From the Shire

Ted Nasmith, Green Hill Morning

I finished my script in Sedona and shipped it out to 7 people to review. I'm so grateful for their time, their wisdom, their insightful input. It's never easy to carve up your creation, but it became a leaner and meaner story due to their keen eyes. I ended up cutting out 3 scenes, rewriting 4 other scenes, and removing some of the heavy-handed dialogue. It's on its way. May 1 was the Nicholls deadline for screenwriting. And now I wait.

Last year when I moved from the Shire to Gondor, I left knowing what I was leaving, intent on focusing wholly on writing and creating.

I still think about the Shire and the lovely hills I called home for 10 years, where I still own my house and have a posse of friends who would welcome me with open arms. But Gondor is my home now. It's alive with so many options, ideas, people, energy... and I've managed to finish three scripts in the past year, which in retrospect is a phenomenal feat for someone like me - who loves going out, seeing bands, visiting friends, and generally traveling and socializing whenever possible.

So I sit here now in relative contentment. I've come what I came to do -- tell a few stories -- planted them out there in the wind -- first round, just launching -- and pondering how to best market my work. I have 2-3 more in my back pocket. One is new, a superhero tale and a backstory that oozes with supernatural potential. One is a fairytale, a take-off on a story I've written but may alter. And another is the long-simmering epic, which will be my finale for this phase. I have piles of research books, and a briefcase of notes, along with a 30+-page treatment. It's been calling my name for 17 years.

The time has also come, however, to pay the piper. I accepted a FT position in the lovely city of Rohan, a medium-sized metropolis which sits at the foot of the Hollywood Hills -- a quaint and relatively quiet bucolic bedroom community with a small-town feel despite its proximity to Los Angeles, Hollywood, Dodger Stadium, and all the major TV and film production studios. I'm amazed it's stayed so humble, quiet and safe.

The heart of Gondor is calling me home now though. I'm relaxing in my seaside escape and will remain here through the summer. Recovering. Reviving. Until September, when I will move back into the heat of it.

In the meantime, I'm resting my eyes, my brain, my head, my heart. Work now seems to harken to a simpler life, a routine without interruptions from multiple characters, voices, stories, or trauma. At least not yet.