Wed. Feb. 16, 2022: Some Days Are Rougher Than Others

image courtesy of LeoNeoBoy via pixabay.com

Wednesday, February 16, 2022

Full Moon

Partly sunny, partly cloudy, starts cold and gets milder

Yesterday was one of those sucky days. Everything was ten times harder than it should have been.

I dealt with an unpleasant situation with a big client. It took most of the day, draining emotional and creative energy. I think we’re on better ground now, but I still want to expand my client pool. I sent out a few LOIs; already heard back from one, up in Bennington, who wants more information. So that’s promising, at least.

A submission call for short plays landed on my desk. I had two which would fit the bill (and did a quick revision on one of them, to tighten it). But I decided to send the funnier one, since they admitted they favor comedy.

A friend has recommended me for a type of gig I’ve always wanted to try. The pay’s kind of low, but it’s steady, and might do as a stop gap for a few months. I’m willing to have a conversation with the potential client about it, at the very least.

I made the trek to the library, returning 8 books and picking up 13. I was annoyed when the librarian whined about having to move the books from the shelf to the checkout desk. Hon, that’s your job. I’m carrying them over a half a mile there and back on foot, so don’t go whining when you have to move books, two or three at a time two feet. If it’s too difficult for you, maybe you should be out on sick leave, or maybe you should ask someone to carry them for you, or maybe you shouldn’t be in the job (because I saw the job description, and one of the requirements is being able to lift up to 25 pounds. And I worked in a library, where I was regularly expected to lift a lot more than that). But what is NOT okay is to whine at a patron because books arrived from different places at the same time, and those checkouts are what keeps the library funded.

Got an email from a company of which I’d never heard, congratulating me for registering, and that the monthly fee would be $55. Say what? I went to unsubscribe and they wanted my credit card information. No, tell me what credit card you think you’re going to pull this from. Talk about a scam. I warned my bank, sent the company’s customer service department an email demanding to be removed from their list and asking what card they thought they had on file. Since they didn’t even have my name, just my email address, and I never gave them any information, we should be okay. I received a cancellation message.  But the bank and I will keep an eye on the account.

Filled out the Artist Census for the city, which is getting information from working artists on what they need to thrive here. Hopefully, that will open up new possibilities. Just from the Census alone I learned about a half a dozen or so opportunities that I am now following up.

I’ve somehow injured my foot, to the point where I can barely put weight on it, and I have no idea how, which is disturbing on multiple levels.

I have to finish reading ARTCURIOUS for book club. I love it. I’m going to have to buy myself a copy, because it’s a book I’ll keep using.

Knowledge Unicorns were fine. The kids were having a tough day, too, as were a lot of my colleagues all over the place. I guess it was just one of those days.

Since I cleaned up my Twitter account, I was able to have actual, interesting conversations with several people yesterday, and it was terrific. I also blocked a twat who called herself a writer and posted the faux engagement “what is your hobby besides writing?” Writing is not a hobby, you moron. Calling yourself a writer and asking such a question is insulting. It assumes no one makes their living writing. Just because the questioner isn’t good enough and won’t put in the work so to do doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of us who can and do make a living at it. I have full respect for part-time writers who work while carrying full-time work in other careers. I have full respect for writers who love writing as a hobby. I have no respect for people calling themselves “writers” who insult other professioanl writers because those “writers” can’t earn a living, and assume no one else can, either. Not worth engaging with such a person, so block and move on. And not just scrolling past, either, because it’s never just one dumbass “question” from someone like that. And I am just DONE with these jerks.

Got an idea for a couple of sets of short pieces – flash fiction, prose poems, short plays – tied to specific visuals. It’s one of those things that when I see something that sparks it, I’ll write it, and then collect the pieces on a theme to submit. . .somewhere. It’s a long-term, undeadlined project to let me stretch and experiment.

Up early this morning (after weird dreams set in a hotel, but a different hotel that’s shown up in previous dreams). Fed the cats, did some yoga and writing, was at the laundromat when they opened at 6 AM, had everything washed, dried, folded and home by 7:30.

I have to head to the grocery store again later today. MA is dropping the indoor masking recommendation, because they’re idiots. I’m going to keep masking until spring or summer.

I don’t have that much on my grocery list this time, so hopefully, it won’t be too difficult to get it all home.

I started the initial re-read for revisions on CAST IRON MURDER. It holds up better than I thought it would. Although there are plenty of details to smooth out, and writing to tighten.

I have a lot of script coverage to do today (didn’t get much done yesterday), and I want to work on the Big Project.

So I better get going, hadn’t I?

Thurs. Oct. 10, 2013: Jain Lazarus Short and More Instincts

Thursday, October 10, 2013
Waxing Moon
Sunny and cool

If you haven’t read “The Possession of Nattie Filmore”, the short story Jain Lazarus tie-in that takes place between the events of HEX BREAKER and OLD-FASHIONED DETECTIVE WORK, it’s available as a free download on the Hex Breaker site. Enjoy!

Yesterday was a day of fretting and not getting much done. Very frustrating.

I withdrew from consideration from a project because, frankly, I don’t believe it’s real. For two weeks, I’ve said that, in order to continue talks, I need to know the schedule and financials associated with the project. The only response is that the potential client wants to “talk”. First of all, I charge for phone time, like a lawyer. Second, I repeatedly said I would not schedule a phone conference without knowing if the schedule and financials worked. I was repeatedly ignored. So I withdrew. If this was a real project, the so-called client would give me this very basic information. “Talking” is a waste of time — 97% of phone calls with clients are a waste of time, which is why I charge for them — and the so-called client is not going to “talk’ me into doing the project for free.

Once I withdrew, I was so relieved. Just the frustration alone of not getting the information I needed to look over the schedule and see if it would work financially and every other way took a toll.

Did some pitches, prepped the story. First thing in the morning, a contest opportunity landed on my desk that sounded kind of cool. I rarely enter contests, but this was fun, and I had something for it, AND, because I walk my talk as far as my SETTING UP YOUR SUBMISSION SYSTEM, I had everything in place and it only took 15 minutes to submit. If I had to put everything together from scratch, it would have taken me a couple of hours, and I wouldn’t have had time to do it.

I have to finish an article today — the interview sources are dragging their feet getting the info to me, so I’m moving on. They’re not THAT important that they can’t respond to an email within the standard business protocol of 48 hours. If you’re not in the office, set up an auto-respond. If they didn’t want to be quoted, a simple “no” takes 15 seconds to type and send. The rude turn the bulk of the so-called “business community” has taken is appalling. Also have to finish a couple of grant proposals, and work on the novella, the short story, and Project B, which suddenly has an early November deadline (when I thought I had until spring to finish it).

So I better get going.

Devon