You remember Janus, right?
No, not the mutual funds
per se*, but the Roman god of time and passages, with dual "front and back" faces who could see into both the future and the past—and thusly the namesake of January, when we naturally catch our post-new-year selves doing the same thing: planning tomorrow, reflecting on yesterday. (I love it when I remember something like this from my fourth-grade language textbook.)
And looking ahead to the coming year I already know there's a boatload of things headed right at me—exciting things!
I have three brand-new projects staring me in the face—two of them Trek, and the third a long-term date with a mic—but as usual I can't talk about them until they bloom or launch, hopefully by midyear.
(Sorry, no links. Yet. And not a lot of fancy logos to break up this one: There's too many! I just want to get through all the words, okay?)
Now, that doesn't even count maintaining the
Trekland Trunk after a fast start—I could use an assistant just for that—much less growing this blog and videos with some big overdue plans, and most of all getting our
"Con of Wrath" documentary back on the front burner. It took a back seat when 2013 turned crazy-busy—the long-planned home and office move, coupled with the unexpected joys of
writing "Stellar Cartography" and stepping into the McCoy smock for
Star Trek Continues.
I'm also proud of serving on boards for new exciting non-profit missions—and for one, I urge you to check out
science-based Enterprise in Space project.
Toss in the
LA2Vegas Trek film site tour for Geek Nation Tours, some big con trips including
Germany's FedCon, another
Trekland: On Speaker archival theme CD to come, and my column for
Titan Trek mag....and again, it's an overloaded blue-plate special of a year.
But while my three
new prospects are exciting, they are half or wholly all on
me—meaning a ton of blood, toil, tears and sweat ahead in solo development work, otherwise known as "git'erdone." I'm excited for the challenge, and can't wait to talk about them when ready.
But thanks to Janus, I can learn from a 2013 look-back—and I can also learn from a fourth-grade textbook in another subject. Because, simply, the math "don't add up" when you tally up all this time and energy required—even more than it didn't add up in 2013. Many of my Vegas friends know the big cons were just a blur to me last year, and you readers know the blog has certainly taken a hit here at year's end as the Trunk got established. Well, there'll be even more like that unless we make a few adjustments and shifting of commitments—making way for some bold business ideas that have been long overdue around here... and, in fandom's case, an exciting addition or two to the Trekscape.
So, in the big mix of things, that's why for starters I have agreed to step back from playing Bones in STC as of now, and let that be the first relief valve. Just as it's no surprise that the opportunity was a dream come true for this McCoy/De Kelley fan, so too is the truth that the "gym time" I wanted to put in for the role took a big squeeze, in a production that had such a high bar to begin with. McCoy deserves better, the company deserves better, and *I* deserve better for work like that—but time is the fire in which we, uh, can't clone ourselves.
At the same time, STC has asked me to stay in the family as a creative consultant producer—and be involved in stories, Trek-vibe consulting, and a return to camera at some point when it can be done right (and when the big Tellar Prime script finally comes calling!) And nothing can take away the thrills of the great cast and crew, a jaw-droppingly beautiful Sickbay set on my very first day, and playing the good Doctor in these two episodes—one of which you still have to wait to see until Feb. 8-9!
And nothing can top the memory of our incredible Phoenix world premiere reaction—or that of the honest reviews across the spectrum, and much love shown to me from all the STC fans as I stretched muscles that hadn't been hit in a long time. A lot of work, a lot of love, a lot of good people: I support all the fans films, but Continues is a special group, and its product and my relationships there just got started.
I may make more shifts on my palette like this, as everything new before me is not only a creative challenge but a final product I can't
wait to unveil in the case of the Trek plans—solo or not. You
Con of Wrath supporters and donors have been patient as well, and I promise some new updates too—and there
may even be an all-new newsflash on that score, as well.
Finally, an apology—for there was a time when anyone in creative development kept all their cards close to the vest... no jinxes! Knock on wood! But the revolution in 24/7 social media and crowdfunding has changed all that... leaving folks like me to be coy when I try to explain what the heck is going on right now over coming months. So my regrets, then, if this has sounded more like a fizzbin lesson than a log entry.
Meantime, among the
fun Trek stories like this one and that famous backlog of
vidchats I haven't really shared since April, I'll use
Trekland The Blog keep you posted about my own headlines here first, as well via
my newsletter—while also telling tales to
those podcast hosts who keep
having me on, for some reason. Fans keep asking me about doing my own podcast, but.... really? WHEN? Didn't we just have this discussion?
Stay tuned! It's going to be an incredible 2014... and I'm glad you are aboard.
________________
*OR the primary star to Horta home on its planet VI.
YES, me of all people—I get it.
FOUR big conventions across this continent over Labor Day weekend, on the eve of Star Trek's actual 50th anniversary Sept. 8—and I'm thrilled to be back for the party at one of the biggest three: Salt Lake Comic Con!
