Jan 9, 20224 min read

Ink Stained Fingers January break

Big project ahead

Dear Reader,

It has been a while since I have written to you, hasn’t it? Well, with the launch of my short story serial page Ink Stained Fingers, shows, writing for other projects, preparing for the holiday season, visiting family, dealing with Covid border regulations and all that lovely jazz, time has gone in a click.

So, first of all, let me wish you all a belated but sincere Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2022. I know these last couple of years have been full of personal, professional, medical, global, political (I could go on..) challenges, and most of us are exhausted.

But. Yes, there is always a but in my vocabulary. But we must continue to go our way. Life is, out of all things, balance. So what goes down must come up. These times, as hard as they are, will not last forever. And the losses, frustrations, depressions, anything negative really, teach us how to be strong, how to chase what we deeply want, how to be happy in spite of [enter here whatever ails you]. While we hurt when we fall, it is the rising up again that fills our heart.

I know, cheesy, right? “Easier said than done.” Fair, I see your point. But (yep, another one) I am talking from my heart and while I consider myself lucky, I, too, have endured many downs in my life. And each time I rise up, and make something out of the bad, achieve new goals, I look back at my lowest points and I am proud of the journey I made.

Pat yourself on the back, Dear Reader. Love yourself, find your (very real) strength and acknowledge them. Nourish them. Turn to them when the falling comes. We are all stronger than we think we are.

Ok… Now. inspirational text aside, we, The Drama Merchant crew, have some very big news. For those of you who follow the Ink Stained Fingers serials, you may have noticed that the January entries have not been published yet and they won’t. There is a good reason for it. I promise you I am not slacking, although January is usually the time for it.

While I did indeed take a break to visit my family for the holiday, I also took work with me and happily typed on my computer while I was there. Why haven’t I published my work on Ink Stained Fingers then, thus satiating your thirst and satisfying your curiosity about the four-part ending of the November serial ‘The Girl From Elsewhere’? Well, because I am/was not writing about that. Although I do have most of my work outlined and drafted for it, I have unfortunately no time to touch on it and make it ready for you…

Instead, I was (and am still) writing my first ever play. That's right, Dear Reader, I am expanding my horizons, at the request of Nathan Schulz, our dear Drama Merchant. I am so grateful and honoured for his trust in me. He sees my potential better than I can see it myself sometimes and pushes me to do more. And for that, I am so very appreciative.

Nathan is always thinking of what to do next. Always scouting for new opportunities to expand his business, always looking to collaborate with creatives to make a profitable contribution to the Arts. Just browse around on his website. He has so many balls in the air! It’s a wonder how he keeps up with everything that he has going on. Well, he must be a master juggler.

To promote our production of Peep last year, we had interviewed Jodi Gray for our Playwright Special. After the interview, Nathan had an idea germinate in his brain. Jodi had mentioned she had written a one woman play called ‘Big Bad’ and that it was one of her first works which had put her on the radar as an actor and a playwright. He had immediately put two and two together. Writing our own content would not only free us of the copyrights, it would also put creatives forward, and feed on the creativity that all of us possess and hone.

So, having written for him on Dear Reader and Ink Stained Fingers for a year, he turned to me and asked me to write a play based on the short story ‘The Doll’s Ghost’ by F. Marion Crawford. He explained the concept he had in mind for it and off I went. He has many prospects for this project and that boosts me to write my best.

For now, it is too early in our new adventure for me to reveal too much more, but stay tuned, Dear Reader. We will have a full update to give you on the direction we are taking by the end of February. We have a big year ahead of us, and having you in mind, we aim to please. Needless to say that moving forward, we will be adapting our business to the new Covid rules as they come.

Written by Julia Mesrobian