A Second Leap of Faith

We Are Not A Number...

2010-05-14T03:38:00.006-04:00

As I mentioned in the last post, we joined the Authonomy site sponsored by HarperCollins (a major publisher for those not in the know). It's an interesting little site wherein writers jockey to climb up a ranking list. If you reach the top 5 by the end of the month (and they have a clock ticker just to make you sweat a little harder), your book will be reviewed by an HC editor, possibly leading to a publishing deal (although they do not guarantee publishing).

The difficulty is, to climb the list, other authors on the site must "back" you. They don't have to actually read your work or comment on it; they only have to back you. Fortunately, most people are there to actually read and learn, not just claw their way up the chart. But I have some concerns about this politicking, for an honest assessment of whether our book is worth backing is hard to figure.

Still, we're doing well. We started out somewhere in the neighborhood of 7000 on 5.6.2010 and as of today (5.14.2010) we are ranked at 684. Not bad for slightly more than a week. It hasn't come easy: I read the first 1-3 chapters of dozens of books each day, commenting on each. (J is back at work full-time and just doesn't have time for the critiquing bit.) Since I'm not there as a professional editor, I stick to the positive in each work, doing my best to show support for my fellow writers' dreams.

It's hard, though, not to become obsessed with our number, whose uptick is slowing down the higher we climb. I know that it shouldn't matter that much -- we joined as a distraction, a one-off, a possibility among other possibilities. So why do I check the site constantly, why do I care if someone we backed doesn't reciprocate?

I shouldn't, but I do.

Bride update: 242 pp

What A Difference A Month Makes

2010-05-06T17:12:00.004-04:00

All right, it hasn't made that big a difference. I still don't know about grad school, though I am planning on taking a class in the fall as a nonmatriculated student. And we still don't have an agent.

But at least I'm working on The Pirate's Bride again -- up to 233 pages now, and I can see where I'm going for the near future.

And we entered Veil in an online contest at EditFast. Not really sure what the perks are, but what the heck -- it's good to get it out there.

Which is why we also uploaded the first 3 chapters on HarperCollins' Authonomy site. You can check it out here: www.Authonomy.com/ReadBook.aspx?bookid=21096#chapter

Let's see what happens next...

How Can You Know What You Want 'Til You Get What You Want and You See If You Like It?

2010-04-12T13:46:00.003-04:00

I am rarely affected by the Libran disease of indecision. Ask my husband: my decisiveness about just about everything occasionally goes so far as to irritate him. (Not often; my husband is sooooo laid back with me that I could probably murder someone, and he would find a way to justify it: "Well, they needed killin'." )

Just now, however, I find myself deadlocked on the question of graduate school. Do I invest the money (somewhere in the neighborhood of $40,000) and the time (1 year classroom work, 1 year practicum, graduation followed by another 1000 of supervision -- about 2 years -- before I can sit for my license)?

Fortunately, there is only one degree in which I am interested: U of R's M.S. in Marriage and Family Therapy. It's an incredible program that focuses hard on preparing its graduates to become good family therapists. It is the only graduate program I have been excited about -- with the possible exception of Univ. of Iowa's Writer's Workshop, but I was never going to live in Iowa, so I never applied.

But there are so many variables. If I get in -- and I'm aiming for Fall 2011 so that I can get things in order at home before matriculating -- I have way too many questions floating around in my head to make this an easy decision:

Is it fair to my family to burden us with more student loans?

What will it mean to my household to commit that kind of time to school, studying, working, etc.?

What will going back to school mean for our writing?

How will pursuing this degree affect my marriage?

What happens if my dad gets sick?

What if I don't like it?

Some of these questions seem silly to me even as I write them, but they keep coming up, so I know I have to answer them for myself somehow.

As for the writing... well, it's not going so well right now. I have hardly written anything in more than a month. Oh, I 've gotten a couple of paragraphs in Bride that I will likely keep, and I've been re-reading Veil and making minor tweaks to it. And I started something new called Max, but it's only 3 pages right now; I won't know if it will be viable until it's around 50 pages. So this grand dream of being paid for what I write is not working out all that great at the moment.

It's not that becoming a therapist would stop me from writing, not at all -- I cannot say it's an all-or-nothing proposition. If I could do that, I would know I shouldn't be a therapist because it is a distant second to my first love. But am I up to the challenge of trying for both?

I keep coming back to the question: Is it worth it?

I just don't know.

On Cooking and Writing

2010-03-09T02:18:00.003-05:00

A misleading title, no doubt, though I am both writing and cooking at the moment.

Impossible! you say.

Improbable is perhaps a better word choice, I answer.

To be precise: the crockpot is cooking what I put into it. I am writing this blog.

Huh, you say. Who cares?

And then:

Whatcha cookin'?

Which just goes to show that people would rather know what you're cooking than what you're writing.

(My husband absolutely loves these kinds of leaps in logic.)

UPDATE: 210 pages after ripping out 2.5 that weren't working. A short week this week and next. Off to the big City this weekend. Should be fun.

White Noise

2010-03-03T01:32:00.003-05:00

I hesitate to write about the anguish of writing because there is so much more important anguish in the world. Seriously, if we never publish a thing, it's not going to be the end of the universe; it won't even mean the collapse of our little universe. Dreams die hard, but their death is generally survivable.

Yet these doubts and fears are part of the process, and if I want to hold myself accountable on this journey, I suppose I need to acknowledge them. Of course, since I just had to rip out 2.5 pages, and I'm feeling kind of stuck, this may be the only writing I'm doing tonight, so there's that to account for too.

Sometimes the anxiety overwhelms the work. Sometimes the work overwhelms the anxiety. For me, the balancing act is constant, and the least upset to my state of mind can create a buzz that obscures the words. I am forever trying to find that inner peace that allows the ideas to rise through me and onto the page of their own accord. If I try to force it, it shows.

I'm not too thrilled with myself, either, when the writing doesn't go well. It tends to make me a little... snappish. Add to that ongoing and never-ending computer issues, and I often feel as if my head might explode. No matter how often I remind myself of the foolishness of getting upset over little things, I can never quite control my temper. And while the phrase "artistic temperament" has been used (by others) to excuse my outbursts, I don't want to be an arschloch to the people I care about in order to get creative. At this point, the trade-off is definitely NOT worth it.

Well... offer me a couple million for the book & movie rights, and then we'll see. :)

One Big World Full of "No"

2010-03-02T02:37:00.003-05:00

The title on this one says it all -- not a successful week contacting people in the publishing world. But there's always this week.

Progress: The Pirate's Bride is up to page 203, which means I wrote about 8 pages last week (the average). Meet You on the Other Side is up 0 pages. That's about average too.

Not feeling all that productive this week, so far, either. Le sigh... better get my backside in some kind of gear soon.

Seriously thinking about going back to school...

The (Publishing) Empire Strikes Back

2010-02-23T01:18:00.002-05:00

Well, no, not really... just another rejection letter. This was more of a form than usual, so that was kind of depressing. And really, the whole process is just depressing. 'Tis the season, I suppose.

