Thursday, August 21, 2008
Waning Moon
Pluto Retrograde
Jupiter Retrograde
Neptune Retrograde
Sunny and pleasant
Have you signed up for The Muse Online Writers’ Workshop? It runs Oct. 13-19, it’s virtual, and it’s FREE. There are lots of great presenters. And I’m teaching my dialogue workshop again, although it will be slightly different than last year’s. Registration closes on September 1, so hop on over and sign up. Believe me, it’s worth it. I developed EARTH BRIDE and another yet-to-be written novel there. It’s a wonderful way to develop material for Nano – get your world built, get your outline done, experiment with some characters, and there you go – you can sit down with fingers flying over the keys during the month of November.
I was out of sorts yesterday, once I had my quota of writing done. I ran some errands, bought a few little things that would normally make me feel better, but didn’t, and was simply feeling undervalued and underappreciated. I couldn’t sort it out with all of the individuals at the root (it’s not like there are that many, I just didn’t have access to some of them), but one, in particular, who has made empty promises on a work front for months – by the end of the night, I just lost my temper.
And got results.
I hate having to do that, but sometimes stating that you’re done and are going to walk because of the unfulfilled obligations – and MEANING it – is the only option left. It seems to be sorted out properly now; let’s hope that’s true. Of course there were excuses. To a point, I understand, but there’s also a point, especially when the promises have continued over a period of months with no results, where I stop caring what those excuses are, and simply want results.
I had a good writing morning on OLD-FASHIONED DETECTIVE WORK, despite the late start. A mermaid named Solange has inserted herself into the tale, and promises to be a force to be reckoned with in the series. Unfortunately, she set up a dilemma. I wanted to set up a conflict between Solange and Jain that would get deeper and harsher, especially in Book 4 and perhaps in Book 5. But Wyatt didn’t like the way it was set up, and his part in the mess. Although it makes sense that someone WOULD behave in the way I wanted, HE was adamant that HE would NOT.
I worried about it most of the afternoon, running errands, reading in the park, trying to avoid an astonishing amount of people wearing metaphorical foil hats.
I came across a similar topic as I wasted time on the internet later in the afternoon, and I strongly disagreed with the way it was handled, while acknowledging that the writer has the right to present that point of view.
HOWEVER, thinking about the problems I had with the way the topic was handled made me realize certain similarities in the situation in OLD-FASHIONED DETECTIVE WORK. Wyatt (meaning my subconscious’s way of creating the character) is right – he WOULDN’T behave in the way I tried to force. Not only that, by following that path, although the genders are reversed, I would condone a situation similar to the one I disagreed with in the other writer’s work.
Solution – stick to what I believe in and let Wyatt behave in a way that’s true to himself.
Yeah, I realize that the above won’t make sense to anyone but me. But as long as it makes sense to me, right? And solves the problem.
And OLD-FASHIONED DETECTIVE WORK is not only longer than I originally intended, but more complex. Which serves the overall series well, but makes it hard to get it out quickly.
Add the fact that I can’t get the printer to print and I’m panicking and sending multiple backup copies to myself every few minutes – remember, I lost the first draft forever of MODERN CREATION MYTHS last time I was here, and it was never retrieved – so it’s a bit more stressful than I bargained.
But I have GOT to get this novella finished, revised, and out ASAP. I’m already hideously late with it, and I hate being late. I don’t have the luxury of taking my time with the work – in order to make a living, I need to meet deadlines, so I have to make my process fit the schedule. No artistic self-indulgence allowed. No “I don’t feel like writing” today or “I’m too tired”. I lost too many writing days because I was so physically and emotionally exhausted working full weeks on Broadway this summer – my back’s against the wall and I can’t afford excuses.
There was a concert in Rittenhouse Square last night. I didn’t have to attend – I could hear it from the balcony. I’m not sure who was playing, but the first part of the evening wasn’t to my taste (okay, honestly, I think it kind of sucked), but there was some music in the second part I kind of liked, and the sounds were very different. The music in the second part had more drive, more purpose, less whine. Much more my style.
