Mon. Jan. 8, 2018: Project Juggling

Monday, January 8, 2017
Waning Moon
Partly sunny and cold

Well, the storm wasn’t as bad in our little pocket of the Cape as it was elsewhere. It was worse on other parts of the Cape — for instance, in Provincetown and Orleans, where they had serious flooding. Even closer to the bay, in Barnstable, it was bad.

We had mostly rain in the morning on Thursday — pounding, awful rain and high winds. I wasn’t about to go out in it.

I stayed home. Stayed off the computer, worried about power outages.

Per my editor’s request, I wrote the full outline for MYTH AND INTERPRETATION. The editor and publisher want to see it, since TRACKING MEDUSA is out at the end of this week, and the beginning of M & I is in there (along with the new beginning of BALTHAZAAR TREASURE that finally works). Since M & I is supposed to release in July, and I’ll be working on it in tandem as I finish SPIRIT REPOSITORY, everyone involved wanted a look at where I see it going. My editor and I will talk about it at some point this week.

Originally, what’s now M & I was the beginning of BALTHAZAAR. Which is why it didn’t work. It covered the time in Gwen and Justin’s relationship between the end of MEDUSA, but before they went down to the Bahamas for the sunken pirate ship. The twists and turns in the relationship in the interim were important for readers, but it didn’t work as the beginning of BALTHAZAAR. It also didn’t work as flashbacks within BALTHAZAAR. It completely ruined the pace.

So I cut them out for the novella. But then, on Thursday, I had to flesh out the novella to make it a fully capable story that stands alone. I think it’s veered a little too much toward urban fantasy out of paranormal mystery, and I may need to pull it back. We’ll see what my editor says.

Got some work done for a client meeting that will happen today, but couldn’t send it out.

We only got a couple of inches of snow. But when I went out to clear it on Friday morning, I found that under the snow was a good two inches of solid ice. I could have gone skating out there.

I scraped and salted, and then made a run to get in a carload full of wood for the fireplace, more ice melt, and some groceries. I didn’t do much else on Friday, except read. That was my official day off for the week.

Saturday, up early and took down the holiday decorations. Eight hours got most of it down and packed away, but there are still bits and bobs, like getting the wax out of a couple of tablecloths, etc. I had hoped to write, but the whole day was taken up with packing; by the end of it, my back hurt, my head hurt, my knees hurt, and I couldn’t think.

Sunday, I did a big grocery shop and got in some other necessities. Read and did some other work, but couldn’t face any of the projects I “should” be working on.

I’m percolating a bunch of things. I know that counts as work, but it’s not the work I’m supposed to be doing, the work on deadline. I’m behind on that, and I’m angry with myself.

Finished up the work for today’s client meeting. I am on site with two clients today, which makes for a long day, but it will be worth it.

Got back to SPIRIT REPOSITORY today. I have a deadline looming to get a decent draft to my editor, since the release date is May 1. Which means I’ll also have to write the first chapter of RELICS AND REQUIEM, the third Coventina Circle mystery. Fortunately, I have most of it outlined. Amanda and Phineas are the central protagonists of that one.

An invitation to submit to an anthology hit my desk; much as I’d like to participate, I don’t see how I can fit in good work in and amongst the contracted deadlines and the expanding client work. Mediocre won’t cut it.

Working on the new Fearless Ink logo, which will be revealed with the new web design reveal, probably by the end of the month. I’m still debating whether or not to add social media packages to my services. They’d all be remote, and, no doubt from far away, since here it’s a fight to get anyone to pay even minimum wage, and social media packages go way above and beyond that.

Got paid early from a gig — always a pleasure.

The first shipment of books for the contest is on its way and should be here by Wednesday. So then, from now to May will be a reading marathon. Which is great. I’m always excited, and I always want each book to be wonderful.

I already feel behind and overwhelmed by 2018, so I need to get it together. A lot of it has to do with the political chaos, which does affect every aspect of my life. I’m not one of the privileged rich who can pretend it doesn’t matter what’s going on in Washington. Everything that’s going on affects my daily life and well-being right now. Which is why I work every day with my elected officials, even when I don’t go into detail on it.

I was irritated when someone on social media boasted about getting out of jury duty. It makes me happy that New York stopped allowing exemptions. You’re called, you go. Too bad if it’s not convenient. It’s part of being a citizen.

There’s been a lot of derision along with the support for last night’s Golden Globes. Do I believe that sexual misconduct will stop in the business? Not overnight, that’s for sure. Not because people are wearing black to the Awards show. But they are trying to take action. It’s a step. Do I believe everyone who claims to support the effort is perfect? Of course not. But again, people are making an effort.

Anyone who says artists should shut up is simply a moron. The very act of creating art is radical and political. There will always be a faction that panders to what they see as the “bread butterers.” Look how far the NEW YORK TIMES has fallen, from an esteemed newspaper, albeit slightly right of center (they have NEVER been a liberal media outlet in my lifetime) to pandering to the lowest common denominator. After the election, Punch Jr. promised the NYT would lead the fight for truth and justice. And now the paper’s done the opposite. Even when I disagreed with them, at least they used to have in-depth, well-researched and written pieces that tried to cover multiple facets of an issue. No more. They’ve dumbed it down and pandered to people who will never take them seriously, still mistakenly thinking they are “liberal.” I had an interesting debate with an American living in Singapore who still subscribes, out of the position that he wants to support independent journalism. I understand that, but NYT is a CORPORATION who has broken the trust of the people who supported it for decades. Yes, I want a free press — which includes publications with whom I disagree. But the NYT (and other trusted sources) should be exploring multiple facets of stories, not pandering to the stupid. Which is why they no longer get my money.

This will be a busy week. I have a lot to juggle. TRACKING MEDUSA re-releases on Friday. I have to go over the proofs of PLAYING THE ANGLES and SAVASANA AT SEA one more time before they move distributors; I have to get to work rebuilding all seven websites. Plus client work. Plus LOIs to potential new clients. Plus reviewing the two books I received late last week. Plus keeping up with the deadlined, contracted fiction.

All I want to do in this weather is curl up with a good book!

Onward!