I May Have Figured Out One Of The Problems & Some Casting Suggestions From The Missus

I'm not pleased with myself. This isn't a horrible illustration but it isn't a pro-quality reconstruction.

I've forgotten how to draw while I've been busy making pretty pictures. I need to hit the sketchbook on a regular basis.

This is the depressing part of having a large and involved skill set -- while you're getting good at one skill, another atrophies.

So I may have mentioned that I've been having a bit of a problem with my crazy over the last year or so -- basically, since I started seeing signs of success in my creative life. I've been blaming it on self-destructive tendencies. This is true, but it dawned on me last night that there's something more than that going on.

See, the way I handled my crazy before was to carefully monitor all the aspects of my life that contributed positively or negatively to my mental health. Sleeping, eating, exercise -- the basics, you know?

But since things have started taking off for me, I haven't been thinking about that stuff at all, except to complain about my self-abuse. So it's time to start eating three meals a day, making sure that I get to bed at a reasonable hour and stay in bed a reasonable amount of time even if I'm not sleeping. It's time to make sure I get a walk in every day.

And my irritation with my poor draftsmanship is part of this as well. In a previous post I mentioned that I needed to work on structure and balance in my creative life; this applies to my whole life.

So I ate breakfast today. I ate a reasonable lunch, so I'm going to be able to eat dinner. Gonna take a walk as soon as this is posted. I've done some drawing today, done some writing. And now the only deadline breathing down my neck is for Swill. Time to try and figure out how to organize myself. How to make proper use of my time. It'll make me healthier, happier, and a more functional artist.

Damnit.

Anyway, I mentioned to Karen that Traumador had left a comment on my site suggesting that if I was lucky, someday Tom Cruise or Tom Hanks might play the lead in a movie based on the novel. This was kind of hilarious, as the lead character is based on me and let's just say there isn't much resemblance.

She had some interesting suggestions. Willem Dafoe was her first -- and the thing to remember is that this isn't based on physical resemblance. It's based on someone having the emotional range to pull off the story -- they have to be able to do smart, crazy, nice, and menacing. They have to be able to be both scary and vulnerable. So Willem Dafoe is a good one. I thought Ed Norton might be good. Maybe Brendan Frasier -- I think he has acting chops they haven't asked him to use yet. John Turturro.

But this morning she came up with one out of the blue that sounds good to me -- Alan Tudyk. He played Wash in Firefly? Karen recently saw something where he gave good menace. I can see him in the role. 's kind of a fun little game.

Actually, now that I think of it, you know who I'd really like? Ron Perlman.

Of course if it sells, they probably will have Tom Cruise play the lead.

Or Keanu Reaves.