Tig Carson's Blog, page 2

The Once Exciting Life of a Projectionist

Back in the olden days (the mid 1990's) I worked as a projectionist at Loews Theaters. I still look back fondly on those insane, fast-paced, long hour days. It was the best of times - it was the worst of times... Oh wait... 

To be honest, the opening lines to the novel 'A Tale of Two Cities' sums up the job perfectly. It truly was a great/horrible time. I loved being a projectionist, and all the perks that came along with it. But at times, it was a nightmare. 
In The Beginning...

Up until recently, almost every movie theater used 35 millimeter film.  
Film was originally made of celluloid. But, around the time I came on the scene, they were making film out of polyester. It was a real big deal at the time. Polyester film was much stronger than celluloid, and didn't get brittle. But there were some awful down-sides to it as well.
I'll explain shortly. Most people never set foot in a projection booth, so it was always fun to bring friends and family 'up' to see where you worked. The look of shock was priceless - like pulling the curtain away from OZ. We also gave tours to boy-scouts and girl-scouts. The leaders were more impressed than the kids. I couldn't find a good pic of the booth I worked in, but it was like this - except 5 times as big and covered in posters. My theater had what was considered an exceptionally large booth, and its walls were mostly decorated with the left-over posters of movies gone-by. There was a lot of room to say... roller-blade from projector to projector or play hockey with small rolls of film called trailers.
They were very close to the size and weight of a puck - and slid well on a freshly mopped floor. Being a projectionist had some amazing up-sides. First, and foremost, you were the first one to see the movie... before the public. Movies often premiered on Fridays. But, the movies themselves would be delivered to the theater on Thursdays. They arrived in very old-looking metal 'cans' that looked like this...


I was convinced that most of these things held such movies as 'Gone With the Wind' and the like. They were old, dented, heavy, and impossible to destroy. A full length movie often fit in two 'cans'. Each 'can' held 2 or 3 reels, and a reel held about 20 minutes worth of film. So on average, a movie was usually 5 to 7 reels.

(Comedies were usually 5 reels - epics like Titanic -or- Two Towers were much bigger)
I've never seen such a new 'can'. Also, most reels were made of plastic, not metal. Protocol was as follows : A manager would call you down to tell you the 'cans' were delivered. You would go downstairs, grab hold of the thin, rusty handles, and lug the 40 pound 'cans' up the stairs and into projection.

THIS is where the magic happened.
 You needed these six things to slap a movie together:
(PS - Done right - it often took a few hours to throw together a movie. 
Rushing often caused errors and scratches)

 Cotton gloves.
A Splicer (basically a giant tape dispenser with two sharp blades. List price $500 bucks - so don't break it.) The 'Make-Up' Table. This is where you took the reels from the 'cans' and loaded them onto larger reels. 

 
The larger reels were then attached to the 'Auto-Wind' The Auto-Wind loaded the reels onto the 'platters' The Platters. This is where the movie itself loaded, ran through the projector, and unloaded while playing. The platters were part of the actual projector. This was a way for the movie to play without having to change reels, and it also rewound itself for the next show. It was awesome... except when things went bad.

 If you've ever been to a movie when the show stopped, and the manager came into the theater with free passes to come back another time... there's a 99% chance it was because something like those pictures above happened. They were often caused by, what was referred to as 'Brain Wraps', and they were a projectionists worst nightmare.

We often blamed the Booth Goblins. 
(but it was the polyester)

As I mentioned earlier, film was made from polyester. Polyester is very strong. You can't tear it. So if the film fell off a roller, or got stuck around the 'brain', it wouldn't tear or set off the proper alarms. Instead, it would keep playing, wrapping around stuff or fall onto the floor. I've seen it drag a projector platter system (Also called the tree) across the booth floor and smash into the projector itself. 
IT'S THAT STRONG!
This is the 'brain' (the cause of a brain-wrap) It sat at the center of the platters and helped keep tension on the film as it was fed through the projector. Sometimes, it failed, and all hell would break loose. My Old Stomping Grounds.But, when things went well, it was great.
  
Once a film was put together, it was a RULE that the projectionist watch the film - to make sure it was put together correctly.

