Fri. May 6, 2023: Full Moon & Lunar Eclipse

image courtesy of Clker-Free-Vector-Images via pixabay.com

Friday, May 5, 2023

Full Moon

Lunar Eclipse

Mercury and Pluto Retrograde

Partly cloudy and chilly

The rain might actually stop today. Maybe I can start setting up the back balcony and get some painting done.

AFTER I get my work done.

Today’s serial episode is from ANGEL HUNT:

Episode 30: Witch Hunter

An inter-dimensional witch hunter uses Niall as bait to get at Lianna.

Angel Hunt Serial Link

I printed out the reading copy of FALL FOREVER for Monday’s reading, which meant I ran out of ink and had to go to the store to get some more. I also bought more Command sticky hooks – I’m hoping to hang some pictures and curtains this weekend.

I polished, uploaded, and scheduled next week’s Legerdemain episodes. I have to do the episode graphics this week. I did the social media rounds for yesterday’s Legerdemain episode, but not the previous day’s ANGEL HUNT episode; it seemed too much like a conflict of interest.

I did what I could to support the WGA strikers.

I re-read what I have so far of the Heist Romance script. It’s a lot of fun, and I’m starting to see where I can tighten things, raise stakes, build a few comedic beats better. No, it’s not scabbing; I’m not submitting or having any meetings about it, and it’s not on contract, or even represented. The first draft isn’t even finished. It’ll be a long time before it’s ready for anything. And those jerkoffs who attack playwrights? Different guilds, different mediums. The intentional ignorance just so they can attack someone is exhausting. I’ve blocked over 150 asshats since the strike started and will continue to do so.

Posted the serial questionnaire. It will be interesting to see who answers, or who even looks at it. I don’t ask money questions, at least not in this one. I ask about genre, length, number of serials/episodes, etc.

Annoyed that the grant money has been delayed AGAIN. Don’t tell us you’re “prioritizing” payments when you keep delaying delivery. You’re obviously not. Even if only processing 10 payments a day 5 days/week, you’d be farther along by now. And 10 payments a day is only about an hour’s worth of work. So put in a few more hours, boo, and deliver the payments that were promised back in February. (Note: I’ve done this for an organization, back in my nonprofit days, and I know how to actually do it, so I’m not just blowing smoke). I mean, I shouldn’t be surprised, because Mercury Retrograde, but it could have been done before the retrograde. If it’s such a priority, put in some overtime, or hire people for the processing. The budget is there. People were already struggling before this, and they’ve budgeted on the information YOU gave. Don’t keep moving the goalposts. And, of course, the “warning” (aka threat) is if we question anything directly, our paperwork is pulled out and put at the bottom of the pile. This delays things even further. Hmm, punishing people for asking for timely payments on the schedule promised. Sound familiar?

Agreed to be the local point person to help set up the public reading for the poetry residency in autumn. I’ll get in contact with the administrator at the museum next week so we can figure out the details. I’m happy to help; I don’t want her to feel I’m stepping on any toes.

Turned around two coverages.

Didn’t get the paperwork done for the second contest category; will have to do that today.

Worked on more contest entries last night.

Today, I get my cast for Monday’s reading, and the assignment(s) for the play(s) on which I’m helping out. That will all get sorted.

Tonight, I’m going to attend “First Friday” where the stores and galleries are open downtown. I’m going to check out what people are doing, spaces, etc. Get more of a sense of who’s doing what where.

Most of the day will be spent on finishing contest entries and making final decisions in the last category I’m judging. But I’ll need to take breaks to do other things.

I do want to draft at least one episode of Legerdemain. I’m behind, again, where I want to be on that. I hope to draft all weekend, at least one episode per day. I also want to get in a first draft of the poem for later this month, and the first draft of the flash fiction for the call to artists that I saw a few weeks ago.

It’s a planting day today and tomorrow. Maybe I’ll actually get to plant something?

And I have to do a grocery shop today. Not a big one, we still have leftovers. I mean, when my friends came, I bought enough to feed 24 people, not just 4. As one does. I have enough snacks to get me through the summer, I think.

So many people are raving about Bluesky, but the more I see and read about it, the more doubts I have. I may be forced to be on it, for reach. But I have concerns. Well, until I get an invite (IF I get one), I don’t have to worry about it. It looks, to me, as though they are “inviting” names first, and then randomly filling in with regular people. Something else that is a red flag to me. Whatever. It’s not as though I don’t have plenty of other channels to worry about. But I need to build a presence wherever my audience lands, so I have to try everything.

But I don’t have to try it this weekend! I can focus on other things.

Clarence Thomas and his seditionist wife need to be in jail. Not only that, EVERY decision on which he weighed in and had a vote that helped pass a law needs to be revisited. The level of corruption on the conservative side of the Supreme Court is appalling. Not surprising, given who they are. But appalling.

Anyway, I’m off to get some work done. Have a good one.

Thurs. May 4, 2023: Work, Work, Work

image courtesy of Erika Varga via pixabay.com

Thursday, May 4, 2023

Day Before Full Moon

Mercury and Pluto Retrograde

Rainy and raw

The latest, very short post on the garden is over on Gratitude and Growth.

Today’s serial episode is Legerdemain:

Episode 82: Multi-Tasking

Shelley lets the thief and the murderer take each other’s measure while she questions another suspect.

Legerdemain Serial Link

Legerdemain Website

I had to prioritize yesterday, once I came back from the laundromat. The priority was FALL FOREVER. I did another pass on it. Not a deep edit, but a clean-up and tweak. I tightened a few things, and made internal cuts that added up to making it shorter by two pages (a good thing). I feel okay about this being the “reading draft.” I have to print out a copy for myself (which means I’ll need to get more ink by tomorrow – I really need the grant money so I can get my laser printer fixed).But this is the draft I can send to the cast on Friday, and feel okay about. Not great about, because I know there’s a lot more work to do; but okay about.

By the time I was done with that, I had to type up a letter to my mom’s doctor. Her new insurance has refused to pay for the medication she’s been on for 10 years. American Healthcare has nothing to do with health. The pharmacist had done a workaround so that I could afford this month’s refill, but we have to do something moving forward. Either the doctor has to send in a request (demand) that the insurance cover it, or she has to prescribe something that’s on their “list.” This is ridiculous.

My neighbor’s dog slipped his leash. He’s not particularly friendly or well-socialized, and the neighbors were terrified he’d either get hit by a car (we’re in a city) or bite someone. They were running after him yelling, and he just ran more. I grabbed a packet of corned beef (leftovers from the weekend’s company) out of the fridge and dashed down the street waving slices of it, calling him. He ran right over to me. I had him sit before I tossed him the meat. He did. He walked perfectly nicely back with me to his people, who got the collar and leash back on him. It was pretty funny. So, I guess, in his eyes now, I’m the “meat lady.” I better start keeping snacks for the dogs in my purse!

I did a library run to drop off/pick up books. Did what I could to support my WGA colleagues in the strike (encouragement, donations to supply coffee and food to picket lines, etc.). I love the pictures posted from the picket lines. I love all the dogs, babies, and kids who are part of it. The writers are fighting for everyone’s creative futures AND for fair wages, no matter what the industry.

