Inside the Brain of E.C. Henry

E.C. Henry's Public, Christian Testimony

A couple weeks ago a commenter on this blog asked me to shed some details on my attempted suicide.  Maybe that commenter thought that was something recent, but alas it wasn't.  I has now become part of my "testimony".

When I hear the word, "testimony", I think of telling the truth about you know about a specific occurrence.   In Christian circles this word is usually meant for what personal experience you've had with God and how He impacted your life.  Usually someone in Christian circles will ask you for your testimony if you're new to the group and they're checking you out.  When you give your testimony in this way that your time to glorify God, because you're doing what we were intended to do since the days Adam and Eve were in the garden of Eden, which is to recount how our time with the Lord went.  

Here are some of the meanings of that word "testimony" from Merriam-Webster:

1. a solemn declaration usually made orally by a witness under oath in response to interrogation by a lawyer or authorized public official
2. firsthand authentication of a fact: evidence
3. an outward sign
4. an open acknowledgment
5. a public profession of religious experience
6. the tablets inscribed with the Mosaic law
7. the ark containing the tablets
8. a divine decree attested in the Scriptures

For purpose of clarity let me specify that here I'm talking about usage #5: a public profession of religious experience.

So what is E.C. Henry's testimony?  Before I give that let me clarify one other thing: E.C. Henry is Eric Christopher Henrikson's pseudonym.  So when you can use the name's interchangeably, they are synonymous names for the same person, me!  Now that that's clarified here we go...

 

E.C. Henry's testimony:

E.C. Henry grew up "Christian".  I grew up with lots of exposure to the faith through the Catholic church, as that was the domination of choice through my mother, as my father wasn't an active church goer.   I was involved in some Catholic oriented activities outside of mass, but not much.  I stopped going to the Catholic church when my mom got "born again" in 1982, and suddenly it was so important that went to the Catholic church exclusively, but now went to more Christian and ALIVE churches. 

Why would I differentiate that?  Because not all churches are alike.  Catholic services are more regimented and stiff.  Later in life I grew to appreciate the Holy Spirit and His role in church especially in worship. 

As for me, though I was exposed to the Christianity for years I didn't make a profession of personal trust in Jesus until I was 21 after I nearly committed suicide in the fall of 1990 when I thought my life was falling apart.   I was several months off my time on a fisher processor boat in Alaska and hated the jobs I was doing back in Washington and thought I was going to run out of money, plus I was drinking a lot.  So one night I woke up and decided it was time to end my life.  I was going to take my 30-30 hunting rifle out and kill myself.  I remember driving to a place to do "it" which would have been about 20 miles south of my parents house.  But one night I woke up and decided to just go out in the woods.  I nearly did it too.  I was a very close decision.  But in the end, I woke my aunt: Denny; up in the middle of the night and told her I was in trouble.  She drove me to the hospital for an evaluation.

For the next couple of months I went to Christian rehab, and started attending church.  It was a charismatic and free church ran by Al Sholin and Bob Kaminsky: two of the finest Christians I've ever met.  Bob was especially instrumental in my development at a Christian, as he was also a project lead at the aerospace manufacturer, Boeing.  Bob also helped run an outreach to the street people in Tacoma where my mother frequented. I really respected Bob Kaminsky.  He had a joy about him.  Al Sholin was more of a loving people person.  He had outreaches to Mexicans, and traveled to Africa on the "Spirit Ship" where he delivered humanitarian aid and Lord's love to people. 

As for my life, I settled on a plan to go to college and get a degree in electronics.  So I attended Renton Technical College from 1991-1993 until I got a tech. certificate.  During this time I also continue to go to church, going to BSF at one point.  BSF stands for bible study fellowship, which met once a week to discuss and go through books in the bible.  Early on people used to marvel how well I understood the scriptures.  I remember early on I drew the correlation between Abraham willingness to sacrifice Isaac, his only son to the point to the Lord; and the Holy Father sacrificing His own son Jesus later in history.  I was baptized and born again in the Stuck River in a park in South Auburn, Washington.  To date I not spoken in tongues--though my mom does.  And have only received one God-inspired dream, and that was about Hollywood going in parade like procession down the street and sinking into the asphalt until at last all I could see was minor bumps in the asphalt from where they had been.  I stood aloof with an angelic being and witnessed that.  The only person I could make out in the procession was actor Jim Carrey, who looked to be in agony as he marched on with the procession making grotesque faces as he went. 

 

What E.C. Henry believes as a Christian believer:

1. That we are all called to have a relationship with the Lord, and to walk with Him in our lives like Adam and Eve did in the garden of Eden.  God's original plan was to have communion and relationship with mankind on a one-on-one basis.
2. Jesus is the Son of God and the doorway to having a restored relationship to God.  I believe Jesus really did exist and that He is who He said He was, which is the Son of Man and salvation for all who believe.  If you want to get to Heaven Jesus is the way.  He is the exact representation of the Holy Father, and the example that all mankind is called to look to.  To reject or accept Jesus Christ of Nazareth is the most important decision of your life.  For He is the fulfillment of the Holy Father's plan to redeem mankind. 
3. That the bible is there so we can learn about God, and should be used as a shaping force for how we see the world, for it God's testimony about Himself in the way He chose to say it. 
4. God is Spirit and not seen but He exists and His kingdom is greater than the devil's influence.
5. Romans 8:28 "All things work together for the good, for those who love God and are called according to his purposes."  There's a key for life right there: Love God and He'll work things out for you. 
6.  I've always seen Christianity as a simple religion.  Love God, love others.  Do your best in his service.  Get baptized into the faith publically, then profess what you know and believe to others with a desire to honor the Lord as you do so. 
7. Yes, the devil does have a kingdom; but even the Lord dictates to the creature what's his.  When Jesus was being tempted in the desert, he didn't rebuke Satan and tell him, he was wrong to say a kingdom wasn't the devil's to give if Jesus would worship Satan.  Satan had control of a whole city and the Lord didn't refute that. 
8. Look to Jesus and His example to help form your character and the man or woman you are. 
9. Look to glorify the Lord in whatever you do.  Commit your works to Him and honor Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 
10. God gifts us all differently.  We should always be humble because we don't know the gifting and callings the Lord has bestowed on other people.  Case and point: Aarron Caulderon.  Aarron Caulderon was a Mexican migrant worker who used to come to the state of Washington to work the fields.  Aarron spoke very little English, YET the Lord used him to give me a series of scriptures.  He is someone I came into contact with from Al Sholin and his ministry outreach to the Mexican community.  I laminated those scriptures from the early 1990s and still carry them in my bible today.  You never know God's intention towards your fellow man so treat him/her with respect.  So of the least likely people have been touched and gifted by the Lord in some truly amazing ways if you just stop and look.

