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
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
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
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.
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...
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.:
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.
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:
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
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:
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
I just woke up from the strangest of dreams: me on my wedding day! Yeah, I was getting married, but I didn't know to who! The dream took place in a gathering room. This audience was seated in folding chairs. I was on the groom's side seated next to my mom and dad on the other side of the aisle was where the bride's family and friends were. My mind flashed to a girl I had a crush on in high school, and I thought, "Wow, somehow I did the impossible, and got her to agree to marry." But then the fact-based side of my brain took over, and I knew that couldn't be the case because several years ago I looked that girl up on social media, and found her to be married with children not to far from where I was living in Western Washington.
"The dream" I had didn't last long. It was kinda melancholy which is bad when you're dreaming of the day of your own wedding. I remember thinking, who would marry me? I was in a room about to say, "I do" to I-don't-know-who!
Kinda farcical, right? The day of my wedding and I was looking across the room searching for clues in the bride's section for who I would be marrying shortly. Hey, I was in a conundrum, I had to know the name of the girl so I could complete my vows before the priest!
How weird is that?! I didn't even know the name of the girl I was about to marry!
But at least I'm still dreaming and thinking about girls on some kind of subconscious level. AND there is Sue Foster, one of my mother's prayer partners from Bonney Lake, Washigton; who told my mom the Lord would "complete me" in Tennessee.
Faith and romance... Hmmm. Never been one to doubt the Lord --and I'm not going to start now! So, I'll take in on FAITH that the Lord will complete that which concerns me. It's been a long, hard, mostly lonely journey that's for sure. 52 and 1/2 with NO ROMANTIC prospects (can only go poop brown when confessing that) really sets the stage for the Lord to get all the glory when I do finally get "completed".
Yeah, I do look forward to being completed. I wasn't made to live life being alone all the time. Sure, as a writer, there are times you have to be alone to do your art; but God never intended that to be a 24/7 360 days a year prison sentence!
As you get older your views and context of things change. As I write this post I have the song and harmony for Taylor Swift's "State Of Grace" --
Going through my head. A couple nights ago I scrolled through T.S. most recent re-release: Red (Taylor's Version) on I-tunes and downloaded three new songs: Red, State of Grace, and --
The last of those songs, Message in a Bottle, has a lot of clips from Message in a Bottle (1999) which starred Robin Wright Penn and Kevin Costner. Off IMBD here's the logline for that Costner/Penn movie:
A woman discovers a tragic love letter in a bottle on a beach, and is determined to track down its author.
Well now that sounds like the making of a sappy, romantic drama to me. I've never seen this Nicolas Sparks inspired movie; but it made its way into a Taylor Swift music video 10/11 years after its initial release. Makes me think Taylor Swift watched it and it inspired her mind, which then got expressed in the art she does, which is singing and performing. I have yet to watch this movie, Message in Bottle. Yeah, I went through a phase where I watched at lot of ROMANTIC COMEDY movies, BUT I never really connected with ROMANTIC DRAMA style movies like say THE NOTEBOOK. I am a guy. And guys view romance differently than girls. Been a long time since The Notebook (2004) was talked about. This another ROMANTIC DRAMA adaptation from Nicholas Sparks. I think I've watched it 1 and 1/2 times. Since it's out of the public conscious here's the trailer for that one:
Celebrating women in games of courtship
One of the tenant truths of romantic comedies that I've expressed several times on this blogsite, which also a tenant of romantic dramas.
Don't worry, I'm not pursuing Taylor Swift anymore to read my scripts or interface with me anymore. When people bring that up at an online site I frequent, everything they say on that front is easy to dismiss, even though earlier in 2021 I did pursue her. So why go back and listen to her music again? Because SOME of it is romaticaly alive , and in some capacity I hope to fill that in my own life. Hopefully in the near future.