I got another late start. I had bad dreams last night, unfortunately about people close to me. Hate that. It was difficult to get back to sleep. So I slept in, and now I’m stumbling around, trying to pull it all together.
I have a truncated writing day here this morning due to the cleaning person coming in, and for a long lunch I plan to have out. I seriously doubt I’ll be in any shape to write when I return. And I’ll be toasting the all-day photo call they’re having at the show, while, at the same time, extremely grateful that I’m not working it . . .
Devon
Devon’s Bookstore:
Hex Breaker by Devon Ellington. A Jain Lazarus Adventure. Hex Breaker Jain Lazarus joins the crew of a cursed film, hoping to put to rest what was stirred up before more people die and the film is lost. Tough, practical Detective Wyatt East becomes her unlikely ally and lover on an adventure fighting zombies, ceremonial magicians, the town wife-beater, the messenger of the gods, and their own pasts.
$4.00 ebook/ $6.00 on CD from Firedrakes Weyr Publishing.
Visit the site for the Jain Lazarus adventures.
5 in 10: Create 5 Short Stories in Ten Weeks by Devon Ellington. This ebooklet takes you from inspiration to writing to revision to marketing. By the end of ten weeks, you will have either 5 short stories or a good chunk of a novella complete. And it’s only 50 cents, USD. Here.
Writing Rituals: Ideas to Support Creativity by Cerridwen Iris Shea. This ebooklet contains several rituals to help you start writing, get you through writer’s block, and help send your work on its way. It’s only 39 cents USD. (Note: Cerridwen Iris Shea is one of the six names under which I publish). Here.
Full Circle: An Ars Concordia Anthology. Edited by Colin Galbraith. This is a collection of short stories, poems, and other pieces by a writers’ group of which I am a member. My story is “Pauvre Bob”, set at Arlington Race Track in Illinois. You can download it free here:
Archaeologist Dr. Gwen Finnegan is on the hunt for her lover’s killer. Shy historical researcher Justin Yates jumps at the chance to join her on a real adventure through Europe as they try to unspool fact from fiction in a multi-generational obsession with a statue of the goddess Medusa.
Buy links 
When plans for their next expedition fall through, Gwen and Justin accept teaching jobs at different local universities. Adjusting to their day-to-day relationship, they are embroiled in two different, disturbing, paranormal situations that have more than one unusual crossing point. Can they work together to find the answers? Or are new temptations too much to resist? For whom are they willing to put their lives on the line? Available on multiple digital channels 
SAVASANA AT SEA
Yoga instructor Sophie Batchelder jumps at the chance to teach on a cruise ship when she loses her job and her boyfriend dumps her. But when her boss is murdered, Sophie must figure out who the real killer is -- before he turns her into a corpse, too. A Not-Quite-Cozy Mystery.
Buy Links 
PLAYING THE ANGLES
Witchcraft, politics, and theatre collide as Morag D’Anneville and Secret Service agent Simon Keane fight to protect the Vice President of the United States -- or is it Morag who needs Simon’s protection more than the VP?
Buy links 
THE SPIRIT REPOSITORY
Bonnie Chencko knows books change lives. She’s attracted to Rufus Van Dijk, the mysterious man who owns the bookshop in his ancestors’ building. A building filled with family ghosts, who are mysteriously disappearing. It’s up to Bonnie and her burgeoning Craft powers to rescue the spirits before their souls are lost forever. Buy Links 
RELICS & REQUIEM
Amanda Breck’s complicated life gets more convoluted when she finds the body of Lena Morgan in Central Park, identical to Amanda’s dream. Detective Phineas Regan is one case away from retirement; the last thing he needs is a murder case tinged by the occult. The seeds of their attraction were planted months ago. But can they work together to stop a wily, vicious killer, or will the murderer destroy them both?
Buy link 
Ink In My Coffee 