LOGLINE | A team of American mercenaries, on a mission in a Caribbean jungle to recover Christopher Columbus’ lost treasure, find themselves hunted by trolls.

In January of 2022, I was 90-ish days away from being a 42-year old dad to a little girl. I was wrapt with anxiety and over-whelmed with fear. This is when the idea of the troll script came to mind. I had written a short script with a similar premise, and decided to expand it into a feature screenplay, focused on the anxiety, fear and warmongering of the 1980s. But really, at the end of the day, it is about me being a parent of at 42.

LOGLINE | When an elite group of mercenaries prepare for a simple mission to recover a lost Civil War treasure, they learn of ungodly monsters that await them, but little do they know the monsters are already here.

This 25-page unproduced short screenplay won the Best Characters in a Short Screenplay in the Baltimore Next Media Filmfest in 2022. This short piece continued to grow into the feature film GOON SQUAD MOTHERFUCKERS! also included here. 

Soho Press will publish a collection of today's best crime fiction writers with an anthology of crime stories that take place over Hanukkah, a companion collection to their crime anthology taking place at Christmas called THE USUAL SANTAS. The tentative tile is EIGHT VERY BAD NIGHTS. I wrote my short story "Mi Shebeirach" about Molly Blaze, a character I have written about before in my short story "Wheelwoman." END NOTE: I was asked to contribute a story shortly after learning of the loss of Gabe Hudson, a terrific writer, advocate and educator in the writing community. As a tribute ot him and the great empathy he shared with the world, I dedicated this story to him, as he came as a great inspiration.

The short story "Does She?" presents a series of probing and intimate questions that delve into the narrator's emotional turmoil and distress over a romantic betrayal. The narrative adopts a stream-of-consciousness style, reflecting the chaotic and intense thoughts racing through the narrator's mind. The questions cover a spectrum of emotions, from insecurity and jealousy to explicit and dark scenarios.

The repetitive nature of the questions highlights the obsessive nature of our thoughts in such situations, revealing the depth of our pain and anguish. The narrator appears to be grappling with feelings of inadequacy, betrayal, and a sense of loss. The questioning also explores themes of identity, self-worth, and the impact of infidelity on one's psyche.

"The End is Bear" is a complex narrative that explores themes of loss, identity, and the quest for meaning. The story unfolds with a brutal honesty that captures the raw emotions of the protagonist as he grapples with the sudden death of his wife and the subsequent unraveling of his life. The narrative delves into the protagonist's struggle with grief and his attempts to cope through his writing. The reference to the bear as an ongoing script waiting to be fed with more words becomes a metaphor for the protagonist's inability to conclude or find closure in the face of death. The repetition of "the end is near" underscores the sense of impending doom that haunts the protagonist.

This short story, "The Hammer and the Flame," explores themes of identity, generational expectations, and the impact of biology on destiny. The narrative is presented through the perspective of a woman reflecting on her hands and the contrasting expectations placed upon her and her father. The symbolic use of flame and hammer hands adds depth to the narrative, inviting reflection on the roles imposed by society and the desire for personal agency and strength. The final lines suggest a sense of redemption and liberation through the son's arrival, offering hope for breaking free from the constraints of history.

In "Wheelwoman," Molly Blaze, a strong and independent woman, navigates the aftermath of her divorce, reclaiming her autonomy and identity. The central conflict revolves around the disappearance of her prized possession, a 1987 Buick Regal Limited T–Type Turbo, believed to be hidden by her ex-husband, Ritch, as a symbolic gesture of control and disdain for her profession.

The narrative is framed within the emotional context of Molly's divorce proceedings, highlighting her resilience and pragmatism. Molly's character is portrayed as unapologetically tough, a characteristic that sets her apart from the emotional vulnerability displayed by her ex-husband. Despite their differences, the story subtly explores the complexity of their past relationship, revealing moments of tenderness and connection.

This short story portrays Ransom, a copywriter, spending his lunch break observing the demolition of a church. The narrative hints at Ransom's impending job loss later in the day, possibly setting a tone of personal and professional instability. The destruction of the church becomes a central event, symbolizing change and upheaval.

Overall, the story explores themes of change, detachment, and the subjective nature of value. The destruction of the church serves as a backdrop for the characters' reactions, allowing for a reflection on their relationships and the broader implications of upheaval in both personal and communal aspects of life.

"Horse and his Fishermen" presents a gritty and atmospheric snapshot of a coastal bar, its patrons, and the impending storm that becomes a metaphorical and literal force within the narrative. This story combines elements of gritty realism with a touch of the surreal, crafting a vivid and compelling narrative that explores the dynamics of a coastal community in the face of both internal and external storms.

After a stay in a small, dimly lit hotel room, I began to write this short story and found myself immersed in the atmosphere of Ransom Black's solitary existence. The first-person perspective allowed me to observe the mundane yet strangely captivating details of his surroundings. As Ransom stood by the dresser, meticulously counting coins next to a typewriter, I could sense an air of quiet contemplation that permeated the room. My aim was to immerse the reader in the protagonist's solitary world, painting a vivid portrait of a man grappling with routine, isolation, and enigmatic past events.

"Light Like Gunshots" unfolds as a fragmented narrative, revealing layers of the protagonist's life, past experiences, and present predicaments. The disjointed structure, interspersed with memories and present events, contributes to the overall sense of disorientation and emotional turmoil. This story weaves a complex narrative that explores the intersections of trauma, relationships, and existential questioning. The fractured structure and the protagonist's internal musings create a poignant and enigmatic reading experience. The story prompts reflection on themes of intimacy, violence, and the search for meaning in a tumultuous existence.

DESCRIPTION | Fourteen-year-old Jeremy Barker attends an all-boys Catholic high school where roving gangs of bullies make his days a living hell. His mother is an absentee pillhead, his older brother a self-diagnosed sex-addict, and his father disappears night after night without explanation. Jeremy navigates it all with a code cobbled together from the zombie movies he’s obsessed with: Night of the Living Dead, 28 Days Later, Planet Terror, Zombieland, and Dawn of the Dead among others. The code is put to the test when he discovers in his father’s closet a bizarre homemade video of a man strapped to a bed, being prepped for some sort of surgical procedure. As Jeremy attempts to trace the origin of the video, this remarkable debut moves from its sharp, precocious beginnings to a climax of almost unthinkable violence, testing him, and the reader, to the core.

BLURBS

PowerPoint & Text included.

TITLE Negotiating Gun Violence in Student Screenplays: Teaching Young Writers to Examine and Develop Characters’ Unknown Needs in Their Narratives; or How to Fight ‘Cool Characters Wielding Weapons’ with Empathy and Understanding

BRIEF DESCRIPTION Students love to write guns into their narratives. But just as tears can offer a less interesting shorthand to a character’s sadness, guns are often a poor substitute for something much more dynamic—a character’s root cause need. Through a series of repetitive exploratory questions developed by the Japanese inventor and industrialist Sakichi Toyoda, I guide young writers to excavate the interior lives of their characters through empathy and understanding, rather than defaulting to the easy, passive aggression of gun violence.