Hi Reader, A quick update on the Dead Strays book cover vote. As I mentioned last time, Dead Strays is a crime-horror-thriller, based on my award-winning screenplay, about a group of casino robbers forced to hide out in a rural mansion, only to run afoul of two reclusive sisters and the demonic force that binds them to the house. First, thank you to everyone who took the time to make their choice. The response has been great, and the race is really close. Right now, Cover A has a slight lead...
8 days ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, A little while ago, I mentioned that I was working on the cover for my upcoming horror novel, Dead Strays. Now I’ve narrowed it down to two versions. And I’d love your help! Both covers capture a different side of the book, so I’m curious to see which one grabs you more at first glance. Which cover would make you want to pick up the book? Vote here: Which cover do you prefer? Cover A Cover B For anyone new here, Dead Strays is a genre-bending horror-thriller about a group of casino...
11 days ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, We did it! Principal photography on my short film Room 309 is officially wrapped. And after a very intense few days, I’m tired, relieved, proud, and already thinking about everything this project taught me. I really believe every new script you write and every new film you make should teach you something. If it doesn’t, you risk getting stuck. And once that happens, you start repeating the same mistakes instead of getting better. Planning matters - but so does flexibility We had a...
15 days ago • 4 min read
Hi Reader, We go to camera on my latest film, Room 309, in just a few days. After a whirlwind few months of writing, planning, funding, casting, locations, costumes, props, shot lists, and all the other moving parts, we’re almost there. But this past week, we hit another important milestone: we held a table read with our main cast. And I think table reads deserve more attention from writers and directors alike. No matter how many times you’ve read your script, you haven’t really heard your...
23 days ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, This past week has been a big one for my upcoming short film, Room 309. The location is secured, the crew is set, and casting is complete. In just a short amount of time, this movie is starting to feel very real. As the writer-director, I’m reminded again how much every little detail matters when you’re the one driving the creative side behind the camera. Thankfully, my producing partners, Preston and Elizabeth, have taken on a lot of the heavy lifting with contracts, location...
29 days ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, Since getting back from vacation, I’ve been thinking a lot about one simple idea: writers need input before they can keep producing output. Sure, it sounds obvious, but I think a lot of us forget it. We spend months writing, rewriting, outlining, editing, solving story problems, and trying to make the next project better than the last one. And if you're anything like me, then eventually, you start drawing from the same creative well. Sooner or later, that well gets low. But there's...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, I’m back from Europe, feeling refreshed, inspired, and ready to get back to work! And to be honest, the timing is pretty perfect, because my latest project is moving fast. It’s a supernatural short film called Room 309, based on an award-winning script I first wrote years ago and have since updated. The story is set in the 1930s and follows a weary traveler who stops for the night at a swanky hotel. But in true genre form, things are not quite what they seem. The hotel has secrets...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, So I’m heading to Europe this week, and I can’t wait! We’ll be travelling through England, Croatia, and Italy, and I’m really looking forward to soaking up the history, seeing new places, and spending some quality time with my family. But this trip will also be a bit of a working vacation. See, a few days ago, funding was approved for my latest short film, which I’ll be directing from a script I wrote. It all came together pretty quickly, and we’re planning to go to camera in late...
2 months ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, A few days ago, I went with my family to the Royal BC Museum in Victoria, BC, where we spent a few hours exploring a new exhibit on ancient Egypt. We saw sarcophagi, jewelry, sacred artwork, ceremonial objects, stone tablets, and three thousand-year-old papyrus documents covered in hieroglyphics. It was amazing! The exhibit focused on life, death, and rebirth in the afterlife, and what struck me most was how familiar so many of those ideas still feel. Thousands of years ago, people...
2 months ago • 3 min read