I remember when The first Matrix came out - Lord of the Rings - Harry Potter - Titanic - Star Wars Re-releases - Pulp Fiction - ect. We would wait until closing time, lock the doors, and watch the movies until 3 am. It was one of the most fun times of my life. Most people don't get to watch movies in the privacy of their own 500 seat theater.  

Grab some food, crank up the sound, and kick up your feet.


You can probably imagine how often people tried bribing us...
(legally, we were not allowed to let in anyone that didn't work for us - and the penalty was frighting. Like a "Fifty thousand dollar fine and prison time" kind of frighting.)

But, the employees got to watch with us.

On a Thursday Night, projectionists were treated like Kings! Well, until something went wrong... then everyone wanted to kill us.

Operating Hours...
During operating hours, when there were 5000 screaming and excited people downstairs, fighting for food and seats on a hot, rainy summer day - a projectionist could go hide up in their cave and watch from above (often, while chuckling to themselves). Busy days didn't really effect a projectionist, other than wanting to do a good job and make sure the movies ran on time.  Start the Movie and pray to the booth 
Gods for no brain-wraps.

But on slow days, when the employees downstairs got to relax and talk, it was depressing to be stuck upstairs. And you often missed out on the insane stories and mishaps that DID happen on a busy day, left to hear the stories retold by coworkers in the break-room. Stories about 'out-of-towners' (we called them bennies) who went berserk because we ran out of pretzel bites.
  Or.. the time someone decided to write with poop on the bathroom mirrors. I wish I was joking.Being alone in the booth for long periods of time would also play tricks on your senses. Every projectionist that worked in our booth SWORE that there was a ghost living in the 'cage' near projector 4. That was the back corner of the booth, where important stuff was stored. 
  
Fellow projectionists, including myself, have had their share of moments when we 'felt' someone was walking through the booth, just to look up and see... nothing. 
(Add spooky laugh here)


But, nothing gold can stay.
Eventually those rugged, amazingly complicated film-machines were replaced by digital projectors. Gone are the days of needing someone to be trained to run those beasts. 

Gone are the days of wearing this kind of stuff to change a fifty thousand watt projector light-bulb. 
 Again, I wish I was joking...

What was once a highly respected trade has now been reduced to simple pressing a button. Literally something a monkey could do. 


 I can't deny that it makes sense - First off, the picture quality is much better with digital. And gone are the days where the film would get scratched or burnt when it got stuck.
(scratches were those annoying green and black lines that danced around a movie screen - caused by mishandling and continuous showings.)
AND - no more brain-wraps!

It's also much cheaper to produce. 
Printing movies on film was expensive and time consuming. Now, they just mail a mini drive to the theater. No more heavy 'cans'. No more building a film.

No more projectionists.

Me, and the rest of my fellow projectionists, were the last of a dying breed. No teenage kid will ever get the chance to experience the joy and utter fear that came with the job, which is a shame, because it was the best job I ever had.

This is an actual pic of the booth I worked in - with two of my fellow projectionists. And this is me and a co-worker dealing with a 'problem' in booth on a rainy summer day. I got home around 4am that night.  Stupid 'Booth Goblins' struck again.

My Writing Music (For Good Or For Bad)

I love listening to music while I write. But the type of music depends on the scene I'm working on. Action scenes command fast paced tunes. Heart-felt scenes... something that might move me. Often, I found myself listening to music I never imagined I would. 


Some, I'm embarrassed to reveal. BUT I'M GOING TO DO IT ANYWAY! 
As I write, certain songs become pinned to certain characters. It doesn't happen all the time, or for every character, but if you ask me what song is pinned to say 'Death Touch', I can firmly tell you without flinching.

'Voices Carry' - 'Til Tuesday

This song captures the sort of sadness behind the tough exterior that is 'The Most Feared Creature in the Galaxy' . It's the song that plays in her cockpit (the song she deciphers) when Dean finds her messing with the transmissions. 

I wanted to acknowledge it in the book, but was told 'legally' I was better off leaving it out. But when I wrote the scene, it was the song that lulled Dean and echoed through the hull of the ship. 

It's the song I play whenever I need to get into her head, and meditate on how she ticks. 