The producers intend to wait it out, having stockpiled. They’ll run out eventually.

I have to say, blocking anti-WGA jerkoffs on various timelines has made my life better, overall. Because their anti-WGA stance is just a manifestation of much deeper incompatibility. I have to deal with a certain amount of people who don’t believe a deserve to earn a living in my profession (because it’s not “real” work, you know, although they consume it every day voraciously) in real life. I can CHOOSE not to deal with them online. And I do. There’s no “agree to disagree.” Either you respect me as a human being in a creative profession, or you do not. We can’t disagree on this basic tenet of who I am and then be friends because maybe we both like chocolate ice cream or something.

It also makes me realize how we’re trained to allow toxic people to treat us badly, and how often it’s misnamed “tolerance” or “compassion” or “professionalism.”

Turned around two coverages. Finished the book for review. I will write and submit the review this morning, and then get my next assignment. Finished the second category of contest entries. I need to make my final decision – I know the winner, but I have to look at the score sheets and pick the 5 finalists, although I’m pretty sure I know who those will be. And then I have to write the review for the winner. And enter the scores for ALL the books in the category, because I have not kept up with that.

Then, I’ll move on to finish the final category over the next few days. I’m doing coverage today, but not tomorrow or the rest of the weekend, so I can finish the category and get everything in on time. I’m in decent shape with the category, but usually I have everything finished by May 1, and I didn’t this year.

I could not face leftovers last night, so I ordered Chinese food. Willa snuck onto the porch while I waited for delivery, and got scolded.

I also have to make the rounds to promote Legerdemain and yesterday’s Angel Hunt (which I did not promote). I think I will post the Serial Questionnaire around the different places and start the data gathering.

I need to get next week’s episodes of Legerdemain uploaded and scheduled, then do the graphics and loglines. They’re ready (that editing time at the laundromat is very useful). It’s just a case of getting them up and scheduled.

I started work on the poem for the Poets in Conversation piece, at least in my head. It’s taking shape. I will probably do some noodling on it in the next couple of days.

Off to meditation – have a good one!

Wed. May 3, 2023: Arranging and Rearranging Words

image courtesy of Valerio Errani via pixabay.com

Wednesday, May 3, 2023

Waxing Moon

Mercury and Pluto Retrograde

Rainy, chilly, and raw

Today’s Process Muse Post is about dealing with jealousy, envy, and uncomfortable emotions. You can read it here.

It was hard to get it together yesterday. Twitter is not allowing WP to connect anymore. I was getting a lot of trollish DMs, and I finally managed to lock my account, but I can no longer participate in community conversations. I’d leave completely, but a lot of the WGA conversations are happening there.

Today’s serial episode is from Angel Hunt:

Episode 29: Actor or Character?

Lianna unravels the layers of actor energy in the rehearsal room from something much darker.

Angel Hunt Serial Link.

I wrote a future Process Muse, got it polished, uploaded, and schedule. Finished Episode 5 of REP. Could not get it together for Legerdemain.

I thought I’d started a Series Bible and Style Sheet for Rep, but can’t find them. So I had to redo them.

Did the social media rounds for Legerdemain.

Turned around two script coverages. it’s not scabbing, my coverage agency fully supports and is in compliance with the strike (I checked with the guild). Writers can lock their profiles so that their scripts can’t be downloaded by producers, et al, during the strike. How much work we’ll actually have as things go on, who knows? I feel like I should push this week, because there’s a lot that came in before the May 1 deadline, but I have this other big client project that must be finished, so I’ll have to risk the coverage work drying up.

Finished one of the categories in the contest. Wrote up the winning reviews (it was a tie, two very different and equally wonderful books), put in the other scores, named the finalists, and sent it all off.

Good news on the poetry front!

First of all, I’m getting to know my fellow poets for the fall residency via email, so we all know a bit about each other before we start. They are an amazing, talented group, and I’m so honored to be part of it.

Second, I’m creating a new piece for Word X Word’s event at the Mount (Edith Wharton house) on May 21, as part of their Poets in Conversation series. I started turning over ideas in my head as soon as I got the invite. I’ve got an idea developing that I think will work; I’ll take what I learn from that performance, and it will be one of the pieces I bring into the residency, because it fits with the theme of the other pieces I want to work on then. That wasn’t intentional, it’s just how it percolated.

Third, I am one of the poets in this year’s Word X Word’s “World’s Largest Poem”, again at the Mount, in July. I will have 24 hours to write my section of the poem (same as last year), once I’m given the last word of the previous poet’s section. We’re being encouraged to be multi-lingual; I hope to compose my short section in English, French, and German. The word I receive to launch it could be anything, in any language. I may try writing part of it ahead of time, and then weave the word into it and adjust as needed. My final word will launch the next poet’s word, and so forth and so on.

Yoga was good. I admit, I rather dragged myself there, not feeling like leaving the house, but I was glad I went.

Worked on contest entries. I’m nearly finished with the second category; I hope I can get those off today, or, latest, by tomorrow. I’ll be down to the wire finishing off the final category.

Out of the house early this morning to go to the laundromat. I edited five episodes of Legerdemain, and a couple of REP.

On today’s agenda: draft an episode of Legerdemain, enter contest scores, make the rounds to promote Angel Hunt and the Process Muse. There’s an Ink-Dipped Advice post to finish and get up. I have two scripts to turn around, and I want to finish the second category in the contest, and get that winner/finalist list out. I also have to finish reading a book for review, because it’s due tomorrow.

I’d like to do another pass on FALL FOREVER today, too, if I can. Not an edit; more of some gentle tweaks. I’ll get my cast list on Friday, and need to send them the script so they can look it over this weekend, before the table read. I’ll also get the assignments of the other plays this week, since part of getting my play read is helping some of the other playwrights out with their readings. My play is in the first slot on Monday, the first slot of the whole table reads program.

Next week, I also want to draft the short piece for the artist call over in Northampton, and get back to work on the next Twinkle Tavern piece, “Labor Intensive.” Along with working on the poem that will be read at the Mount on May 21. I also want to play with FlexClip a little more. I have some ideas on creating short pieces on it to promote the serials.

But first, I have to clear off this week’s deadlines.

Have a good one!

Thurs. April 27, 2023: A Day of Cooking and Cleaning

image courtesy of Denise Husted via pixabay.com

Thursday, April 27, 2023

Waxing Moon

Mercury Retrograde

Rainy and chilly

Yesterday just wore me out, and I’m not really sure why.

I did another draft of FALL FOREVER. This one feels like it can sustain the table read, well enough so I can take notes and have a good idea of what needs work for the big revision I’ll do in late summer. I sent this draft to my friend who reads the early draft stuff and tells me when I’m way off the mark.

Latest post on the garden (or lack thereof) is posted up on Gratitude and Growth.

Today’s serial episode is Legerdemain.

Episode 80: Dead Priests, Fake Priests, What’s Going On?