Romance is an inspiration of sorts. And some of Taylor Swift's music really captures the magic of being in love in a fun way. I'm pretty sure T.S. song State of Grace was based on when Calvin Harris came into her life and became her boyfriend. Of course now she's with someone else (a Brit named Joe Alwyn) so where does that leave that song I liked? I liked State of Grace because I think it captures a content girl at happy time in her life -- she's enjoying an unexpected romance. How fun is that?!
Funny how some people are so boat-loaded with romance that they are drunk off it, while others are ravaged souls coming in off the Sahara desert desperate for a drink of water.
Hey, is there an age limit for moments like this?
I'm not one to try to go back and map out T.S. love life when I listen to her music, because that's not how romantic music is supposed to work. When you release something as a professional artist it's supposed to resonate in the heart of whoever takes in it. They process it. And the song entertains them in some capacity.
In watching the teenage girls at a Taylor Swift concert and seeing their over-the-top fawning over her, I think that all ties back to those girls own desires to have romances of their own. And then seeing Taylor Swift is like a release for them where they live vicariously through their idol and get to experience the same highs and lows that the pop diva did.
Taylor Swift fans are very passionate people. And, sorry to say, they really don't have anyone else to look to. Pop music is really, really bad; from my point of view. Anyway, I've rambled on enough about that artist. It's just when you listen to her music, I've got to form a context of how to process it in light of my detractors who beset me occasionally.
The day of my wedding ...
... And I don't even know the girl's name, but am looking across the halls for clues who she might be. There's some message in a bottle rift there that's for sure.
With how Sahara desert my love life and social life in general has been, I'm glad I have writing as an outlet. The cool thing with what I'm writing now is it is subject matter that naturally engages the mind of my mom. My mom is my best friend, and a stand-up Christian. She is a lot more boisterous about her faith too. Wish I was more like her. Guess I need to be praying more and reading more of my bible. I haven't shared or read any of my movie scripts with her for a long-long time. Gravesite Crows is a slasher-horror movie. That's not really born-again Christian fare. Nor was Preyorium, The Commune, or the raunchy So Go Back & Get Her series. But The Beautiful Kingdom IS DIFFERENT! A good kind of different. It has elements of faith and godliness in it. Furthermore I am committed to honoring Jesus, the Holy Father, and the Holy Spirit in this one. I'm going to entertain you, and at the same time honor the Godhead. Yep, that's what I'm committed to.
So as I close, I don't have the answer why I was dreaming of my wedding day and trying to find out it was I was marrying. Yeah, it's kinda comical. Over time I've developed a good and healthy sense of humor about my life. It's pretty easy to deal with my distractors too. I have a good sense of what matters and what does not. Plus flippant people who hide behind false names are easy to dismiss.
Can't believe it's already Christmas Eve as I write this. Still, have the song State of Grace by Taylor Swift of her Red (Taylor's version) running through my mind as finish this post. 52 1/2, romantically alive and still engaged with it, ready for something good to finally come into my life. State of grace indeed!
Merry Christmas from,
E.C. Henry from Kingsport, Tennessee
Time to have a little fun as I write my 27 spec. script. Can't help but think I oscillate a lot between "big canvas" and "small canvas" writing.
Big canvas stories are ones with sweeping premises, and are often times referred to as "high concept" stories.
Some examples of big canvas movies:
One of the best big canvas movies you'll ever see
A guilty pleasure of mine as boy was watching the "monster fights" in monster movies
Common elements of big canvas stories is that the adventure takes center stage. It's more about characters interfacing with a greater problem, that a detailed focus on the characters themselves. The central attraction is a big event: a war, an exploration of the unknown, monster fights .
Conversely here's some examples of small canvas movies:
Character arc of Riggan Thompson was the focus of this movie
Common elements of small canvas stories : a focus on a single character and the flaw the story sets up that they must overcome, few locations, dialog heavy movies with lots of drama.
