Wed. June 10, 2015: Finding a Writing Groove

Wednesday, June 10, 2015
Waning Moon
Saturn Retrograde
Pluto Retrograde
Mercury Retrograde
Sunny and pleasant

I will be very glad when Mercury goes direct tomorrow. The last few days were tough.

On the positive, delightful side, though, horse racing has a new Triple Crown winner, American Pharoh. What a terrific horse! Not only is it great that there’s a winner, it’s great that it’s this particular horse, because he’s friendly and mellow, as well as being talented, and he makes a great ambassador for the sport. It was a beautiful race. My other pick, Frosted, who I hoped would come in second, did.

Got some gardening done over the weekend, but not enough. Felt exhausted and burned out. Read a lot. After reading a spate of disappointing novels, I was delighted to read some good ones, my favorite being THE HAWLEY BOOK OF THE DEAD by Chryslar Szarlan, which is a wonderful work of magical realism. I also really liked THE GONE DEAD TRAIN by Lisa Turner and THE DRESS SHOP OF DREAMS by Menna Van Park. Read some memoirs and essays, too — mixed bag, those. I got frustrated with the ones justifying bad choices and hurting others.

I’m also reading an amazing non-fiction book, Tina Packer’s THE WOMEN OF WILL, about Shakespeare’s female characters. It makes me realize how much I miss working on Shakespeare.

I let the executive board of the Writers Center know that I will be rotating off the board at the end of my term in October.

I read over what I’ve got on BALTHAZAAR TREASURE, INITIATE, TRUE HOME, and even HEART SNATCHER. Did a bit of work on the third draft of HEART SNATCHER. This revision is more complex than the last, because I’m breaking things apart and rearranging them.

I also broke through the difficulties I’ve had on BALTHAZAAR TREASURE, and I’ve gotten it back on track again, writing twenty seven new pages on Monday and yesterday.

Monday is usually my day off, but I went in to work for a meeting for an event we’re doing at the end of August, came home for a few hours, and then went in to help out with Milbilly Idol. I was drafted to be the third judge, and I’d arranged for the other two judges and hired in another friend to do lights and sound. We had fewer kids than the previous year, but they were cute and it was a good event. My friend and I had a beer at Saga Fusion before heading home.

Yesterday, I wrote all morning, working on BALTHAZAAR, and then headed to the Marine Life Center for a meeting on Canalfest. It went better than I expected. Saw the seals, including the new seal pups (they are so darn cute, it just about breaks your heart). It was too late to make the Spectacle of Trees meeting (which I’m doing with TWO organizations this year), so I waited until the NMLC rep got back to get filled in on that for that tree, and then went home.

Up at 5 today, baked for tomorrow’s author event. Then wrote for awhile. It will be a long day at work today — in fact, I have a long days all week, with tomorrow’s author event and this being my Saturday “on”, and then going to a tango intensive in Wellfleet all weekend.

And, of course, keeping up the pace of the writing. So it’s good, but I have to marshall my energy, and not allow selfish people to drain me.

Having Saturn, Pluto, and Mercury retrograde and dealing with a full moon in Sagittarius wore me out.

Hope everyone is having a great week.

Devon

Fri. June 5, 2015: Planning a Busy Weekend

Friday, June 5, 2015
Waning Moon
Saturn Retrograde
Pluto Retrograde
Mercury Retrograde

Tired. Mentally even more than physically.

Busy day at work yesterday, which is not a bad thing, just busy. Some cataloging, a lot of PR.

Tango was fun – nice teacher and learned some basics in a real step-by-step way (no pun intended), along with stuff to work on between this week and next week.

It was light enough after Tango to go to the beach and see the last of the light fade into twilight. Beautiful. Hard to imagine that in two weeks, it will be the Solstice and then the days get shorter again.

Home, exhausted, to bed reasonably early. Overslept this morning. Couldn’t get any work done on the play, which was frustrating. I know, in my head, where I want the scene to go, but won’t know if I’ll get there until it’s on paper.

I’m absolutely tied in knots about the Belmont Stakes tomorrow. I want American Pharoh to win the Triple Crown. The horse is not only talented, he’s a delightful ambassador for the sport. I’m also worried he won’t.

I need to get a lot of writing and a lot of yard work done this weekend. While I normally have Monday and Tuesday away from work, I’ll be in on Monday morning for a meeting and Monday afternoon for a program. Tuesday, I have to be in two places at once, something I’m not quite sure how I’ll manage. Next week will be exhausting, with programs and the Saturday “on”.

But I just need to look at one thing at a time.