The individual searching the dead priest’s room may wear the robe, but he’s not a priest.

Legerdemain serial link.

Legerdemain website link.

Way more books waiting for me at the library than I expected.

Had to go to the pharmacy to deal with an issue with my mom’s medication (so not happy with this new Advantage plan insurance).

Did a big grocery shop for the upcoming company this weekend at Big Y. Then went to Wild Oats to get some more stuff, including the organic wine. Then to Stop & Shop for the last of the items I couldn’t find anywhere else. By then, I was too tired to look for wrapping paper and a baby gate, so I’ve put that off until today.

By the time I got home, got everything unpacked and put away, cleaned out the fridge (not as scary as I feared), and had lunch, it was 3 PM and I still hadn’t begun the script coverages.

But I dug in and turned around all three coverages. Did the social media rounds to promote Angel Hunt and The Process Muse.

Trout, spinach, and mashed potatoes for dinner. Yummy.

I’m having keyboard and cursor issues on this computer. That’s all I need.

Woke up in the middle of the night and made notes on season 2 of Angel Hunt (if there is one) – and I have a cool title for it, too. I’ve pretty much got it figured out in my head. This will be much shorter than the current Angel Hunt. And the third season (again, if there is one) will be longer than the second one, but shorter than the first one. Still working on the title for it, although I have a rough idea. If there aren’t future “seasons” of Angel Hunt, it might just turn out to be a prose trilogy, once I adapt the serial episodes back into book form. But we’ll see. First, I have to finish adapting Angel Hunt, and get those episodes uploaded and scheduled, so I see where I am. Growth is slow, but steady.  And I got an idea for a piece that’s tied into a couple of other novella-length pieces I’ve been developing in the cozy fantasy genre.

At first, I stayed in bed, repeating the ideas, but who was I fooling? If I didn’t write them down, I’d forget them, so I stumbled to my desk and scribbled. Hopefully, I can decipher those scribbles when the time is right.

In one of the Kindle Vella groups, a writer talked about writing 100 episodes a week across her various serials, and I can’t even imagine writing that much. Well, I can imagine it. I’d be wrecked. But hey, it’s serving her well; she has a large, growing readership, and is making enough money to support focusing on that intensity.

On today’s schedule: meditation, drafting another episode of Legerdemain, making a double batch of black bean soup, baking a cake, baking cookies, ironing (I washed more napkins yesterday, and they were linen, which means they need ironing), tidying up my office, washing the floors, and turning around two coverages.

I will go out early tomorrow morning to buy the last few things I need fresh, including flowers, and the wrapping paper, and the baby gate. As far as writing, if I can get in an episode of Legerdemain before they arrive, and work on entering contest scores, that will be my focus.

The freezer won’t get defrosted and my room won’t get rearranged until after the guests. I would have liked to have everything done before, but that’s life.

At least I’m happy with the meal planning and there’s plenty of good food and good snacks to keep us busy, since it’s still cold and raining, and we won’t be able to do much outside.

Have a good one!

Thurs. April 20, 2023: Projects in Different Stages

image courtesy of Albrecht Fietz via pixabay.com

Thursday, April 20, 2023

New Moon

Partly sunny and chilly

How’d you do with the eclipse? Are you ready for tomorrow’s Mercury Retrograde? Such are the preoccupying thoughts.

I wanted to post the questionnaire for Serial Writers, but really? With Mercury about to go into retrograde? What am I thinking? And yet, I might do so anyway.

Today’s Gratitude and Growth post decries the way I’m dragging my feet in this spring’s planting.

Today’s serial release is Legerdemain.

Episode 78: Abbot Ellis Confides Over Tea

Abbot Ellis planned to remove the controversial priest; however, someone else took that initiative.

Legerdemain serial link is here.

Legerdemain website link is here.

Settling in to FALL FOREVER wasn’t easy, but once I did it, it flowed pretty well. I wrote 4 ½ pages. I think I have one more scene (today’s, I hope), then the climactic scene, then the final scene. The end is in sight. I just have to hold steady and do the work to get there, and I’m flagging. I can’t/won’t take a day off, because if I do, I’ll take another and another and it won’t get done. I need to push through and finish.

Got up the promos for this week’s episodes of ANGEL HUNT.

Faffed around getting settled back into Legerdemain. Wrote an episode, although it’s on the short side for this serial. But it does its job and it was a good end point for the episode, so there we go.

FALL FOREVER has been chosen for an END OF PLAY table read in early May. In fact, it’s the first slot of that week’s programs. I am terrified and excited. Guess I really do have to finish it now, don’t I? And then do a revision before I send it off!

I mean, slots were chosen by random lottery, so it’s not like it was chosen because anyone fell in love with it, but I’m still excited.

The seed for this play was planted in the playwrights workshop I took last June, sponsored by the Williamstown Theatre Festival. It looks like they’ve discontinued the program (since I haven’t heard anything since), but I’m sending a thank you note to the leader of the workshop, and will, of course, credit him, the workshop. The Dramatists Guild, and the arts council in the work. Even though the grant money hasn’t arrived yet, I don’t know that I would have blocked off the time to write the play this month if I hadn’t known it was on the way.

I stared at the art piece and let a few things percolate. The character is coming into view. Now I need the character to tell me her story.

Did the social media rounds to promote The Process Muse and Angel Hunt. For some reason, I couldn’t post the Substack link on Post. I hope they’re not getting squiffy about Substack links like Twitter!

Can I just say how much I love Substack Notes? At first, I groaned – not one MORE thing! But I’m finding all kinds of great conversations there. It’s one of the things I enjoy about Substack – the chance to have actual conversations, both on my own project and on other people’s projects.

Did not manage any work on REP other than the revisions/multi-colored draft on the first episode at the laundromat, but that’s okay. REP is a project to work on in stolen moments at this point, when my work on other projects is complete. It’s definitely mixing the retro theatre touring vibe with a futuristic vibe in the way I hoped.

Was late getting started on coverage. Since the three coverages in my queue are all novels with an eye to adaptation, I downloaded yesterday’s to the tablet (creaky as it is) and read it lying on the couch, Charlotte on my lap, taking notes in longhand. It was a delight, a reprint of a mystery from the 1930’s by an author whose work I had not yet read, but who is on my list of authors to research. Such an enjoyable read. I will write it up and send it off today, and then read the next one (I have three in my queue by this author, rounding out my week).

I read a couple of contest entries afterwards.

Slept badly, but managed to pull myself out of bad dreams and get back to sleep.

Meditation this morning, then my FALL FOREVER pages (might try to get them in before meditation), draft another episode of Legerdemain. And a grocery run – I did not plan Tuesday’s trip well enough.

I need to get the next 4 episodes of Legerdemain polished, uploaded and scheduled. That will take pressure off me next week with our friends coming in, and Angel Hunt’s all set. It will just be a case of doing the rounds to promote them, while continuing to draft episodes of Legerdemain. Social media rounds, script coverage and contest entries later on.

What’s on your agenda today? Have a good one.