Another thing I do is play songs in a loop. Over and over they go, as I think scenes out, or to simply go over ideas in my head. the songs help to put me in a creative state of mind. 

Often, the words themselves don't even matter, it's the music I'm after. It helps to set the mood and get the gears spinning.


Another song I wore out while writing 
'A SPACE STORY'
was this:

'All Along The Watchtower' - Battlestar Galactica

I am a Huge Fan of Battlestar Galactica. I binge watched it on Netflix, to the point that I missed days of work. 

I know it's not the best version of the song (props to Dylon and Hendrix) but it worked wonders for me. I would toss my headphones on and listen to it in a loop, mostly while writing action scenes. This song also helped to spark some great ideas for Vol. 2 . 

Confession: I once listened to this song driving home from Brooklyn NY. 

This song... continuously... for 1hr. and 30mins.

But, I came up with the entire storyline for Vol. 2 during that ride. So who's the crazy person now? 
(It's me. I'm the crazy person)

Now, if you asked me what song best fits Dean Kilmer - our little bald-headed, alien friend - it would be this:

'I Need a Hero' - Bonnie Tyler

 This song is Dean Kilmer's ego. Deans longing to be a Hero. Dean believes in everything the Earth transmissions have sold him. And when Dean is standing on the edge of a cliff, facing a horde of Terronka on Fen, THIS is the song going through his brain. 

As for music that I use for background noise, I have a few standbys:

 All India Radio (Band)


I accidentally stumbled upon this band while listening to Pandora. I haven't been the same since. Their music is amazing.

(It's also great music for sitting around the backyard on a hot summer evening.) 
Give them a listen... you won't be sorry. You might even thank me.

Another huge musical influence on my writing is M83:
Specifically the songs:
Outro
Midnight City
Steve McQueen
The Bright Flash
Echoes of Mine

No doubt you've heard M83's music in countless movies, shows, and commercials. Their music is, for lack of a better word, moving. 

The song 'Outro' is the song I hear when Dean... well, I don't want to spoil it. But, if you read the book, I bet you'll know what scene I speak of. 

BTW, this mix version of the M83 song 'Steve McQueen' is fantastic as well. Another great song to play in a loop and ponder your thoughts.
 
Creeeeeeepy....

Other artists and bands have trickled-in during the writing process as well. 

Such As:
-David Bowie
-Tom Petty
-The 'Lord of the Rings' Soundtrack
- Tom Waits
- Radiohead
- Pink Floyd
- Mogwai


As For Kilroy...
'Mr. Roboto' - Styx
It's so bad, it's good! 

Let me Know what songs you listen to while writing. I'm always looking for new tunes to inspire me!

A Quick "Space Story" Update!

Hello Gang!
A lot of people have been asking me about Volume II in the 'A SPACE STORY' series - and more importantly...  
WHEN IT WILL BE DONE!


So, I wanted to fill you all in.
As of today, I am about 1/2 way through Volume II. But since I know where the story is heading, it's moving very quickly.
I'm presently writing the introduction to a character I've been dying to introduce you all too. He's been lingering in the shadows, waiting for his moment in the sun. I'm very excited about finally getting this character involved. He's really going to shake things up... for good or for bad...
I'm also tying up all the loose-ends from Volume I. I plan on posting a nice sneak-peek of Volume II on my website in the next few days, so keep an eye out!
(maybe even an illustration or two)
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to grab a sandwich and get back to work!
Tig, out.

Why We Write....

I still have the first story I ever wrote.
I was 6 years old. It was a short story about a snail that got picked-on by a bigger snail. I totally forgot about it until my grandmother handed it to me a few years back. She found it while cleaning out a drawer. It sits on my bookshelf to this day. 
A few weeks ago, I sat down and read it, then wondered about what made me write such a story. I'm sure some kid was giving me trouble in school. In fact, I know that's why I wrote it. I still remember the kids name. 
A part of me wondered if this incident was why I started writing in the first place? I have no memory of writing before that, though I was quite young...
I thought about it and realized writing is a sort of escape for me. A place I can go and live in my own universe. A universe where I'm in control.  Thanks Mr. Burns...

