Tuesday, January 7, 2025

From My Autobiography : 1981 : Age 34

Sometime this year, I attempted to write a Christian Blueprint for Success as a teaching tool; however, it’s probably a good thing that I didn’t get to teach it anywhere because, quite frankly, once again I didn’t feel successful in any part of my Christian life as it was.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sometime this year, I write my first draft of Curfew


Sometime this year, I write the article, Metamorphosis: The Process of Change.


Sometime this year, I attempt to start up The Studio of l’Art Beauté, a business offering fashion, glamour, and decorative art as well as music and writing.

20 JANUARY
Tuesday
I propose an idea for a television variety show called The Maid & the Minstrel to CFAC Television. Even though they think the idea is great, unfortunately, it just isn't what they're looking for at the present time.

The Maid and the Minstrel would have been a variety show that takes place in a tavern. Waitresses would dress in medieval-style clothes and take food and drink round to various tables. Assorted guests—primarily from Calgary, and in the folk  and  filk  genres—would appear. I would have been the headliner, performing my own original fantasy folk songs and galactic ballad compositions. I later used this idea in my stage play, A Rose in the Garden.


4 MARCH
Wednesday
I win Cliff Richard concert tickets and a copy of his new Wired for Sound album from a Calgary Sun contest.



 

 

 

My opinion is that this is one of his best albums. I also find it rather amusing that, even after all these years, some people still spell ‘Richard’ with an ‘s’ added on the end.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7 MARCH
Saturday
Lana and I go to the Cliff Richard Wired for Sound concert at the Jubilee Auditorium. We enjoy it thoroughly.


I write an introduction to a possible novel, Thera, about a jungle princess. 

Obviously influenced by the Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Tarzan series. Thera may eventually become part my Scrolls of Solomon Magus series.


19 MAY
Tuesday
I send a cassette to John Pantry [a Christian singer in England] to see what my chances of performing over there would be like. Although he likes my songs and voice, he believes it would be quite hard for me due to the current recession and lack of concert attendances at the present time.

Over the years, I’ve often wondered if I should have become a minister in the Church of England [Anglican]. There have been times when watching their services on television deeply resonated with me.

 

I audition by cassette tape for the Calgary Folk Club, but they’re unable to fit me in.




 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SUMMER
I try to develop a Michael Storme: Agent for C.H.R.I.S.T. novel series but, again, it flounders, and I lose interest.

C.H.R.I.S.T.
    ‘Christian Headquarters for Research and Investigation into Satanic Tactics’.

Sometime later, I changed the meaning of the acronym several times and used this idea for a Christian role-playing game after being introduced to Advanced Dungeons & Dragons®.


18 JUNE
Thursday
After I submit a sample of my writing, I’m accepted for the Advanced Authors Workshop in Fiction Techniques.

 

24 - 26 JULY
Friday – Sunday
I attend the Advanced Authors Workshop in Fiction Techniques in Edmonton under the instruction of John Pearce [Editorial Director of Clarke Irwin publishers]; Pauline Gedge [Author of Child of the Morning, and Eagle and the Raven]; and Ted Ferguson—reporter, columnist, and editor.
    I take with me what I currently have completed for The Saga of Man to have it critiqued by John.
    John’s very impressed with what I’ve done so far and says I should finish it.

 

12 AUGUST
Wednesday
Clarke, Irwin & Company reject the sample pages from The Saga of Man.


5 – 7 SEPTEMBER
Saturday – Monday
Using the Labor Day Weekend 3-Day Novel Contest as impetus, I complete Curfew [Part Two of The Saga of Man].

Later, I re-named it Apokalpyse, and then, Dystopia. Several of my projects went through numerous name/title changes because I couldn’t make up my mind in my quest for the ‘perfect’ title.

(Although as of late there has been some controversy surrounding it) I highly recommend the 3-Day Novel Contest to anyone who wants to write a novel, even an embryonic version [what I call the first draft].
    My suggestion [unless you like to write by the seat of your pants] is to make a preliminary outline before the contest so you will have some idea of what you will be writing: —
    ■  The Beginning during Day 1
    ■  The Middle during Day 2
    ■  The End during Day 3
    Alternatively, you could decide on how many scenes or chapters your novel might have, write short synopses for them, and divide those up amongst the three days.
    The actual writing of the novel itself must be done during the three-day weekend
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19 OCTOBER
Monday
I receive a ‘Certificate of Merit’ from the 3-Day Novel Contest for completing Curfew.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Century 21 Studios contacts me and wonders if I might be interested in recording an LP. However, I soon learn that they are a custom recording facility, not a record producer, and of course, I can’t afford their prices.

 

5 NOVEMBER
Thursday
I try to join the Cliff Richard Grapevine newsletter club, but they return my post-dated cheque because they require fees in English Pounds, and I didn’t include enough for the exchange.



Trying to grow a beard. 

This much takes me nearly two weeks to grow!

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