more week of development, and marked one less week until we met this little miracle.

Sunday was the best day. Read the rest of this entry »

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September 11, 2015

The sweetness of doing nothing

Confession 1: I love check lists.

I use them every day at work and constantly update them according to how the day has progressed. As the end of my shift approaches, I rewrite the list for the next day and arrange my priorities so as to accomplish the most important task first. When I get home (on days when my wife works an evening shift and I’m home alone with my toddler), I’ll create a detailed list of things to get done before my wife gets home. Then, when I’ve completed them all, I’ll retreat to the couch and fire up Netflix. Read the rest of this entry »

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December 31, 2014

On dreams, healing and anticipation of a perfectly ordinary 2015

I started this blog with big dreams and high hopes. My words would garner followers who would grow interested in what I had to say. My novel would then be received with eager anticipation. My dreams of entering the publishing world would be realized.

Want to know the crazy thing? It actually happened. Kind of. Read the rest of this entry »

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July 25, 2014

Why I stopped reading the news

Let’s get one thing clear: I am an information junkie.

I love social media and enjoy seeing what’s being posted and who is talking about what (sometimes chiming in to the conversation as well).
I focused my undergrad degree on journalism and political science, which required me to stay on top of current news and familiarize myself with past news.
I work in the field of corporate communications, which sees me listening in on what’s going on the company and how the public are talking about their needs, then creating an intersection between their needs and our products and services. To help accommodate these different areas, I would begin each day by going to a selection of nearly a dozen different news sites to see what was going on in the world at the moment, then monitoring developments throughout the day.

Then I started to get tired. Very, very tired. Read the rest of this entry »

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June 25, 2014

How yoga impacts storytelling.

I am a passionate advocate for yoga. Not just for the physical benefits, but also for how it promotes mental and emotional wellness. I practice it because I have a very busy mind that constantly looks back and looks forward; this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but when it gains too much momentum, it becomes exhausting.

Yoga helps calm my ever-busy mind, reels me back from dwelling on the past and makes future worries seem a just bit more off in the distance. I can take inventory of what’s around me, express gratitude and refocus my perspective. And when I’m there in that present moment, I can listen.

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Category: Creativity