Actually wrote several pages today, in between letting the cat down cellar at 6 AM, the dog out to potty at 7:40AM -- first time for him with snow on the ground, and he doesn't know what to think -- and fighting with the drain in the tub for 2 hours.
That's 2 whole hours trying every trick known to womankind, from easing plastic tubing down the narrow pipe to the vinegar & baking soda bubbling trick to pouring boiling hot water & dish soap down it trying to get the works to drain properly... only to discover that somehow someone had accidentally hit the plug dealie so that it was halfway closed. Since the stopper is inside the drain and therefore invisible to the naked eye, it didn't occur to me to check that first. Aargh! But at least I didn't have to call a plumber.
Since this is a training week, I'm not terribly concerned about the slow-going, but it occurs to me that some milestones and rules might be in order to keep things on a more progressive track. So:
That's 2 whole hours trying every trick known to womankind, from easing plastic tubing down the narrow pipe to the vinegar & baking soda bubbling trick to pouring boiling hot water & dish soap down it trying to get the works to drain properly... only to discover that somehow someone had accidentally hit the plug dealie so that it was halfway closed. Since the stopper is inside the drain and therefore invisible to the naked eye, it didn't occur to me to check that first. Aargh! But at least I didn't have to call a plumber.
Since this is a training week, I'm not terribly concerned about the slow-going, but it occurs to me that some milestones and rules might be in order to keep things on a more progressive track. So:
Milestone #1: Starting in December (no point pre-Thanksgiving, trust me), send out 6 queries a month to agents to try to get representation for The Long Black Veil. Send on Wednesdays; they make good administrative task days.
Rule #1: If more than 30 minutes passes staring at a blank page, work on something else. For example, if nothing's moving along with The Pirate's Bride, I'll work on the screenplay for "The Long Black Veil", or perhaps the screenplay for "Slide". Momentum breeds momentum.
That's all for today's progress report. Time for bed.
3 comments:
"Training week"? I didn't realize there was a training week. No matter. We are on schedule, Pioch (or I will be by the end of today). I still can't get used to your new French surname, but it's lovely to say.
Where can one read this book of yours? Are you selling the copies from Lulu?
You know how it is with any new job... no one expects a great deal of you until at least the 3rd week, particularly if they haven't bothered to train you. And it is the holidays.
Isn't the name change a good thing? Do you know that story? 'Cuz it ain't my hubby's last name...
Nope, not selling on Lulu at the moment... if you like, I can send you a .pdf -- I would love your feedback.
re--Milestone #1: Excellent plan, and particularly on Wednesdays. I've always thought that as well...there's something about the mid-week that makes it seem appropriate for the "other" job. And it is two jobs: Writing and marketing.
re: Rule #1: YES. I remember a writer I met through the Writers Forum at Brockport...Justin Cronin. He came in to read his work, and he'd made that point. "Why let the blank page torture you ?" I've heard musicians make it as well...you can't force something that just ain't comin' that day, but if you can keep things flowing, then it has an effect on everything that follows.
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