There’s a show on NBC called This is Us. I could tell you all about it, but I could never do justice to the experience of watching the show itself, so I’ll just say that it’s the best show on television. That’s saying a lot. For the longest time, my two favorite shows of all time have been LOST and Smallville. This is Us has quickly become an easy addition to the list. The characters. The non-linear storytelling. The foreshadowing and the surprises. The emotional ride with the characters you can’t help but feel attached to.
It’s the kind of show that makes me want to write a story that could rival it.
And of course, I don’t feel like I could, but it would be fun to try.
I haven’t been able to write as much as I’ve wanted to in the last several months. Between teaching my students and getting them ready for their state assessment, various freelance projects, and just the overall busyness of life, creating new stories has been on the furthest back burner.
This is Us makes me want to write more.
Stories I’ve Published Recently
I recently finished the fourth revision on the pilot episode of Remnant 13, a web series that is currently in development. Remnant 13 is about a doctor and his two daughters and the fight to survive in a world overrun by monsters. It’s a fun story, and I’m grateful that the first season of five episodes is going to be shooting in the next couple months. Which means I’ll be writing and rewriting the scripts for episodes 2–4 during the month of March.
I also released a couple short stories. The first, “The Forgettable Moment,” is a really short story inspired by one of the The Weekly Knob’s writing prompts. It’s a potentially tragic story, but it was my attempt to jump back into writing without committing to anything big just yet.
The second story I wrote a few months ago. I actually submitted it to a couple sci-fi/fantasy literary journals, and it was rejected. I can understand why. It feels like the first chapter of a larger story. It was my first attempt at fantasy, and it definitely sets up a much bigger story. Perhaps someday I’ll finish it.
Another fun story I wrote for my own personal enjoyment was a Star Wars fan fiction story about Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker’s experience of becoming one with the Force after his redemptive act of saving his son and turning from the dark side.
Looking Ahead
Going forward, I’m hoping to write more short stories and keep submitting to literary journals. I’m currently waiting on replies from a couple different places.
I’m planning on participating in the Zero Draft 30 2017 Spring Screenwriting Challenge and write a first draft of a new spec script in March.
I hope to attempt another serialized story soon, maybe something stylistically inspired by This is Us. If you haven’t checked out my previous serialized story Extraction, you can find the links to each episode below.
I’m Finally on Patreon
I love writing, but I don’t always get to write the fun stuff because I’m always working on freelance work when I’m not teaching. So I decided to finally join Patreon. I don’t have any expectations so far, but I thought I’d give it a try. Check it out if you’re interested in helping me to find the freedom to create more stories in the months ahead.
Tom Farr is a writer, teacher, and storyteller who believes in crafting lies to tell the truth. When he’s not enjoying the good life with his beautiful wife Lindsey and their three much-adored children, he’s striving to create stories that thrill and inspire and preparing for the day Disney calls him to write a Star Wars movie. He’s also a contributing editor for daCunha. His work has also appeared on Panel & Frame, Wordhaus, Curiosity Never Killed the Writer, and The Unsplash Book. Check out his fiction writing portfolio on Medium and sign up for his author newsletter.
