Thank you for reading my Writing Newsletter. This is the first one!
Here are some projects I’ve been working on this year, with more info below…
• The Transposition of Chloë Brontë (Audio Drama)
• The Sound of Many Oceans (Play)
• The Break-Up Girls (Screenplay)
• Silver is the Serpent Blood (Short Story)
• Untitled Novel (er… Novel)
The Transposition of Chloë Brontë (Audio Drama)
My new audio drama mini-series released earlier this year. Here’s the synopsis:
Chloë and Max’s relationship is strained when they move in together and
Chloë’s sleep paralysis appears to open a portal to another dimension.
A low-fi sci-fi (sorta) rom-com audio drama.
And here’s the trailer!
The mini-series stars Tanja Milojevic, Christopher Colón, Erin B. Lillis, Nate DuFort, Tatiana Grey, and Boyd Barrett as your Narrator
Featuring the song “Voices,” written and performed by Anne-Marie Choon
Theme Music by Katharine Seaton
Written and Produced by William J. Meyer
Official Site
Subscribe for free below, or search on your podcast app of choice.
Apple: https://apple.co/3yogKXw • Google: https://bit.ly/30y9LyC
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/30bqAj2 • Podchaser: https://bit.ly/3onSsZk
Extra cool, the show was recommended on BBC Podcast Radio Hour!
Co-host Ella Watts called the show, "...an inventive and fun story." While co-host Chris Pearson said, "This is such a lovely listen and... the relationship between Chloë and Max is written so, so well... and you feel like you know them... a classic, romantic story..." Thanks Ella and Chris!
And, if you’re so inclined for a deeper dive, I was interviewed about Chloë
on both W. Keith Tims’ The First Episode Of and John Siuntres’ Word Balloon.
The Sound of Many Oceans (Play)
This started as a shorter play some time ago, a one-act, which I decided to expand earlier this year. The synopsis:
Alex believes a micro-circuitry device has been attached to his body to reshape his brain and prevent him from hearing the sound of oceans. His friend and Confidant Jules agrees to search his body. Later, Kelly is interrogated by her friend and Advocate Jules, who is determined to uncover the secret location of an invisible, formless being of cryptic and dangerous power.
”Confidant” and “Advocate” are capitalized because the play has its own vocabulary for an insidious pseudo-science organization, and these are the different roles which Jules plays depending upon which other character she is with.
The play explores the notion of shared psychosis— folie à deux— in which a delusional belief is shared among those living together in extreme isolation. Something I first become aware of reading Ulla Isaksson’s book The Two Blessed (she also wrote Ingmar Bergman’s film The Virgin Spring).
Back in April— I took part in the Dramatists Guild third annual national playwriting month, which they call End of Play. Essentially, write everyday for a month and see where you go— In early June the Dramatists Guild was gracious enough to set up a virtual table reading for this play, which was great fun! I got to work with some stage actors I’ve wanted to collaborate with for quite awhile including Casey McKinnon (Jules), Kareem Badr (Alex), and Emilie Martz (Kelly). Playwright Paul Donnelly was kind enough to read the stage directions.
The table-read confirmed my thoughts— the first act is in good shape, the second act needs some trims, and the third act requires a re-write based more on the relationships than the plot. So, this is currently undergoing revisions.
Here’s a sample— Alex begins to explain his theory to Jules:
The Break-Up Girls (Screenplay)
This is a script I’ve been working on for a number of years. It’s a kaleidoscopic rock ‘n roll Wisconsin road trip comedy about friendship. In May I did a revision which tightened up some plot elements— combined some scenes— removed some characters. I also jettisoned all the flashbacks. Here’s the synopsis:
The all-woman punk (ish) band The Break-Up Girls are in dire straits when their bass player quits on the eve of their road trip to perform in the Ballyhoo. Hoping to scout a replacement at every gig along the way, they must match wits with motorcyle gangs, hecklers, hangovers, childhood bullies— and their own doubts of the band’s less-than-obvious awesomeness. When the music ends, will the world forget them?
Here’s a scene snippet— fyi, Kelly is the lead guitarist and singer— Charlie on drums— Stace on bass… (but not for long)!
And here’s a playlist of songs I listened to while writing the script!
Silver is the Serpent Blood (Short Story)
Revised this one in June. It’s a sci-fi story set in the near future, about an entire world desperate to forget a single hour of tragedy. Been sending it out… might post it here?
Here’s a sample without context:
Untitled Novel (er… Novel)
Finally, robots! This novel (which I thought was a novella until I did the math) wasn’t untitled since the beginning— I threw out the title this year— but as I have a penchant for long titles (“For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky” anyone?) I thought I would challenge myself to find a shorter one. Still working on that. Been doing a lot of drafts, massaging the voice— most recently, started up again in June. It’s a globe-trotting tale, my first long-form story in first-person perspective. It’s told from the point-of-view of a psychotic robot over the course of five years. Parallel to this robot’s story, we also follow the rise of an anti-robot demagogue— she’s partly inspired by the Dada art movement. This will be my fifth novel. Excited about that.
Here’s a random sample— we’re in France, a train station— a robot is harassing another robot— the main character, also a robot, wonders whether or not to intervene:
I’ll leave you with this anecdote… I met Werner Herzog! On a certain Thursday or so I was watching Colbert and there he was— Herzog, promoting his first novel. A novel! The Twilight World. I have read some of his non-fiction books, such as Conquest of the Useless and Of Walking In Ice —and enjoyed them. So I Googled the book and discovered he was going to do a signing within walking distance of me… in just a few days! Anyway, I met him, and as he was signing my book I said, “I am from Wisconsin, so thank you for Stroszek.”
He looked up— met my gaze— and replied, “That film has not aged, except the cars.”
Okay, thanks for reading! Happy Summer.
peace,
-william