Mon. Aug. 29, 2016: Adventures, Old & New

Monday, August 29, 2016
Waning Moon
Neptune Retrograde
Mercury About to turn Retrograde
Sunny and warm

Pretty good few days at the theatre. Pleasant shows, happy audiences.

Tired, though, and my feet hurt, and I tweaked my knee on the balcony stairs. Six more days, eight more shows, and it’s on to the next adventure.

Trying to get back into a regular writing schedule. Having trouble with this section of INITIATE. The Victorian mystery – well, this draft, I’m figuring out the basics – I finally figured out the body drops, the murderer, and the why. I’d known the first body from almost the beginning. A lot of the setting for this series is the changing position of women in Victorian society as it approaches the turn of the century, and how marriage and marriage expectations are changing. So the richness of detail, social context, and setting are as important as the pace and the actual murders.

The reading for all this background is fascinating. I’m setting the first book in Newport, RI; the second in Saratoga during racing season; and the third in NYC. It means a trip to the law library in Barnstable, probably next week, to do some research on Victorian marriage, property, inheritance, and divorce laws at that time in the US.

Next week, when I’m not distracted by the show, I’m also going back into the next round of edits for DEATH OF A CHOLERIC.

I’m developing another mystery series, set within a touring theatre company, and some of the short stories that were tickling as I went into the show schedule are demanding attention. So, creatively, things are getting back on track after the initial shock of job change. Even though there’s more job change coming up, I’m a little calmer about it.

It will be a busy week, with two shows on both Wed. and Thurs., but the season closes out on Saturday, and it’s onward!

Have a great last week of summer.

Mercury goes retrograde tomorrow. I’m going to just try to keep my head down for the next three weeks!

Devon

Thurs. Aug. 25, 2016: Old and New

Thursday, August 25, 2016
Waning Moon
Neptune Retrograde
Sunny and hot

Busy few days at the theatre. I was so exhausted that I slept until nearly 10 AM today. Another week and a half, and I move on to the next adventure.

Haven’t been able to get enough writing in, which is very frustrating and throws me off my game on everything else. I plan to spend a good chunk of hours today writing – when I’m not catching up on laundry!

I only have one day off this week – Sunday – and next week I work straight through, but closing night is the 3rd. I can’t believe September is next week!

Getting in lots of research materials for the Victorian-era mystery set in Newport. I figured out the first three books of the series: Book 1 is in Newport, Book 2 in Saratoga, and Book 3 in New York City over the Christmas holidays.

I’ve also got to get back into the next cycle of edits for DEATH OF A CHOLERIC and get back to SONGBOUND SISTERS, but the latter won’t happen until the show is done, because I need to be able to focus without interruption.

And, of course, I need to get back to the plays.

People from That Other Place keep turning up at the theatre, either as ushers or patrons. I am very cheerful and polite. 😉 The fact that none of my former colleagues has bothered to keep in touch just shows that I merely shared space with them for two years. Well, I’m on to other things, and it is all good.

Back to research, writing, and marshalling resources for tonight!

Have a great weekend!

Devon

Tues. Aug. 23, 2016: Juggling

Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Waning Moon
Neptune Retrograde
Sunny and pleasant

We finally have some cooler weather, and yesterday, we even had a bit of rain. What a relief!

Last week was challenging, to say the least, at the theatre, and that’s all I’m going to say about it.

I attended a reading of a new play by the guest artistic director, who I’ve gotten to know a bit over the weeks, and it was very good. I hope it goes further, because it hits some important points about humanity (and lack thereof).

I’ve hit a difficult section in INITIATE, where I’m having to write broadly at first to set out all the puzzle pieces, and then rewrite, focusing down. Eventually, it will work, but it’s a different way of working.

I’ve started developing another piece — the characters are very strongly in my mind, and the setting, but I’m still figuring out the plot. It deals with a touring theatre company.

And I’m working on yet a third piece, where the characters would not shut up, so I’ve written the first few chapters to see where I am with it. It’s an historical mystery, this particular one set in Newport (the second one will be set in Saratoga). My female protagonist’s marriage is falling apart, and she has to decide whether to put up with it because society wants her to, or flout convention and follow her own happiness, with the punishment that women faced at that time. I’ll have to research some of the legalities of the time, to make sure my premise is set up properly.

This week will again be challenging, but, hopefully not as much as last week. Dig in and deal, right? What else can one do?

After next week, I have to rework things on the GDR site and get things in motion for next year. My writing schedule has been thrown off.