Last week was a short one, with appointments & other pressures that prevented a full-out writing schedule. Even so, Bride is coming along; 195 pages now (13 pp over 2 weeks) and Meet You on the Other Side now stands at a total of 6 pages. Really struggling with that one... I hope that we can breakthrough to the next level soon where it will take off with a life of its own. It's not the story's fault; we just have to get our heads in the game.

Here's to a better week, with happier outcomes.

Monday, Monday

2010-02-09T01:31:00.004-05:00

Really, it's Tuesday very early in the morning, but for me, since I haven't been to bed yet, it's Monday still and will be until I retire around 7 AM. We're on Bobbi-time! (Which is nothing like Hammertime, I promise.)

Monday seems to have become my administrative day. I write the blog, print copies of things, email agents, and generally TCB. What's the importance of this disclosure, you ask? None, I answer. Just sayin'.

So, last week's counts are up from the week before -- always a good sign. Bride is up to 182 pages (that's 8 additional) and Meet You on the Other Side is up about 2.5 pages for a grand total of 5.25 pp. (Total writing for the week: 10.5 pages.) Wahoo! Well... it's progress, anyway.

Sent out a few more queries but no responses just yet. Got word that the 2010 Nicholl Fellowship apps have opened should we choose to enter. The organizers of the competition write the nicest emails -- informative, encouraging, well-worded. They put a good thing into the world.

Hmmm, anything else? Superbowl Sunday was great. As you might guess, my interest in football generally registers in the negative numbers, but the Saints are dear to friends of mine, so they're dear to me by extension. And some of my dearest friends came to watch with us, which made the evening better than I could have expected.

It's all good, baby. It's all good.

Pounding the (Electronic) Pavement

2010-02-02T03:15:00.004-05:00

Quick update on The Pirate's Bride: wrote about 10 pages last week, ripped up 2 last night & today, so the page count is up to 174. Having a bit of trouble going forward, mostly because we have too much to say. This is not a bad thing; just have to get my mind organized.

Other news: had two "thanks-but-no-thanks" replies from agents since last week. At least they're quick and generally polite about responding, although one form letter/email left a lot to be desired in terms of both warmth (and more disturbingly) grammar. I think we're glad that agency wasn't interested...

Bless the Internet; it makes this process much easier. In one of our early forays in seeking representation for our screenplays, we created a form letter & inserts, including a response card. We got a lot of (no thanks) responses (not to mention one interested response that in the end we had to pass on because of the problem of retaining the book rights), but it took forever.

Now we can get kicked in the teeth daily, whenever we decide to check our email. Wahoo!

Nah, I don't mean it, not really... We wrote a good book that's worth reading. If you build it, they will come, right?

There's a Refrigerator Full of Food... Challenge Yourself!

2010-01-26T02:04:00.005-05:00

My longtime friend Alex may recall the title of this post from some witless movie we watched one evening in the early nineties. It made us laugh then, and it makes me laugh now, but it got me thinking tonight when I sat down to write.

The Pirate's Bride is coming along, adding another 11 pages this past week -- again, not bad considering I only had 4 nights instead of 5 to work within. It's pretty good stuff, though some of it could use a massage. That will come, as will the key into the next section that is currently eluding me. Thank goodness, so far, I can count on it to work itself out in my head.

The screenplay, on the other hand, has gone nowhere. I can't quite kick myself hard enough to get to work on it, and that's troublesome since we're A) writing from scratch and B) hoping to submit for the 2010 Nicholl Fellowship competition, with a May 1st deadline.

So... do I challenge us (Jeannine and me) to buckle down, write the screenplay, edit it, workshop it in a group and complete the additional edits in only 4 months? Or do we decide not to send an entry this year? We don't want to send a rough piece -- what would be the point? But should we set the goal and do whatever it takes to achieve it, knowing that pressure sometimes produces a great piece?

It would be a serious time commitment. It would take away from Bride for sure, and no doubt from other projects. Yet it's only a few months, and we have the idea mostly fleshed out.

Decisions, decisions.

(Just Like) Starting Over

2010-01-19T03:05:00.006-05:00

The midnight to morning shift seems to be working, although I do have to take weekends off -- it pleases my husband. Since my husband is a truly wonderful, tolerant, encouraging man who never asks for much and probably deserves much more than I give to him, I am happy to oblige him on this point. Someday I hope to keep him in the style to which he should become accustomed.

So, counting last week Sunday through Thursday, and subtracting last night (long weekend in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King), I wrote 11 pages last week for The Pirate's Bride and 3 pages for our new screenplay, See You on the Other Side. And those page counts don't include editing for both pieces. Considering that I was hoping at one point to manage 8.33 pages a month, I am happy with the bottom line. Could always be better, of course, but for right now, good enough.

On to the agents' queries... I did send one earlier this morning; first one to a book agent since, wait, lemme look it up--holy frijoles!--last April! Wow. Well, that's one good reason we haven't gotten much response; if we don't contact them, I'm pretty sure they won't contact us.

Yikes. I know we got caught up in the Nicholl Fellowship and then moving house, not to mention moving my dad up here, followed by the responses generated by the fellowship, but still... Time for me to fix my lips and get my shit together. (That's what we tell the dog when his flappy lips get rolled up against his gums...)

All right, 3:30AM break is over, time to get to work.

Once There Was a Way to Get Back Homeward

2010-01-14T00:42:00.006-05:00

It's been awhile, with no good excuse to offer for my absence. I posted last at the end of September, then went on the combined birthday/anniversary surprise trip to Toronto that my dear husband orchestrated... and then I seemingly fell off the face of the earth. Ah, well -- one of the joys of blogging is that if you fall off the blogspot, you can always climb on again.

New year, new decade, hopefully a new attitude. Had it from a not-so-credible but I'll take it source that this could be the year to get The Long Black Veil sold. But first I have to get it back out there, preferably by the end of this month, as opportunity rarely knocks for long. So that's the plan: start contacting agents again and make the push. We'll see what happens.

Still getting trickles about our screenplay Slide, although the interest has not progressed beyond the "Can we read it?" part. It was a nice diversion through the autumn, even if nothing comes of it. Good to know that making the quarterfinals of such a prestigious competition as the Nicholl Fellowships yields some results. Yea us.

And I am back in the writing game, having traded my days for nights. I get the most done on the midnight to six a.m. shift -- in just three days, I've written 7 pages. I know, still doesn't sound like much, but 7 is more than zero. I've finished the first section, which runs about 145 pages, and begun the interlude that will tie sections one and two together. I would love to write faster, but on the plus side, I generally only have to tinker with the finished product, not rip up and start over. I appreciate any favors bestowed upon me!

So... broken arm, world tragedies, and other bad mojo aside, I am hopeful for my personal progress in 2010, and as part of that progress, I intend to contribute something beautiful to the world that was not there before.

A little belated, but still heartfelt: happy new year!

