Wed. Sept. 21, 2016: The Shock of a Loss

Wednesday, September 21, 2016
Waning Moon
Mercury Retrograde
Neptune Retrograde
Sunny and pleasant

Feeling better, which is a good thing. Got some decent work done, both on the new projects, and on starting the next round of edits on DEATH OF A CHOLERIC. Still dithering about turning CONFIDENCE CONFIDANT into a full-length – I think I know what I want to do, so hopefully, this weekend, I’ll just sit down and o it.

Started re-reading some of my favorite books – the Bast series by Rosemary Edghill and the Diana Tregarde series by Mercedes Lackey. That got me thinking about how the Craft has changed since our idealistic, hopeful days in the 90’s (although we thought we were terribly cynical. In reality, we were naïve). That gave me the idea for another project, which I’m playing with.

That also got me thinking about some close friends at the time, with whom I’ve lost touch. I started hunting them down on the internet – and found out that one of the closest friends from that time period died of cancer over a year ago. It’s a shock and a loss. I was friendly with her husband, too – I want to send him a condolence card, but will that reopen the wounds? Yet I feel that I need to acknowledge that I just found out and that I hurt for us both. In fact, I planned to dedicate this new project to them, whether or not I’d manage to reconnect.

So I will.

I have to sit with the loss and mourn. But that what this time of year is about.

Decent writing session yesterday, and this morning. Yesterday afternoon, I did some prep for my next road trip. I’ll have to load up the car tonight. Details Friday.

I also have to prepare a proposal packet that will go out on Friday. I thought I had the pieces with me here and now, but I don’t. I was too shaken when I discovered my friend’s death and didn’t take with me what I needed. To say I can’t believe she’s gone is an understatement. She was one of the most vital, vibrant people I ever met.

I need to run some errands and get back to the page. The page is the best way to create a worthy tribute to my friend.

In sorrow,

Devon

Thurs. Sept. 15, 2016: Another Solid Creative Wave

Thursday, September 15, 2016
Waxing Moon
Mercury Retrograde
Neptune Retrograde
Sunny and pleasant

Busy days. Got in some good writing on one of the fantasy projects, and also a contemporary piece that was inspired by the trip to the dunes on Monday. So that was all good.

Lots of cooking, talking, and running around. Plenty to see, which is good.

I have to do some work on the expanded version of the Kate Warne play, CONFIDENCE CONFIDANT, next week. There are two possible venues for it once it’s a full-length, and I want to give a shot at both. I’m also excited to keep working on the projects I’m juggling, and to get back to the revisions of DEATH OF A CHOLERIC.

I’m also spinning some ideas for another Twinkle Tavern mystery, and a couple of other pieces with the characters from “Lake Justice.” The latter will be packaged as a trio of stories with “Lake Justice” for re-release through Smashwords.

I’m putting together a new marketing campaign for the Delectable Digital Delights pieces.

So that’s all good. Lots of creative stuff happening. It’s a relief, after feeling for so long that I was fighting to get any words done per day.

I’m looking forward to Mercury going direct next week, too!

Devon

Fri. Sept. 9, 2016: The Importance of the Individual Voice

Friday, September 09, 2016
Waxing Moon
Mercury Retrograde
Neptune Retrograde
Rainy and hot

Still exhausted, getting over the cold. By mid-day Wednesday, I found social media irritating to the point of no return, so I logged out for a few days, and feel much better.

I’m busy doing internal work, so externals, no matter how well meant, don’t work for me right now.

I did vote yesterday, in the primaries. Did my civic duty.😉

I’ve been working on material, re-evaluating how and where I want my writing career to go, and trying to get well. I’m also working on ideas for a couple of essays. I have to develop them and then do a few rough drafts before I see if I have anything worth pitching. Essays are the hardest for me. Fiction is much easier.

I also need to go through the backlog of material. Some of the rights-reversed stuff is ready to go out again, so I have to do my research and get going on that. If it’s submittable, it needs to be out in the world earning its keep!

Been helping some people put together collaborative projects this week, too, which is always fun. I love to see other artists who put in the work succeed! I don’t believe we are in competition with each other. I believe we are in this together, and when we support each other, that’s when the best work happens.

I’m looking at my own roster of projects. I have to adjust my schedule. I got way off-schedule with what my agent needed for what used to be CHARISMA KILLINGS, and I need to get back on schedule for everything else.

Company’s in next week, which will be fun, but means I have to adjust my writing schedule, and I have work to deal with, too. Lots of juggling – makes me wish I’d gone to circus school!😉

One of the things I’m doing a lot of thinking about is “voice.” I worked many years, first to both find my voice and then to hone it through craft. So when someone tries to change that voice into THEIR voice, to water it down to make it sound bland and like a different tone – especially if it’s not a work for hire where that’s the deal – I balk. Making a piece the best it can be is different than diluting the voice. I’m always eager to make a piece better; I am not willing to lose my voice in my original work. Then it’s not mine and not what I want out in the world. If you’re paying me a good deal of money to sound like someone else or an imaginary figure who supposedly wrote the piece, that’s one thing, but when It’s MY work, going out under one of MY names, it needs to sound like me.

