A Week in Writing #634 - Feeling Like I'm Getting Behind

Hope everyone is staying safe, and, of course, writing.

I'm behind this week. You can blame it on seeing a movie this morning, but I still haven't put up a peek-of-the-week, or updated the website, or set up the social media posts, or updated Pinterest, and yes I do all of those things every week. I'll have to do those things this evening, so bear with me, I'll get those things done.

I did spend an evening setting up a list of agents to query. I started with a search on Query Tracker for agents who represent mysteries and thrillers, this is a private investigator story, and then filtered out agents who were closed to queries. That got the list down to 456, but I then went through the list and removed agents outside the U.S. That got the list down to 308 agents. I'm still working on the list, but I wanted to get credit for at least starting it. More to come on that.

I did work on Cold Case some, but I didn't make as much headway as I had hoped. If you're counting, I'm up to 25,613, so a little more than 1200 words than I had last week. 

My review of Haunted Mansion (2023) was Trophy Unlocked's Saturday Morning Review. I feel one for the new Resident Evil movie will be coming out soon, as that was the movie we went to the theater to see this morning, but I think that would be more Paul's review than mine. I am working on another review, and one that we also saw in the theater this weekend, Top Hat (1935), as part of the American Cinematheque's program curated by Mel Brooks of 100 years of films. I don't think I had seen this on the big screen, other than perhaps in the RKO Story class back at USC, but this, once again, proves that films are meant to be seen on the big screen and with other people in the audience. It's going to take me a while to do a proper writeup.

Our guest this week on the podcast was one of our own, Julia Canon, who talked about her new website, BlythePOV. You can watch it on our twitch channel for the next few days, listen to it or find a suitable platform here, or wait and watch it next Wednesday at 2:30 pm PT on our YouTube channel.

We're doing about a page a week on the art for issue #31 of Powers Squared. Issue #29 is scheduled for October 28, and I've got nothing new to report about L.A. Comic-Con, except, per the app, SRCC Press will be table K45 in Kentia Hall, which is beneath the South Hall. Now you know.

This next week, I'm hoping it's Cold Case, Top Hat and Powers Squared. And, of course, more work on the query list, and, oh yeah, my wife's birthday on Wednesday. Not everything is going to get done, that's for sure.

Well, that about does it for me. Keep writing and I'll see you next week.

A Week in Writing #633 - The Newsletter and More

Hope everyone is staying safe, and, of course, writing.

Well, this was newsletter week, which took up a good deal of time for me. The biggest news is that we're releasing a new Powers Squared issue later this month, #29 "Agnes Wreckage, Part 2". In this issue, with Agnes's Viribus-induced powers raging beyond her control, Marty, Eli and Mocha work with Dr. Atlas to stop her before she reaches and wreaks havoc on San Romero Community College. It's scheduled for October 28th, to coincide with our tabling that weekend at L.A. Comic-Con.

Unfortunately, I don't have anymore information on our appearance at this time. Hopefully, more information will be coming my way and I will share it when I know it.

Speaking of Powers Squared, I think we're now on to page #6 of issue #31, which should be coming out next year.

And the last bit of news on the comic book, we've rebranded the website from Powers Squared Comic Book to SRCC Press to better emphasize that we're more than just the one book. The web address stays the same, only the name has changed to protect the innocent. It also fits as we're trying to table as SRCC Press.

No new review for me this week. We punted on Saturday night, having gotten our Covid and flu shots that morning. MST3K came to the rescue, but only one of the four of us made it through the screening as it was.

Trophy Unlocked has moved into Halloween mode, and as such, the Saturday Morning Review was Paul's for The Haunted Mansion (2003), a horror comedy. For the next four Saturdays, it will also be horror films, and three of the next four reviews will be mine, so stay tuned.

Our podcast this week, was a look at Video Game Movies. We talk a little about the history as well as films that worked, and those which didn't. You can watch it on our Twitch channel for the next few days, or listen to it or find a platform here, or wait and watch it on Wednesday at 2:30 when it goes up on our YouTube channel (@powerssquared).

The work on Cold Case, unfortunately took a bit of a backseat. I did do some work on it, but minimal. The current count is 24,371 words, which is only about 700 more than last week.

Cold Case, along with pages from the next Powers Squared, will be my focus next week, and I promise to do some, at least, pre-query work as well. I think I've putting that off for about as long as I can.

