Turning pages

Finding some of Jim's writings today was a nice surprise. I mean, not really surprise as I knew he had done them, but finding them to hold and read has been fun. These are screenplays and short stories that he wrote while in college, after being discharged from the Navy. I am dating them in the mid 80's.

His big 100 page or so movie script is one that I have read before, but maybe 16 years ago. I still find it interesting and could see it on the big screen. I also found his rejection letters, one from Danny Devito and one from the office of Christopher Reeves. Those are who he had sent them to for review way back when.

A.X.E. is the movie script that is finished and then there are some short stories that he did as horror/comedy and three of them were a sort of series with characters playing on his children's personalities. Then there are a couple packets of index cards. He was told to write the scenes on index cards and then rewrite into a larger format with more detail.

His script in the first draft form for the tv show he created was there. This was a sort of friends meet the 70's show meets, well...something else, but I am not sure what. He wrote this while we were living in Boston and I loved his use of the various landmarks.

The best of his writing was a Vampire/dark batman like/crime fighter and his life story as he reveals it to his psychologist. This is the one that I would love to take and maybe finish. Or give to someone to finish. He has 10 chapters in various stages of completion. His character reveals his back history with some stories from the Victorian age and also the 1930's and then also into the 90's. Okay, as I reread that, I realized it sounds a lot like Angel from the tv show, but it's not. The real twist is that he needs to see his psychologist/psychiatrist to get some help controlling himself. And the writing is pretty darn good. In my opinion. Anyway, we will see.

My neighbor said to me today that he always found the array of things that Jim was involved with very interesting. He told me how Jim helped them with some electrical work, helped clean their backyard when it was ruined by kids, took great care with the dogs, could quote movie lines or whole plots, give a lift to someone in need, did all those costumes and yet never was egotistical about it all. He thought the writing was intriguing as it was a side that Jim never mentioned. The creative side to Jim was brought out in his writing, acting and costuming.

As I turn the pages of the stories, I remember and smile at the enthusiasm he had for getting his ideas down on paper. I will have to take some time to reread them and enjoy them some more.