Isn’t that what so many women and people of color have fought to do for centuries? Have THEIR voices heard?

It’s one of the reasons I dumped the bulk of my magazine subscriptions. Everything is a sound bite and sounds exactly the same. Every magazine article in every magazine could have been written by the same machine. Sorry. Not interested. I’m interested, both as a writer and a reader, in individual voices.

I was lucky enough to spend some time last night with a good friend who now lives in Europe. She’s happy there – I think she and her husband will stay. It’s been a bit of a shock for her to come here, where mindset gets narrower and narrower. She completely understands my dilemma about whether to stay or go in the next year.

Have a great weekend!

Devon

Tues. Sept. 6, 2016: On to New Adventures

Tuesday, September 6, 2016
Waxing Moon
Mercury Retrograde
Neptune Retrograde
Rainy and mild

Dealing with Tropical Storm Hermine. Not too bad, considering, at least so far. We desperately need the rain.

The season ended on Saturday night with a nice, big house. Cleaned up, turned in my keys, drove away without looking back. I’ve come down with a cold now, which is a little annoying, but that’s life. It figures, goes along with the release of the stress.

Spent most of Sunday sleeping, with a little reading involved, and a lot of yesterday reading.

As usual, I’m juggling multiple writing projects. I’m bogged down in INITIATE, with the logic of the upcoming sequence, but I hope to break through that in the next few days.

The Victorian mystery is coming along, although I have to enrich it with period detail. Plot and character are humming along, but I have to add the atmosphere. I’m looking forward to an upcoming trip to Newport for research.

I also had an idea for another piece, a fantasy novel with strong political overtones. On Friday, I wrote thirty pages on it, and I’ve been reworking it ever since. The characters, theme, and the start of the plot work, but I need to go deeper into motivations. And I have some other characters yapping at me for attention, so I’ll write myself in a few pages, and then see where I am with it. I need to get the characters down; the plot is loosely based on historical events in Northumberland, but I’m putting it into a fantasy setting.

Of course, I still have two plays to finish and the next round of edits on DEATH OF A CHOLERIC to get done. I hope to sit down and start reading that later this afternoon. And, I need to get back into SONGBOUND SISTERS. I’m behind where I want to be on that.

I’ve run into more people than I imagined from That Other Place. While I’ve been pleasant and polite, I’m still very angry about the whole situation. However, it’s not worth the energy. I landed in another job, in my field, and did it well, even if it was seasonal/temporary. Why people who knew me from Before are surprised that I can thrive in my native environment, a situation that’s far more positive than the one in which I was in for two years, is beyond me. And that fact that none of my former colleagues ever contacted me to see how I was doing . . .says more about them than about me.

My time is better spent on new projects. Those people and that place no longer exist in my universe. I have a life to lead, books to write, plays to create, projects to work on. The decisions I make moving forward are to support my creative work, not to fit anyone else’s convenience or agenda. There are far too many people around here who don’t have the talent or the skill, but have a misplaced sense of entitlement that others should do their work for them, clean up their mess, or a combination. I don’t intend to be that person, the janitor to their messes. I have my own work to do. Not only do I intend to do it, I intend to do it well.

I’m excited by the new projects. My agent has submitted the new mystery series. We’ll see what happens. I don’t expect to hear anything until October or November. By then, I hope to have DEATH OF A CHOLERIC out on submission, and a few other pieces close to ready to go.

I need to do an inventory of short stories to see what needs to go where. I don’t intend anything to sit around gathering dust!

I love September, and I love autumn. I intend to make this a good one!

Devon

Tues. July 26, 2016: Day Disorientation

Tuesday, July 26, 2016
Waning Moon
Neptune Retrograde
Sunny and hot

Busy day yesterday, but when are they not? Errands, Career Center stuff, and then writing. Also got information from my agent on where the manuscript is submitted and who asked for fulls. Fingers crossed.

Somehow, I fell asleep yesterday afternoon, and when I woke up, I thought it was Tuesday morning, not Monday evening! Made the coffee and everything. I was so disoriented! It was a weird feeling, but also kind of funny. Good thing I wasn’t late for a show!

Also found out that I was stabbed in the back by someone I’d helped when that individual was in distress. I’m sure it was months in the making. The ironic thing is that she did to me what someone else did to her. I don’t think that’s what they mean by “pay it forward”.

I was very hurt for a bit, but the reality and the perspective is that the situation and the people involved are not a part of my life any longer and it doesn’t really matter. The situation hurts and is still wrong, but in the bigger picture – yes, it was time that could have been spent more positively. But I learned things I can use moving forward.

