The most common question tossed my way by friends, family, coworkers and others has gone something along the lines of 'What are you going to do with it?' 'It,' of course, being PIER 33. If you're pressed for time, there's a short and long answer.
Short answer: get people to read it.
The long answer is a little more complicated. Yes, the end goal of this novel is to convince people to give it a go. To read it, talk about it and theorize around it. When all is said and done, though, my hope is that it'll further inspire me to write. It'll be that additional spark that keeps the fire roaring under my ass. The butt-fire.
I plan to write more even if my mom's the only person that picks up PIER 33. Why's that? Because I enjoy it. Don't get me wrong—I have learned a boatload from my full-time job. I enjoy it (for the most part), too; however, I've realized over the past two years that nothing keeps that butt-fire going more than writing. It's relaxing, rewarding and demanding all at the same time. It feels good.
I get antsy when I don't write now. Irritable, even. It's become such a regular part of my life that it's stitched into my routine and—for lack of a less dramatic description—has become a part of me. Cheesy, I know. But it's true. Think of it like flossing . . . it might seem like work at first, but after two years of doing it it's just a regular thing. I can't say I'd ever consider flossing 'a part of me,' though. Maybe that wasn't the best comparison. You still kind of get it, right?
So, I'll reward you for getting through this entry by teasing two projects in the pipeline. One is another novel that I've been working on for just shy of half a year. The second is a screenplay. Go ahead, rub your eyes and read that sentence again. I'm going out of my comfort zone with the latter of the two projects, but I'll hammer it out until it's complete. If I don't, that butt-fire might just burn me alive.