Wed. April 19, 2023: Incoming Astrological Hijinks

image courtesy of Jae Rue via pixabay.com

Wednesday, April 19, 2023

Dark Moon

Rainy and chilly

Today’s Process Muse Post talks about how readers influence future work. You can read it here.

Today’s serial is Angel Hunt. Episode 25 drops today:

Episode 25: Vanka Yelena Ask the Questions

Vanka Yelena believes the vandalism has less to do with zealots and far more to do with a personal vendetta.

You can read Angel Hunt here.

(I just realized that I didn’t upload/schedule this week’s Angel Hunt promos – that will have to happen this morning).

Yesterday, I just sort of puttered along. I wrote 3 ½ pages on FALL FOREVER. I’m at the last couple of scenes leading up to the climax of the play. I know the climactic scene, and I know the scene after, which ends the play. It’s this scene and maybe the next one that I’m not sure about. But I will show up and do the work, and get there. It’s a first draft. It has to be on the page before I can fix it.

Did a library run. I only had to drop things off, not pick anything up. I’m catching up on the stacks of books I already have. Picked up my mom’s prescription (and some oat milk; I was out of oat milk for my coffee). Stopped by the liquor store. Had to head out again because I’d forgotten to mail my first quarter taxes, which blew the chunk of writing time I’d put aside for Legerdemain.

In the afternoon, I turned around two coverages. I got three big ones in my queue, one for each remaining reading day this week, so I’m all set.

Had a reaction to something that surprised me, and realized it was a defensive reflex echoing dealing with one of the toxic bosses from my time on the Cape. Realizing the root cause helped me deal with the reaction. That is no longer my reality, and I can leave it behind, while learning from it.

Yoga was good. No surprise there. I’m glad I found this studio. Several of us had a great conversation about cooking.

Came home, had dinner, read some in a book that’s serving as background research for multiple projects.

Pulled myself out of a disturbing dream in the middle of the night, but managed to get back to sleep. It’s a combination of sense memory stress and all this eclipse/dark moon to new moon/retrograde energy. But I managed to get back to sleep without too much time or angst. There were some snowflakes coming down, but nothing stuck.

Charlotte woke me up when the coffee started, pulling back the sheet. I rousted myself pretty quickly, because I had to head out to the laundromat.

I had two loads in the big machines. Took one of the plush spreads from the guest bed because Charlotte had thrown up on it. Because, you know, we have guests coming next week, so course she’d hurl on the guest bedspread. But it’s clean and fluffy again.

I revised and edited four episodes of Legerdemain (which will be uploaded and scheduled later this week, probably tomorrow). I started revising the first three episodes of REP, but didn’t get very far, because everything was finished.

On today’s agenda: the daily pages on FALL FOREVER, another episode drafted of Legerdemain. Social media rounds to promote today’s Process Muse post and today’s episode of Angel Hunt.  Entering scores onto the contest sheets (it’s all online this year). I’ve kept up with the physical scoring sheets as I’ve read, but now I have to enter scores. This afternoon, I’ll do the first of the three big coverages.  Maybe, if I stay on top of everything and don’t faff around, I can do some more work on REP.

I also have to run some tests on an electrical socket and get in touch with maintenance. Not looking forward to that.

A local call for artists hit my desk yesterday to write a short piece inspired by a piece of art. I will stare at the piece today, at some point, for a bit, and see what it evokes. I only have to write about 500 words or so (flash fiction). I have some ideas to play with, from my first glimpse of the piece, so we’ll see.

I also need to do some more backup work on my computer, to make sure I’m ready for the Mercury Retrograde. It’s already felt like Mercury’s been in retrograde for the past few weeks (a very strong shadow, maybe?), but I want to be as prepared as possible.

Solar eclipse tonight flowing into the new moon tomorrow. Mercury Retrograde ushers in retrograde season that will stretch the rest of the year. I’m tired just thinking about it. There are a lot of squares between planets in the next few months, putting additional stress and conflict on everything.

Deep breath. Stay focused. Use the information to create as much of a peaceful environment surrounding yourself as possible, and don’t get caught up in other people’s narcissistic drama.

Have a good one.

Fri. April 14, 2023: Too Early for Summer!

image courtesy of Tom via pixabay.com

April 14, 2023

Waning Moon

Hot and hazy

Yesterday was far too warm for this time of year. The front porch was downright hot, although the rest of the apartment stayed comfortable. But all I want to do is nap. The cats are a bad influence on this, although they’ve been running around with spring fever.

I started Act II of FALL FOREVER, and wrote a little over 3 pages. I know where this scene needs to end, but I’m not sure how to get there.

Did another round of revisions on the episodes of Legerdemain. Got next week’s episodes up, and, hopefully, can get a bunch done in the next few days to get a little bit ahead. I know what the upcoming episodes need to cover; it’s just a case of getting them written.

Wrote some notes and cards, mailed my taxes, did a quick grocery shop. Joined Freelance Chat, which was about nuances in legalities, and it was interesting. Did the social media rounds to promote yesterday’s episode of Legerdemain, and will do them again today to promote today’s episode of Angel Hunt.

Monday is a state holiday in MA. I’m thinking of taking it off reading, although I shouldn’t, and just work on writing. We’ll see. Maybe I’ll take it off coverage, but do contest entries. I started downloading the last category’s entries yesterday (I’m almost finished with the print entries).

Wrote and turned in my review, got my next two books assigned.

Turned around three coverages, in spite of the heavy machinery at the college across the street BEEPING all day from six am until evening. The college needs to stop acting like it’s in a bubble, and communicate with the residents around it.

Today, I have more work on FALL FOREVER and Legerdemain. I need to do the social media rounds to promote Angel Hunt. I need to upload and schedule the next couple of Process Muse posts.  I will probably lock my Twitter account either today or tomorrow, since Yegads Muskrat is taking the next step to make everyone’s life hell.

Spoutible is getting more and more comfortable, as far as interactions go. I’m spending the most time there right now, and that’s the site that’s driving the most traffic to my work. I like Post to read material. CounterSocial’s kind of flattened a bit. I need to make more of an effort to find other writers and artists for my timeline. Mastodon is good for some conversations, but doesn’t drive traffic back to the sites.

A residency application crossed my desk, for a week in late August. I’m debating whether or not to apply. It intrigues me. I might apply, just to see. The timing works with the rest of my schedule, at least so far. Even though I’m wait-listed for that residency in PA, I doubt I’ll get it; even more, I don’t know if I’ll accept it, even if I do get it. I’m still waiting to hear back on another residency that I REALLY want, although I’m pretty sure they’ll go for a bigger name than mine. I’ll think about it for another day or two, and, if it feels like the right choice, I’ll go ahead and apply. All they can do is say no, and they CAN’T say yes if I don’t throw my hat into the ring.

Lots to think about, and hard to think with those fucking machines beeping across the street (they were at it again a little after 6 AM this morning, although they are at a different location, and the noise isn’t quite so bad). I’m tempted to pack everything up and work elsewhere today, maybe at a library, but I also love working in my home office.

Hmm, I’m rather indecisive today, aren’t i?