I'm sure my fellow writers can relate. Writing, for me, is a way to add some structure to the chaos of life. And, the chaos of my mind.
It's also a way to entertain myself. 

When I was a kid, I would set up my lego castle, grab the family video-recorder, and write little stories. Then I would go through the pain-staking process of making 'Stop & Go' movies. 
(Then make my family watch the finished product, which I'm pretty sure was even more painful... for them)

But, it was the writing part of the process that I enjoyed the most. I loved creating maps of my own fictional worlds, then having the characters go on adventures. It was fun to send reluctant hero's into strange worlds, where they had to battle menacing villains and monsters.

So... I write to escape , to entertain myself , and... because I was born to do it . 

I think Joan Rivers said it best: 
(WARNING: might be inappropriate for young ones)  
"It's a calling"

And that's the thing. For me, and most writers, it's a calling. Something inside us that we can't control.

Yes, we love when someone tells us they like what we write. Yes, it helps to inspire us and work harder. And yes, it's often what keeps us going when times are tough. (I'd be lying if I didn't admit that entertaining others isn't some part of it). But if nobody read what I wrote, I would still write, because writing is part of me.

And I know I'm not alone. Most of us don't even make a living doing it. We would love to, but we don't. And still, we go on... writing. And I think that's a beautiful thing.
We are the music makers,And we are the dreamers of dreams,Wandering by lone sea-breakers,And sitting by desolate streams;—World-losers and world-forsakers,On whom the pale moon gleams:Yet we are the movers and shakersOf the world for ever, it seems. - Arthur O'Shaughnessy
So, why do YOU write? 
I'd love to hear from my fellow writers!

Writing Advice, Memes, and Pics

I've decided to post all the funny, silly, informative, and down right brutal memes/pics that I've collected over the past year.




 Feel free to share them with the world.


 Now, GET BACK TO WRITING !!!

Why I Write....

I still have the first story I ever wrote.
I was 6 years old. It was a short story about a snail that got picked-on by a bigger snail. I totally forgot about it until my grandmother handed it to me a few years back. She found it while cleaning out a drawer. It sits on my bookshelf to this day. 
A few weeks ago, I sat down and read it, then wondered about what made me write such a story. I'm sure some kid was giving me trouble in school. In fact, I know that's why I wrote it. I still remember the kids name. 
A part of me wondered if this incident was why I started writing in the first place? I have no memory of writing before that, though I was quite young...
I thought about it and realized writing is a sort of escape for me. A place I can go and live in my own universe. A universe where I'm in control.  Thanks Mr. Burns...

I'm sure my fellow writers can relate. Writing, for me, is a way to add some structure to the chaos of life. And, the chaos of my mind.
It's also a way to entertain myself. 

When I was a kid, I would set up my lego castle, grab the family video-recorder, and write little stories. Then I would go through the pain-staking process of making 'Stop & Go' movies. 
(Then make my family watch the finished product, which I'm pretty sure was even more painful... for them)

But, it was the writing part of the process that I enjoyed the most. I loved creating maps of my own fictional worlds, then having the characters go on adventures. It was fun to send reluctant hero's into strange worlds, where they had to battle menacing villains and monsters.

So... I write to escape , to entertain myself , and... because I was born to do it . 

I think Joan Rivers said it best: 
(WARNING: might be inappropriate for young ones)  
"It's a calling"

And that's the thing. For me, and most writers, it's a calling. Something inside us that we can't control. We do it because we love it more than anything else. Most of us don't even make a living doing it. We would love to, but we don't. And still, we go on... writing. And I think that's a beautiful thing.
We are the music makers,And we are the dreamers of dreams,Wandering by lone sea-breakers,And sitting by desolate streams;—World-losers and world-forsakers,On whom the pale moon gleams:Yet we are the movers and shakersOf the world for ever, it seems. - Arthur O'Shaughnessy

The Making of 'Death Touch'

  Hey fellow space adventurers! I thought it would be fun to share some of the original art and ideas from my book. Early sketches and ideas from the beginning of the process, if you will!