I'll conclude this post with telling you what I think the secret to my storytelling and creativity is.  Back in 1977 or 1978 I watched the mini-series, Jesus of Nazareth on TV, while doing so I took clay and modeled things I saw.  I think the Lord saw that and blessed me because I took my gifts and acted out as my mind was engaged by the gospel being shown before me.  I don't know if my mom kept those clay renderings or not, but that's where I attribute my gift of creativity: from the Lord, from modeling clay figures while watching Jesus of Nazareth on TV as an 8 or 9 year old boy.  The Lord is good to Him be the glory for creative stories I've made to this point.  Amen. 

Music: I see, you see

Okay, it's been nearly a MONTH since I last posted.  But a month ago I was just wrapping up work on my spec. script entitled The Beautiful Kingdom.  Then Carson Reeves over at Scriptshadow made a post to write fast on a new script and I bit on it!  The problem was I wasn't really ready to start a new script yet.  

Why? 

Because when I write I put all I have into it, and when I'm done with that I need time (2 weeks to a month) to decompress, re-center myself, and gear up to climb the mountain again.  I didn't do that this time.  Instead I plowed ahead and actually TRIED to write a script in record time.  Why not?  The flow was THE BEST it's ever been for me when I wrote So Go Back & Get Her under Carson Reeves prompts, what's not to believe that lightening can't strike twice when writing its sequel which would make the 2nd FRANCHISE I've penned: The Commune being the first.  Give It Up For Chimpy COULD end up being my third, as I've always wanted to pen a third one in that series, I just never thought up a good enough plot.   

I'm FINALLY working again.  YAY!  Was looking for work basically from the beginning of October through the beginning of February after my mom recovered from Covid-19, and it was agreed by all of us in Tennessee that it was time to get on with our lives.  After the new year I thought more jobs would open up, they didn't.  So finally I caved and took a job.  It's from a company, just not a very good one.  I knew that going in.  Eventually I'm going to have to get a better job than what I have now, but for now at least I'm working and can contribute so my mom isn't bearing our financial burdens alone.  I actually can't wait for this Friday/Saturday when I show her my check and we divide up how much I can give her.  I love my mom.  I wish I could do more for her.  There is no one I love on this planet more than her.  Yeah, my brother is working too, but he's got two kids and wife to provide for.  I just learned today that his wife got an "on-line" job and is poised to contribute in the near future as well.  

For today's post I was thinking about getting into MUSIC some more, because as a spec. script writer I have a totally different opinion on music than most everybody else.  I look at music with the eyes of how they COULD fit into whatever spec. script I'm writing now.  Right now I have 35 songs on the spec. script soundtrack for the romantic comedy I'm working on right now entitled So Go Back & Get Him.  This --

is the song I'm auditioning to see if it fits.  I've LOVED this song for about 5 years now.  And think I've FINALLY found a place where it fits in the mix of what I've already got.  Going in with the angle that this is the stress that my female main protagonist feels at time: she feels the world moves to fast and feels the need to keep up with it, yet is in desperate need of her own sanctuary. 

Music is a wonderful thing!  If done right it captures feelings. 

One song was the genesis for a complete script I wrote.  This --

was the genesis for a script I wrote entitled, A Heart Built on the Sand.  Now I grew up in the 80s, but this song never registered with me, until my cousin Jeff mentioned something I believe.  Then YEARS later I fused that with thoughts that grew within me about a female manager who was playing the corporate game at a warehouse I was working, but I saw her DOOMED in that pursuit. 

You see: a dedicated, loyal woman.  I see: someone who's prone to snap when she finds out the corporate world doesn't value her the way she thinks.  E.C. Henry works...   E.C. Henry works...  Then a half year later I make sense of the world through through my dark urban drama spec. script entitled A Heart Built on the Sand.   Now that spec script has 18 songs on its soundtrack, and contrary to what you would think since this story is essentially a woman's decent into being a serial killer it actually does have a couple "happy songs" in its soundtrack such as ABBA's "Take a Chance on me", "Keywest Intermesso (I Say You First)" by John Cougar Mellancamp, and "If I Could Turn Back Time" by Cher.  Why is that?  Because there are ebbs and flows in the story.  Times it appears things are going to get better for Laura Dennison... until they don't!

I roll differently than anyone else you're ever going to met.  I've heard that Quentin Tarantino is a MASTER with fusing music to the movies.  I'm like that--only in an 80s kid product kind of way. 

I'll pick music from ANYWHERE if I think it's any good.  When I think of Give It Up for Chimpy.  THIS --

is where my mind goes: Brandon Little's unspoken desire for Stacy Dutchmen.  

Now to most people the song Brass in Pocket by the Pretenders is forgettable; it has no real meaning.  But not for me.  

You see, I see

I have an abstract way of thinking.  Give It Up for Chimpy is a screwball comedy, YET at points I hope the audience sees an outsider who wants a shot with a hottie.  That's NOT portrayed in this video, but it's how I interpret this song for use in my spec. script.

