Jesse Koepke

Hello, 2010!

Just wanted to post something quick, since it’s a new year and all. Not sure what I’ll be working on writing-wise this year, but one thing’s for sure: I gotta keep that sword to the grindstone.

I have an idea for a couple of short stories (the Child-Weaver, and Whenton), so hopefully those will get done. The Child-Weaver is something I thought of while writing Seskone, so hopefully I’ll get that out.

Speaking of Seskone, will I continue? I would like to. This happens to me every once in a while, where I get going on a project and then reach a roadblock, either of my own ignorance of a subject (under water in Seskone) or I don’t quite know how to go on (The Wall comic series). I hope to keep going with Seskone (and The Wall, for that matter), but we’ll have to see.

I also have a goal of finishing a screenplay this year. I just gotta! Maybe the prodigal miner, or perhaps Gunslinger, or maybe even (gasp) Alden. The point is, I need to press ahead and stop writing notes.

Oh! Just remembered a big change I’m going to do. The past five years I’ve been making outlines and writing notes and trying to figure out the story before I start writing. But when have I ever done that?! I’ve never written a story like that! Everything I’ve written has been based off of an image or a scene to which I knew I wanted to get. Why aren’t I writing screenplays like that?! I’ve said it’s because I can’t flow as easily with the screenplay format, like I can with prose, but after five years I kind of feel confident that I can. So I think I’m going to give that a try. Stop worrying about outlines, stop worrying about an act turn at thirty pages, and just write.

Just write.

One other thing I need to get: Reclaiming the Blade. Indeed.

Well, happy 2010. We’ll see what happens. Lead on, Jesus!

Something the other day reminded me of… oh yeah! It was a roommate of mine talking about writing a screenplay about Adam and Eve, and an image he had of them running down the hill as the flaming sword rushed overhead to block the entrance to Eden. And that reminded me of that cool story idea I had, about a boy who is pulled into three different realms at the beginning of creation…

… called Seskone.

Yep, gotta keep writing. I might start over and try and start fresh, now that I have a bit of an idea of where I’m going. I really just want to get to the sky, and to the Child-Weaver, and to the screaming beetles. In time, I suppose. The hardest part is not knowing what underwater looks like. Can’t be big and wide and empty; that’s what it is now.

What was the ocean like right after it was created?

It’s questions like these that start a story. “Help me, Daddy. Help me proclaim your might to another generation!”

I think I may have found my life verse.

I was reading my daily psalm yesterday and came to Ps. 71:18.

So even to old age and gray hairs / O God, do not forsake me / until I proclaim your might to another generation / your power to all those to come.

Wow. My heart so longs for that. To be a scribe in the court of Heaven! To be one who proclaims the name of the Lord, His might, His power, His love, His goodness to the next generation and to all those who come! You can go do big exploits, you can go set nations free, you can bring the children up out of Egypt, but me? I want to tell the stories about it. I want to tell the stories of the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living.

I want to tell the stories of the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living.

“So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me! Not until I have told the next generation of your might! Not until I have proclaimed your power to all those to come!”

Remember how I used to write on my blogs fairly regularly? Man, those were the days….

I’m still writing; a bit, at least. The problem that stopped me short was, while writing Seskone, Chris finally got under water, and I realized I didn’t know what under water looked like. Whoops! I’m all for imagining stuff, but it’d be cool to have at least a bit of reality. The good news is it shouldn’t be too hard to find out what under water looks like, so I just need to research it. Things are getting busy at work (onething conference in three weeks!), and I haven’t had (or really taken) the time to research it.

One bit of writing I’ve done recently was at the Salt Lake City Airport, on my way back from Thanksgiving in Portland. I think it was a mixture of reading The Once and Future King (crazy book) and seeing the mountains of Salt Lake standing like blocks across from the airport. I started writing, and came up with about a page or so of two brothers running into the mountains. Obviously there needed to be a threat, so three large beasts (are they human or animal?) showed up, and they dove into the ravines and headed up the mountains. Not sure where it’ll go, but it’s fun to write. I’m toying with the idea of messengers… at first it was angels for God, but that doesn’t leave any room for doubt and struggle… so I think it might be something with messengers. And that’s all I have.

So life keeps moving. Keep pressing on, being faithful in what I can. I also have a box full of writing books from Grandma Koepke, so I should bust out some of those. And keep writing screenplays. Boy oh boy.

“Help me be faithful, Daddy! Give me your inspiration! Your creation and the book you’re writing about the earth and about me is incredible, so could you help me with my writing? Thanks for giving me talent with words – it sure is fun :) Thanks for being such an awesome God.”

Until next time (which hopefully won’t be two more months), keep that sword to the grindstone.

Have I ever mentioned that I love Fall? It’s true. I think it’s the crisp air. Nothing like a chill in the air (whether Fall or Spring) to make me want soup, cider, hot chocolate, a good book, and make me dream of writing.

Speaking of which, how’s that going? The last couple of weeks have been pretty busy (10th anniversary of IHOP, my sister visiting, my cousin’s wedding), so I haven’t done much. But I’ll get back into it. Seskone is continuing; still discovering what the story actually is. I have moments I want to get to, but they aren’t until Parts Two and Three…. The other project is/needs to be The Prodigal Miner. I think I have a good idea of how to go forward with it, so I need to sit down and actually start writing.

So. The sword is to the grindstone.