The Coldwater Diaries [2.0]
After many years of trial and error I'm happy to report The Coldwater Diaries has finally gotten itself a legit publishing deal!
When I first came up with The Coldwater Diaries the original idea was to forge a novel online in a blog format under the hopes that a fan base would grow as the content matured. The idea was after so much time I'd build a large enough fan base to approach a publishing company with a built-in fan-base and incite a publishing deal. That didn't work.
Around '08 and '09 I had quite a bit of content but not the fan base I had hoped for and went through three revolutions of self-publishing my own volumes (two volume ones and a second volume) with the same hope in mind - build a fan base and incite a publishing deal - only added to the mix this time was the idea of writing the third volume on the fly online... this of course would have only worked if I had a large fan base, which I didn't. So in essence I wrote the third act of my novel online for everyone to see but no one watched.
So in the end I scrapped my work and for two years considered the novelized version of The Coldwater Diaries a wash with minor hopes of giving a stab of serializing short video versions of the novel as I thought the problem was no one read these days when in all actuality the problem was the execution of my ideas and lack of proper PR.
So fast forward to the end of 2010, I'm at the end of my rope and fall back on the old-school route of sending out query letters. After many months passing without a word I figured the jig was up. I didn't even get any rejects... and then a miracle came along and not one but two PubCo's requested the first chapter. I complied.
The first company declined to take my work.
The second bit.
And I reeled em in!
This news came to me earlier this morning and I've been juiced ever since. It's not all set in stone yet but the preliminary paperwork was sent to me today and we've set a meeting up in their Santa Monica offices for next week. I was even assigned an editor and everything - who I'm sure is going to have a field day with my one volume manuscript - it's all really a hoot.
Now I'm nowhere near ready to celebrate yet. I was also informed I'd have to cut out about 20k words from my one-volume draft as it's essentially three books combined into one with a nose-bleed inducing word count of over 100k! I also have to surrender my first two self-published rights along with removing all content I originally posted many years ago (so it'll be sad to see the memories go away) and worst of all... drum roll... I will NOT be getting any sort of monetary advance for The Coldwater Diaries either 
But on the other hand, my work is now backed by a legit publisher and by the end of the summer will be in stores all across America. The current Coldwater volumes are available on Amazon right now, but that doesn't mean a whole lot when there's no one around to buy them. Today's deal means people will actually have access to my book and it will be critiqued and publicized - giving all those who aren't in the know an opportunity to view my work that I've not only slaved over - but have made many moral sacrafices in the pursuit to write.
Hopefully above all the publication of The Coldwater Diaries will lead to a new chapter in my life and close an old one that needed closing more than anything.
I look forward to embarking on the next phase of my life where hopefully I can begin mending some of the breaks I've caused and The Coldwater Diaries chronicles in its pages.
Thanks to my family and friends who stuck by me (and even those who fell aside) without you I wouldn't have had the idea to write in the first place. You've all been through hell allowing me into your lives. Hopefully now that I'm on to the next phase I can give you all something to show for it.
Never Gonna Give You Up
Never Gonna Give You Up is a short film entered in the 48 Hour Film Project written by Gordon Bressack & Geoffrey A. Citron and directed by Kristian van der Hayden. The short is the story of a young girl with a delusional heart that loves boundlessly. The writers of the project were given a genre, line of dialogue, prop, and character name/profession to run with and fleshed a script out in four hours the night the material was presented. The following two days were spent shooting and editing the film. What you see above is a trailer of what resulted in the project.
Currently Never Gonna Give You Up is entered in a number of festivals. Once it is an option I will upload the full version of the film for your viewing pleasure. On a personal note I'd like to add that it was an absolute pleasure working on this project both on a personal and professional level. Although I've worked in the industry for quite a few years thus far and have had the pleasure of seeing a lot of my writings published - this was the first opportunity I've had to see something I wrote acted out before my eyes.
I originally opted to join this project as I saw it as an enriching experience. Given the format of the project my experience in Television was tested as we were given a subject and had to churn out a script in short time only to see it produced within 48 hours. The instant gratification was intoxicating and I've since found myself addicted to the production process and can't wait to be in the same position again with harder deadlines and higher budgets.
Since working on Never Gonna Give You Up I've been learned much from the experience and have made many contacts who have made the task of producing more shorts and even feature length versions of my work a reality. I look forward to 2012 where I will possibly work with some of the same people in making my (sometimes crazed) visions a reality.
Although I was bound by the specifications of the 48 Hour Film Project, I'm quite happy with the result. I'd like to in the future see some of the scripts I'm most passionate about acted out and shot before my eyes so I may later share them with the world.
My First (of many) Film Project(s)
I will be involved in The 48 Hour Film Project starting this Friday evening as writer and later script supervisor the following day. The Project is part of a film making challenge tasking filmmakers to write, shoot, and edit a film in 48 hours time. The resulting project will be submitted to a panel and if we win our film will go on to other festivals.
Friday evening my team will be given a line of dialogue, a genre, a character, and a prop which I will then be tasked to put all together into a script we'll be shooting the following day. This piece I'm proud to say will be one of the first filmed projects that will say "Written by Geoffrey A. Citron" in the opening credits. Having written dozens of scripts already I am super excited to finally be in a position to see my words made into a film... even if only seven minutes of film.
In this town, as a writer, it is very hard to actually see a script made into something at all. Where anything could go wrong it usually does in Hollywood and unless you're already in it's very easy to stay out.
I am extremely confident in the team we'll have around us and am sure our product will be top notch. Stay tuned to my site all this week as I plan to have a behind the scenes video diary shot by my mentor and writing partner D. Boyle showcasing all the action and magic that will go into making the first of many films to come in which my pen will have influenced.
This is a very exciting time and this week should certainly prove to be the beginning of many great things.
The Coldwater Diaries
The Coldwater Diaries is currently on its way to being a single-draft publication most likely available early 2012, until then copies of Volume One: Conflicting Personalities and Volume Two: Merging Lanes are available in both print and eBook format.
The Coldwater Diaries was originally intended to be a serialized novel. Throughout 2010 the project took a significant change and most of 2011 was spent negotiating a new publishing agreement. Until then folks can get the original prints to support the author.
The original Coldwater Diaries Website which can be found by Clicking Here has both versions available free online. I will be slowly converting the old site to the new GeoffreyCitron.com interface.
Be sure to check out the Old Site and check back here frequently for updates. The Coldwater Diaries will take a backseat role the next month or so as I am involved in a couple film projects which will take up a bulk of my time but that doesn't mean the content wont be available as I believe its one of the best representations of my work and young life in Los Angeles as I know it.
Thank you to everyone for your continued interest in my work. I apologize for the year-long break. I've been working on myself and more than anything living my dream of finding true love - where in finding said love, I've found a new addition to my life and have devoted a bulk of my time and energy into maintaining and growing said love.
I'm back now. Energized and optimistic rather than tired and lonely and sad. I used to believe in order to be a true artist one needed to be tortured. After finding the love of my life I now realize the trick is knowing that dark place exists, but having found the light in the eyes of one you truly love, you find a place where you're able to live and flourish - never wanting to return to the darkness again.
I love the few fans I have out there, but more than anything I love my Gabby, without her I wouldn't have the strength to write a single word again...
On that note... buy my book!
Time-Tripping Song
Bryan Ferry's "Just One Look" always has me feeling nostalgic, especially with thoughts of last winter in Sherman Oaks.