A Century of Pages

2009-09-24T21:16:00.005-04:00

Finally passed the hundred-page mark for The Pirate's Bride; 108 pages to be exact. This milestone actually occurred a few days ago, but I wanted to make sure I planned to keep what I'd written. (It doesn't happen often, but I do sometimes scrap whole scenes, and that would have taken me back into the nineties.)

Frankly, it doesn't seem like much for ten months' work -- only about 58 pages, 'cuz I had 50 when I started. I try to take into account, however, that I also completed a major and a minor rewrite to Slide in those ten months, as well as moved 1.5 households, provided serious emotional support to my dad as he coped with his wife's terminal illness and eventual death, and laid the groundwork for several other projects.

I would really love to knock out 50 more pages before November 6. That would still only bring my average up to about 8.3 pages per month... but who's counting?

Light the Sky and Hold on Tight

2009-09-15T16:38:00.003-04:00

Ever feel like setting things on fire?

Not literally, of course. I am not an arsonist. But figuratively dropping the match on the pile of tinderwood you've been dancing around for months, even years.

I broke a friendship awhile ago -- shattered it, actually -- for a whole bunch of reasons, not the least of which is that it was time to let it go. Yet I keep a sort of minimal tabs online of the narcissitic personality in question. Why? Beats the hell out of me. Maybe it's the veiled references he is still making to/about me. Maybe I just can't let go of my anger.

I almost responded today. I almost poured on the gasoline and got out my flamethrower. Some nasty, dark part of myself kept whispering, "Burn it all!"

I wrote this instead.

Messing About in the Garden

2009-09-14T17:30:00.003-04:00

As I write this, I should be working on The Pirate's Bride, for which I have managed to write about six pages in the past ten days, and a whole paragraph (okay, two) today. Chalk it up to the dental hygeniest appointment this morning, and then the errands I had to run, as well as the lunch I had with my dad to celebrate his birthday. (A larger celebration is planned tomorrow; though today is the actual date, we're celebrating tomorrow night.)

Those aren't much of an excuse, though, especially when I took the time to score 237,100 on Bejewled Blitz and look at my email umpteen times this afternoon. If I could play that game professionally, I think I would --I'd at least be getting a return on my addiction. But I digress...

And that's the problem. I'm digressing a lot these days, and regressing, and procrastinating, and all kinds of other "ing"s. Perhaps the problem with being self-motivated is that when you're not, there's no one to kick you up the backside and tell you to move along.

So I'm telling myself:

MOVE ALONG!

Bended, But Unbroken

2009-08-29T10:37:00.003-04:00

Received the email I expected last night: we did not advance to the Semi-Finals for the Nicholl Fellowship.

Je suis desolee.

But I -- we -- will survive. It hurts, no doubt about it. I don't think we ever realize how much we are invested in something until it doesn't come to pass. I wanted this, and I try not to want very much... Except to have faith in the writing, to believe that we are good enough to do this professionally.

My faith is shaken but not lost.

Happy little planner that I am, I do not know what to do next. No doubt, however, something will come along.

Just More Questions; Different Kind

2009-08-21T09:38:00.004-04:00

I'm not officially Catholic--or likely to become so--although as I told my husband the other day, I think I am genetically. The Irish is strong in this one, to paraphrase Darth Vader, and the long-suffering guilt of Catholicism steeps my DNA like a warm, insistent, soul-crushing lavage. Not that I'm complaining.

Or maybe I am. The phrase bucking for sainthood keeps coming to mind as I contemplate my current situation. From spontaneously agreeing to watch the neighbor's dog for the weekend to doing laundry for four adults (I volunteered) to redoing the dishes (not voluntary but necessary) to keeping the details of four lives in my head in order to organize a smoother existence (as much for me as for anyone), I sometimes wonder why I'm doing any of it. What if I didn't? What if I stopped?

I suspect it wouldn't make much difference, other than that the ensuing, low-level chaos would drive me crazy. So how can I be a saint to do it all if I'm really doing it for myself?

I'm not a saint. And I don't want to be a domestic engineer, either. I'm not even good at it--just have a look at the pile of cat hair collecting by the bookcase.

And I am tired of being called defensive; I am tired, too, of being the nag who insists people do what they know they ought to do. There are no children in my house.

I think I need to adjust my attitude... Trouble is, I don't know what sort of adjustment to make.

It's Raining in Baltimore

2009-08-17T08:34:00.004-04:00

We got back from North Carolina Friday night after a 13 1/2-hour car ride with my dad's two cats. It would have been nice if we could have made the same time going down (just under 11 hours, with an hour of stop-time for food & bathroom breaks) as we did coming back, but Dad did more of the driving. Guess I didn't get my need for speed from him. :) More important, however: the cats were well-behaved, and so were the people. Dad and I had some good talks, which made the time go a lot faster.

Spent the weekend putting life back into some semblance of order. Shopped for a mattress set for Dad; tried to find a dress for an upcoming wedding; did laundry; planned the 2 week menu and grocery list; grocery shopped; deflated the air mattress; installed the new bed; played with the dog; settled in the cats. Busy, busy.

Still trying to get used to the new house myself. Can't find anything. Always tripping over something. Frequently trying to help someone else find/do something. Not much time to think, let alone write.

Perhaps -- to quote Adam Duritz -- I need a raincoat.

Guess Who's Back? Back Again...

2009-08-09T17:09:00.003-04:00

Long time, no write... To tie up some loose ends: the house deal worked out. We ended up taking it, and we got the seller to pay for the carpet removal. Then we shelled out a bundle to have the floors redone (they really really needed it). Near as I can tell so far, it's all been worth it. We have a nice place, and we all (people and animals) seem to like it.

News: After a two-and-a-half year fight, my father's second wife died from complications created by larangeal cancer. William and I attended the funeral in North Carolina in late July, and Dad has begun the slow process of moving up here with us. We are enjoying his company, but we are so sorry for his loss.

Other News: We made the first cut in the Nicholl Fellowship. Out of a record-breaking 6380 entries, 321 screenplays advanced to the quarter-finals. Slide is one of them. We are very excited, and of course, hopeful that we might make it to the semi-finals. (Between 110 and 120 entries will advance)

Travel: Tomorrow I head back to North Carlina with Dad to start wrapping up the selling of his house and the moving of his stuff, not to mention bringing his 2 beautiful cats home to Rochester. I will have limited Web access for a while, but I plan to pick up this blog upon my return. I even plan to start writing again soon -- with luck, when I get back, or maybe even a little before.

Stay tuned.

A Plague on All Their Houses (Redux)

2009-05-19T15:05:00.004-04:00

This is not a writing entry...

I will admit I have a temper, and that I have my unreasonable moments. That said, I'm assessing the ridiculous situation with our real estate agent and the seller's agent as worthy of anger and desire for satisfaction.