Some movies blur the lines of small canvas movies movies that really want to be big canvas movies:
Remember when Kate Winslet was like in a million of these "period piece" movies? I do. 1995-early 2000s
Common elements of small canvas movies trying to be big canvas movies are big name actors playing someone famous in biography style movie that jumps all over the place. Period piece movies. Romantic comedies that have lots of elaborate set pieces in multiple locations.
As a I writer I like wring stories on both canvasses. The spec. script I'm first drafting up deals with two infantrymen fresh from trench warfare in World War I going to antediluvian times to catch the Greed gods at the apex of their power.
To date I think I've written a pretty even slate of big canvass vs. small canvass scripts . Let's see...
E.C. Henry's big canvas scripts (10):
Yeah, you can expect something akin to this in The Beautiful Kingdom
E.C. Henry's small canvas scripts (9):
Cute, right? Who wouldn't want to see a script like that?!
E.C. Henry's small canvas scripts that really want to be big canvas movies (8):
Well, it looks like a fairly even 10-9-8 split: big-small-mixed canvas. Still, overall, I think writing big canvas stories more. They're definitely more challenging to write than a drama heavy, small canvas script .
Oh, before I close this post don't forget to visit Antonio Sabato Jr.'s movie fundraiser site for his new movie Trail Blazers. Its been almost a year since I've heard anything from either he, Kaya Jones or Nicholas Tizekker. Sounds like Antonio and Nicholas are still trying to make this movie, I THINK Kaya dropped out. Anyway, I gave 'em $500. When I get back to work I'll try to give them more, if they're still trying to drum up founds in 2022. Gotta support our fellow artists! *Strike-through the campaign for Trail-blazers, got an e-mail, 12-28 that my contribution of $500 had been refunded, then checked on the campaign and saw a $150,000 had reached a little over $4,000, but the crowdfund had been canceled. :( I feel bad for Antonio, as this was a script that he had written.
Tried to graft a little "lit expression" in this post--and in my script logline page. Till we talk again, I would like to wish you a merry Christmas and a happy New Year . Will try to do another post before the end of 2021, but no promises. Till then, as Kaya Jones would say, love and light ,
E.C. Henry from Kingsport, Tennessee
Well, I'm at it again: working on a new screenplay. BUT I'm also busy editing book #4 in the Legend of Thars series too. The 4th book is entitled The Making of a Legend. The new screenplay is entitled, The Beautiful Kingdom.
I'm writing this post because though I so do want to finish the Legend of Thars series along the way I feel the need to create new things too. Though at times I find it real pleasurable when I write good prose that replaces weaker writing, I find after a while that I get bored with editing.
Real writers write COMPLETED first drafts
That is one my writing mantras, remember? And a post I made back in 2013!
Well, I have a lot of writing mantras that I go back to and are foundational to the creative that I am today. Still after 20+ years it's...
There is always a balance to strike. You can't just always create new things. And you can't always edit old stuff.
The writing life is a strange thing. Especially when you're not being paid for any of it, and are writing in all on speculation in hopes of someday entertaining the masses with what you've been slaving for YEARS overs. 26 screenplays soon be 27... Five novels with plans for at least two more, hopefully even more than that. As is always the case, that all depends on the Lord. Because tomorrow is not guaranteed...
Along the way trying new things, like novel exchanges at Scribophile. At one point thinking you've found a good editor only to have that blow away into nothingness. The road of life sure has many twists and turns in it.
I wish I could sell some of my intellectual property, but alas the market is so poor . There are no opportunities anywhere . All roads lead to nowhere .
Maybe someday the entertainment climate will change, but I'm not holding my breath. I'll just keep creating, and keep my chin up, as I alternate between the two disciplines of creating new stuff, and editing to improve the stuff I've already created. Till then the --
mat is always extended for new friends, and new adventures!
Late fall in NE Tennessee is indeed a beautiful thing. About a week ago the hills were all brown and orange with changing leaves. Now, at Thanksgiving time, almost all the tree have lost their leaves, and the barrenness of winter has set it.