I read a book that’s getting a lot of acclaim yesterday, after I finished my coverages. I absolutely hated it. On a technical, craft level, it’s very good. Cold, but good. However, I hated all the characters, was bored by p. 21 with all the info dump (once the actual plot started, the pace picked up), and got frustrated when the characters learned absolutely nothing through the course of the book. They allowed themselves to be manipulated, even once they realized that manipulation. The ending is very postmodern, and I hated that, too. On a technical level, it’s quite clever. On an emotional level, all it did was make me feel like I’d wasted several hours of my time I can’t get back, and I resented it.

There’s been a lot of whining on social media lately from early career writers about pace, and they say that they want quiet sections of a book, so it’s not all about pace. The thing is, a writer deep in their craft integrates those quiet moments, so that the overall book flows like a symphony, with a balance between the quiet and the quick. Because it’s all integrated, because it’s woven together, it works.

A ”quiet book” still has a strong narrative drive, even though the structure is different and the pace is different than an action thriller. The pace works for the book.

Quiet sections need to be texture, not tangent.

Anyway, after the technically strong but emotionally desolate best seller was done and back on the pile of returns for the library, I started reading Sonali Dev’s THE VIBRANT YEARS, and I just love it.

I need to do a library run at some point today, too. This month’s Agatha Christie read is SPARKLING CYANIDE. I’m sure I read it. I probably have a copy somewhere. But I got it from the library, just in case.

Time to hit the page, and make some decisions. Tomorrow is blocked off for Legerdemain. Sunday is blocked off for Angel Hunt. This is, of course, after I get in the day’s pages for FALL FOREVER. I’m still on the fence about Monday, but that might be for development on another project, if I take it off from client work/coverage work. Throughout, I will also be working on the spring cleaning, planting, and contest entries.

Have a good one, and I’ll catch you on the other side.

Thurs. April 13, 2023: I Guess We Leapt into Summer?

image courtesy of Larisa Koshkina via pixabay.com

Thursday, April 13, 2023

Waning Moon

Hazy and mild

I finished the first act of FALL FOREVER!

My brain absolutely wanted to check out after that. It did not want to focus on the other writing that needed to be done. Getting back into creative head space was hard. Especially since it was sunny, and I wanted to play hooky!

It’s supposed to be 80 degrees today and then snow on Tuesday. Go figure.

Hop on over to see the latest on the garden at Gratitude and Growth. Also, a post on landing pages is up over on Ink-Dipped Advice.

Had trouble settling in to work after finishing Act 1 on FALL FOREVER. After all, I’d written the five pages, finished the act, plus revised four episodes of Legerdemain, plus written nearly four pages of notes on REP. As far as my brain was concerned, I’d put in a full day’s work.

But I dug in, wrote, revised, polished, and posted the Ink-Dipped Advice article. I did some more choreography on the Legerdemain chase scene. It’s better, but not quite right, and I hope to crack it today. I turned around a script coverage and a scoring sheet on another piece. I should have done more, but I was tired. I have three coverages for today and two for tomorrow, and although I’ll be under the preferred amount for this pay period. I don’t really want to take on any more this week. They’re forcing us to increase volume by lowering pay per script, and that irks me (to say the least).

A friend of mine was on a Zoom panel last night for one of her projects, so I attended the webinar to show support. The panel was fine; typical questions for that type of thing, not really new information. The two old white dudes, though, kept mixing up the two younger women on the panel. Because, you know, Heaven forbid an old white dude bother to address younger women appropriately. Once is, hey everyone makes a mistake. But when it keeps happening, it’s a choice. I am so tired of mediocre white men.

Finished reading the book for review. Will write that up, send it off, and let the editor know I’m ready for the next assignment.

This morning I have meditation, then I’ll start Act II of FALL FOREVER, then I’ll switch back to Legerdemain. At some point, I have to do a run to the grocery store for a few things. I wrote up about another page of notes on REP this morning. I need to get those typed. The outline so far covers a good bit of the first section. Now I have to do some serious worldbuilding. This is going to be one of those pieces where I figure out a section, write it, figure out the next section, and so forth, building it like that, and then go back and do a major rewrite on the whole thing. I figure it’ll take me most of this year, working in and around other projects. But it’s hella fun, and I think readers will get a kick out of it when it’s done.

I also have to upload and schedule the next two Process Muse posts, and upload and schedule the four Legerdemain episodes I revised yesterday.Substack now has something called “notes” which kind of looks like a social media channel? I have to figure out how it works, and how best to utilize it to grow my audience.

I also need to start reading the serial Ann Aguirre’s started over on Kindle Vella.

And work on contest entries.

I have a busy Thursday. I better get going, huh?

Episode 76 of Legerdemain drops today. I hope you enjoy it!

Have a good one!

Wed. April 12, 2023: A Simple Spring Work Day

image courtesy of G.C. via pixabay.com

Wednesday, April 12, 2023

Waning Moon

Cloudy and mild

There’s stuff to read on other sites today! Over on The Process Muse, we talk about the meanings/values of the clothes our characters wear.  Ink-Dipped Advice’s newest post will go live later today.

I wrote 4 ½ pages on FALL FOREVER. The scene took a different turn than I expected, and this draft barely scratches the surface. I will have to dig deeper in the next draft. But that’s okay. It’s getting me where I need to go. I hope to hit the act break either today or tomorrow.

I saw a call for play submissions. I thought I had a play that would fit. I did a quick re-read, did a few tweaks, and submitted it. I saw a call for radio plays from Scotland; there were a few things I wasn’t sure about, so I shot off an email with the questions, so any submission I make fits what they need.

The longer I do this, the more I have a problem with using prompts during a piece I’m in the middle of writing. When I’m looking for new ideas, I LOVE prompts. They get me going in new directions, and make me see things differently. When I’m expected to do prompts within the framework of something I’m already writing, I find it harmful, especially in a first draft. Instead of enriching what I’m working on, it detracts.

Did the curbside pickup for the supplies I needed; I hope I can get going with some painting and other cleaning this week.

Started writing the next Legerdemain episode, which has a chase scene in it. It’s fun to write,  but needs very specific choreography to achieve both the action and the comedy.

Turned around a script coverage in the afternoon, and worked on contest entries.

Yoga was fun, although it’s called “gentle yoga” and still kicks my ass. But it’s a nice group of people, and we have fun conversations at the top and bottom of class.

Home, started reading the next book for review.

Slept reasonably well, although I dreamed I worked a show, which meant I put in a full day before I woke up.

Up early, over to the laundromat. I was the only one there, thank goodness, and got the wash and dry done. While that was going, I revised four episodes of Legerdemain and did outline notes for REP.

My neighbor in the house next door’s kitchen window faces my office window. He has a large, cream-colored cat who likes to sit in the kitchen window, and Charlotte sits on the small table she commandeered when we moved in, and they stare at each other. It gives them something to do.

Plenty of writing and script coverage to do today, so I better get to it.

Episode 23 of Angel Hunt drops today. I hope you enjoy it!

