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Over a year ago, I came up with the idea of set­ting a screw­ball mys­tery in Japan, dur­ing the fes­ti­val of set­subun (in which chil­dren run about in scary masks while pelt­ing folks with soy­beans). I entered a first chap­ter of Yam­abushi and the Seven Gods of Hap­pi­ness in the smart writ­ers con­test and man­aged an hon­or­able men­tion from judge Cyn­thia Leitich Smith 

cyn­leitich­smith

Since then, I’ve tried really hard to write the thing, but stuff keeps get­ting in the way. The last time, SOUL TACO diverted my atten­tion. This time, after another trip to Japan, I vowed to fin­ish. I mean, I know the char­ac­ters, I know the set­tings, I know the plot. For good­ness sake, there’s noth­ing to do but type it out.

A funny thing hap­pened on the way to the com­puter. Another story, a serious/heavy/weighty story, inter­vened and took con­trol of my fin­gers. I’m 5k into it, and the muse shows no sign of going silent. So, back  goes the mys­tery to the drawer.

Alas, poor Yam­abushi.  Always a syn­op­sis, never a manuscript.

PS. if any­one knows of a soft­ware pro­gram that will for­mat graphic novel scripts, please let me know.