We had a closing date. Because, in the words of the seller's lawyer, the seller was "not ready to vacate" because he "had other closings" he was dealing with, the seller's lawyer did not hurry to respond to our attorney or get the necessary paperwork to our lawyer. (As an aside, we also know that the seller just closed a sale on May 15 -- 1 day after we were supposed to close.)This delayed the bank, but the bank put through its approval in short order, because we were already pre-qualified and ably demonstrated our financial commitment and ability. At that point, we were 2 days past the original closing date.

Now, the seller's lawyer says there is some title problem that still needs to be cleared up. We won't be closing this week either. Monday is a holiday, so the earliest we can close will be next Tuesday -- and that's not guaranteed yet; we still don't have a closing date.

Because the delay has all been on the other party's side, we requested an additional concession, and not a huge one -- we want the carpets removed from the house, which is something we wanted to include as a contingency in our original offer, but our agent said that was an unreasonable request. So we made arrangements to have the carpets removed after we moved in -- and now those arrangements have fallen through because of the delay.

Our agent acts like we're asking for a pound of flesh. His agent won't even present the request to the seller. We're thinking of getting out of the deal all together.

We upheld our end of the deal; the seller and his side are dragging their feet. The house has soured for us considerably. If we don't end up walking away all together, I am looking for some solution to this issue that does not leave us feeling hard done by.

So -- I'm calling on all of the powers of the universe. Help us to resolve this dispute in a way that no one is hurt or upset, but that justice is served.

Let karma be served, too, to our agent, who has failed repeatedly to advocate on our behalf; to his agent, who behaves as if he's more important than the other people in the deal, and who has intimidated our agent; and to the seller, who seems to be up to something that is at least questionable (more than mentioned here). As for the seller's lawyer, well... he's a lawyer. I think karma's already been served there.

Oh, and if you're local -- think twice before dealing with Nothnagle Realtors.

Cue the Theme Music from "Rocky"

2009-05-07T11:28:00.003-04:00

I am not giving up.

Got the latest rejection from an agent today. Boy, they're so nice. I wish they would read the book, but at least they're nice.

I am not giving up.

I read so many books that are truly crap. We have not written the great American novel, but it's entertaining, and it's as good as so much of the stuff that's out there.

I am not giving up.

We will find someone to read this book. They will find someone to publish it. The public will enjoy it. Hollywood will snap it up. The movie will earn everyone money and maybe a few Oscar nominations. We'll keep writing more and let success breed success. We'll help other people be successful.

I am not giving up.

Tomorrow, I will send out the next query letter.

I am not giving up.

"P" Is for Pertussis

2009-05-01T00:39:00.003-04:00

So... I've been coughing for over four weeks now, and from my Internet research and a friend's husband (who happens to be a professional), we've deduced I have pertussis, otherwise known as whooping cough. I didn't realize that despite being immunized against it as a kid, it's still possible to get a milder form of the illness, and anyway, after 10 years or so, the immunization kinda wears off. (Makes you wonder about the other immunizations we received, doesn't it?)

It's very little comfort to know what it is, as there's really nothing I can do about it but cough until I stop coughing. Fabulous. I should be writing, getting back to The Pirate's Bride or storyboarding the next screenplay.

Or barring writing, I should be packing for the move. So far, I've packed one box. One. And that's one more than anyone else I live with. We're a motivated group, I'll tell you what.

Oh, well... it will get done. Or it won't. And this cough will go away. Or it won't.

Everything's eventual.

It's Out of My Hands (For Now)

2009-04-27T14:55:00.002-04:00

It's official: on Friday at about 1:38 in the afternoon, we submitted Slide and our application for the Nicholl Fellowship. We feel we've submitted the best version of that screenplay that we could, and I guess that's all we can hope to do.

Now we wait. With something over 5000 applications for the Fellowship, it takes months for them all to be read, so we're not complaining. It's a great thing to know that our entry will be read at least once.

Here's the basic timeline for notification:
Quarterfinals: mid-July
Semifinals: August/September
Finals: October
Winners: November

In the meantime, back to work on The Pirate's Bride, and time to start work on our new screenplay, Come Dancing. It should keep our minds off things.

I Am I Don Quixote

2009-04-22T16:21:00.003-04:00

Received yet another very nice rejection letter, this time from Agent #3. The courtesy that the agents we've contacted have shown is exemplery, and we do appreciate that. I just wish we could get one of them to read the book. I think they would be pleasantly surprised, enough so that they would actually represent us. What the hell are we doing wrong?

I'd hate to think that it's all about who you know, because if it is, we're screwed.

Well... time to keep tilting at windmills.

Could It Be? Yes, It Could...

2009-04-14T20:43:00.003-04:00

Updates, updates, updates.

Sent out the latest agent query for The Long Black Veil.

Completed the initial edit of Slide. Need to re-read it tomorrow and check accuracy, consistency, spelling, format, etc. Closing in on done, though.

Started the application for the Nicholl Fellowship (which I have been misspelling up to now). Doesn't appear to be terribly hard to get the basic information submitted properly. All online, due no later than 11:59 PM on May 1st. (I thought it was May 3rd; glad I double-checked.)

It's good to have things in motion.

Restaurant Haiku

2009-04-10T23:46:00.003-04:00

Burger King's on fire.

I can hear The King screaming.

You want fries with that?

~ Bill Gibson & Bobbi L'Huillier

A Little Less Conversation, A Little More Action

2009-04-09T08:59:00.005-04:00

Argh. Spent Tuesday editing and rewriting 65 pages of the Slide screenplay, for a total of 86 pages DONE (out of the latest count of 105).

BUT... Hit a big snag. Have one major bit left to amend, and we're just not sure how to do it so that it

Doesn't add too much extraneous material; and
We don't end up "telling" instead of "showing" the action.

The application MUST be postmarked no later than 5/3/09. And I haven't fully read the application materials yet. And it's already 4/9/09.

So why the hell am I wasting time blogging?

Counting All My Blessings

2009-03-31T19:06:00.004-04:00

So many reasons to be thankful...

March coming to a close.

Great friends who provided incredibly useful feedback on the Slide screenplay.

The possibilities of a new house.

The extended network of friends all over the country who are always so supportive.

The five kitties and the puppy.

The family members who offer their expertise and tremendous wit in equal measure.

The chance to get to know Dad again.

The way Jeannine, William and I work so well with one another, whether we're on vacation or buying a house together.

Time Tells Everything, Given Time

2009-03-26T09:29:00.005-04:00

Not writing much here, but writing elsewhere...

Spent a few days in Dover, Delaware, marking the first anniversary of my mother's death by playing the slot machines at Dover Downs and hanging out with J and W. A strange tribute, some might say, but Mom would have loved that place. And Rehobeth Beach was gorgeous even in March.

Spent the past week or so editing the screenplay for Slide -- first to get it ready for a reading with our great group of friends, and following the feedback from the reading, to prepare the script for the Nichols Fellowship application due by May 3rd. We fully expect not to receive the fellowship, but the act of faith committed in trying for it is a good, good thing.

