MY “LITTLE WRITING PROJECT”

Anyone who has spent a significant amount of time with me could probably tell you one of three life goals I’ve invariably mentioned having over the years. I’ll save you the trouble of tracking one of those grateful souls down and just list the goals for you here.

1. Attend a party at the Playboy mansion.
2. Streak across Fenway Park during a Sox game.
3. Publish a novel.

In 2015 I will accomplish one of these goals. Condolences to those of you hoping to see my ass (or see it behind bars) because I just don’t have the nerve to pull off the Fenway streak. I think we all know what my chances are with regards to that first goal, so that means I will soon be joining the ranks of Leo Tolstoy and the Kardashian sisters by publishing a novel. Publishing a novel, mind you, not just writing one. As of this posting, the actual composition is drawing to a grueling, tortuous close. Up until now I’ve referred to it as my “little writing project” to those of you who have spotted me scribbling away in a notebook on the train or at lunch, but as I approach 80,000 words, I think I can set that modest description aside and just call it a book.

I’ll get to my book’s title and what it’s about in a just a moment. In the meantime, I’m starting this blog to chronicle what is sure to be a fun, daunting, and absurd experience. I say “fun” because I love the creative process like most people love pumpkin shit in their drinks during autumn. “Daunting”, because unlike the literary luminaries listed above, I’m self-publishing this masterpiece as an e-book. “Absurd”, because frankly it is ridiculous to think we live in a world where anyone can publish a novel with a single click of the mouse.

Now, if you’re sitting there wondering why you’d want to read about what will probably amount to some self-important writer-schmuck describing the pumpkin latte he’s sipping as he crosses the t’s and dots the i’s of some long-gestating piece of shit, you should know that A.) you’re already reading it anyway, sucker! B.) I drink tea, not lattes (and certainly without the fall-fashionable squash flavor), and C.) just because something’s trash doesn’t necessarily mean it’s shit. You should also know that I plan to share good stuff like concept art, musings on and discussion of the genre in which I am writing, the editing process, and the trials and tribulations of creating cover art and marketing materials using Microsoft Paint (you didn’t think I was going to switch to Photoshop at this point in the game, did you?). Speaking of Microsoft Paint, I used that very program to create this proper announcement.

So what is Camp Redblood? I don’t want to give too much away, but I will say that it’s a summation of my thoughts on a genre that’s as malleable as the Western, yet has never been pushed to its full potential. Redblood is all the summer camps and summer camp tropes I’ve experienced, read about, and seen in movies, added up and reassembled into something new. It’s my dream camp, packed with danger, comedy, romance, ghosts, monsters, maniacs, secret passages, strange traditions, partying, sex, rivalries, embarrassment, foul mouths, gross-outs, revenge schemes, the great outdoors, bullies, nerds, badasses, rebellion, rock and roll, old fashioned campfire storytelling, and more.

Sound like fun?  Excellent, you’re invited. Tell all your friends: the endless summer starts in 2015.

Pat

P.S. Be sure to like my facebook page at www.facebook.com/campredblood