It Writes Itself
by Michael G. Crawford
"Oh Shit! You are UGGGGLEEEEYYY! Whew and you smell!"
Yes, we too can see the far side of the trilogy. But sitting in the theatre and watching it all happen again, and the crowd...well, it's mass hysteria I guess. Lots of fun, and even the popcorn tastes good.
The first time I saw the Star Wars film, I had waited in line all night, sat in the middle on opening day at the Century 21 in San Jose (next to the Winchester Mystery House...what a locale!). Surrounded by hundreds of NERDS (I did not have a pocket pencil holder, but alas a NERD never-the- less), and the excitement grew.
When the music blared in the predecessor to THX, and the 70mm picture scrolled the words like a serial I had seen as a preteen, the adrenalin jumped, and the whoops and hollers rolled for just a few seconds, then quieted.
That is Space Opera...that is the feeling I have gotten every time I read a good space ship, space pirate, space corps, blastem paperback. That is what I really want to write someday, a killer space opera with heros and villians, good and evil, "do it for a cause, do it for your family, do it for your planet" story.
If I can do that someday, then I will be satisfied I have finally learned to write...I have finally succeeded in one of my life's dreams. Pay attention here. This IS important. As my life stands now I can look back and see how fortunate I have been. I am not greedy. I have children I love, married the best woman on the planet, and am being paid to play with computers all day long. I have a $35,000 96 Cobra Mustang that rumbles like a 66 Shelby, goes faster and it's truly a horse of a different color (the paint is called mystic and as you walk around it in the morning sunlight, it goes from green and purple to copper, bright red-purple, dark midnight blue, to black or a bright green or bright purple).
I have 5 channel theatre sound and 32 inches of fabulous TV, and loads of other toys. All this is wonderful, but I would trade it all (well except for the the family) just to be able to get that space opera down on paper, the way I like it. I don't have to sell it, and no one has to like it...except me...I must like it of course. Then I will have done what I set out to do, write my novel. I have starts and then stops, but despite those little changes in course, that is the goal.
Wish me luck!