Holding off on sending to a new agent just now... the time doesn't feel quite right yet. Soon, I hope. By the by, should any of you have contacts in the literary/publishing field, we have no qualms about begging for your assistance. Just let us know you're willing to be groveled to.

And finally, we're house-hunting again. Fascinating stuff. May have found a place we like, though not certain yet. That too will come in time, no doubt.

Why I Love to Read Crap Books

2009-03-07T11:39:00.005-05:00

Just finished one last night in fact. Oddly enough, just after I bought the crap book (used), I was flipping through channels and discovered it had been made into a Lifetime movie. You know, Lifetime... Television for Victims.

So why did I enjoy reading the crap book that (no doubt) got made into a crap movie?

'Cuz it gives me hope. The Long Black Veil is not the great American novel, but it ain't crap either.

Wahoo!

Make That a 2-fer

2009-03-06T11:18:00.004-05:00

Got the first contact rejection of the year today; a brief but very nice response from the agent who doesn't feel the manuscript (The Long Black Veil) is right for her list.

I hope that's not code for "your writing sucks big time", but if it is, at least she put it nicely.

And at least she responded.

Guess it's time to go for the hat trick...

Maybe Monday.

We're Thinking of Getting Him A Car

2009-03-05T10:30:00.010-05:00

Our Maine Coon cat, Jake, turns 16 today. I was in college and broke when I drove to Copenhagen, NY, to get him as a gift for Jeannine on her 25th birthday. We like to say he's a gift that keeps on giving.

We drove him cross-country (with 2 other cats -- Dauntless and Harry) to Oklahoma City when we moved there from Watertown, NY; and we drove him back eight years later with three other cats (Yuri, Fox and the Monkey) when we moved from OKC to Rochester, NY. He's been a faithful friend, always quick to come see what's wrong if any of us is upset, or happy to bitch at us when we're not doing what he wants.

He has a thousand nicknames, or somewhere in that neighborhood: Jacob, Yakov, Grape Ape, Poopoo-Lala (his Indian name), Rodan, Yar, Lion King, the Dragon, the Pooh, Mr. Poopoo, and on and on. And songs. You don't want to hear the songs, trust me. Well, maybe one...

I love the Poopoo-Lala

I love the Poopoo true

I love that Poopoo-Lala

Oh, Poopoo I love you!

Happy birthday, Poopoo-Lala!

Circling

2009-03-04T13:27:00.004-05:00

Since deciding to chuck the traditional workforce for writing full-time, I think I've developed ADD or ADHD or whatever the hell one fits. My symptoms include an inability to keep my posterior in the chair for more than a few minutes (unless I'm playing an online game or Spider Solitaire) when I'm actually trying to, oh, you know, WRITE.

I never used to be like this: I used to be able to concentrate for hours on whatever I happened to be working on. And I used to be largely indistractable: for example, I used to do homework in front of the T.V., sometimes with music playing simultaneously, and usually with my parents fighting in the background. And in spite of missing a minimum of 36 days of school each year, I still made good grades -- 37th in a class of 250 in high school, magna cum laude in college in a 3-year accelerated program. Imagine what I might have done if I had actually applied myself!

I don't say any of this to boast; I say it with a deep mourning for what used to be. Nowadays, I have to write a few words,then get up and sweep the floor; write a few more words, then go get a drink; write a little more... you get the picture.

Oddly enough, though, I'm still making progress. At least there's that.

Ambition Can Creep As Well As Soar

2009-03-03T14:09:00.004-05:00

In some magazine or another that I was reading on the plane as I came back from North Carolina, Amy Tan said that she was a "late bloomer" because she didn't publish The Joy Luck Club until she was 37.

Wow. That only gives me 7 months to meet Amy's deadline.

Fortunately, I'm not as enamored of (or cowed by) a devotion to youth culture and its illusionary definition of success. I haven't forgotten that Richard Adams didn't publish Watership Down until he was in his fifties; Laura Ingalls Wilder didn't publish The Little House series until she was in her sixties. Likewise, Raymond Chandler didn't publish his first short story until he was 45, and his first published novel, The Big Sleep, didn't appear until he was 51.

Of course, Richard, Laura, and Ray all had their breakthroughs more than 35 years ago when America at large clung a little less to the definition of youth being an essential component of success.

I'd better get cracking.

In Like A Lion...

2009-03-02T12:12:00.003-05:00

Back after a busy week-and-a-half with much accomplished, including the Jean-Marie Memorial Garage Sale. It was huge and messy and pretty successful, and now there's a lot more room in this old house.

Lots of ideas percolating too, including the continuation of The Pirate's Bride and an idea for a memoir (thank you, Jennifer, for the original suggestion). Tentative title: The Fred & Jean Show. Mom and Dad continue to loom large within the blurry lines of fiction and nonfiction.

Let's see what happens next.

Stop Worrying Where You're Going... Move On

2009-02-18T21:19:00.002-05:00

Finally, FINALLY getting some work done this week. It feels good.

Need to dig out Slide and get to work on that too.

One small step for me & Jeannine, one giant step for... well, me & Jeannine, I guess. Maybe you too if you like the stories we tell.

Success Is Like Failure, It's How You Perceive It...

2009-02-16T20:59:00.003-05:00

It was a successful weekend, I think; I succeeded in surprising my husband with a weekend "away" at a hotel downtown. It was nice not to have to drive too far to get where we wanted to be.

The success of the weekend led to a discussion with my dear husband about success in general. What is success? Public recognition? Making a lot of money at something? Having your name on the side of a building?

I don't feel as if I'm having much success these days, at least not professionally. Then again, what is success? Is it just making money, or is it doing what you want to do? I am doing what I want to do, for sure. But is that enough? And does wanting both kinds of success asking too much?

Anyway, it was a lovely weekend with my Valentine.

Think Pink

2009-02-12T12:08:00.003-05:00

This does not appear to be much of a writing week... considering that I haven't written anything, that may be an understatement.

It is, however, a week for planning. Planning is good, and I'm hell at it. Planning of Valentine's Day surprises, for one... and family vacations for another. Oh, and Oscar parties, too. And the next agent contact, for sometime next week. No word from the last agent contact, so time to move on.

And maybe... just maybe... I'm planning the next chapter of the book. That would be righteous.

Asking the Universe Part 2

2009-02-09T23:57:00.000-05:00

Had to take a break to help some family members last week, but here I am again. And I'm borrowing from an old post format, although the goal this time is somewhat different, so read on...

Wanted: 1 agent (male or female) skilled at shepherding novels and screenplays to critical and financial publishing/production success. Race/religion/location not important but a strong sense of ethics is necessary.

Must have: Book industry contacts; ability to strike and complete lucrative deals; tact; concern for clients; fairness; great communication skills; commitment to assisting clients that he/she believes in; faith in LBV and in our other projects.

Would prefer: A sense of humor; tenacity; moderate politics; an interest in a long-term agent/client relationship.

Must like: Strong women; big dreams.

Must not: Give up easily; take more than his/her share.

Dealbreakers: Dismissiveness; greed; lying.

