Tough Stuff In Progress

If Pixar hired me today to create an animated movie I would pitch two story ideas to them. The story of a group of squirrels trying to save the world, and the story of a young girl named Jenny trying to deal with her friend Sara’s quest to die and come back to life.


Squirrels And The Lost Mountains Of Tibet

Sara’s Zombie Quest Disgusted Jenny


For both of these ideas I’ve got a lot of background material worked out but I’m not sure how to proceed.


Do I want to write them? As short stories? As novels? As cycles of poems?

Do I want to script them in Final Draft, in case I ever do get a contact at a studio?

Do I want to draw them? As a series of cartoons? As illustrated books? As so-called graphic novels?

Do I want to animate them in Toon Boom, as minimalist but complete movies, sort of cartoon mumblecore versions of The Blair Witch Project style of filmmaking?


Technology today is extraordinary and there is something almost magical in having the ability to even ask these questions.

It’s important to me to, so to speak, live up to the reality around me. If something is possible then those who can do it—or at least attempt it—should do it, or at least attempt it. I accept this simply as axiomatically true.


I don’t mind being a slacker in regard to a ‘normal’ life, but I have no desire at all to waste time in regard to important things.


I don’t know.

I’m kind of puttering around right now trying to sort out what to do, trying to spend my time doing things that are consistent with any or all the above courses of action.

Over the weekend I expect to move the story of Jenny and Sara forward a little bit. I may hit an art store and buy some markers.

I don’t know.

This is a tough one.