When I write, I often have a blurry image of the character in my head. A sort of cloudy, half-formed creature that floats around in my brain. Because of this, I often try to get an artist on-board early in the process, so I can SEE the character more clearly. It's amazing how helpful seeing your characters can help with with your writing (at least for me).

Today, I'm going to share with you the process of creating HER ! (Also known as Death Touch - Killer of Souls - Death Dredger.. ect)
 In 'A Space Story'... the female Earthling takes Dean Kilmer under her wing, though Dean is unsure why. SHE is mysterious, clever, sarcastic, dangerous... and originally the lead for the story! 

I came up with the idea for 'A Space Story' all the way back in 1995. Back then, I worked as a projectionist at a movie theater. It was lonely up in the booth, sitting in a dark room for 8 hours a day. In between cleaning projectors, putting a movies together (back when they were on film), and threading projectors, I would jot down ideas in a journal. Most of those dark days were spent drawing maps and writing characters for an epic space story. And during that time, the story was told from the perspective of a young, sarcastic female with fire-red hair. 
Originally, she went by the name 'Vyrus'.
HER back-story has remained very much the same, with some tweaks here and there. But years later, when I finally set out to write the story, I decided against having her as the lead. My reason... I didn't want the reader to get inside her head. She needed to remain mysterious, and having the book (journal) written from her perspective ruined any mystery. That's when Dean Kilmer was created!

But this post isn't about Dean - it's about HER!

When it was time to flesh-out what SHE should look like, I tapped my buddy John Zarate-Khus. Like all the other characters from the book, I had a cloudy version of HER in my mind:
Red-hair, freckles, sporty build, tall, experience and determination in the eyes, hood, long rifle... Heading in the right direction!

Unfortunately, this was around the time John got pulled away from the project.

Now it was Adam Barutis's turn! 

I sent Adam the sketch John had done. I also met up with Adam to go over her back story, and any ideas I had for her personal look.  My original intentions for the art in the book was muted. I was reluctant about forcing an image of the characters into the readers mind. Adam took that into consideration...
I was loving it!

We were both content with this version of 'Death Touch'. The stance, the gun, the hood - it was awesome. I was willing to run with it. Then... Adam texted me. All he wrote was...

"I just want to try something."

Days went by, and my mind wandered. Early on in our discussions, he said he liked the visual in the book of HER and Dean sitting in the cave - the fire between them. He liked the idea of Dean sketching HER from his point of view from inside that cave. I wondered if that was what he had in mind. A late night email answered that question... 
I was blown away!

After almost 20 years of having a character in my head, it was surreal to see HER sitting across from me. Yes, my idea of a muted character was stripped away, but I was okay with it. There SHE was, face exposed, for all the world to see. But, like most art, it inspired me.

Now, all we had to do was give it that sketchy look...
FIN!

The Female Earthling, Death Touch, HER, She was done! Out of all the characters Adam has done for the book, SHE had the quickest turn-around. It was an awesome achievement, and gave me a great deal of momentum to finish the book, and share Death Touch with the world.


Now, if you will excuse me... I must get back to finishing Book 2.

Bringing 'Rusty the Robot' To Life

  Hey fellow space adventurers! I thought it would be fun to share some of the original art from my book. Early sketches from the beginning of the process, if you will!

When I write, I often have a blurry image of the character in my head. A sort of cloudy, half-formed creature that floats around in my brain. Because of this, I often try to get an artist on-board early in the process, so I can SEE the character more clearly. It's amazing how helpful seeing your characters can help with with your writing (at least for me).

Today, I'm going to share with you the early sketches of one of my favorite characters in the book, Rusty the Robot!
Rusty the Robot (or as August calls him, Rustpot) has become one of the most popular characters in A Space Story.

"Rusty is one of the best robots in all of science fiction." - Carol Kean (Perihelion Science Fiction Magazine)

 "I want my own Rusty the Robot!" - Greg Dolman

"Rusty is so adorable, which is weird to say about a robot." - Rachel Essex 

These are just some of the amazing reviews I've received about Rusty. What makes me smile from ear-to-ear about them all, is this...

