This is my blog. Though there are many like it, this one is mine.

This week, I will turn 36 years old.

So perhaps I feel some impending mid-life crisis, or maybe it's that underlying feeling that I really should have decided what I want to be doing with my life by now; either way I've been thinking lately about how it is less than 5 years until I am 40 years old, which is a surreal and occasionally scary thought.

With this milestone bearing down on me like an extinction-level sized Asteroid in a Michael Bay movie, I've been thinking that I haven't achieved some of the creative accomplishments I've thought about over the last 10 or so years. I've a number of thoughts and ideas I've toyed with over the years, and since my ill-considered forays in to music writing faded away a decade ago, I've not made anything of all my other ideas. Also, I think I'm way past taking my professional life seriously, but I don't think it would hurt to start doing so at this stage of my life.

 

Look, a completely unsubtle visual metaphor!  Michael Bay would be proud.

So, I feel now is the time to make a stand, to pull my finger out, and actually start, y'know, doing something. I am starting this blog as a declaration of intent, and a way of tracking (and sharing) my progress.

And here it is - these are the Things That I Am Going To Do Before I Am Forty: 

1) Write a film script.

2) Write... something else.

3) Improve my career prospects.

4) Buy a house.

So that's my big announcement - nothing exciting, but something to work from. Guess I should explain why I've chosen these things:

1) Write a film script: I have had many writing ideas over the years - novels, comics, erotic fiction (okay, maybe not so much the latter!). Nothing ever comes of these as the ideas are usually too vague, or not simply good enough, to make anything with. But I've an idea, something that popped in to my head four years ago now, which has stuck with me and has grown - and I might actually be able to do something with...

This idea is for a film, which I would describe as a Psychological Horror - slash - Ghost story. I'll share further details in due course, but I'll start writing this first - simply because, as stated, it's the most complete in my head at the moment (not that it's anywhere actually near actually being complete, but I hope that makes sense!). It may never be sent to film producers, and even if it does there'll be a million-to-one chance it could get made - but just getting it out of my head and writing the thing should be cathartic and worthwhile experience.

2) Write... something else: exactly as it says. If/when I finish the script, I'll write something else. It could be a novel, a comic - hey, I'm even warming to the Erotic Fiction idea! Seriously, if you've never read 50 Shades, how hard can it be to write something of that... questionable quality..?

3) Improve my career prospects: Sometimes I can't help but feel that my degree has been a bit of a chocolate teapot, and as I seem to have stumbled in to a Stats-Database related post, perhaps I should do a course of some description to get an actual qualification relevant to one or more of the software packages I use? Not exactly exciting, but hey, I'm almost Forty, from what I understand at that age sensible is the new exciting. Or something...

4) Buy a house: as above, not exciting, but sensible. Having drifted through various voluntary sector posts during my 20's, once I'd done the grown-up thing of marriage-kids-employment I realised quickly that making a positive contribution to the world doesn't necessarily mean you're getting a decent financial foundation for your future in return. But that's probably my own fault more than anything. So I intend to do something about this, and start being, like, all growed-up and saving money and investing and crap like that.

Yeah, sorry, this isn't very exciting - I promise the rest of this blog will be about more interesting stuff like what I'm writing and that kind of thing.

But there it is anyway, I've pinned my colours to the mast, set out my charter, and all sorts of other clichés - this is what I intend to achieve. And you lucky people get to read all about it. How I spoil you!

Until next time...