The circus piece is started to form in my head.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Devon

Thurs. June 4, 2015: Working on the Play

Thursday, June 04, 2015
Waning Moon
Pluto Retrograde
Saturn Retrograde
Mercury Retrograde
Sunny and cool

Yesterday was a pretty decent day. Masterpiece Book and Film watched the second part of NOSTROMO – the filmmaking reminded me, stylistically, of the 1960s, not the 1990s. But it’s interesting, and I look forward to seeing the final part next week.

I got some periodicals processed and some PR out.

I have to ask some questions on a contract – ran it past both agent and lawyer, and they agree with me. Of course, Mercury Retrograde is the worst time to negotiate contracts.

Got some work done on the historical play this morning. It’s humming along nicely. It feels good.

Today will be a long day, and then tango tonight. Tomorrow will be another long day.

Saturday is the Belmont Stakes. I want American Pharoh to take the Triple Crown. Frosted, to me, looks like his biggest threat. Fingers crossed. Will probably do an American Pharoh-Frosted exacta.

Onward.

Devon

Wed. June 3, 2015: June Blooms

Wednesday, June 3, 2015
Waning Moon
Saturn Retrograde
Pluto Retrograde
Mercury Retrograde
Cloudy and cold

Busy few days.

Friday was busy at work. Picked up dinner from Osterville Fish Market and relaxed.

There was a contractual glitch with one publisher, but we seem to have worked it out. I’m glad I asked questions, instead of assuming the worst and getting angry.

The play submission got out and was acknowledged. I’ll hear by August on that. Either it’s what they want, and we move forward, or it’s not, and it goes somewhere else. I’m still going to work on the play in the interim.

Saturday was all about the garden. Bought dirt, bought flats of marigolds, pots of basil, various and sundry other plants, and NINE flats of petunias. Put together the hanging baskets for the deck. Still have to do the ones for the front of the house. Replanted the small trees in the front of the house and pruned them. Replanted one of the bush cherries in the ground, and I’m trying to figure out what to do with the other one. Replanted all 28 tomato plants. Ran out of basil, but had enough marigolds for them. Also replanted some of the Brussel Sprouts, which are getting big. Planted the rosemary, oregano, thyme, and dill.

Sunday, I mowed the front (which needed it again). I kept thinking it would rain, it kept threatening to rain, but it didn’t. I was supposed to go to the Berkshires, but that trip got cancelled.

Then, I was going to go to Boston on Monday and Tuesday, but the weather was so miserable, I postponed it.

Monday rained just about all day. We needed it. It was good. I wasn’t feeling well, and gave myself the day off. I read a lot and tried to get better.

Yesterday, I ran errands and attended a birthday party in the early afternoon, then came home and tried to get my act together.

Did some more poker research, which was depressing. It’s not a game I ever enjoyed or felt affection for, although I admire people who play professionally.

Did some research on circuses and their history. Not sure where I’ll go with it, but an idea is percolating just under the surface.

Doing research on Matta, one of my favorite painters.

Writing wise, I did some work on one of the mysteries, and figured out the opening of the historical play. That was difficult. I didn’t want to start too early and do a lot of exposition, but I still have to make clear the sting operation. But I think I figured it out.

Someone I never heard of or met sent me a manuscript and announced I would edit it. That’s not the way it works, bubbelah. I’m constantly astonished by the arrogance of the unpublished. I don’t sit around waiting for someone to deign to send me a manuscript so I can edit for free and fun. First of all, it’s my business, and you ASK about terms and whether we are a good fit and whether I have time and, secondly, my own work ALWAYS comes first.

There’s enough information out there on how to work with editors and publishers that there is NO excuse for “not knowing”, even when you start out. We’re in the information age. Bother to look up some information.

Today will be a long day at work, with a long list of stuff I need to get done, and, no doubt, hundreds of interruptions.

American Pharoh goes for the Triple Crown this Saturday at Belmont Park, which is almost sold out already. I hope he wins. I’m afraid to count on it, but he looks so good and so happy, and he’s had so much FUN during the races so far that it gives me hope.

Trying to sort out travel glitches on a friend’s upcoming trip, and also prepare for overseas guest who will be staying a good, long time.

Have to change the batteries in one of the carbon monoxide detectors again, in spite of having done so on the Equinox.

Irritated that the gas and electric companies were allowed to raise their rates, respectively, 39% and 27%. If the few people who get raises only get a 2.5% cost of living increase, which has to cover EVERYTHING in life, then the utilities should be only allowed to raise their prices one quarter of one percent. Period. If they “can’t afford it”, they should cut executive salaries and they should be non-profit anyway, with profits going back into improving the grid instead of going to stockholders.

Hop on over to the GDR site for the latest.

Devon