Reflection on Season 1

With the end of season 1 coming up in October, I've been feeling a great deal of melancholy that comes with the end of an especially fun series.

I remember the first time I started writing Mickie. I was on set, feeling extremely useless while I waited for the DP and Director to figure out what kind of a lighting set up they wanted. I remember the name Mickie came to mind, because while I loved the name Michael, that sounded too old for him, and I didn't want to call him Mike, because that was too ordinary. But the name Mickie sounded fairly young, and it was unusual enough (aside from a few actors and a certain cartoon mouse) that it would stand out.

I remember working on the scripts with a friend, and envisioning (like a proud parent) my baby's potential, and then when nothing panned out, the bitter sadness and disappointment when I packed him away. The problem was, fictional or not, Mickie was a kid that never got out of my head. He had a story, he had a life, friends all planned out for him, and he couldn't understand why I didn't want to tell it. I'd think:"I don't have enough time, I'm too busy," but that remembrance of his creation, all that possibility, never went away.

A while back, I went through a particularly painful heartbreak. I had two jobs, classes, and yet still plenty of time to cry and feel sorry for myself. I needed a project, something to put my energy into and I decided to take one of my stories and make an audio show. I was going over options, trying to find something that would be the easiest to create, when Mickie popped into my head and asked,"what about me?"

So that's what I did. I created this website, I wrote and re-wrote a forest worth of scripts, and, with the help of my sister, recruited a motley band of friends to do the voices. And I have to say, it's been one of the best experiences of my life. I've been able to sit and direct my actors through 8 episodes so far, write edit, and watch my story come alive. Every story gets better because the more we do, the stronger the characters become as my actors and I realize their quirks, their habits, their strengths and their weaknesses.

I'm writing the season finale now, and I'm a little teary because part of my wonders if anyone wants to continue down this road with me. But there's always another story I can tell. Always another character I can bring to life. But I still want to share him with you. So here you go. Mickie McKinney: Boy Detective. If you have time to listen, I hope you like his story. I hope you'll enjoy meeting his friends, Sam and Burners, following him on one exploit after another. And I hope at the end of it all you can tell me what you think.

Sincerely,

Ruby Faux