In return: We offer a mainstream, literary and plot-driven novel, marketable to both men and women, particularly those interested in America's Civil Rights Era. The Long Black Veil, our first novel, recently took second place in the national Xerox Aspiring Authors competition judged by Emily Chenoweth, fiction editor for Publishers Weekly, and Maureen Corrigan, NPR’s book critic. Ms. Chenoweth described The Long Black Veil as “a well-conceived, carefully imagined melodrama [that is] poignant and suspenseful…” and said “[r]eading The Long Black Veil was an absolute pleasure.”

Professionally edited and completed manuscript available upon request. All serious requests considered.

Just Pick A Direction

2009-01-28T03:46:00.006-05:00

I've been working on The Pirate's Bride at all hours of the day and night, mostly 'cuz I can't seem to sleep normal hours.

I've also been working on the synopsis for The Long Black Veil... which is to say, I have a synopsis already, I'm just not sure it's quite right, so I'm rewriting it.

And of course, I've been working on the query letter, too. We sent one, but if we hear nothing (as we've done so far... I know, not quite a week, but I'm impatient), then I'll feel compelled to tweak it before we send the next one.

And now I'm working on the screenplay of LBV. Again, I have one written, but I made at least 50 edits so far in just the first 15 pages.

All of which is to say that I'm working, I'm just not sure I'm making an progress.

I think I might need to get out more... just maybe not at 4 AM.

Doong Sa... Do Not Be Afraid

2009-01-26T11:20:00.003-05:00

If you're a John Irving fan, you may recognize that "Doong Sa" is Vietnamese for the second half of this post-title: "Do not be afraid". I assume John got it right; I never checked beause he used the phrase so effectively in A Prayer for Owen Meany that if he did get it wrong, I don't want to know.

Fear is a subject with which I'm intimately acquainted. Blame it on parents with overactive imaginations, or blame it on my own. Chalk it up to pride, of which I have a wide streak. Attribute it to the chaotic world in which we live, where fear is sometimes considered a gift.

The fears I wrestle with most these days have to do with failure. It's the what ifs -- you know them -- what if it's not good enough? What if we never get it sold? What if I'm just a two-bit hack who doesn't write as well as that [insert derogatory comment & expletive here] Diablo Cody? (I hated Juno. Hated it. On multiple levels. And that was before I knew that woman got her start writing a raunchy blog. Not that there's anything wrong with that, I guess, but writers don't get taken seriously as it is. She's not helping.)

But I started this blog to hold myself accountable, so it's time to face my fears. We sent out our first query letter in three years on Wednesday, January 21, 2009. I wasn't going to say anything here, because almost all query letters end in rejection and getting rejected publicly is supposed to be humiliating, right?

Forget that. Instead, I'm going to take advice from -- of all people -- Bob Dylan, who said: "...Experience teaches us that silence terrifies people the most."

So... no more silence. I'll post about the silence of the agents we contact, if that's all we hear from them. And I'll post about the form letters and the no thank yous and the please send some more followed by more silences if that's what we get. Why not?

Doong sa... do not be afraid.

Hope

2009-01-21T09:07:00.004-05:00

Where Friendly Paths Intersect...Looks Like Home for a Time

2009-01-14T11:25:00.005-05:00

That's Hermann Hesse paraphrased in the title of this post, just to give the author his due...

I've been thinking about home quite a bit lately. The one I came from, the one I went to, the one I have now.

The North Country haunts me; how could it not? The setting of The Long Black Veil reveals some of my ambiguity about where I grew up, though in the end, the fictional town (Ballantyne) is truly a composite of many towns small and large that institutionalize a quiet racism while pretending morality.

The setting for The Pirate's Bride is even further north, and colder, its desolation as much a part of the tale as the characters. That bleak winter landscape leaves its mark on the people who live there and who have witnessed its unique frozen beauty. It's a fascinating hell.

And though I lived there for eight endless years, it's highly unlikely that I would ever set a story in Oklahoma. I'm sure many people feel at home there, but I never did. The lessons I learned there brought me back East, though, so I am grateful for the knowledge gained.

Maybe someday I'll write about where I live now, though this place does not entirely feel like home either. Maybe I'll never have a true home, except perhaps in the pages of my stories. Or maybe home is less about place and more about a person in whom we find peace and understanding. My husband has given me that.

And maybe that's enough.

Happy Little Planner

2009-01-12T10:02:00.002-05:00

Here is how you know when you have too much time on your hands: you start planning your Valentine's Day surprise for your significant other more than a month before the date of the overrated and largely pointless pseudo-holiday.

And it's not as if I don't have anything else to do, between painting the upstairs, going through our accumulated years of crap in the attic & basement, writing The Pirate's Bride, and trying to work up both my nerve & a good query letter for The Long Black Veil -- not to mention the usual maintenance of running a house & prepping it for an additional person/sale/or both. But I like to plan things way ahead of time.

Which reminds me -- we're throwing a costume party for our friends (and my 39th birthday) in October of 2010. Start planning your get-ups, kids -- no time like the present.

It's the End of the World As We Know It (...And I Feel Fine)

2009-01-08T20:50:00.006-05:00

The History Channel is running a docudrama on Nostradamus and the end of the world in 2012 as predicted by repeated mentions of the Maya culture & their astronomical prowess and Nostradamus' name. Wow. Based on this show, I will not be flying anywhere in December 2012.

However, since we've got a couple years left, I guess I'll try to finish The Pirate's Bride and maybe finish painting the upstairs hallway.

At least now I have a deadline. Thanks, Nostra! (Can I call you Nostra?)

The Universe Works in Mysterious Ways

2009-01-06T11:35:00.010-05:00

Three years ago today, I met for the second time the man who became my husband on October 6, 2007. At the time, our situations were complicated, and while I still wish that our beginning had come at no cost to anyone else, I wouldn't change the outcome. I never believed I could love someone as much as I love William. He is everything I wished for in a friend and partner, and I am so grateful to God and/or whomever/whatever else brought us together.

And I know now the Universe does listen to our most heartfelt requests. About 3 months before we met at a party in New Orleans that second time, I posted the following to a blog I used to write:

25 October 2005
Ask and... Well, Who Knows? Anything Might Happen

Wanted: 1 adult male (no children masquerading in an adult’s body). Age range: 28-50 (ish). Looks/race/religion not that important, and excessive vanity discouraged: no hair longer than mine (mid-back), and no one with more facial/skin/body products than I have (a good bit of wiggle room there.)

Must have: intelligence & common sense; a sense of humor; a job (no pimps or dealers); some financial responsibility (ie don’t borrow money on a weekly basis); some social responsibility (no litterbugs); some faith in something (your choice as to what); respect for (but not necessarily agreement with) my opinions; a liking (or at least tolerance) for cats & family; ability to entertain self while I’m writing; general understanding that all good things come from moderation.

Would prefer: kindness & patience; quick but gentle wit; someone not easily embarrassed (I am so easily embarrassed); talented hands; a good debater but reluctant arguer; an artistic soul; an appreciator of books & music; a good dancer; electrical and/or carpentry skills; a calm, pleasant voice; panache & gallantry.