After some discussion (not all pleasant), the agent has the correct changes in the manuscript and synopsis and it’s going out to the publisher who wanted rewrites on spec, which is something I disagree with. I do not believe there will be a contract offer; if there was genuine interest, the offer would have been on the table without demanding prior rewrites. We’ll see who is correct in this situation. I made it clear that I am not rewriting on spec to every set of notes that comes in.

I didn’t get much writing done last week; I hope to fix that this week. Not writing enough threw me off my form in every other way as well.

Have a good week!

Devon

Thurs. Aug. 11, 2016: Stability to Support Change

Thursday, August 11, 2016
Waxing Moon
Neptune Retrograde
Sunny and hot

I’ve been lax in blogging, not because I don’t care about you all, but because there’s not much to publicly say. I’m in show schedule, and the next three weeks will be particularly intense.

My agent has one book out on submission, I’m deep into the draft of INITIATE, which will take years to prepare properly for submission, and I need to get back on track with the plays, DEATH OF A CHOLERIC, and SONGBOUND SISTERS.

I will be able to sign another year’s lease in the house in which I currently live, which is great. I love the house.

That will give me the breathing room to decide if I’ll stay on the Cape or leave. There are many things I love about living here, such as the beauty of the place. But there have been a lot of disappointments and frustrations. I am not willing to capitulate in certain ways that I am expected to, or fit other people’s conveniences and boxes.

But it gives me a year to see how things align, and what my next chapter is. I have a LOT to do in this coming year, especially in regard to my writing, and we’ll see what the rest brings.

Right now, I’m trying to mentally and physically prepare myself for the next three weeks, especially since my last week at the theatre, Mercury goes retrograde!

It’s hot and humid, tough going for the next few days. The cats are already growing their winter fur, so they are miserable.

We have company coming in tomorrow, which will be fun. And then – I’ll check in when I can over the next three weeks, but it will be intermittent.

Have a brilliantly wonderful August!

Devon

Wed. Aug. 3, 2016: Wasp Attack

Wednesday, August 3, 2016
Waxing Moon
Neptune Retrograde
Sunny and pleasant

The days are getting shorter. One can tell we’ve had the first harvest.

Tired. Show was fine last night, except I was attacked by wasps. I didn’t have an allergic reaction, fortunately, but the pain is out of proportion to the injury.

Some good writing done yesterday, and a few errands, but mostly, I’m in “show head” and will be there until early September.

Ran into someone I knew from That Other Place who had no idea my job had been eliminated. Guess they’re just acting like I never existed. Oh, well. Some of my colleagues also heard of places that are hiring for September and passed on those leads, which I will follow up on today.

Most of my words are saved for the page, which leaves little for anything else. I promise to be a better conversationalist in the fall! 😉

The Cape Cod Writers Conference starts tomorrow; I can’t participate this year. The Mermaid Ball is next week; can’t be part of that, either. Changes, all over the place.

Devon

Tues. Aug. 2, 2016: Juggling Schedules

Tuesday, August 02, 2016
New Moon
Neptune Retrograde
Cloudy and cool

Yesterday was a pretty darn good day. I celebrated an important personal day for myself, and also got a lot of writing done. I was fighting a bit of a stomach bug, still, which is worrisome, especially with this week’s theatre schedule.

I was invited to read at the Cape Cod Writers Conference, and had to say no. I’m on show schedule – nights and weekends, baby, I don’t get to take time off. Next week, I’ll also miss the Mermaid Ball for the first time since I moved to the Cape.

I’m getting contradictory information from different people in my agent’s office, which is throwing the schedule into a bit of chaos. All I can do is the best I can do – I was told to take “what time I need” and let them know I’m in shows, and that slows me down.

Other than that, the writing is going well. I got the link for my radio play, but I haven’t yet had a chance to download/listen to it. Once I do, I’ll let you know.

Back into the writing cave for a few hours, until I have to head out to the show.

Onward!

Devon

Mon. Aug. 1, 2016: Important Personal Day

August 1, 2016
Dark Moon
Neptune Retrograde
Sunny and cooler

Today is one of the most important days in my personal calendar. I am honoring it.

Things have been busy at the theatre, and busy with the writing. The writing is at a point where I have to focus on the doing, and talking about it would dilute the work. I also have to do some work on the opening chapters of the other book for my agent.

The next few days will be stressful at the theatre, but that’s life. Hopefully, I can get into a good rhythm.

Meanwhile, the focus is today, this important day. And the writing. Tomorrow is another day, with new opportunities.

I’m looking forward to the opportunities. I feel like vistas are opening!

Hope you’re having a wonderful first harvest!

Devon