ZOMBIE NOVEL: 5th Draft Complete!

The 5th Draft of my zombie novel, Deathbreed, is done! It clocks in at 388 typeset pages (156,000 words). I'm really happy with it! Barring any last minute changes, I think the 5th Draft will be the final one. This brings the grueling, seven month process of writing my first novel to a close.

Would I change anything? Not really as far as the actual story goes--that's solid gold as far as I'm concerned. I know I could have written it faster (despite taking time off to write and produce a bunch of films and do a TV show!) but I don't think I could have written it any better. I poured everything I had into this novel and it's hard letting go. It's kind of like when I'm making a film and riding that production high. I want to stay in production forever because it feels so good to be making shit happen, to be surrounded by my cast and crew--CREATING! It makes me feel alive! Coming down from that production high is always a bummer. Writing is the same way. I've spent seven months inside the heads of these characters, watching them, guiding them. We've shared a lot of good times together but now it's time to release them into the world and let them sink or swim on their own. Hopefully, the reviews are kind, LOL, but you know what? I wrote this book for ME. If other people like it, great--if they don't then screw 'em. Based on reviews of everything else I've ever done, pepole either love or hate my work. They either "get it" or they don't. I'm sure Deathbreed will be no exception! Let me just say that if you loved my offbeat, politically incorrect films The Necro Files and Faces of Gore, you will love this novel. There's nothing else like it!

As for my next novel, I've got some extremely innovative ideas for a sequel to Deathbreed kicking around but I have a dark fantasy novel I'm dying to do as well. A buddy of mine is trying to get me to (ghost)write for a long-running men's adventure series so that's something I might take on just for the fun of it. I think I'm going to take a little time off before I write any more novels--just to catch my breath and reflect on everything I've accomplished this past year: 13 screenplays, 12 feature films, a major television show, and completing my first novel. This is probably my busiest, most creative year so far! If 2006 is any indication, I can't wait to see what wonders 2007 has in store for my career!