Must like: quiet (at least sometimes); New Orleans; women only; monogamous sex

Must not: pursue strange or kinky sexual gratification; believe self or any family member is Messiah/Napoleon/Dracula/victim of alien kidnapping/a rock star (unless self or they actually are any of the above); consider fists/feet/additional weapons as the final arbiter to any argument; find constantly undermining others a sport/life calling

Dealbreakers: smoking, serious drugs, excessive drinking/gambling/other addictions; violence; serious lying; failure to support my writing (emotionally, not financially)

In exchange, I offer: reasonable intelligence; strong verbal, editing & writing skills; a willingness to fight fair; amazing massages; keen insight (usually); an appreciation for history/film/gallows humor/politics/Ireland/exercise/beauty; style & flair (at least I think so); some cooking ability; love, valor, compassion; a healthy distaste for real-life relationship drama; good legs & large breasts; warmth; stamina (when interested in task); charm; passion; loyalty; determined innocence; home ownership; occasional insanity & moments of despair; impatience for dithering; good phone voice; faith; hope; color & light Undecided on: marriage; children; place where I want to settle down. Convince me. References available upon request. References required. Serious candidates only need apply.

With the exception of electrical & carpentry skills, he's got it all, because even though he says he can't dance, I sure love to dance with him.

Christmas Wrapping

2008-12-31T10:13:00.002-05:00

It must be Einstein's Theory of Relativity: I can spend 8 or 9 hours staring at a blank screen and it seems like an eternity, but 11 days can pass without me even realizing it. Spending Christmas in NYC with good friends did make for an extremely pleasant passage, though, so it was worth it.

From Queens to Gandhi to the Empire State Building, from John's pizza to Grand Central to Times Square to Grand Szechuan to Teany's to Chinatown, from the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to the New Venus diner to Equus to Rockefeller Center to the Malibu Diner, and finally from Penn Station once again, NYC and our friends offered a perfect respite from our first Christmas without our mom. If there were moments of melancholy, given the circumstances, they were both fitting and necessary.

And now, on to the New Year...

I Think I'll Keep My Day... uh...Occupation

2008-12-20T15:03:00.004-05:00

A friend of mine writes an exceptional recipe blog that makes meal prep sound almost fun and worthwhile. I personally despise cooking, though I am the chief planner & executioner of this chore in my house (with lots of sous chef assistance from my husband and some salad prep by sis).

Perhaps the bread I recently tried to make sensed my ambivalence. As it oozed across the floured pan like a horror-film escapee, I made an executive decision to toss it out, because though I followed the recipe and even set the bowl on the stove -- ostensibly the warmest place in the house -- for 18 hours, I think the house is too cold to get the dough to set up.

I suppose I could turn up the heat from 67 to 70 degrees... but I don't really need a $350 loaf of bread, which is what would happen from the increase in our utility bill.

Guess I'll try making this again in the summer.

In other news, the writing is going well. Not counting pages these days, but conceptual progress. Harder to quantify but probably more important.

I'm Dreaming...

2008-12-16T23:48:00.000-05:00

of peace and quiet.

And inspiration.

Maybe some will come tomorrow.

Careering From Career to Career

2008-12-11T23:56:00.004-05:00

Suddenly everywhere I go, the question du jour seems to be, "What do you do?"

Not an unreasonable query, but I'm finding it difficult to answer without a lengthy explanation. Can I say I'm a writer if I haven't been paid for my fiction (even if I have been a paid for writing for other people in various past jobs)? I'm a little uncomfortable with that. I am a writer, and I do write, but in the U.S., when we say "do" we mean "get paid for right now".

Sometimes I say I'm retired. However, at my age, that answer garners disbelief and a dogged repetition of the question.

I'm thinking of saying I'm a professional alcoholic. Don't want to offend anyone, though.

I've considered saying I'm a telecommuting fluffer, since my husband recently told me what that means. However, not everyone may get the joke, and I don't want to give the wrong impression. (Ummm, come to think of it, I may have already given the wrong impression... I swear, I'm only kidding!)

I've also considered saying "I'm a stay-at-home". People will no doubt supply the "mom" that usually completes the phrase, and that's a bit of a fib too. I'm mother only to my animals, and not always a great mom to them.

Maybe I'll just say I'm on a Gibson Writing Fellowship. Those that know my hubby will get it. Those that don't may be suitably impressed.

The Lure of Spider Solitaire

2008-12-10T10:25:00.004-05:00

If the first book was written in between taking phone calls and making copies, the second one seems to owe a debt to Spider Solitaire.

Play two hands, write a sentence. Play a couple more, write a word. Play a couple more...

You get the picture.

I didn't know you could make a career out of playing computer card games at home -- oh, wait, that's not the career I was going for.

And yet, I've managed to break through the block this week. I can't say it's going fast, but at least it's going.

Weekly Wrap-up

2008-12-07T12:14:00.004-05:00

If I were my boss, I would probably write me up this week for failing to perform up to my abilities. I've been distractable, unpunctual, and largely unproductive.

What I did get done: typed, edited, printed and mailed a 50-page biography of a family member for a Christmas present per request. This did not require much of a re-write, per se; mostly it involved checking the grammar & spelling and reorganizing a few thoughts for a more linear presentation.

Two pages of The Pirate's Bride. That may not seem like much, but considering how stuck I was feeling last Monday, it feels great to me.

The opening scene (two pages) for the screenplay of The Long Black Veil. We had a different opening altogether when we first wrote this way back when, so I finally updated it to reflect the book's opening. It's been awhile since I worked on a screenplay, so this was both interesting and kind of productive.

One page of the newest screenplay, tentatively titled The Season of the Witch. I had a vision for how I wanted this to go, but frankly, I don't think I captured it yet. Still, it's a start.

Other stuff: played lots of spider solitaire, spent time with my husband and sister, put up plastic on several windows to cut the drafts down a bit in my old house, came up with several Christmas present ideas, provided support to my dad (whose wife is extremely ill), took care of a sick kitty, cooked a bunch of meals, did a lot of laundry, and let the guys in to fix the elliptical.

What I didn't do that I said I would do: send out query letters to agents. For whatever inexplicable reason, I just don't think it's the right time yet. William, Jeannine and I will look over the query letter again before the year is out and make sure it's saying all it needs to say. I am going to bow to my instincts and wait a little longer.

Okay... time to round 'em up and head 'em out. I guess I'll just give myself a warning for now that I better show a little more initiative in the week to come...

Old Wounds

2008-12-02T02:38:00.002-05:00

Maybe this is why I write: because when you create the world, you can control what happens in it. Like everybody else, I am endlessly discovering all the things over which I have no control. I couldn't save my mother -- not that in the end she wanted to be saved, but still, I really tried. And I still can't change the past.