Thurs. April 6, 2023: A Steady Work Day

image courtesy of Karolina Grabowska via pixabay.com

Thursday, April 6, 2023

Full Moon

Rainy and chilly

There’s a new post over on Gratitude and Growth.

After all that “Twitter won’t allow WordPress to connect anymore” – it did? I’m so confused. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy about it. But I’m confused.

Was feeling under the weather yesterday. I got 5 pages written on FALL FOREVER, a new scene which surprised me (for the right reasons) and then doing the scene shift into the next scene. I’m starting to have my doubts that this will be a full-length. I’m thinking it might run around an hour or so. But I can’t worry about that in this draft. I have to write what wants to be written, and then, in revisions, work on structure, adding or cutting, re-shaping, etc.

Finished and polished next week’s Process Muse. Will upload it today. I’d hoped to have the whole month done by the end of last week, but that didn’t happen. I’d like to buckle down this weekend and get the rest of April into the first week of May done and uploaded, since the last week of April into May will be busy.

Did a quick library run to drop off/pick up books, but that was all the energy I had for anything away from home.

Did the social media rounds for the blog, the Process Muse, and the episode of Angel Hunt which dropped yesterday. I need to build in steady time the rest of this week and next week for Legerdemain, and some time toward the end of next week for Angel Hunt.

Turned around a big coverage on a script for which I’d been requested.

The Goddess Provisions box arrived, and was a delight.

Worked on contest entries in the evening. I’m almost finished with two of the three categories, and then I can focus on the last one (which is the biggest one) for the rest of the month.

I’m getting tired of trying to figure out workarounds on the Kindle. Plus, I have a bunch of stuff on Overdrive on the Kindle and Overdrive is discontinued on May 1. So I have to pull it off and get it on the external hard drive, pull off the other material on the Kindle that wasn’t purchased through Kindle (but is from Gutenberg or Send-to-Kindle, which no longer opens on the Kindle).

I’m looking at tablets. I need something where I can read on expanded font (for the script coverages and the other reading that I usually do on Kindle), and it would be nice if I had word processing and other capacity there. Because so much runs on app and doesn’t work on the laptop, it’s frustrating. EVERYTHING should work on both.. Especially since tablets can’t handle the writing capacity I need, and I do A LOT of work where there’s no internet connection.

The script coverage service for which I work had a leadership change and I have my doubts. So I guess part of this spring/summer is looking for other work. I’m worried anyway, with the looming WGA strike, especially since no one at the coverage service will answer any questions as to how it affects us.

Slept well, although with weird dreams. Meditation this morning. I have to go to the grocery store. I need to work on FALL FOREVER, Legerdemain, and do the social media rounds for everything, including the episode of Legerdemain that drops today. I also need to do some more promotion for “Plot Bunnies.”

I have three script coverages in the queue for today. I thought I had two today and one tomorrow, but then I was requested for a long coverage, so I’ll do three today and the requested coverage tomorrow.

I might be working late today. But the weekend is busy, so I have to get things done.

Happy Passover to all those who celebrate.

Have a good one.

Fri. March 31, 2023: The New Quarter Will Be the Right Kind of Busy

image courtesy of dae jeung kim via pixabay.com

Friday, March 31, 2023

Waxing Moon

Cloudy and chilly

Considering how rocky the start to yesterday was, it took a turn for the better.

Meditation was good yesterday (no surprise there).

We received our instructions from the Cultural Council yesterday morning for today, with directions and parking (as needed), COVID protocols, et al. They asked us to make ourselves available to members of the press, and the museum has invited us to stay past the reception and enjoy the exhibits (something I’d already planned, notebook in hand). It seems well-organized, and they are looking out for us, which is a relief.

Did my errands. Had to scrape snow and ice off the car, and wished I had worn gloves (it was supposed to be in the high forties today, but nope, not even 30 when I left mid-morning).

Edited next week’s Legerdemain episodes. Polished, uploaded, and scheduled them. They will drop when they’re supposed to, thank goodness. Did the episode log lines. Still have to do the episode graphics.

Turned around the script coverage I didn’t get done yesterday, and have two in the queue for Monday, so I’m ending this pay period all right and starting the next one strong. Which is good, with quarterly taxes coming up.

Polished and sent out the newsletter. Already started the document for June’s newsletter. It’s much easier to add things in as they happen and have it all ready to arrange and polish than try to remember what I did the past few months. I bumped one thing from this newsletter to the next newsletter, because it’s happening closer to the next one, and makes more sense.

Did the social media rounds to promote the two episodes of Legerdemain that went live yesterday, due to the glitch.

Got the UBL up on the Delectable Digital Delights page for the “Plot Bunnies” re-release. Over the next few days, I will add in the individual buy links, per each distributor. Made the promotion graphic. It releases on Tuesday, so I will do heavy promotion next week until the following Monday after Easter.

Let WordXWord know I’m interested in this year’s collaborative poem. It’s multi-lingual this year, but they decided to only use 30 poets this year, and I figure the regular crew should have first shot at the slots. Also, with 50 last year, the poets who didn’t show up and didn’t send a surrogate caused additional stress on the project as a whole on performance day, and there’s enough of that just in performance. If I get in, great; I’m hoping to work in more than one language. If I don’t, I hope I can attend the event, and at least support them.

Wound up designing and printing out three different business cards. Because, you know, can’t go to an event without business cards. I did the new Fearless Ink card, which I finally like. I did a new Devon Ellington card. I did a Pages on Stages card, which I don’t really like. It needs to be on an all-black background with text on white and glossy, not the black on what background with black text I did. I’ll do a redesign in the coming weeks and get it professionally printed. My inkjet can’t do it. But I printed off 10 of each (I can’t imagine I’ll need that many) which will at least get me through the reception. I have my eye on some Art Deco metal card cases. My previous leather case wore out.

Hunted down the monologue I wanted (“Leaving”) and printed it out in 16 pt. font so it’s easy to read under pressure. Because I have it, I won’t need it, but if I didn’t have it, I would. Call it my insurance policy.

Printed off my ticket and packed that, too.

Tried on the dresses. Chose the gray one, and I’m using enough shapewear so my torso won’t be able to move. Changed the nail polish color.

Spent too much time on Twitter because I’m going to enjoy it until I lock the account mid-month amid the latest chaos.

A friend sent me a stack of books: a Harrod’s cookbook, THE MAN WHO ATE EVERYTHING,  A HISTORY OF FOOD IN 100 RECIPES, and MFK Fisher’s A STEW AND A STORY.

About to jump in the shower for the scrub and polish, and take time with the hair and makeup. Fortunately, with short hair, it won’t be a big production.

Emailed the garage where I got my inspection done to see if they can replace the windshield wiper next week. I’d hoped to do a storage run this weekend. Tomorrow it’s going to rain all day and then change over to snow into Sunday until past the time we’d need to leave, so that’s all up in the air. If the weather is nasty, I’m not going (can’t, with the bad blade). And I need to pull things out of the unit and dig around; I don’t want to do it if the ground is wet. So we’re playing the weekend by ear. It’s all weather dependent.