You see, I see.

I could go on and an on, I've used music in horror --

Which IS the song that plays as two drunk teens race through the woods before hitting and fatally killing a special case bum who was living in the woods.  

But I don't see myself as "dark" man as the use of Dragula by Rob Zombie insinuates.  I'm more more of a Taylor Swift guy.  In fact I'm probably going to use --

Why use that song?  A) Because it's one of my favorite songs of all-time.  B) Because it mirrors the main character's feelings when she sees a guy she's instantly smitten with in So Go Back & Get Him.  Of course for the past 7 months now I've been distancing myself from Taylor Swift, but that doesn't mean I can't use her exceptional art to highlight my own artistic works.   (Now if T.S. ever came down on me, I would relent to her and let her have her way, as her songs are her songs)  She's a proven pro, I'm an unknown.  BUT even if I were a known you still hafta secure permissions IF you profit off her copyrighted material, which is what would happen should one of my scripts go into production.

 

So why even bother using other people's music in my spec. scripts?  Because music captures moments.  I just think differently on the subject than most folks.

You see, I see 

Skipping Ahead to Spec. Script #28

Blame it on Carson Reeves over at Scriptshadow, as I'm currently writing the 1st draft of So Go Back & Get Him.  Took him up on a challenge to TRY to write a script in 3 days.  Having just started this morning as of 8 a.m. EST, after an initial blast I'm only on page 3 of the 1st draft, working off an outline that is more buoy markers than in-depth pre-writes like I prefer.  But it's all in the spirit of fun.

So Go Back & Get Him

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Logline: A morning show host struggles in handling the changing scope of her morning show amidst her raging sexuality in an ever changing love/hate relationship to the men in her life.  

The stated goal of the challenge is to try to pound a script in three days.  Unfortunately on Sunday I have to start moving stuff from storage to our new garage.  Right now those storage costs are $300+ a month.  I also just accepted a job.  Could have started that today if I insisted, but because of the storage move I pushed that out until Wednesday.  Been out of work for a long, long time since Covid hit our family at the end of August so it'll be nice to do something again.  Had several jobs I thought I'd get, but they fell through.  Been living off savings since then.  

Well-p gotta get back to it.  Only on page 3 of the 1st draft.  Goal will be to do 40+ pages.  Don't think I'll get there, but I'm an daring kind of guy, and I'm going to try...  Talk to you again soon!

P.S. Just received my first critique back from The Beautiful Kingdom -- from a guy in Ireland, no less!

Redeeming Love (2022); Movies that Move Me: Volume X

This was a movie that I had NO INTENTION of watching, but at the insisting of my mom I went and saw --

Which turned out to be one of MOST MOVING movies I've ever seen!  Definitely the best movie I've seen since Once Upon a Time in Hollywood... maybe even a better movie than that!  

So what is this marvel about?  Redeeming Love is a movie about a girl sold into prostitution, whose life is given a chance at improvement when a single farmer of comparable age sets his mind on making her his wife.  

Love is hard to find in 2022, wasn't much easier back in the the 1850s either

There are a couple name actors in this movie, but most it is Abagail Cowen's Angel/Sarah character arc that is the heart of this movie.  My mom kept saying this movie was about the biblical book of Hosea, which does start with a prophet being told by the Lord to take a wife whose unfaithful.  That's a very brief accent in the biblical book of Hosea, which is more about God's dissatisfaction with Israel playing the harlot and serving other God, despite the Lord's great love for His people.  I really wan't pulled in or swayed by the use of the bible.  I can't believe my mom's bible study group went to see this movie.

What makes this movie so good is that it really brings out how hard is for some people to love and trust others because of past pains.  You can't help but pull for Angel and want her life to improve.  The movie really isn't about Michael Hosea, the farmer who sets his sights on making her his wife, then sticking with her when she falls back into the world of prostitution a couple times.  Redeeming Love is about how hard to overcome past pains.  It's a great movie that I highly recommend unless you can't stomach violence done to women.     

You can be the apple of the town's eye, and yet still be miserable and unfulfilled inside  

This story was based on a novel by Francine River.  The script was written by Francine Rivers and D.J. Caruso, and D.J. Caruso directed it.  From my way of thinking the real magic of Redeeming Love is at the script level.  Their choice to set-up the gold rush, beginning with --

All that glitters is not gold

by Shakesphere.

was brilliant.  So was the setting the world by showing miners in a creek panning for gold.  Then you're in Angel's world and seeing how she's the apple of a small town's eye, it's most desired prostitute.   There are a lot of heartbreaking flashbacks with show how Angel got where she got.  A life she was thrust into as a child, through a series of tragedies.  I loved a lot of the choices D.J. Caruso made in this movie.  Michael showing Angel the sunrise and slowly making inroads so she can get a better life.  

This movie has the best ending I've ever seen.  I cried at the end of it.  GREAT job of building to that moment by D.J. Caruso and Francine River.  And it's not because I was moved by great performances.  Yeah, Abagail Cowen and Michael Lewis did a solid job in playing their roles; but I didn't think either role was exceptionally done.  Rather it was the story and scene construction that sings in this great movie.  

Redeeming Love is one of my favorite movies of all-time.   I loved it.  Thought it was way better than The Notebook (2004: staring Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling).

Go see it!

P.S. I did finish my 2nd draft of The Beautiful Kingdom.  I sent to Carson Reaves over a Scriptshadow for a paid critique.  Will do a post on that script after I get a review from him.  Not sure if I'll do another draft of the script or not, I'm pretty happy with the story.   In a future post I'll get into "plans" to get discovered.  I've written 27 scripts now.  It's time to get them made into movies, unless the Rapture happens or the economy goes to pot, which could well happen.     