I can't escape it, either. I volunteered to do a good thing for someone with whom I don't have a close relationship, but who is dear to someone dear to me. In doing so, I was presented with a perspective on an event that happened almost 20 years ago -- and yet it still has the power to piss me off, and not just for me, but for my mother and sister, too. Doesn't this stuff ever go away?

Maybe that's why I still think F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby has the best ending I've ever read:

"Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgiastic future that year by year recedes befores us. It eludes us then, but that is no matter -- tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther, and one fine morning...

So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past."

A Plague on My House (unlike mccain i only have one)

2008-11-28T16:45:00.005-05:00

Argh... bad, bad week for writing. Started out with sciatica (or so I suspect due to the pain in my left lower back & the occasional shooting pains down my left leg -- who needs an MD???). Then bad got worse when I ended up with a suspected case of food poisoning on Tuesday evening/Wednesday all day/into Thursday.

So much for the Thanksgiving plan to go out and eat Indian food. We had frozen pizza at home in our jammies.

Wahoo.

But I am grateful to be on the mend.

Oh, yah, you betcha.

The Birthing Process

2008-11-21T09:50:00.006-05:00

One great joy (for me) in writing is finding a new story idea. When the idea comes from my sister and frequent writing partner, Jeannine, it is the greatest of joys. No one knows me as well or bounces ideas around with me better (with the exception of my husband, but we don't usually write fiction together, so it's okay).

Recently, Jeannine brought a possible new screenplay to me; in the past week, we've roughed out the setting (era & place), the 3 main characters, a sense of the throughline (or at least the point of the story), a couple of prime scenes, and a sense of the ending. We're starting to know our main character just by talking about her: why is she in the story, what's her emotional stake, how does she accomplish her intentions, where does she want to go?

This is the best time -- nothing down on paper yet, but we've planted the seed.

Milestone and Rule #1

2008-11-18T22:54:00.005-05:00

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:

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.

A Quick Search for Inspiration

2008-11-17T17:35:00.003-05:00

The only reason for being a professional writer is that you can't help it. ~ Leo Rosten

Writing is not necessarily something to be ashamed of, but do it in private and wash your hands afterwards. ~ Robert Heinlein

You can approach the act of writing with nervousness, excitement, hopefulness, or even despair... You can come to the act with your fists clenched and your eyes narrowed, ready to kick ass and take down names. You can come to it because you want a girl to marry you or because you want to change the world. Come to it any way but lightly. Let me say it again: you must not come lightly to the blank page. ~ Stephen King

Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass. ~ Anton Chekhov

Writing is easy: All you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead. ~ Gene Fowler

One ought only to write when one leaves a piece of one's own flesh in the inkpot, each time one dips one's pen. ~ Leo Tolstoy

Books want to be born: I never make them. They come to me and insist on being written, and on being such and such. ~ Samuel Butler

If there's a book you really want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it. ~ Toni Morrison

The Queen is Dead, Long Live the Queen

2008-11-15T01:40:00.007-05:00

Here's a happy little late night thought: my mother will never read the book I'm writing now.

I don't think she even read the bits I had started for this one over 3 years ago.

What the hell am I supposed to do with that?

One Week Gone...

2008-11-14T09:15:00.003-05:00

So, I have not gotten a ton of writing done this week, but I feel as though I have adjusted my attitude -- and sometimes that can be more beneficial for going forward than generating a bunch of mediocre work. (Quality, not quantity.)

I'm starting to believe writing full-time may actually be the right thing for me. Even though the economy is tanking, I've given up a decent paying job, and our debt load hasn't changed much, I still feel better than I have in years. And it's not just because I don't have to answer to a supervisor; I still have to answer to myself, and I'd take bets that I'm a much harsher task master than any supervisor I've worked with. I've had some good ones, and they weren't half so exacting.

This week was orientation. Next week is training. Then the real work begins...

Research is Your Friend

2008-11-12T14:50:00.005-05:00

So... slow start this AM has equaled basically a no-start day; it's mid-afternoon, and I've written about 2 words.

HOWEVER, I have done a good bit of research on the WWI era. Here's what I learned today:

TE Lawrence was raped by Ottoman Turks

The sinking of the Lusitania was not a completely unprovoked act; the ship carried "secret" munitions to Britain's aid, though officially the US was neutral in 1915

Americans renamed German measles "liberty measles" when we entered the war... (like "freedom fries" that could kill you)

1914-1919 produced some interesting music

In October 1918, over 851 New Yorkers died of the Spanish flu

And apparently our President-elect is Irish!

Slow Starts

2008-11-12T09:09:00.006-05:00

Inherent challenge number one: working from home means frequent interruptions from the animals. The people get it, but the animals... not so much.

I've been trying to work since 8 AM, but first I had to feed Homer... and take him potty... and listen to him whine until I let him upstairs with me.

Thank God he goes to day care a few times a week.

First Day's End

2008-11-10T16:39:00.003-05:00

Highlights from today:

Set up the blog

Heard from some dear, supportive friends

Re-read and edited 52 pages of Bride

Wrote 1 new page

Not a bad beginning.

The First Leap

2008-11-10T09:26:00.007-05:00

A few years ago, I met my husband-to-be at a party. The first time we met was inauspicious, but the second time, I knew in that inexplicable way in which we recognize an absolute truth that we were meant to be together. Many odds were against us, from complicated relationships to geographical distance to a not-insignificant gap in our ages. And yet we married last year, and neither of us has ever been happier. That was the first leap of faith.

And now, after struggling with my mother's recent death and several years of career dissatisfaction, my husband suggested I stop trying to fit my square self into a round hole, quit my job, and just write. He believes it's what I was meant to do. I want to believe.

So I am taking the risk. Working with my sister, who is also my writing partner and a critical part of my life, I have finished one novel--The Long Black Veil--and will try to get an agent and/or publishing house interested in buying it. Concurrently, I will continue working on the screenplay that LBV inspired and on the new novel, The Pirate's Bride.

Will any of it sell? I don't know. But with my husband, sister, family and friends supporting me, it's time to make the second leap.

Slide

2008-11-10T07:01:00.001-05:00

Slide
Type: Screenplay
Genre: Dark Comedy, Present-day setting
Status: In Revision

Logline: For brothers Wes and Neil, their friend Alaska, and co-workers Dexter and Bird, escape from their boring lives is a pipedream... until an ice storm sets up the perfect robbery. Forced to rely on one another if they hope to slip away, these smalltown slackers may just realize their wildest dreams.

The Pirate's Bride

2008-11-10T07:00:00.001-05:00

The Pirate's Bride
Type: Novel
Genre: Romantic Drama; 1900-1929 era
Status: In Progress

Logline: Set at the turn of the twentieth century, ugly duckling Harper Geist marries handsome, desirable Julian Pratt and sets her small hometown talking. As rumors about their match become uglier — spurred on by her jealous sister — Harper grows suspicous of Julian's professed love and begins to doubt her own judgment. Only a tragic accident makes her realize all that she has allowed to undermine her marriage, but by then it may be too late to find forgiveness.