Well, that about does it for me. Keep writing, and I'll see you back here next week.

A Week in Writing #632 - Birthday-O-Rama

Hope everyone is staying safe, and, of course, writing.

Yes, this is officially the start of the Hankins-birthday-o-rama. My birthday was Friday, my sons' are on Monday and my wife's is in a little over 2 weeks. Yes, we're all libras and, no, it's not too late to send money, if that's what you want to do. And, as a reminder, we're now less than 3 months to Christmas.

That, of course, doesn't mean that nothing else happened. On my birthday, as an example, we still did our podcast, live, this time, discussing The Transformers: The Movie's recent theatrical re-release, the so-called "Apology Tour" for its 40th Anniversary. We also did, what I hope is, a fitting tribute to Peter Cullen, who voiced Optimus Prime in the movie. You can watch it here for the next few days, listen to it here or wait for it to premiere on our YouTube channel at 2:30pm on this coming Wednesday.

Work continues on issue #31 of Powers Squared, having settled on the lineart for page 4 and really close on page 5.

Not much to report on L.A. Comic-Con, other than we'll be there. Don't know any more details than that at this point, but will share when we know.

The Saturday Morning Review on Trophy Unlocked, was Trevor's review of Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom, which incidentally, we watched on Friday. The Wednesday review was also by Trevor, a Second Screening - The Transformers: The Movie (1986) 40th Anniversary, which ties back to the podcast. On Friday, we also watched The Conversation, which has been on my radar since I saw there was a 4K release of it. Turns out I had the DVD, which proved to be enough. I'm still writing the review, but that might give you an inkling of where it's going.

No querying this week. I just couldn't muster the will to delve into it, but it's something I need and will do.

Worked more on Cold Case. 23,632 words, if you're counting.

This week will again be newsletter week; the first Sunday of the month sure comes quickly, doesn't it?

So, next week, should be The Conversation, Cold Case and The Hound Dogs' Howl, with no doubt a page or two of Powers Squared thrown in for review and comments.

Well, that about does it for me. Keep writing and I'll see you back here next week.

A Week in Writing #631 - A Creative Gut Punch

Hope everyone is staying safe, and, of course, writing.

The week ended on a bit of a down note when it came to Powers Squared. I remember a few weeks/months ago, reporting about our surprising sales at Golden Apple Comics in Hollywood. We had, supposedly sold, 8 of 12 copies of the first two trades we'd left there. We felt really good that we had a breakthrough and had made sales at a very prominent comic book shop. Well, all lies.

Friday, the manager of the store called, not only to ask us to pick up the remaining copies, but all 12 copies. The owner had been incorrect in saying we'd sold copies and they want their money back. When you're an independent comic book, that's the last thing you want to hear. Not in a big hurry to do that, but we'll probably have to do it next weekend.

But the call costs more than money. It was a sort of creative gut punch. I think we'll recover and carry on, but the incident won't be forgotten any time soon.

Finished the submission for San Diego Comic-Con 2027 small press, by sending copies of issues #28 and #29. Fingers crossed we'll be chosen. It's hard to know the rules, since there are a lot of non-small press in Small Press, but we're living in Comic-Con's world and by their rules, such as they are.

We're working on something fun for L.A. Comic-Con in October. I won't get into it, but we'll discuss when we get closer and have examples to share. Otherwise, I think we have everything we'll need, including candy for the kids. (It's over Halloween.)

Work continued this week on issue #31, with time spent going over page 4 with the artist. She's very quick to respond, so it means every other night, a new version of a page needs to be reviewed with everyone and then comments have to be written and sent. It's a necessary evil, I guess and a better situation than waiting for pages, which is the flip of the coin. I prefer this side.

My review of the 1943 Batman serial, was the Batman Day Saturday Morning Review on Trophy Unlocked. It was something I had written about 10 months ago. It's one of the longest reviews I've ever written, since it covered all the episodes in a 15-part serial.

The rest of the week had seen the rollout by Trevor of three different Review Hubs. On Tuesday, Review Hub - X-Men; and, on Friday, two: Review Hub - Resident Evil and Review Hub - Wallace & Gromit. Proof that there's something for everyone on Trophy Unlocked. No new review this week, but while watching TCM's Silent Sundays, I realized I had already watched and written a review for So This is Paris (1926), so I put it up on the blog, but publication is pending; isn't it always.