Page 1 of The Beautiful Kingdom

This is what I'm working on.  It's ONLY a 2nd draft of the 1st page.  I wanted to give y'all a taste of how The Beautiful Kingdom begins.  Probably two weeks away from having a complete draft ready to show.  The  lit expression  in this one turned out to be a much heavier accent than I thought I'd need.  This isn't even the cool stuff in the script just how the movie begins.  I look forward to posting more on this exciting story.  

- E.C. Henry from Kingsport, Tennessee

NFL Playoff Predictions for 2022

If we get THIS match-up in the 2022 NFL playoffs I'll be happy

With January being my least favorite month of the year, I'm glad we have the NFL playoffs to bring a little life to what typically is the coldest month of the year.  I know as I write this NE Tennessee is bracing for snow storms over the next couple of days.  True this corner of the state is more pro  Tennessee Volunteers  than Tennessee Titan's fans, as Knoxville, where the NCAA Volunteers are located is closer than Nashville, where the Titans are located; you still get the local broadcast of all Titan games.  My brother is a covert to the Titans, I probably never will be.  Spent too much time in the Seattle area rooting for the Seahawks.  But with them having  down year, 7-10 (extra game implemented this year) it's time to move past that team considering a rebuild and look at the teams still completing for Super Bowl.

Wildcard Weekend Picks:

Cincinnati Bengals over the Los Vegas Raiders: 45-20.  Buffalo Bills over the New England Patriots: 26-24.  Tampa Bay Buccaneers over the Philadelphia Eagles: 39-7.  San Fransisco 49ers over the Dallas Cowboys: 38-37.  Kansas City Chiefs over the Pittsburgh Steelers: 49-13.  Los Angeles Rams over the Arizona Cardinals: 28-16.  Update (1-22-2022): Cincinnati, Buffalo, Tampa Bay, San Fransisco, LA, and Kansas City ALL won.  E.C.'s predictions so far: 6 out of 6.

The WORLD has seen enough of this...  NEXT!

Divisional Playoffs Picks:

Kansas City Chiefs over the Cincinatti Bengals: 31-21.  Los Angeles Rams over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 20-16.  Tennessee Titans over the Buffalo Bills: 30-28.  Green Bay Packers over the San Fransisco 49ers: 35-9.  Update Monday morning, January 24, 2022; The 49ers beat the Packers, the Bengals beat Titans, the Rams beat the Buccaneers, Chiefs beat the Bills. E.C.'s predictions so far: 8 out of 10. 

Hard to bet against this cheese-head in the playoffs with home-field advantage

Championship Game Picks:

Green Bay Packers over the Los Angeles Rams: 23-18.  Kansas City Chiefs over the Tennessee Titans: 43-39.  

Superbowl Pick:

Kansas City Chiefs over the Green Bay Packers: 48-37  Update 2-14-2022: It was the Los Angeles Rams over the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 in the 2022 Superbowl.  So as for my picks I came it at 8 out of 13.  Oh, and it was Cooper Kupp, the wide receiver on the Rams who won the Superbowl MVP.  It tuned out to be a better game than I expected with the Rams scoring a late touchdown to win the game, then a 4th down stop of the Bengals at midfield to end the game.

Superbowl MVP:  Patrick Mahomes 

  Patrick Mahomes   is still one of the funnest players to watch in the NFL

Pretty "safe" picks all-in-all.  Even with my  Seahawks  out of it this year, I'm still looking forward to watching the games.  Of all the teams the Kansas City Chiefs remain the funnest to watch followed by Buffalo and Dallas.  Pittsburgh and Philadelphia are lucky to be there; those are two worst teams to make the playoffs, and I'd be surprised if either of them puts up much of a fight .  I'll be rooting like crazy for Buffalo, they're my "sleeper" team, but I just don't trust them in the playoffs and think of all the teams that made they are most ripe to go out there and lay an egg.  Though Cincinnati had a GREAT year, I see a real let down after the Raiders game.  They should beat them handily, but after that I would pick whatever team ends up playing them in the Divisional Round.  Is Father Time FINALLY catching up with Tom Brady?  Well, I don't wish people ill, but I don't think Tampa Bay will make it back to the Super Bowl this year.  Yeah, they have the talent, but something in me says something will come up that derails their plans.  As for the home team, the Tennessee Titans?  I think they're a very gritty team that plays well in close games, but I think they'll get nipped by whoever they play in the championship game.  Will be interesting to see how their stud running back Derek Henry plays after a long period recovering from an injury. 

Is THIS GUY the hope for the Seahawks prospects for the 2022/2023 season?

I have been reading some of the post-season scuttlebutt coming out of Seattle.  Sounds like ownership is going to stick with head coach, Pete Carroll and general manager, John Schnieder.  Sigh.  The Superbowl win to cap the  2013 season  was GREAT, but that was 9 years ago!  I'm really disappointed by the overall lack of talent on that team.  IMO they are really not built to compete for championships.  I think a retool is the wrong approach.  If I was the owner I would fire the coach, GM, trade  Russell Wilson  and  Bobby Wagner .  It's time for new era of  Seattle Seahawk  football, imo.  And I would start by rebuilding the offensive and defensive line.  The Seahawks started off with one of the worst defenses in the NFL.  Yeah, statistically they got better as the year went on; but if you knew their schedule, it got easier at the end of the year.  They lost all the games in the middle that really mattered.  On the offensive side of the ball the Seahawks are in trouble too.  Even with a great scrambling quarterback they give up way too many sacks.  Chris Carson was out with leg injury and though Rashaad Penny wracked up some big running games at the end of the season, all this really came after they were out of playoff contention and playing out the string.  The bottom line with the 2022/2023 Seattle Seahawks is low expectations.  I think they're a long way from being relevant again, so why not start over with fresh leadership and vision.  I hear they've got a lot of money under the salary cap to play with.  I just hope they listen to me and beef up their offensive and defensive line, because if you can't control the line of scrimage in the NFL, you are setting yourself up for failure.       

