I know I said in last year’s post that 2019 was going to be my biggest year yet, and while it was indeed the biggest year ever, 2020 will be even better. Just like last year, I’ve outlined my goals below to make 2020, The Year of the Gagnon.
Here we go:
Let’s start with the obvious. I’ve been away from this channel for quite some time, and yeah, I miss it. I thought that in order to be more productive in my writing career, I had to focus on the projects that could lead to paid gigs, like my screenplays. But then, I’d get home after a long day, and I’d do nothing, or waste time. The point is, I wasn’t writing.
When I wrote new blog posts in the past, it utilized a different part of the brain, but at the end of the day, I used my brain. The constant stream of output allowed the narrative functions to relax, and the analytical processes to ignite. I loved the feeling of being productive in multiple facets. If I was able to paint something (that I didn’t hate), I’d do that more, but even if I painted something God awful now, it would serve the same purpose as a blog. It’s an expression of the mind through other channels and that’s freeing. I miss that.
So here’s what I’m going to do.
FINAL UPDATE BELOW! 1/14
**UPDATED 12/10 with NEW Conversation below!
Scammers are everywhere and they try dozens of methods to swindle people out of their hard-earned money. The problem with these scammers is that they use the likenesses of the people you know and love. For example, here’s my ex-wife’s Mother’s name being used in an attempt to scam me. At first, I was so busy at work, that I assumed she forgot her old password and created a new Facebook profile. In the fervor of my job, I ignored my instinct and responded to this bait. Then, I began to enjoy the prospect of messing with the scammer.
*Note: I truly apologize for all of the typos on my end; they almost prevented me from posting this conversation, but the following was too much fun to keep to myself:
Today, I was gobsmacked with a wave of nostalgia. I went to a new restaurant for my office’s lunch run, Belcampo, on 3rd Street in LA, and it was there (in the Verve coffee shop next door) where I spent many a day typing away at my creative endeavors. Whether the focus was My Cancer Story, a screenplay, or the then-numerous blog posts (yeah, sorry about that), I spent my free time (of which I had ample supply then) ticking away at my form of expression. On November 8th, it will have been three years since I moved into my first apartment here, the temporary room rental on Blackburn Ave.
2019 will be my biggest year yet. I’ve outlined a few goals to ensure this, and most of them revolve around writing.
UPDATE 1/14/20: How did I do?
EDIT: Completed one goal already (see below).
Here we go:
Last night, I experienced the worst flare-up of my Crohn’s Disease yet; the third instance of 2018. The kicker? All of these were following my revelatory dietary changes via the Whole30 Elimination Program. And no, this is not an attempt to correlate the two, but only to shed light on how Crohn’s Disease can strike no matter how much one arms themselves with preventative measures.
Read along as I describe these flare-ups (two of which occurred on film sets) and general tips on how to best prevent them, and ask YOU, the reader, about some of your worst Crohn’s battles.
“Set a goal. Accomplish it. Set another goal.”
I work a lot.
Anywhere from 66-91 hours a week to be exact. But on my days off, I edit, write, and live life. It’s funny how working a job that I love can change how I manage my free time. When I’m home, I’m more focused on my actual projects than ever before. I actually have to fight to incorporate leisure time due to my guilt of wasting a single moment of productive time. Or maybe it’s because I have very few hours of that time allotted these days…Read More »
Boy, it’s been a while, hasn’t it?
In fact, I hadn’t realized it had been five weeks since my last post until I sat down to write this cry for creative sanity. I’m not even certain how this post will do considering Facebook recently ruined the ability to hotlink automatically from WordPress.
Sure, I’ve been chipping away at the My Cancer Story rewrite when I’m able (the now vacant tentpole of this blog for two years), and I’ve been recording notes and elements for other projects (as I’m wont to do), but this past month has been one of the busiest ever let alone since I’ve moved to Los Angeles. I’m living my dream, but if I’m not too careful, I’ll tumble backward into someone else’s.
Let me explain.Read More »
Many of you have expressed interest in the hardcopy book version of this ongoing first draft of My Cancer Story, and have asked me the title question verbatim. Well, I’m here to answer that for you, today.
My Cancer Story will experience drastic changes as my first draft will soon be beaten into shape to achieve its final form: a finished novel. There is a lot of editing, rearranging, tweaking, and cutting to occur before that moment. But, my goal is to arrive at the finished tome and have it released to the public on December 7th, 2018.
Why that date? Well, because that’s the day Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will be released, and I’ll have no time for both the book or the game at that point! (I know; if you’ve been reading, I tend to discuss the series a tad excessively. What can I say, passion is a large part of this book.)
Okay, truth be told that’s not the ONLY reason. I also aim to commence my book tour before the end of the year. Ideally, I’d like to visit a few hospitals in the Los Angeles area (especially the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles), and then travel around the country visiting children battling cancer in as many cities as I can.
This book is the first step in a long line of goals that I have to help as many people as I can in the time that I’ve been afforded. My Cancer Story will hopefully be there for others who are experiencing cancer in some form as a method of companionship and of hope.
-Jamie (@GuyOnAWire)
This is an ongoing story of my personal battle with Cancer. My hope is that it helps others who are currently experiencing their own battles (whether it be for themselves or a loved one) or to help with early detection.
The way I’m doing it is terrifying for a writer. I’m writing a publically available first-draft outline for an eventual book, chapter by chapter in weekly form. The only reason I’m doing it this way is to get the story out as soon as possible for someone out there who needs a survivor to visit them during their own treatment. If you’re reading this and need someone to talk to, tweet at me and I’ll give you a call. No questions asked. This story is for you and I’ll help any way that I can.
Stay tuned, as I will be posting a new chapter every Monday until the story is complete.
And remember if you experience any Anemic symptoms– get checked for Leukemia as well.
GuyOnAWire 