Hello 2024 – New Goals and Creative Plans

01 January 2024

Happy New Year! Among the resolutions I will break this year, is my vow to update this site more often. It's actually very late (or very early), and I'm struck by insomnia once again, so I thought I'd put the time to use.

Bright Future Ahead

Things are still at a standstill in book-world. I have been making some moves to try to get my back catalogue in front of people who may want to read it, so I'll have to see how that goes. As usual, there has been a little spike in sales around Christmas. A Learjet is still beyond my reach, but all sales are good sales, and are appreciated.

I just wish more of you would write reviews on Amazon. I've tried to get to the bottom of this and the most common response I get is: "I can't write reviews." Listen, it doesn't have to be a professional review. Just write a line or two and tell other Amazonians if you liked it or not. It doesn't even matter if the reviews are positive or negative—if Amazon sees a book getting talked about, they push it more.

So please, if you want to get me something for a New Year present (is that a thing?), write me a short review. You'll be helping out more than you know.

My album is finished!

Well, my parts are finished. I've recorded all the instruments and vocals, and I'm done tinkering. Now it goes off to Michael at ZeroHour Studio for the mixing and mastering. If Songs About Girls is any indication, there will be a bit of to-ing and fro-ing for the next few weeks as I listen to the album multiple times and make tweaks.

Then the plan is to make a triumphant video and release it along with the album, so keep an eye out for that. This album has been almost 3 years in the making and you can follow my sporadic vlog updates on the making of the album on my dedicated YouTube Channel, and maybe subscribe while you're there.

Screenwriting Competitions

This past year (2023), I entered a few screenwriting competitions and did quite well, placing in the PAGE Awards, Creative Screenwriting, Final Draft, and LitScares. This will hopefully convince some extremely intelligent, sexy, and visionary agent to read some of my work and maybe take me on as a client.

That's one resolution I will be sticking to—I vow to keep trying until an agent at the very least considers some of my work, instead of just rejecting me sight-unseen. I think the last couple of things I've written are really good, and now my album is done, I'm going to write a couple more features, just so I always have something new to show.

Film-Making Plans

I'm hoping something happens with my film-making career this year too. There are a couple of interesting lines in the water, but there are no definite bites yet. So much of being a writer is waiting for LONG periods of time for someone to get back to you.

As well as the music videos (yes, there will be more than one this time), I'm hoping to make something bigger this year. Perhaps this summer, if nothing else is moving by then, I'll try to do another no-budget feature myself and see if I can get some attention that way.

It's not an easy business to crack when you're living in Northern Ireland, but I'll keep on trying because... I don't know what else I'd do. I always keep in mind: YOU HAVEN'T FAILED UNTIL YOU STOP TRYING.

So bring it on 2024, I'm ready for you.

In the words of Semisonic, "because you have to believe, this will be my year."