Think you've seen the last of  Bobby Wagner  making tackles like this in a  Seahawks  jersey

Spin the Wheel

Good morning!  Short post to inform any who visit my blog that I'm going to start reposting old posts.  I'm up to  482 posts  now since I started in Febuary of 2011.  That's over  11 years of posts !   

Don't worry I'm going to keep blogging and saying my peace.  Still working on The Beautiful Kingdom which will be my 27th spec. script when it's complete.  Grafting in some really cool  lit expression  stuff.

So why am I doing this?  Reposting old posts?  Well, for starters each post I made signifies a lot of time and work put in by me, E.C. Henry.  And over the years I've noticed the trajectory of who I am has changed.  For a long time I wrote posts on romantic comedies.  But you can only do that for so long, then you run out of things to say about that.  I've posted about my dreams, hopes, and ambitions over the years too.  

I think it'll be interesting to revisit some of those posts.  Like the T.S. favorite music post that I reposted yesterday.  

I'm not the same guy I was when I started this blog.  YES, I'm still undiscovered and largely unfulfilled, but there is no denying the passing of time.  And I think many of my posts are worth celebrating, even if the movie-making industry ignores and rejects me.  

There is more to life than scoreboard results.  I was reading the bible this morning and was encouraged by what Paul wrote about our mortal lives being like seeds that bare a later spiritual fruit when we pass on to the afterlife.  No matter what you face in life, a biblical context is key to keeping it all in perspective.  Beginning, middle, to end; Jesus is Lord!  So don't fret, I'm not going away.  But for the near, and foreseeable future I am going to be mixing it up and doing some reposting of past articles I made on this blogsite.  

One two, first check, 9-0 thirty twenty-seven, 92

Was that Aarron Rogers calling a play or E.C. Henry with that play?

Well actually the call, "One two, first check, 9-0 thirty, twenty-two, 92," is not an play called at the line of scrimmage, but rather is E.C. Henry at this blog letting the world know the he just completed the 1st draft of his 27th spec. script on January 2, 2022.  

The year's less than 2 days in, and I've already achieved a major milestone.  

Would rather see E.C. Henry convert on successful 1st draft attempt, than Aarron Rodgers.  First drafts are HUGE.  I always tell any writers out there that the hardest draft you will ever write for any given work of fiction is that pesky first draft.

Sure, lotta work left to do on the The Beautiful Kingdom, but before I went to church this morning I reached an important milestone: first draft complete as of 9:30 a.m.

Hoping to honor the Lord with this one too.  The Beautiful Kingdom is the closest thing I've written to Indians of the Ancient Plains since I wrapped up work on that in 2008.  To date Indians of the Ancient Plains is the screenplay I'm most proud of.

Anytime you can honor the Lord in the whatever art you treasure, that's something worth celebrate.  I can't wait to share this story with the world.  I know it's not all there yet.  Heck, the 1st draft weighed very light at only 92 pages.  So what comes next is that I take the 1st draft and go back in and see how it changed from the outline I prepped for it.  Begin to page budget, and shape character arcs.  Since The Beautiful Kingdom is a high concept, fantasy adventure story, character arcing isn't as critical as a smaller story like Black Swan, or Birdman (or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance).  

Right not the closest thing I can compare The Beautiful Kingdom to is--

I don't think my story will end up being as "epic" as that.  Right now I'd describe what I've got as:

The Beautiful Kingdom

Genre: Fantasy Adventure

1st draft logline: Two soldiers from the trenches of World War One who wonder whether life is better off with a God or gods find out for themselves when they go back to antediluvian times when the ancient Gods of Greece were at the apex of their power. 

Sound interesting?  Well, stay tuned for updates... 

 

 

E.C. Henry's Advice for American Election Reform

In my opinion the 2020 United States Election was a TOTAL TRAVESTY.   The very presidency itself was STOLEN from the rightful winner, Donald Trump.  This had me in a funk for a while at the beginning of the year.  Failure to investigate fraud caused a disconnect in me.  I basically gave up on any semblance of fairness in this country.  Even the Supreme Court failed the American people in their refusal to have this case taken up by them.  

Once you come to the realization that the system is corrupt and the voice of the people doesn't matter anymore, you realize this country has been taken over by those in the inside, and that the end of the United States is forthcoming.  Maybe you feel foul tide too.  Maybe you choose to the look the other way.  Me, I hope for a military takeover.  I think that's the ONLY hope for this country.  The whole Black Lives Matter fiasco exposed in spots the fact that there is evil money behind those who will either have their way or burn this country to the ground.  

In my year-end wrap up there was no I couldn't touch on my disappointment in the failure of the system in November 2020 - January 20 , 2021.  Joe Biden is serving as the U.S. president, but I will always regard him as illegitimate.   

Let me start out by saying FAIR elections matter.  And it really shouldn't be that hard to have a fair election.  So don't listen to Democrat rhetoric about "voters suppression" because that is a smokescreen/bullsh*t argument.  If you are a legal American citizen of legal to vote age and have registered to vote, irregardless of your ethnic background you are eligible to vote.  Period! 

Okay, so getting into the thick of it.  Having thought about it extensively let me get into E.C. Henry's solution for a fair, national election in the United States of America.  

