Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Goals, Wishes, and Dreams

We've all got goals, pie-in-the-sky wishes, and dreams for a better life.  All of us writers sit around and think about what would happen if we got "that" contract, the one that would set us up in Stephen-King-Style surroundings and make sure that none of our families or friends would ever have to work again.  We all dream of seeing the words "based on the novel by..." on the big movie screen.  Hell, some of us just dream of being able to exist comfortably by writing, and nothing more.  So, while I'm in a mood, I thought I might put down some goals, list a few dreams, and add a few wishes in there.  At the end, let me know what you think of my list, and maybe add a few of your own!  If you have a goal or wish for me, by all means submit it.  I'd be glad to add it to the pile.  Always... always working.

  • Deadlands - I'd love to have it made into a movie.  I think my vision of the zombie apocalypse would work well on a cinematic level, and I'd even love to see the "SyFy Channel Presents Scott A. Johnson's DEADLANDS" on my television.  It could work!
  • Cane River:  A Ghost Story - One of my biggest regrets is that this book never got a chance to spread its wings and fly.  Cane River came out, literally, weeks before the publisher went belly-up, so there was no advertising, no promotion, nothing.  A few people read it, and most of them liked it.  So I think the goal here is to give it a decent run. 
  • Stanley Cooper - Ah, Stanley, my alter-ego.  I want to see VERMIN and PAGES done as movies.  I'm not saying I'd want to play the lead (after all, he is a stylized version of myself), but I'd love to see him on the big screen.  I think Stanley has a lot to offer the movie-going audience. 
  • Screenwriting - I'm already a screenwriter.  Really.  Part of that involves the super-duper-secret project I'm working on, but I've written several movies.  But I want to write more.  I want to be able to jump into a meeting with Warner Brothers and have them take me seriously. 
  • Respect - Okay, I know this is dumb and totally ego-serving, but I want a Stoker.  Awards don't mean anything, right?  Well, tough, because I still want one.  I'd love to win a Stoker, a Hugo, or any of the thousand other horror-related writing awards out there.  Why?  Because.  That's why.  It means something to me.  Do I need one to legitimatize myself as a writer?  Of course not.  But I'd love to be able to put "Award-Winning" next to my author by-line.  Plus, when you're like me and love to teach, universities tend to look more seriously at your resume if you've got something like that on it.  
  • MFA - That's right, I don't have one of these, and I'd like to have one.  Of course, I don't have the money or time, but I can dream, right?  Besides, what's the overall goal of college courses anyway?  To be able to learn to do something well enough to survive doing it, right?  Well, I don't really need an MFA because I seem to know what I'm doing.  But I want one, all the same.  
So that's my list of goals, dreams, wishes and wants.  Do you want to see Stanley Cooper come to life on the big screen?  Tell me.  Do you, too, wish to see your work on an award ballot?  Let me know!  What are your goals and dreams as a writer?  What do you think you need to do to reach those dreams?

5 comments:

  1. Regarding the MFA...I don't have the money either, but here I am trying to get one. :P Hooray for student loans, or something. I'd definitely love to win an award, too, but of course my main goal right now is to get the novel finished. What I really need to do is go back in time, kick young Jenn in the ass and tell her not to piss away her 20s like she ended up doing. Since that isn't going to happen, I've sacrificed hours (and therefore money) at a job I hate anyway in order to go back to school, learn as much as I can to improve my craft, and write every single day. I'm not where I thought I'd be at 35, but I'm hoping I can get a little closer before 40!

    Anyway, best of luck to you in achieving your goals! I want to see Deadlands as a movie!

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  2. I'm with you about the rewards. No matter that a reward really doesn't validate me as a writer in the "real" sense, having my work recognized as worthwhile by my peers and/or readers would mean something.

    I'd love to see Stanley on the screen. I think he's worthy of a TV series... some new terror in Pittsburgh every week. I'd watch and cheer him on!!

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  3. I have to agree about the awards; they certainly don't vaidate you, but damn it's nice to be recognized.

    As to the King-lifestyle...who wouldn't want that?...but then again, I'd settle for just being able to make a comfortable living.

    I guess the only dream or wish I have is that what I right keeps you turning the pages and the lights on at night.

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  4. Scott - this is just a test. (Gina)

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  5. Still having blogging problems (sorry)

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