I'm not much involved with this week's podcast. I mean I was there, but Trevor and Paul handled most of the questioning of Evan Brooks, a Transformers toy designer they had met at several SDCCs. I think it went well and if you're into Transfomers, then you're in for a treat. It's on our twitch channel for the next few days, you can listen to it or find other platforms here, and, as always, the podcast will be on our YouTube channel, starting at 2:30 pm PT on Wednesday.

Worked some on Blackmail. I think, except for some tweaks later on, that I'm done with it. Now that it's fall, I guess I'll start the ol' queries to the black hole of trying to find an agent. Now sure which book to try this time. I still like Broken People but it might be time to move on from that one.

I've been editing the next story idea, and still no name. Maybe I'll call it Cold Case, as he's looking for someone who disappeared 15 years prior. It's loosely, very loosely, based on someone I knew in high school, who ran away from home. We had "dated" if that's the word for it, a few years before. Then her family move to California and then back to Dallas, where I lived at the time. For over a year I was calling regularly to talk to her, only to be told she wasn't available. Then, at some point, the father told me she'd run away after they moved back. Well, it's been more than 15 years, but the idea of a high school girl running away is the prompt. I have no idea what ever became of her, so now I'll be able to get fictional closure; if that's a thing.

So, I'll probably be working on that this week, reviewing pages for Powers Squared, and maybe working on a new list to query.

Well, that about does it for me. Keep writing and I'll see you here next week.

A Week in Writing #630 - Not a Great Week

Hope everyone is staying safe, and, of course, writing.

I will admit that this wasn't my best week in writing. I know I wanted to work more on Blackmail, which I did, but not as much as I wanted. So there's still some final touches to do. I don't know if this has happened to you but sometimes you just don't feel it when the time comes. And sometimes, you may feel it but not be able to get to it when you do.

I did look at the other book I had started before Blackmail. I was even making edits when I realized I was working on an earlier version of the book, so that was my sign to stop for the night.

Progress made on pages for the next issue of Powers Squared, but pages and edits come in at least four days out of five during the week. Good to see them, but they do require stopping and reviewing, looking at them with others and making comments. It's necessary but time consuming. I know, complain complain, but sometimes it's hard switching and then switching back, that's all I'm saying.

Our podcast this week was a look at the Sonic The Hedgehog franchise after 35 years. I'll admit it was mostly Paul and Trevor doing the talking, as I haven't played any of the video games, though I have seen some of the TV and the feature films. You can watch it on our twitch channel for the next few days, or you can listen to it here, or, as always, you watch it on our YouTube channel at 2:30 pm on Wednesday.

We're between Batman-related reviews on Trophy Unlocked, so it makes sense that the Saturday Morning Review this week was Trevor's review of My Little Pony: The Movie (1986), right? This comes after Trevor's Wednesday Game Day review of Sonic Free Riders. Of course, before that was my review on Monday of Spider-Man: Brand New Day. I'm currently working on a review of Haunted Mansion, the 2023 remake of sorts of The Haunted Mansion. That review will appear sometime in October.

Next week, I will try to get back to Blackmail and get that finished. And I'll probably take another swing at the other book, and hopefully come up with a name for it.

Well, that about does it for me. Keep writing and I'll see you next week.

A Week in Writing #629 - The Newsletter and Other Stories

Hope everyone is staying safe, and, of course, writing.

This was, of course, newsletter week. We release The Hound Dogs' Howl the first Sunday of every month, which is all about Powers Squared and related projects. In addition, each month we highlight twins in the arts, this month it was Yank and Doodle, now public domain superheroes from the 1940s. And we also make a recommendation, this month it was the video game Hi-Fi Rush. And there is also a special Heard Around Campus story, since this is after all, a school paper. For those of you new to Powers Squared, Marty and Eli are students at San Romero Community College when they discover they had been granted superpowers when they were younger. If it sounds at all interesting, sign up here and you'll get one next month, as well as a FREE copy of the first issue.

I know I wrote last week that I would be working on Blackmail, putting on finishing touches. However, I got the inspiration to work on a possible new script for Powers Squared instead. In this one, Jennifer finally learns the truth. It's a single-issue that I think would also serve as a jumping on point to the story. I'm not sure I'm finished with it, but I should be soon. I like to write and then re-read and edit a few times before sharing.