E.C. Henry's advice for a FAIR election in the U.S.:

1. Eliminate all mail in ballots, and require all but those serving in the U.S. to vote at balloting centers.
2. Require voter ID at balloting centers and take a picture of voter who gets ballot for facial recognition verification processes.
3. Video record balloting centers and allow monitoring.
4. Expand the election date to two days.
5. Implore a media blackout until all 50 states have reported final result.  Set up fines for TV outlets that broadcast election results before the election is certified complete.
6. Have voters receive their ballot selections on two sheets of paper after they have finished voting.  That include totals from the balloting center in process.  The voter then signs both ballots, and an election official stamps both copies after checking the ballot is complete or as complete as the voter chooses to make it.  The voter keeps one stamped and signed ballot, the election official makes sure the ballot makes is put in the ballot bin for audit control.
7. At the end of each day, every balloting center submits their totals to the election tabulating center.  This master results is stamped off by all election officials before it is scanned and sent in.  
8. Lock all voter rolls 30 days before the election, and send out notices via e-mail, phone call, and mailing to each and every voter who is eligible to vote.  
9. The master ballot collection center should be videotaped and monitored for two days it is in operation, then at closing time after all the ballot centers have sent in their results, they tabulate the results, certify their results with a stamp, then declare the winners. 

Voting should be a simple and straightforward process.  Much of what I advocate is common sense to insure their is no fraud by the counters of the vote.  If you are a U.S. citizen, of legal age to vote, and sign up 31 days before the election your are an eligible U.S. voter.  Same day reporting with election officials taking responsibility for what's going on at the ballot centers.  

Why can't we have a lock-solid system like this?  Because the Democrats and the powers behind them don't want fairness is my reply.  Still, a fair election that you can trust is achievable.  E.C. Henry just laid out a case for it.

 

 

Relentless Pursuit of the "Perfect" Script

What is your definition of "perfection"? 

If you're anything like me -- it's a   girl  !

Okay, so this girl isn't "perfect" -- but with this nice picture we're definitely trending in the right direction!

I love women with an unholy admiration.  BUT when it comes to writing, I am am also quite the pursuer of "perfection".  

So what does the pursuit of "perfection" in screenwriting entail?  Well, for me it involves listening over, and over, and over again to the same material that at one point you determined was complete.  I essentially STOPPED work on Gravesite Crows on the 2nd to last week of October, yet I still continue to open that document and re-listen to it.  20+ times since my official completions date.  Makes no sense to the casual observer who probably advocates writing new material, which improves your chances of something, somewhere down the line connecting with the right person.  But I'm committed to writing perfect.  Mr. Committed -- at least creatively. 

I've read in other places that some writers NEVER consider their works finished.  Though I sometimes rebuff that attitude, maybe I suffer that to a degree as well if I'm being honest with myself.  From my way of thinking WORK on Gravesite Crows ended on October 24th when I filed for U.S. Copyright protection.  Why then do I continue to rehash the same material over and over and over again?  There are several reasons why:

1. I enjoy the story.  Yeah, that's right E.C. Henry LIKES a slasher story he wrote.   There's a sense of satisfaction that comes from a spec. script written right that entertains the author.
2. Gravesite Crows makes me laugh.  I have a bunch of funny lines in this story.  Stuff that as the author of, I know is coming--still makes me laugh.
3. A commitment to excellence.  I don't know what it is, but I don't always correct the nicks I hear in my work.  Sometimes I'll listen to the same error twenty times before I correct it.  I weigh stopping the script... decide I'll do it later, and it remains.   

Writers are fickle beasts.  We are wired DIFFERENTLY than you average, everyday Joe.  I know I can't accurately judge my own work.  I'm too close to it.  Some of what I write is personal to me on some level.  But much of what I write is just what I think is needed in a story and is NOT an accurate reflection of what I'm about.   

It's nice when working on new story to take a break and see what you've already done too.  Right now I'm working on a fantasy adventure story: The Beautiful Kingdom.  Will this story end up being as good as past stories of mine?  Right now, I don't know.  Right now I do know that it feels vastly different than Gravesite Crows.  This story I'm working on now feels more impersonal.  With Gravesite Crows I always felt like I knew the slasher/main antagonist, Roarke: Ronald Orkin Keyfeather.  Roarke was a combo of a minor character from The Commune: Ronald McKintah; and I guy who literally lived in bushes of where I was living in rural, Bonney Lake, WA.  That fellows name was "Warren" (sorry never got his first name) and he was a bum who lived out in the woods.  Whereas in The Beautiful Kingdom all the characters feel distant to me on a personal basis.   Maybe that will change in the editing process.  As type this in I'm on page 79 of the first draft.  Hoping to have the 1st draft completed before I go out with my family to bowl in the New Year.

So is not having a personal attachment to your characters a problem?  Probably not!  As in retrospect many of my past scripts were very independent of who I am as person and people I've met in my life: Indians of the Ancient Plains (my best script, imo) is nothing like me, nor is Cowboy Alien Diaries, nor is The Commune.   Heck, while writing The Commune I just pretended Mark Wahlberg was the lead character and ran with that!  ;)  Just having some fun there.   Though Mark Wahlberg IS a good fit for Logan Bennett: the central throughput character of The Commune series,  Mark would also make a fine Benjamin Haggerson: the McReady from John Carpenter's The Thing character that I wrote for Preytorium.  Always fun to play casting director on your stories even if you get nowhere with that.

But back to script perfection.   I think most writers are like this.  Very hard on their own material.  Maybe even too hard.  I've learned to become a carney/pitchman for my work; but I'm also very hard on it.  I push my material to be its best long after I say, "I'm done"; which is almost never the case.

So thanks for bearing with me on this post.  Later tonight or tomorrow I'm going to do a post on my big idea for American election reform.  This came as a result of a user who took the time to leave me a response on this site.  So never think your voice doesn't matter.  It does.  We may live in corruptly governed country, but there are some of left who still listen to opposing view and use them to shape our own. 

Talk to you again soon,

E.C. Henry   

2021 to 2022: Out with the Old!

