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Musings from a published author...

Thursday, May 22, 2025

From Godzilla to Grindhouse: The Birth of Redneck Kaiju

What do you get when you cross a love for classic Japanese monster movies with the grit and grime of 1970s American grindhouse cinema? For me, the answer was Redneck Kaiju, a new IP that stomps the line between creature feature chaos and backwoods revenge.

This project started as a wild what if:
What if the monsters weren’t just from the sea or space, but from our own backyards?
What if the hero wasn’t a super hero or goody-two-shoes, but a pissed-off redneck with nothing left to lose, dragging a giant mutant dog behind him?

Drawing on the operatic destruction of kaiju legends and the raw, gritty tone of exploitation films, Redneck Kaiju grew into a world of mutagenic conspiracies, corrupt corporations, and rural rage.

Think Godzilla by way of Walking Tall, with a little The Hills Have Eyes thrown in for good measure.

I’m thrilled to share that I’ve already signed a publishing contract, and the first Redneck Kaiju novel is set to drop later this year.

Something foul’s slithering up from the cracked bones of Deep Hollow. Monstrous mutations! Sinister corporations! Twisted science and deep-fried secrets! And right at the center of it all, Patrick “Panther” McMorn—The Redneck himself, riding shotgun with a four-legged kaiju-killer named T-Bone (he’s got teeth like chainsaws and a bark that breaks windows).

This is a hot, original IP with serious cross-media potential. If you're a development exec, producer, or studio looking for your next genre franchise, let’s talk.

wil@nogglestones.com

The monsters are coming, and Redneck Kaiju is ready to roar!

Wednesday, May 14, 2025

Thinking like a studio is one thing. Building one? That’s the next step.

For the past few years, I’ve focused on developing stories that punch above their weight... low-budget films with bite (Winter: Battleground, Bone Hill), bold, weird fiction (Redneck Kaiju), and animated projects that challenge the usual formulas.

Now I’m taking the next step: exploring the launch of a small, agile indie studio focused on genre storytelling. Horror, sci-fi, fantasy, and all the strange corners in between. Lean budgets, strong concepts, creative control.

I’m putting out feelers. If you’re an investor, producer, or just someone who believes there’s room for smart, high-concept indie storytelling, we should talk.

Let’s build something bold.

wil@nogglestones.com

Thursday, April 24, 2025

I stopped waiting for permission.

No big development deals. No huge residual checks (yet). Just a burning drive to make the things I believe in, no matter who’s watching.

When Bone Hill found early success, it reminded me that you don’t need a studio to validate your voice. You need vision, grit, and the guts to follow through.

Now I’m developing a new IP, Redneck Kaiju, starting as a book series with an eye on building something bigger. Not because anyone asked me to. Because I had to.

And I’ve got another indie film brewing: The Food Truck. It’s scrappy, weird, and deeply personal. Just the kind of project I love. No greenlight from on high. Just that same voice in my head saying: Go. Make. Do.

The light is always green in my imagination.

I create without constraints, without limits, and without rules.

If you’re waiting for someone to say “Go”… consider this your sign.

We don’t need permission to tell our stories.

Wednesday, April 16, 2025

Not every story needs a multiverse. Some just need a myth.

For years I’ve felt something missing in modern sci-fi and fantasy. The heart. The mythic weight. The quiet moments of wonder that made us fall in love with stories like Star Wars in the first place.

So I created The Lighthouse Keeper, a story for those of us who still believe in heroes, in mystery, and in fighting the darkness even when the galaxy has moved on.

Set on a cursed world shrouded in legend, The Lighthouse Keeper follows Kane, the last of the ancient Presters, immortal guardians created to battle the Damanta, monstrous beings from the void. Now he stands watch alone, warning travelers away… until a crippled ship crashes on his world, carrying the seeds of a second chance.

It’s mythic sci-fi, built for a generation that grew up on mythology and moral clarity, and maybe feels a little shut out of today’s Hollywood. I want to give those fans (and their kids) something to believe in again.

I’m looking to develop this as a feature or limited series, and I’m open to conversations with investors, studios, and strategic partners who feel the same pull toward timeless storytelling.

Let’s bring the myth back.

wil@nogglestones.com

Tuesday, April 15, 2025

Writer’s block? Never heard of it.

For whatever reason, I never run out of ideas. In fact, I have too many.

A dream, a stray comment, a passing headline… almost anything can spark a new story. I’m constantly developing fresh IP, screenplays, and pitch-ready material.

The real challenge? Deciding which project to focus on next.

Right now, I’m building out several original concepts, including:

  • The Food Truck – a lean, indie horror thriller centered on one killer location.
  • Tomb of the Troll King – I'm bringing back sword & sorcery with a gritty, low-budget attitude.
  • Redneck Kaiju – giant monsters, backwoods mayhem, and a ton of potential.

That's just three out of dozens that I have slithering, stalking, and fluttering around inside my fevered brain.

If you’re a producer or studio looking for original, market-ready content to develop or option, let’s talk. My bench is deep, and I’m always generating new material.

wil@nogglestones.com

Hollywood’s having a nostalgia hangover.

Reboots, sequels, and spinoffs aren’t delivering like they used to. Audiences are ready for bold, new stories. The kind of stories that haven’t been chewed over by a dozen previous installments. And that’s exactly what I’m focused on creating.

I’m a screenwriter and IP developer with a track record of getting projects made, including my recently released indie horror film Bone Hill, the sci-fi actioner Winter: Battleground, and a portfolio of work-for-hire screenplays for studios like Epic Pictures.

I’ve also written and published multiple novels, including The Whisper King series, which was once optioned by Platinum Studios and featured in The Hollywood Reporter.

But unlike Hollywood, I’m not here to coast on the past.

I’m actively looking for freelance screenwriting work, development opportunities, and creative partnerships. I’ve got a slate of ready-to-go scripts and fresh IP across horror, sci-fi, fantasy, and animation. And I’m always hungry to collaborate on something new and exciting.

If you’re a producer, exec, or investor looking to break away from the IP graveyard and take a chance on something original, let’s talk.

DM me, email me (wil@nogglestones.com) or connect.

Let’s forge the future together!

A quick reminder from the trenches of networking and pitching…

Sometimes when you're reaching out to potential collaborators, producers, or industry contacts, you're going to miss the mark. Maybe you contact the wrong department. Maybe your pitch isn't a fit. It happens. We're all human.

But there's no excuse for being rude to someone who approaches you professionally.

I recently got a snippy response from someone after a polite inquiry. I won’t name names because this isn’t about revenge or finger-pointing... it's about a broader truth: you never know who you’re talking to, or where they might end up.

I’ve interviewed for jobs I didn’t get, but because the person on the other end treated me with kindness and respect, we ended up working together on a different project years later. That kind of professionalism builds bridges. Rudeness? It burns them before they even exist.

And honestly, I’ve been on the other side too. At my day job, I sometimes turn away walk-in salespeople or cold pitches that don’t fit what we do. I get the instinct to shut things down quickly. But professionalism is about how we do it. A simple, respectful “no thanks” can keep doors open down the line, and preserve your own reputation in the process.

So to anyone out there in casting, producing, distribution, or any field really, keep in mind: your reputation doesn’t just rest on your résumé. It rests on how you treat people when you think they can’t do anything for you.

Because one day, they might.

Have you had a similar experience—on either side of the equation? Feel free to share. I’d love to hear how others have handled this kind of situation.