In the beginning, there was no Rusty the Robot! When I set out writing, I had no need for a robot. Sure, I figured I would throw one in somewhere along the line, but just as some sub-character. But as the story went on, the idea of a robot companion for the Female Earthling known as 'Death Touch' seemed more logical. Someone like HER could never have a full crew on board. Having a robot to do the work of 10 men was a much better idea. And someone who couldn't be killed by an accidental touch of HER hand. Someone she could trust. Someone she could talk to.

Rusty made HER the word - happy.  A faithful companion.
I contacted my buddy John Zarate-Khus, who also helped in  developing Kilroy.

We bounced design ideas around. I wanted Rusty to be dented and... well... Rusty. My little robot has been around for quite some time, so he needed some battle scars. Maybe he's missing the bottom half of his body, and is fitted with a tricycle-type body to get around.

John got right to it.   I loved it!
This was 'Rusty' for a good portion of my writing. I would keep this picture pinned to my wall as I wrote. I loved how he was rough, but tough. Mismatched. Dirty. Rugged. But he also was a bit.. dare i say... cute.

I trekked on with this version of Rusty for quite some time. But as I wrote, some things changed for me. The Female Earthling spends a good amount of her time tinkering with Rusty. Maybe out of boredom, or longing for some contact. Either way, she modifies Rusty quite a bit.

Up stepped the amazingly talented artist: Adam Barutis. Adam took what John had done and tweaked him a bit.
 
I immediately said 'No' to the head, and thought the body was too bulky. I called Adam, and we discussed Rusty for a solid hour. Adam wanted me to tell him everything about Rusty. Everything! Every idea, every little detail in the book. I, being a storyteller, gladly babbled on about my creation. Among other things, I told Adam that I wanted Rusty to have saucer shaped eyes and no mouth. That was always how I saw his face.

Once Adam felt he had all he needed, we hung up, and Adam disappeared into his lair to work on our little robot friend.

 It's a tough and tedious process getting an image from your mind, to the artist's mind, and then onto paper. I can describe what I see in my minds-eye until I'm blue in the face, but we all see thing differently. 
I tossed more details at Adam. I even gave away certain vital plot twists.
(He's sworn to secrecy, so don't even bother contacting him!)

Adam got to work. Now we were cooking! I was very excited when this image popped up in my inbox late that evening. I knew Adam and I were finally on the same page. I was psyched. I wrote him back praising his mad skills, then asked for some simple tweaks. Knock back the nose area. Add a symbol to his chest. Add more detail to his arm.

 That's my Rusty!Everything was perfect! The symbol. The face. The detail on the arms. The wheels. The straps holding his upper and bottom-half together. All of it.
THIS WAS THE ROBOT IN MY HEAD! Now, we just had to get it to go from a highly polished look, to a "Dean drew it in his journal" look.
DONE! The journey of creating Rusty was complete. I received this finished version from Adam the same day I finished the book. It was quite appropriate I suppose. Along the way, Rusty had gone from an afterthought, to a vital part of the storytelling process. 
He is my special little buddy. And to know that Rusty has brought a smile to others, makes it all worth it.


 It makes me the word - happy! :)
 all rights reserved to: Tig Carson.

That One Time I Jumped Out of a Plane!

Back when I was young, and some say a bit thick-headed, I decided to jump out of a plane.
First, let me explain how this all came about...





Back in the day, I was a projectionist at a local movie theater. If I remember correctly, it was the first warm day of spring. Working in a projection booth is much like living in a cave, so I would make routine visits downstairs to try and absorb some radiation from the sun. On my second visit, my boss strolled in and immediately asked me if I would ever try skydiving? I thought a moment, noticed the twinkle in his eyes, and answered yes.

This was my first mistake.

I expected my boss to continue on about some marketing technique he just learned, or a show he watched over the weekend. But I was wrong. 

I come to find out that my boss had been planning to jump with friends for months, and they were going in a week!
What does this all have to do with me, you ask? Well, my boss informed me that one of his friends bailed out. Seems his friend's wife didn't think it was smart for a new father to be jumping out of a plane. Fair enough. My boss, needing to fill the last spot, asked me. I said yes.  I'm gonna go ahead and need to you jump out of a plane with me.I was now jumping out of a plane on Friday. It was Monday. I don't remember anything that happened the rest of the week. I'm pretty sure I started the wrong movie a few times.
I woke up at 5am on Friday, felt like vomiting till about 8am, then my boss picked me up around 830am. The ride to the airport was filled with false excitement by me and my boss. I could sense the panic in both our voices. But there was no backing out now. 
 