Hey, couldn't find a suitable picture capturing the passage of time from 2021 to 2022.  So as a lark I did an image search of the hottest girls of 2021 and THIS is the girl who came up: Charlotte McKinney.  Never heard of her before until now.  So before we get all hot and blothered with E.C. Henry's 2021.  Let's take a second look at this wonderful beast:

Oh, snap!  Need to find one of those the next time I'm at the beach.

Not sure if I'm ready to say in with the new as 2022 rolls around.  Not looking forward to another year of rule under the Democrat Socialists.  Disappointed as I am with the Republicans, that pales in comparison to how bad the Democrat loony birds are.  They are unfit to lead.  Every Democrat should be put back into the public sector and force to work manual labor jobs.  They need to learn the value of an honest day's work.  Whenever they speak about American values my eyes gloss over.  They give America a bad name as the re-invent a poorer America.  A weaker America.  An America that will be taken over by another country.  Yeah, they're THAT bad; unworthy of following in any capacity.   

But early in 2021 I learned NOT to be so political and keep my opinions to myself.  For starters the problems in the U.S. are massive and beyond what I can remedy on my own.  So I don't dwell on it anymore.  Just acknowledge that things aren't right, and aren't heading in the right direction either.  

It's the end of 2021, and I'm definitely ready to turn the page.  The most notable aspect of change for me in 2021 was the movie to Tennessee, then the death of my dad a little over a month later.  Since this is a time of reflection let's reflect, E.C. Henry style on the year with primary focus on what happened during my life during that time in a best of/worst of combo package.

E.C. Henry's 2021 Year In Review:

• BEST THING IN 2021: Finished two, new spec. scripts that I'm very proud of: Kathy Smith Conquers Duboose High School (April 2021), Gravesite Crows (Halloween 2021).  Very proud of both scripts.  Almost scrapped Gravesite Crows when Covid-19 ravished my family end of August through mid September.  
• WORST THING IN 2021: Losing my dad to Covid-19.  I know he had Alzhiemers, but I loved my father.  Still, he could have died in 2004 right after her retired from Boeing and was diagnosed with prostate cancer.  So the Lord did give him 17 years worth of retirement.
• 2nd best thing in 2021:  LIT Expression !  Yeah, ol' E.C. has been at it.  Actually pioneering an evocative new way to format screenplays. Wrote two scripts this way in 2021, bringing my cumulative total to 6.  (When the Motorcycle Calls was the first script I formatted in lit expression, and I've been formatting my scripts that way ever since)
• 2nd worst thing in 2021: America's FAILED elections.  Failure to investigate FRAUD in Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and probably in most every state...  Failure by the Supreme Court to have evidence shown and weighed to the American public.  I hear that John Roberts is to blame for that.  What a dereliction of duty.  My former home state of Washington definitely has a problem.  I say this because Jay Inslee didn't even try at his debate with Loren Culp in the Fall of 2020.  If you think our elections are legit, you are NAIVE.  The sad fact of the matter is elections should be very easy, and clear.  You go to a polling place, be verified off a roster, then cast your ballet, video every election hall, have watchers making sure there's no hanky-panky, 24 hour new blackout with same day reporting, boom dune.  Maybe a few exceptions for service members overseas, but no mass, mail-in ballots.  The CORRUPT Democrats don't want fair elections.  Sigh...  The people in this country have had their voices stolen from them.  Why do you think Democrats want open borders?  It's because the Democrats KNOW the vast portion of the American population will not vote for them. 
• Good thing #1 2021: Surviving extended periods of unemployment.  Lost a job at Mastec in January, took me till April to get working again.  Had a month off work during the move: July - early August.  September through now I'm unemployed. 
• Bad thing #1 2021: The food in NE Tennessee sucks for the most part.  Lots of really bad restaurants out here.  Lots of closed businesses too.
• Biggest Pleasant Surprise in 2021: Surviving the move from Western Washington.  It took us 10 days to travel the nearly 3,000 miles but we did it, and we did it without loosing either of my brother's cats!
• Biggest Disappointment of 2021: The Seattle Seahwawks.  5-10 with two games to go.  This weekend they had ex-Seahawk Jimmy Graham beat them on a 4th quarter TD reception at Lumen Field in Seattle.  Russell Wilson, and Pete Carroll could both be out the door in the off-season; but in all actuality it is the lack of talent acquisition that doomed them.  They knew that had bad offensive line and didn't address that.  Over-paid for under-performing Jamal Wilson.  DK Metcalf isn't a constant contributor.  Chis Carson has a bad neck and they didn't get Richard Penny going until the last couple games.  

• Best movie development of 2021: the success of Spider-man: No Way Home.  Sure, Matrix: Ressurections was my favorite movie, but seeing the people show up for latest Spider-man movie was a most-needed surprise. 
• Best song 2021: Taylor Swift's State of Grace off her Red (Taylor's Version) album.