Tonight is the virtual kickoff reception for the Dramatists Guild. Tomorrow I start writing FALL FOREVER.

Episode 20 of Angel Hunt drops today.

Another month and another quarter starts.

Have a good weekend, and I’ll catch you on the other side!

Thurs. March 30, 2023: Inner and Outer Storms

image courtesy of  David Mark via pixabay.com

Thursday, March 30, 2023

Waxing Moon

Cloudy and snowy

The latest on the garden is over on Gratitude and Growth. With some actual photos of what’s growing, not the usual stock photos.

Yesterday was a bit chaotic. The toilet tank went from leaking to acting  like a geyser, which meant the whole small bathroom was a mess. Everything had to be dropped to clean it up before it caused a problem for the downstairs neighbors. And, since it was all wet anyway, why not throw in some soap and start the Big Spring Clean with the bathroom?

It took awhile to do a good deep clean, and I still have to scrub the tub and wipe down the top of the heater, but the rest of the room sparkles.

I mean, I had to do something while I waited for maintenance, right?

Checked with my Llewellyn editor. Why yes, we are now being paid early. Awesome. Deposited the check.

Did a quick library run to drop off and pick up books. Found a large, hardcover, spiral bound sketchbook in which to start the large nonfiction project. Came home and realized that I forgot one of the books due Friday, so I’ll do another library run today and just put it in the drop box. There are several other books with which I’m finished, and can return, too, even though they’re not due.

Sent off an email to a reporter to whom I’d promised answers to her questions about Twitter’s latest bad choice.

The maintenance guy came. The toilet tank issue was the need for a new flush valve. The one in there was so old they don’t even make it anymore. Plus another part of it was frayed, and the whole thing would have become a major problem within the week. But it was a simple fix and everything works well now.

Showed him the growing wet stain in the ceiling of my mother’s bedroom. It concerned him, and up he went to the attic (to which tenants do not have access), and found a big leak. So it’s the entire house that needs a new roof this spring, not just the bit over the porch. Guys have been hired, but the weather needs to stabilize before they can do it. In the meantime, he did what he could up there to mitigate it so the ceiling doesn’t come down.

I was absolutely exhausted by the time he left. I did the social media rounds, promoting Angel Hunt, Process Muse, Ink-Dipped Advice. Worked on the newsletter, which should go out later today. I’ve been adding to the document throughout the quarter, so it’s about polishing, adding the graphics, adding/checking links and the like.

But I was tired and on edge and couldn’t settle. Managed to get some work done on the Essay Camp assignments, but couldn’t even settle down to read (for either work or pleasure).

Watched two dudes over at the college folding tarps. It was obvious they didn’t do their own laundry and had never folded a sheet!

Didn’t sleep well. Woke up when the storm started, and checked to make sure everything was storm-ready. Couldn’t get back to sleep for ages. When I finally went back to sleep, I had a series of weird dreams where I bounced from dream to dream.

Did not want to get up this morning. Felt like I couldn’t face the day. Then, I realized it was sense memory stress. I reminded myself where I am now. Followed my breath. Reminded myself I am about to send out a joyful newsletter full of all the good stuff that’s going on, and I have a day ahead of me of doing work I love. That I live in the right place for me now, and tomorrow is the grant reception.

Which I cannot walk into beaten down by sense memory stress. I need to walk in with confidence.

Woke up to more snow. Not much, just enough to be annoying.

My ticket arrived yesterday, and I have the choices down between two dresses. I will try them both on today and see which feels right. I have the jewelry picked out (it’ll go with either dress). Once I know which dress, I’ll figure out the makeup.

On today’s agenda: meditation, uploading/scheduling next week’s Legerdemain episodes, doing their graphics and loglines, designing/printing the business card for tomorrow, printing out the monologue, trying on dresses and deciding on dress/make-up, doing the social media rounds to promote the two episodes of Legerdemain that go live today (because of Tuesday’s glitch), and turning around a script coverage. I have to do another quick drop off at the library, and one other errand, too.

I also have today’s Essay Camp assignments, and that’s probably as much writing as I’ll get done today. I got a little bit of writing done this morning. This Essay Camp has helped me clarify the skills and tools I need to pull off the big nonfiction project. The timing was great, and I’m so grateful to Summer Brennan for doing it (guess who’ll be acknowledged in the project credits, along with the Cultural Council)?

Have a good one!

Tues. March 28, 2023: Time for the Tuesday Natter

image courtesy of Agata via pixabay.com

Tuesday, March 28, 2023

Waxing Moon

Rainy and chilly

Hope you had a grand weekend and are ready for our Tuesday natter.

A slew of submission calls hit my desk on Friday morning. I submitted two ten-minute plays to one of them. Another call was interested in radio scripts, but the guidelines made my eyes cross, so I skipped it. Maybe I’ll go back and re-read them some day when I’m not jugging sixteen kajillion things. I saw a call that a friend’s work would fit, so I sent that off to her.

I lost way too much time dealing with my mother’s health insurance. Again. Which meant I lost the writing time I’d put aside for Legerdemain, and that put me in an unsettled mood.

I picked up a big stack of books at the library, got in some groceries from Big Y (another snowstorm predicted for the weekend), mailed some stuff and bought stamps at the Post Office (and chatted, because, around here, the Post Office is the happening place), and swung by the liquor store to replenish.

I read some more in the Katharine Cornell biography – it’s good background on Jessie Bonstelle, Rachel Crothers, and, of course, inspiration for the serial in development, REP. It’s a little on the fawning side, but if one digs past that, there’s some good theatrical history in there.

In the afternoon, I turned around two script coverages, and then went back to the Cornell bio. In the evening (and late into the night), I read a book getting a lot of attention. It’s billed as a thriller, but it’s also a horror novel. It’s very well-written, a page turner. But, at the end, it didn’t give me a feeling of catharsis, just sadness, because of the unnecessary brutality. I mean, the brutality was necessary on the author’s part, but I felt sadness for the deaths of those brutally murdered in the book. It’s well done, and I’m glad I read it, but saying I “enjoyed” it would be a stretch.

Tessa and Charlotte are now BOTH sleeping on the bed with me. Tessa is on one side, down near my feet, and Charlotte is on the other side, curled up against my chest. Charlotte always considers being a pill to Tessa when she jumps up, and I tell her that if she’s not nice to Tessa, she will be kicked out; we’re here to sleep. She considers it, decides sleeping on the bed is more important than being a brat, curls up, and goes to sleep.

I figured out how much I need to write each day on FALL FOREVER for End Of Play in April. A full-length play is 90-120 pages (with the sweet spot being a little less). Over the course of 30 days, that’s 3-4 pages, and do-able. In fact, that’s a reasonable, stable pace, although there may be some days where I write more, in order to capture the entire scene.

I also came up with a large, nonfiction project made possible by the grant (once the money ever gets here). The initial phase of it would take an entire year of a block of time devoted to it each week, and polishing it after would take a few months. But it would be a good way to show gratitude for the grant, and have a tangible project by the end of it. Well, the first draft of a tangible project. I made some notes on it, and will set up the files for it once the grant money arrives, and I can actually take action on it. Because it’s non-fiction, I can write a proposal before the draft is finished, once I have a better idea of how the idea actually works as a real piece. It’s also something I could work on in residencies, if I didn’t want to apply to residencies next year with a fiction project.

