I’m a writer, among other things, I produce, direct, even “act” but when it comes down to it, I’m a writer. I’ve been giving that declaration a lot of thought these past few days. What does that even mean anyhow, to be a writer? You sit down and pen stuff, doesn’t matter the medium, Field Notes or keyboard, forming thoughts, worlds, emotions on the page. I’ve been writing daily for over a decade now. 

I joke I probably bleed ink at this point, but what does it all really mean? I honestly believe its created a systematic rewiring of the way my brain filters through experiences and emotions. I find myself cataloging everything, conversations, facial expressions, the peculiar way someone may say something without actually speaking anything. I eavesdrop and try to take everything in, it probably leads to a lot of over-analyzing  on my part and annoyance on the part of friends and family but I suppose that simply comes with the territory.

I won’t deny there’s  this constant nagging sensation deep in my gut that all this cataloging is creating a sense of detachment within my person that is inhibiting me from legitimately connecting with others. But then I catch myself, if anything writing has made me more keenly aware of how ones’ actions can and will have a profound affect on those around oneself. Shakespeare declared that “All the World’s a Stage and all Men and Women merely players.” Everyone, in one way, shape, or form plays into the grand scheme of things. As someone whose job is, in essence,  to create worlds for people to enter, places and individuals that feel tangible enough that one does not find oneself questioning the (for lack of a better word) “realness” of the environment and the emotions that drive the protagonist and antagonist to do what they do, I can’t help but feel a incredible sense of responsibility. That’s a scary amount of authority. I have absolutely no desire to make my occupation sound more important then it actually is, I don’t hold a candle as far as courage/power to say a Firefighter or member of the Armed Forces. With that said, one cannot deny the power  that is given when we put words to use.

Know Thyself?

I wield a vastly different kind of weapon then the military,  dangerous in its own right. Ideas, thoughts, and concepts. Tools of my trade. I’m entirely fascinated with how the Human Mind stores and processes information, how/why things gain a certain level of importance to me while they don’t mean anything at all to someone else. And vise-versa. In this day and age where everything is summarized by the amount of data it requires to function where does Humanity, our needs/desires, and the Soul factor into all that? Does what we know solely define who we are?

ETGC's Director & Female Lead: Torey Byrne

These are questions that don’t really have straight answers, hence the reason I wrote EXTRACT: The Ghost Complex. Questions I have found myself pondering over with a Torey Byrne, a 19 year old insanely talented actress (And Director) who I suspect had no earthly idea what she was signing up for when I simply asked, “You want drama or high-concept sci-fi?”

We’ve gone and built the most legitimate world we can with the resources that we have on hand. Extract’s ‘Verse, if you will (Firefly fans will get it.) Employed the power of the Imagination and lots of crazy talented people.  Created brands, companies, social structure, drugs, lingo, culture, subculture, and counterculture. Formed from the unsettling context of familiarity.

ExtractTGC is in the can and the footage is in the hands of our brilliant Editor Bryan Capri, we should have a rough cut within the week.  While the producing side of my brain is occupied by smoothing out our Post Production workflow and prepping for Fest submissions my Writer’s brain and heart win out most of the time. They’ve latched onto the project in a way that only Science Fiction can for me. Allowing me to ask the big “WHAT IFs?” Filtering all these aching questions through the lens of a camera and witnessing  Torey put flesh and blood to my words.

I don’t really know how or why I started writing. I know why I do now, its a integral part of who I am. Part of me has letmy words define who I am. Who knows if that’s healthy or not. But, lets just say, it always makes for an interesting story.