There was no way I was going out like Cliff. (If you've never watched 'Cheers' you're missing out.)
We entered a hanger and took a seat at one of those school-type chairs with the writing desk attached. A jolly man, with a bushy mustache, greeted us with roughly 3 pounds of paperwork and a worn-out VHS tape. He said his name was 'Blaze' while forcing the tape into the VCR. 

Then THIS guy popped up...  This... is Bill Booth. Bill was instrumental in obtaining FAA recognition of the tandem-jump as a means of teaching skydiving. He's also an engineer, inventor, and entrepreneur in the skydiving equipment manufacturing industry. He's a brilliant man. Bill gave people, like me, an easy way to experience sky diving. But in that moment, all I saw was a crazy hippie with a death wish! 


Bill talked from behind a static-filled screen about his tandem-jump creation, and how it's the safest way to experience sky-diving. Then, when the tape ended, we proceeded to sign the 3 pounds of paperwork that protected the sky-diving school from being sued -  just in case we were maimed or killed while participating in the safest way to experience sky-diving. 

The pukey feeling returned. 
As we signed our lives away, a cheerful teenaged girl walked into the hanger and apologized for sleeping late (she was actually able to sleep). Before her stood 4 pale-faced men, who all suddenly gained false confidence.  If this young, bubbly woman had no fear, then maybe we should all get our acts together! I pushed the burning vomit down into my stomach, put on the blue jump suit, and walked into the field, where the plane was waiting. 
The Plane... Not the plane... but damn close. When I tell people the plane was held together with duct tape, they think I'm exaggerating. I'm not...
THE PLANE WAS HELD TOGETHER WITH DUCT TAPE! 
Oh, and the pilot wore his own parachute. He was prepared... He knew...

We were shown how this was going to work. If you don't know what Tandem-Jump Skydiving is, it's best described like this: 
You piggy-back a professional skydiver while plummeting toward the Earth at roughly 170 mph.    Brilliant!The plane could only carry 4 jumpers at a time. We were asked who wanted to go first. The teenaged woman fired her hand into the sky. While me and the other 3 'men' muddled over who should go, two Russian blokes strode into the field. Strapped with their own equipment, the two men asked if they could go first. We gladly obliged, then stepped back as the plane took off.  Those Russian guys were hard core. We waited with bit lips as the plane flew over head, then disappeared. Soon after, two parachutes appeared, then another. The two Russian fellows zipped past us at super speed, skimming the ground as they went, then landed safely. The girl, and her piggy-backed pro, landed next. 
SHE SURVIVED! There was still hope for us!
I boarded the plane with one of my boss's friends, and our two piggy-back pros. Then something happened, my boss's friend froze at the airplane door. He couldn't get on the plane. Up jumped the two Russians to fill the gap. My boss and his other friend said they would take the next plane up. 
I was going it alone... sort of.
We left the ground and rumbled into the sky. Wind tore through the duct-taped plane, making it hard to hear my piggy-back pro as he explained what to do. He hooked himself to my back and we waited. 3000 feet. 5000 feet. 7000 feet. Then, at 10,000 feet, the pilot gave the thumbs-up. One of the Russians looked at me, smiled, then said in broken english...
"Ready to Sh*t your pants?!"
I watched in awe as he kicked open the airplane door and both him, and his friend, fell into oblivion.
The Russians were gone. It was time. 

I shuffled to the door, arms across my body, held tight to the straps. My piggy-back pro pointed to the wheel frame, telling me to step out. The air was cold. The wind, harsh. My goggles lifted off my cheeks, causing my eyes to tear. I leaned forward and waited. Then... we fell.
There was no sensation of falling, more like floating on a bubble of air. It felt like I couldn't breathe, but I could. My brain was confused. The ground grew larger, but I was convinced I was flying. It was absolutely amazing.