• Worst song: Everything else released in 2021.  I can't say enough bad things about today's music.  So uninspired.  So PITIFUL and it shows no signs of ever getting any better.  
• Favorite person 2021: Patrick Mahomes: starting quarterback for the Kansas City Chief of the National Football league.  La-ove watching that guy pay, his demeanor, and the positive persona he is fostering on the commercials he's on.  The guy always make me smile, and that a rare commodity to find anywhere on planet Earth these days.
• 2nd favorite person 2021: Mark Levin.  Sometimes that guy raves too much.  But really think he loves this country, and his show "Life, Liberty, and Levin" is a GREAT 1-hour talk show.
• Least favorite person, 2021: Jay Inslee governor of the state of Washington.  All the Covid restrictions he made were overbearing.  The guy surrender a city to terrorists, and came across as aloof and not caring about the state he was running.  So glad I'm not living under that callous dictator.  Worst thing I saw on TV in 2021: The guy dressed as a woman pretending to be contributing woman on the Wendy Williams show on Christmas Eve.  I saw this at Super Jump in Bristol, Tennesee while letting Riley run around and play.  In this episode a man dressed as woman was hounding and harassing Leah Remi who was subbing for Wendy.  I'm not sure what the proper classification for this man-dressed-as-a-woman was but this person was not contributing to the show and was making everyone feel uncomfortable.  Got me thinking that those people should have their own programming.  Feel the same about transgender athletes.  Put them in their own league competing against their own kind.  Boys leagues, girls leagues, and transgender leagues.   Doesn't solve the bathroom issue, but it does solve their fairness issue.  [Note: There was no "best thing" I saw on TV in 2021.  The only thing I watch on TV these days is sports and occasionally the news] 
• Favorite thing to do in 2021: Write movie scripts!  Not always "in the flow", but there is nothing like playing back your script in Final Draft and not finding anything to correct and marveling that you wrote something that good.
• Least favorite development in 2021: Eugenny from the Ukraine cheapening the bid on my parents house AFTER his bid had been excepted.  Happened at the end of June.  Slimeball move.  Met the guy once, just before we moved and he didn't leave a favorable impression with me.  The guy didn't even know how to operate a rake!!
• Best restaurant 2021: Texas Roadhouse.  We actually discovered this in Evansville, Indiana during the move.  My brother absolutely loves picking out his own steak from a display case.  Spent a lot of time at "The Shack" in Colonial Heights, and recently at Buffalo Wild Wings in downtown Kingsport.
• Food I miss the most from 2021: Clams in olive oil sauce dipped in baggettes.  Really got into this JUST before I loved from Western Washington.  I also miss good, Italian pizza.  Found a place close to us that sorta good, but nothing like pizzas I've had of old. Best sight of 2021: The sunset on Sunday, December 25th coming back from Bristol, Tennesse on interstate 81.  The Lord really outdid himself.  Reds, oranges, purples, grays, wispy clouds.  My mom said the same thing, and we've both seen our share of spectacular sunsets.  Just goes to show you, you never know when the Lord will surprise you.
• Worst sight of 2021: ALL roads in Missouri!  I couldn't believe how many potholes were on the roads in that state.  Kansas City didn't impress me at.  Nor did St. Louis.  #gladIdon'tliveinMissouri
• Fastest development 2021: My parents decision to move to Tennessee.  In April the took a trip to "check the state out".  That trip went bad with my mom calling me in tears, and I though that was that.  Then in May came THEIR decision to move.  By June they had sold the house!
• Longest development in 2021: The building of a storage shed in our place in Tennessee.   My mom made an "executive decision" to build a shed instead of buy one from Home Depot like I advocated.  She trusted a contractor who was very green doing his very first job on his own.  He gave her the biggest small house that was possible off a pre-existing slab of concrete.  I looked up some contractors, but we had problems with the city, then most recently the contractor my mom hired to do the sheet rock got Covid.  October - January...   
• 2nd longest development of 2021: getting a pay-off of my dad's $5,000 life insurance policy, getting my mom's $100,000 + out Boeing retirement, and getting BECU to close my mom's accounts in Washington.  NOT a good time to be looking to more large sums of money.  Financial institutions are really dragging their feet.
• Favorite person on-line: Mr. Blonde (Sean Shipman) at ScriptshadowScriptshadow.  He and I usually get along very well.
• Least favorite person on-line in 2021: Denise Senegal over at Scribophile.  She was leading a novel exchange group I was part off, and ALL of her stories bored the shit out of me.  Yet, since she was our leader I read them.  Once the session was complete and didn't reknew.  The lady wasn't a mean person or anything like that, I just didn't like being around her or reading her stuff.  
• Favorite person I worked with in 2021... the guy who fired me at Mastec.  Can't remember his name, but he was a really nice guy.  He offered to let me keep working IF I would become a full-time construction worker, but I declined.  When I got fired there.  I smashed my construction hat repeatedly on the asphalt off a moving car, before finally tossing it over the Carbonado bridge.  #goodriddance !!
• Worst person I worked with in 2021: Dave Huston at Richard's Packaging in Tacoma, Washington.  This jackass had the gall to ask me what I was doing all day when I was putting in 13 hours days, not taking any lunch, not taking any breaks to meet their shipping and receiving needs.  I almost went at the guy's throat when he said that to me.  After that I never viewed the guy the same.  AND he would come around and spy on me.  So glad I didn't stay in Washington for that job.  What a dick that guy was.

So there you have it, E.C. Henry's recap of 2021.  Overall a more down year than up.  Can't candycoat that.  Will finish out the year in  a bowling alley!  Hitting pins over to ring in the new year.  

What's next for me in 2022?  Well, I do need to find a job.  Hoping a second attempt at getting in with the post office pays off.  If not, I'll try the temp agencies.  Sigh, don't wanna have to do that.  Currently drafting up my 27th spec. script and having fun with that.  Hoping to write the sequel to So Go Back & Get Her.  Also would like to bring books 4 and 5 of the Legend of Thars series up to snuff and (sigh) self-publish the entire series.  With my last haircut I was finding a lot more grey and white hair.  Can't stave of the aging process forever.  Hoping to get in better shape and run some more.  We'll see.  Just found an abandoned school about 1/4 mile from our house.  So I have a running track.  Can't run too far in the sub-division I'm in, just not enough distance before you hit a main road.  May look to move out of NE Tennessee in 2021.  I'm not sold on this place at all, but there is my mom and brother's family's welfare to consider and weigh.  

Still looking for Miss Right, or Miss Available.  Not sure if at my age I'll ever find anyone suitable, though I do have Sue Foster's word from the Lord that He would "complete me" in Tennessee.  Right now I don't feel complete at all, but hopefully that will change sooner rather than later.

So bye-bye and good riddance 2021.  Hello 2022, signing off now is yours truly,

E.C. Henry from Kingsport, Tennessee