It's Thanksgiving 2021 as a write this post. Lots to be thankful for, none more than the fact that my mother is still alive. In fact not only just alive, but doing well. Me and her went golfing yesterday. In fact in the last month I went golfing with her three times! That's a carryover from her time with my father, Eric Sr, who was an avid golfer. Me? Well, I thinking golfing is okay. But I do love Warrior's Path in the Colonial Heights neighborhood. That is a fun golf course. Lots of rolling hills, and challenges. So check it out if you're ever in my neck of the woods.
Warriors Path Golf Course also has some more vertically, hilly holes as well
Lots going on in my world right now. For starters I think I've found a church I'm going to stick with, Grace Fellowship headed by Joel Owen. I'm not bonkers about the place, but I'm not down on it either. Solid biblical teaching, and several elders have reached out to make me feel comfortable. That means a lot to me. The personal touch can't be undersold when going to church.
Next week I should get word on the $5,000 life insurance policy that my dad took out in 1963 when he was in the service. Really wanna score the $5,000 for my mom, as I found out that my dad was play $23 two times a year to maintain this policy -- since 1963! Anyway, at times my dad Eric Sr. was quite the cheapskate. I think I'm doing right by my father by seeking the money from a policy that he paid into for most of his whole life. Should hear about that on Tuesday the 30th. That's when a decision is due by Western National. Found out last week that my dad wasn't due any benefits from the Vetereran's Administration. He was only in the Army for 2 1/2 years, and wasn't getting a pension or benefits for them. One my relatives pushed me to try for VA burial benefits, my dad just didn't qualify. :(
On the work front, I'm STILL looking for employment. :( Had an interview last week that look promising so we'll see. Had a near miss with the Post Office, but I missed one of their correspondence paperwork deadlines. A couple other places didn't have enough money.
On the writing front I'm back in the Thars again trying to shape up the 4th book in the 5 book series. I've got an interview with a CHRISTIAN publisher on Monday who showed interest so we'll see. My master goal for 2022 will be get the series published. Will also get back to updating the epic fantasy sidebar so it will no longer be neglected.
In other writing I'll probably work on transforming Indians of the Ancient Plains, and Cowboy Alien Diaries into novels. Screenplay wise I'm looking at writing another big hitter in 2022. It's time to write, The Beautiful Kingdom (expect something ambitious, something BIG). I would also like to write the sequel to So Go Back & Get Her. We'll see...
On the home front, it's been a long haul, but the storage shed we desperately need is close to being completed. My mom went all out on this, and made probably three times the shed we needed. Right now the contractors JUST dug the power ditch and the city approved the "rough-in" for it. Surprisingly the power ditch ONLY has to be buried a foot and half below the ground. Sure there's PVC pipe protecting it, but a 18" isn't a lot. Still need to get a final inspection sign off, but that should happen in early December. A separate contractor is doing the drywall. Then it's on me and my brother to rent a U-haul and get our stuff out of storage, and relieve my mom of $300 a month storage hits.
Front of the house:
Back of the house:
The garage, still waiting for barn light. Garage door JUST put in Wednesday, 11-24-2021:
Solar lights, I replaced I string and mounted the solar panels to the deck:
So as the leaves stop falling my life is settling down and starting to form to shape in Tennessee. I still HATE this place, but things are looking much better than they were the first week of September when my dad, mom, and brother were all in the hospital with Covid-19.
Got lots to do, and this third rock from the sun never stops spinning. Still, I'm grateful. Grateful to the Lord for watching out over my family all these years. Grateful that my precious mom is adjusting very well to life without my dad. We will always miss him. But they did do his memory right with this plaque right.
In the end I think me and my brother honored him the best we could with where we choose to bury him, and where his final remains can be found. Thankfully all the details surrounding a death and funeral come to and end at some point. Not quite done yet, but we're almost across that finish line.