45 seconds later, A tremendous pressure yanked me back into reality. The chute opened. The euphoric blur of wind and flight gave way to peaceful gliding. No cars, no birds, no people talking, just my thoughts and the slight sound of parachute fabric flipping in the breeze. It was beautiful. 
10 minutes later, it was over.

It was strange standing on Earth again. I jumped a few times, in an attempt to break the bonds of gravity... to no avail.

I wanted to go back up!
The two Russian men congratulated me with high-fives and a smack on the butt. I think they were checking to see if I did, in fact, soil myself.
 That's me - with my Piggy-back pro.
I vividly remember the walk back to the hanger. I remember the look on the faces of those waiting to jump next. I wanted to tell them it was going to be okay. That it would be one of the most amazing moments of their lives.
But some things... you have to experience for yourself.

Constructive Criticism (Your Best Friend)

Criticism... is such a dirty word. Or is it honesty? Billy Joel? Where's my glasses?
Constructive Criticism is something all writers ask for, receive, then bitch about when they get it. HA! You know it's true. (I'm just kidding around, relax.)
Like most writers, I had to learn to not only take criticism, but to harness it in a way to make me a better writer... and person.  I had a writing partner for years, so learning to take constructive criticism, and just criticism in general, was a must to survive. Yes, we argued. Yes, we often disagreed. But... more often than not, our opinions and arguments would spark an idea and make the writing even better.   Every writer knows three truths:  1. Everybody has an opinion 2. Your mom telling you your writing is 'great' isn't helping you in any way.  3. Often... the truth hurts.  I know, nobody wants to hear that their main character is too boring, or that their idea isn't well developed, or that their story is too long or short, or that their story needs to be reworked because, "I can't understand what's going on."   BUT, guess what... it's probably true, especially if you hear it from more than one person. Now, there's only two things you can do about it: You can pout, and tell yourself, "They don't understand what you're trying to do."  Then, when you're done pouting... you fix it.     Here's the dirty little secret: The things 'they' often point out, are almost always things YOU ALREADY KNOW NEED WORK!   When I was writing 'A SPACE STORY' I was lucky enough to have a solid crew around me. A group of friends willing to give me constructive criticism: My writing partner, a friend I have written many a script with, and another friend who has been published multiple times in his life. I would ask them to read my draft, then beg them, then threaten them, then eventually they would read it. After a few months, and some more begging, we would get together and discuss what worked, what didn't work, what made no sense at all, and what I was thinking trying to write a book.  And here's how it went... 9 of the 10 things were things I KNEW needed work. Most criticisms were about chapters that even I hated to read, chapters I hoped to bury and maybe go back to tweak later.  Yes... when they said it, it burned me up inside. But I wasn't mad at them, I just knew they were right! And if it wasn't for them being honest in their criticism, my story would suffer.    I hated having to go back and change things in my story. I HATED IT! But I wrote down all their opinions, changed the things I knew needed work, pondered the things I was on the fence about, and came up with some fresh ideas from opinions I totally didn't agree with. It was hard to fix everything, I had done so much work and spent so much time to get to that point. I wanted my friends to be like my mom and just tell me it's the greatest thing they ever read, and how they just KNEW it was going to become the next Harry Potter! (refer to number 3 for a reality check)   But they didn't. Instead, they said, "Here's what you have to do, in order for you to even get a few people to read this drivel." (Okay, it wasn't that bad, but it felt like it at the time.)  But, in the end, it made the story so much better.   Understand this : The people criticizing your story are your audience. You are writing a story to entertain your audience. If your audience isn't entertained, then you need to fix your story. (If you aren't writing your story to entertain... then skip this part.)  Constructive Criticism is a WIN-WIN!   I LOVE criticism. Any kind will do. Even telling me "You suck, Tig!" is a sort of motivator. Well, maybe not... but you get the point.  We are better writers because of those who are brave enough to tell their honest opinion. You can't thank them enough.  And to you I say:"Seek out those who are critical of your work, for you may not agree with all they say, but you may find truth in their words."(this is best said in a Patrick Stewart'ish type accent)   Now go fix that horrible chapter you hated since you wrote it. And if you need help, I'll gladly tell you it sucks, so you will get mad at me, and then fix it. :)