Work continues on the current Powers Squared, with our artist turning in the second page for issue #31, which is coming along nicely.

Our podcast this week, was a look at the Tenth Doctor, as we continue our deep dive into the Doctor Who franchise. You can watch it on our twitch.tv channel for the next few days, listen to it here, or wait and watch it on Wednesday at 2:30 pm on our YouTube channel when it premieres.

Trophy Unlocked was especially busy this week starting on Monday with A Celebration of 1800 Reviews, which Trevor compiles for us. On Tuesday was Paul's review of Buddy (2026), on Wednesday, Game Day, Trevor again, with a look at  Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity for the Wii. Thursday was Trevor's review of Coyote vs. Acme. And on Saturday was Paul's review of Batman: Hush.

I'm working on a review for October of The Mummy's Hand and wrote a review today of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which we finally saw today in the theater. Look for both in the near future.

Next week, it'll be back to Blackmail, finishing The Mummy's Hand and probably more on Powers Squared, as there always seems to be a new page to review.

Well, that about does it for me this week. Keep writing and I'll see you back here next week.

A Week in Writing #628 - 7 Years of On the Air with Powers Squared, 1800 Reviews and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

Hope everyone is staying safe, and, of course, writing.

As the title suggests, On the Air with Powers Squared celebrated 7 years of podcasts on Friday with #366. Our guest was Val Hochberg, noted artist and webcomic creator. She is someone we've been after for a while. The boys, especially Paul, is a big fan of her work, so it was great to have her on the show. Val talked about her career and influences, mostly with Paul, which was quite all-right. You can still watch it for the next few days on our twitch channel, listen to it on here, or wait and watch it on our YouTube channel at 2:30 pm PDT on Wednesday.

The night before, we recorded another podcast, this one with Nina Gaillard, former colorist for Powers Squared, and now Eisner-nominated for her work on Chickenpox, a book by Remy Lai. It was the first time Nina had done a podcast with us since 2019, so it was good to catch up. We're holding it back for a while, but it will be coming out soon. More when it does.

And if that wasn't enough, Trophy Unlocked celebrated 1800 reviews on Saturday, with my second review of Citizen Kane. A Second Screening came about from watching the movie with an audience, something I don't think I had done since college, and even then it was probably a bunch of film students, so they don't count as a public viewing with paying customers. It did change my perspective on the film. Earlier in the week on Wednesday, Game Day, was Trevor's review of Sonic Riders for the PS2. I'm workng on a review of Nancy Drew... Detective, while Paul is working on one for the new Buddy film and Trevor is working on one for Coyote vs. Acme.

On the Powers Squared front, Wednesday saw the release of Issue #28, the one and only issue drawn by Jen Moreno. In this issue, "Agnes: Wreckage, Part 1", while trying to assist with his research, Marty and Eli Powers’ former science instructor Agnes Miller accidentally took an overdose of the Viribus compound, a chemical blend found in the blood of people with superpowers. As a result, she now has powers that she can’t control and neither can Dr. Atlas. With nowhere to turn, he comes to beg Marty, Eli and Mocha for help. But will they answer the call? It's available in print and digital through The Campus Store on our website.

You have to give us credit; 7 years of a podcast, 1800 reviews and a new issue of a comic book. I don't think many people can point to that in a week's work. We're consistent if nothing else.

More on Powers Squared: We're also getting new pages on Issue #31 from our artist, and hopefully in the next month or so, we'll wrap issue #30.

I also applied to table at both WonderCon 2027 and San Diego Comic-Con 2027, so we'll see what happens.

Finally, I think I'm one step closer to being finished with Blackmail. I finished my final go through, and now it's just down to reviewing for repeats, which I hope there aren't many. By repeats, I mean where I might have talked about the same thing more than once, a description or an event. I'm not 100 percent happy with my final paragraph either, so I might not be totally done. The count is now 90,501 words.

Next week will be time for the newsletter again, so I think that's where a lot of my time will be spent, if it's not on Blackmail. You can still enroll here, if you want to get your own copy of The Hound Dogs' Howl.

Well, that about does it for me. Keep writing and I'll see you back here next week.