*sends out radio broadcast in search of any form of life*
Jeez, it's been five months since I've posted anything on here – let's change that!
I'd be lying if I said not updating this blog was a thoughtful decision, because it wasn't. It's been in the back of my mind for some time now, but I'm only now getting around to pushing it to the front. I'm going to try to be better about posting on here regularly, both for my own sanity (especially during this odd time) as well as for anyone who originally followed along.
So, to cut to the chase: here's a quick update!
COVID-19
I'm going to spare everyone on a huge COVID-19 section. I've been doing my part in social distancing and I'm fortunate enough that no one close to me has been severely impacted by it (speaking from a health perspective, of course). Beyond that, I'm sure it's all over your newsfeeds and favorite news sources (as it is mine), so I'll shut up about it.
WHY SO QUIET?! (*read in Joker voice*)
Most of my not having posted on here is a result of simply putting this blog on the backburner; however, I'd also say my latest project has played a big role in keeping me occupied.
As many know by now, I've been writing a full season 10 screenplay of The Office (the U.S. version, duh), the greatest sitcom in television history. I've always been a huge fan of the show, having seen most episodes at least 10 times (I had to stop keeping track) and having memorized a ridiculous amount of dialogue as well as random facts.
My friends and I started putting our knowledge to the test in various trivia nights across Chicago. Boy, were we surprised by how many other Office fanatics are out there. Our go-to is Joe's on Weed St.'s trivia, and there would sometimes be as many as 100 teams participating. We usually placed in the top 20 or so teams, but during the latest trivia session there (pre-quarantine), we took home gold, which included skydiving tickets and a two-hour party (drinks included) at the bar. In short, it pays to obsess over a T.V. show!
But back to the point of all this: what's so great about The Office is that it's timeless. The first episodes aired in 2005 – and sure, there are some outdated references (who says TMI these days?), but for the most part, the humor remains relevant thanks to two things: stellar writing and the everlasting oddities of the modern office.
I watched the series finale again back in December, and it prompted a two-pronged question: "How would current societal trends, events, etc. be reflected in this show and, more importantly, where would all of The Office characters be after seven years without the documentary crew following them around?" This question lingered, so I decided to answer it myself. (See below – it's even been a curiosity of some cast members.)
Enter The Office season 10 screenplay. I combined my seemingly useless knowledge of the show with my passion for writing and set out to draft a fan-fiction version of what the answer to that aforementioned question could potentially look like. I've not put in nearly the amount of time into this as I had PIER 33, but I'm also treating this as fun, free fan fiction, so it serves an entirely different purpose than my novel.
And good news! I'll have this ready for the world this month (May 2020), hopefully providing some entertaining reading material while we continue to social distance ourselves. As a heads up: it is written in a traditional screenplay format. It doesn't follow those rules down to a T, but it is my first take at screenwriting, a fun challenge that differs immensely from writing a novel.
Here are some fast facts on the project to keep you on the edge of your seat (I can only hope):
900 pages
23 episodes
Reflects where everyone ended up after the series finale
Includes the show's (mainly in the lens of Michael Scott) take on topics such as TikTok, Fitbit, Amazon, binge-watching, Uber, Baby Yoda and Snapchat Filters – just to name a few
That's all I'll reveal about it right now, but I'm so, so pumped to indulge my comedic side with this one, which – let's be honest – was pretty much non-existent in PIER 33.
WHAT'S ON DECK?
After The Office season 10 is wrapped, I'll be picking up another novel I left off nearly a year ago. More details on that to come, but that's a project I'm hoping to release in 2021.
Beyond that (and for the few of you who read these entries), I hope you'll look out for additional (far more frequent) posts from me here. In other words...
