Everyone who reads this blog knows about the number of disability-related things I've written or am currently in the process of writing. But, what some people may not know is that I started out wanting to write fiction.
In 2009, I went back to college for Scriptwriting. I'd always wanted to write my own comic book, so when I learnt that many comic book writers used scripts, it seemed like a natural fit.
The program included screenwriting (movies), writing for broadcast (TV), and writing for the stage (plays), as well as editing and some ad writing.
Over the course of the program, I had three major writing projects: an original screenplay, a pitch for an original TV series, and a one-act play.
The screenplay, which I titled Roll With The Punches, was about the relationship between a soldier, his wife, and their physically disabled, wheelchair-bound son, who the soldier has never really been comfortable around. The soldier gets his legs blown off overseas and returns in a wheelchair. The family struggles to deal with the soldier's new lack of independence while the son plans on moving away for college or university after high school. Long story short, there's fighting, family drama, and eventually, the father and son bond.
Everyone liked the idea, but it was really hard to write, and it didn't really end up being what I completely wanted it to be when I handed it in. I've thought about finishing it. Some day!
Next was the TV series. I chose to base my original series on cryptozoology (the study of Bigfoot, the Jersey Devil, and other undiscovered creatures) and called it Cryptic.
Originally, Cryptic was going to be about two agents, one of whom was a Greek siren, solving crimes and mysteries and other supernatural things. So, literally X-files with less aliens and more monsters. After coming up with some less-ripped-off ideas, I decided to make the show about a college Biology student, Christopher Banes, who is really into cryptozoology. One of Banes' professors has actually been studying these creatures for some time and takes Banes under his wing. With some assistance from one of the professor's former students and a friend/girlfriend of Christopher's, they protect all sorts of things, from Bigfoot, sea serpents, to animals in an ice age "lost world" from developers, hunters, and other villains.
Once these projects were done, the class got to pitch them to networks and producers in Toronto who, in turn, gave us advice. It was a fun trip and people really liked my ideas!
The following year, I went back and took the playwriting classes (I had gone on a reduced course load, so a 1-year program became 2). Here, we were asked to write a one-act play that would be partially presented in a dramatic reading later in the year.
My play centered on the owner of a comic book shop (because I obviously couldn't go without writing SOMETHING about comics!) The owner's shop is in danger of being bought out by an agent who think comics are childish. The agent blackmails the owner into signing over the store by threatening to go public with the fact that the owner was a former superhero, The Red Knight. Eventually, the store's one young employee, who is creating his own violent comic the owner dislikes, decides to make an updated version of the owner's former heroic identity. This, coupled with the addition of a new employee, sound like they'll be enough to save the store.
This was another fun one to work on, and seeing part of it performed by actors was really cool! After the program, I added to the play and mailed it around to a few people for feedback. I never heard much back, but it was worth a shot.
And last but not least was what I chose Scriptwriting for in the first place: a comic book. Even before the end of my first year, I had started adapting my Cryptid TV idea into a comic book. I got rid of most of the humans save for Banes, brought back the Greek siren, who I made a shape shifter), and added in a white Bigfoot with psychic abilities (because why not, right?) Together, they would protect a hidden, world-wide civilization of cryptids from a Dr. Moreau-type scientist.
Originally, I tried to self-publish and looked for artists. Some were good, some not so much. After narrowing down my choices, I asked the potential artists to draw one of my characters. It was so cool to see the results, and one artist even went further and drew my three heroes together!
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| Credit to Gerar Gonzalez |
Other things came up and self-publishing didn't work out, so I eventually pitched Cryptic to a couple guys here in Ottawa. They liked the overall idea, but felt the story itself needed work. I kept at it, tweaking things and creating more stories for a couple of years until I just sort of hit a wall. That's when I started writing the transitioning articles.
Comics, movies, and plays were really fun to write, but I've realised recently there's a bit more of a demand for the articles and book. Right now, the fiction stuff is just a cool hobby and something fun to think about when I'm drawing a blank with the disability stuff, but who knows about the future. Maybe I'll up and randomly create a my own disabled superhero someday!
Cheers!