The project has a nice resonance in the heart, which indicates it’s on the right track. The right thing at the right time is like a tuning fork. You can feel when it matches the tone.

Saturday morning, I woke with the pre-storm headache, which was just not fun. Once the storm started, it eased a bit, but the weather cycled from snow to sleet to rain and back again, and it was yucky.

I drafted another episode of Legerdemain. I uploaded the next couple of episodes. It wouldn’t let me schedule today’s episode, so both of this week’s episodes are dropping on Thursday, and I have an apology graphic making the rounds. I’ll get next week’s episodes uploaded and scheduled by tomorrow, to make sure there are no glitches. I did the log lines and the episode graphics.

A friend sent me a submission call, and I had a short play that might fit, so that went out the door.

I rewrote the opening of “Labor Intensive” and then did another pass on “Plot Bunnies.” I put the opening of “Labor Intensive” in as a teaser, and added in teasers for “Just Jump in and Fly” and SAVASANA AT SEA, along with information about the serials. I kept finding little copy edit glitches, so I proofed it a few more times – and KEPT finding little niggly things. But I think it’s finally clean, and that’s uploaded and scheduled for April 4 release. I’ll be doing graphics and pre-order information and updating websites and doing a big push for the next couple of weeks on that.

But it was a full day’s work.

I did a bunch of work on contest entries, too, along with a bunch of admin work that needed to be done on them.

I dug through some books I’d ordered from the library as background for the Heist Romance. I scanned some information, and I also ordered a copy of one of the books, because I can use it as research on more than one project, and it will be useful to have on hand.

I went back to the Katharine Cornell biography and learned about Minnie Madden Fiske and the company she ran with her second husband, Harrison Grey Fiske. She’s listed in the book of American Women Theatre Directors of the 20^th century, so I can do more digging on her, too.

I need to start putting together a timeline of some of these interesting women and see where they intersect. Because there’s a project in there, even if I don’t yet know what it is.

But I was tired by the end of Saturday. Really tired.

Tessa was the only one who slept on the bed on Saturday night, and I overslept on Sunday. But the cats got breakfast and I baked biscuits.

I drafted an episode of Legerdemain, and started the next episode. I finished, polished, uploaded and scheduled this week’s Process Muse, and then went ahead and wrote, polished, uploaded, and scheduled next week’s Process Muse. I’d like to get all of April’s posts written, polished, uploaded and scheduled this week to take the pressure off me in April.

I watched/listened to the prep video for the April yoga/eco challenge, and a lot of it resonated with me, which is a good thing.

Worked my way through a stack of contest entries in the afternoon. In the evening, I went back to the Cornell bio and made some notes for several different projects. I love it when one resource has multiple uses.

Had weird dreams Sunday into Monday. First, I was driving along a highway and had to keep stopping because people crossed in front of me. Pulled myself out of that dream, and was in the midst of fretting. Then, I realized I’m slipping back into the sense memory from before the move. I kept reminding myself that the feelings are real, but the reality has shifted to something more positive.

I hope, as I mentioned in yesterday’s “Intent” post, that I can use the pillars of End of Play and the yoga practice to ease that and prevent me from sliding back into that physical and mental state. It made April-May-June and even into July last year tough.

Finally fell asleep again and fell into more weird dreams, which fled as soon as I woke up.

Instagram no longer lets me cross post to Twitter and Tumblr. I can only post to IG & FB. Urgh.

I need ONE scheduling tool that lets me schedule unlimited posts to ALL my social media channels. But that doesn’t exist. Most tools only integrate with FB, IG, and Twitter. Some add Tumblr or Pinterest. That’s not good enough.

Did some admin, drafted an episode of Legerdemain, wrote a 3-page insert for GAMBIT COLONY. Scheduled the promos for this week’s episodes of Legerdemain and Angel Hunt.

Turned around three script coverages. I started them on the front porch, but it was too chilly. However, our yellow tulips are starting to bloom! So that’s lovely.

Completely forgot I’d signed up for Summer Brennan’s Essay Camp workshop, which started yesterday. Thank goodness for emails. I managed to get in both the writing assignment and the reading assignment.

Soup class was a lot of fun. Poor Jeremy. It’s gotten a little bit like herding cats for him.

After soup class, I had another idea for the Essay Camp assignment, so I did it. I think this one might be a stronger choice, but it’s always good to have options.

I went back to the Cornell bio. The chapter on the year-long rep tour by train (ROMEO & JULIET, THE BARRETTS OF WIMPOLE STREET, CANDIDA) was amazing and funny and difficult (among her co-stars were Basil Rathbone and a young Orson Welles). Maude Howell, the first female stage manager on Broadway, helped general manager Gert Macy set things up, before heading out to California to direct films. Minnie Fiske’s niece, Merle Maddern, was an actress in the company and a skilled tarot reader. They traveled with their own train cars with 50 actors, a crew, pets, spouses, scenery, props,  and costumes. The Christmas performance in Seattle, where the train was delayed by storms, but the audience waited, watched them set up, and then they performed until 4 AM is a wonderful story in itself.

There’s a project in there.

What and when, I don’t know, but I’m gathering information. The research will be tons of fun. I can also use some of this as inspiration for the REP serial, even though REP’s premise is very different. I’m not sure when it can fit into the schedule (probably next year), but it is very much my kind of project.

Dreamed I was part of a very busy writers’ group overnight, which was fun, but I felt like I’d put in a full day before I woke up.

FALL FOREVER is definitely ready to be written. I’m feeling that pull of “come on, now, tell my story” and I’m looking forward to April 1. I’m attending the virtual kick-off party on Friday night. I can’t attend Sunday’s virtual New England event because it conflicts with yoga AND with Sunday supposed to be my day of not going online, and, in this case, the yoga needs to come first.

Twitter’s only putting those who pay for blue checks in the “For You” feed (which is where the people I follow show up, rather than in the “Following” feed). That starts April 15. I think, that week before, I will lock my account. I need to shift my focus to building community on other platforms, and remind myself that it took years. But I need to put attention there, because, although Twitter used to fuel sales (especially for the Topic Workbooks) and reads and other things, it hasn’t the last few months. I need to figure out where my audience has shifted, and establish myself there.

The “Plot Bunnies” launch will end just as that’s happening, so I’ll be able to get some good metrics about the shift in a couple of months.

Speaking of “Plot Bunnies” it’s starting to go live for pre-order. I will post more info when I get relevant information up on the website, in the next few days. It re-releases on April 4, which is next Tuesday.

On today’s agenda: working on Legerdemain, working on tomorrow’s Ink-Dipped Advice post, prepping the launch info for the re-release of “Plot Bunnies,” turning around two scripts (one of for which I was requested), and then, tonight, yoga.

There’s no episode of Legerdemain going live today because of the glitch; again, my apologies. Have a good one!