I also trust the universe to put things back in balance more creatively than I ever could. I’d rather use my energy to move forward instead of wallowing in the hurt of the past.

Some errands early morning, then lots of writing, then a show. Getting home so late means I’m doing another writing session late at night, but waking up later in the morning.

The writing is going well. The story and characters keep surprising me, for the right reasons. When I’ve got these drafts down, I’m going to figure out good places to break up the story into separate books. I’m not going to have a 1400 page book. I’d rather break it down and let readers breathe at appropriate moments. But I love this story and these characters – their capacity for love astonishes me.

All good.

Devon

Thurs. July 21, 2016: So Much To Do!

Thursday, July 21, 2016
Last Day of Full Moon
Neptune Retrograde
Sunny and warm

Who knew being unemployed/partially employed could be so busy?

Hey, anyone who does 8 shows/week.

The confidentiality agreement prevents me from talking about the theatre job, but all is good, and it’s only until September 3 anyway.

The writing is going well – I had some additional changes to make on the book, and my new agent is sending it out.

I’m deep at work on scripts, and, especially, INITIATE, which burns my soul lately. I love these characters so much, I can’t stand to be separated from them.

Three new stories/sets of characters are burning within, too. I hope they are for novellas, not novels, or I’m in trouble!

And, of course, dealing with the intricacies of trying to get the unemployment benefits I earned, but they don’t want to pay. Because, hey, all they want to do is have people jump through hoops and take jobs in anything to get them off the rolls, not actually help people find jobs to better their lives.

I resigned from the Board of the National Marine Life Center, which broke my heart, but was necessary. I can’t give them what they need right now, not without sending myself over the edge. They asked me to move to the Advisory Board, and I’ve agreed to that.

We went to the Glasgow Lowlands Scottish Festival in central MA last Saturday. It was so much fun! Everyone was delightful, and we had a wonderful time, in spite of the heat. I was able to help a young man with his kilt emergency, thanks to still carrying safety pins. Of course, help one guy with his kilt, and suddenly they all want a hand!  But it was all in good fun. Caber toss always cracks me up. I got some great ideas I can incorporate to stories, though. It was a delightful day.

It was hard to get back over the bridge, but we managed.

I get to see an old friend today – we were tight in NY, and I haven’t seen her for at least 10 years She’s down for a few days doing a reading, and I can’t wait to see her.

If I don’t get back on wordpress tomorrow, have a great weekend! I am, of course, in shows.

Devon

Mon. July 11, 2016: Loving the New Horizons

Monday, July 11, 2016
Waxing Moon
Neptune Retrograde
Cloudy and cool

Busy times! But good ones.

I sent off the revised book per the agents request on Friday morning. By Sunday morning, she contacted me to tell me she loved it. Whew! When all the paperwork is done, I’ll be able to reveal more. I can share that there’s a new series title, a new book title, and I renamed all of the first six books in the series overview to reflect that.

Once I got the book sent out, I packed up my poor little Macbook and took it to iCape Solutions, where they actually HAD a solution I could afford and live with. MacGeorge is running much better now. Phew! I was so afraid I’d have to run to Staples and buy a cheap PC laptop until I could afford to replace MacGeorge. Love me the folks at iCape Solutions. They actually solve things!

Then, I turned my attention back to the radio plays and to INITIATE. And to a bunch of errands and other things that needed my attention. I’m not satisfied with the radio plays yet. I’m thrilled with the way INITIATE is shaping up. I’m so in love with these characters and the scope of this playground.

I had a meeting on Saturday afternoon that will either turn into something or it won’t. If it does, it will be six weeks of fun and work; if not, I move on to something else.

Sunday, I met a friend for coffee and we caught up. Plans that had been made in misery wound up as a celebration. It was fun.

I treated myself to some books. I bought Juliet Blackwell’s newest A TOXIC TROUSSEAU. I like her Lily Ivory mysteries. I managed to scrounge around and locate the last copy in the store!

Errands and paperwork today, an adventure in Boston tomorrow.

And so it goes!

Devon

Fri. July 1, 2016: Mars Makes His Move & I’m Independent

Friday, July 1, 2016
Waning Moon
Neptune Retrograde
Sunny and warm

Walked in to the library yesterday morning to be told I was fired, the position was “eliminated”. I would have stayed for a few hours to compile contacts info for upcoming programs and finish dangling ends, but I had to turn in my key and leave without even turning on the computer or anything else. Buh-bye.

Had to take my mom on some medical errands, but then I went down to the “Career Center” in Hyannis to fill out the unemployment paperwork and do all the registering and stuff one does in this situation. They were absolutely lovely AND I can go down there and do my job searches on their computers and book time and all kinds of things. In fact, I have to show my face once a week, which is fine, because they’re so helpful. I haven’t had to fill out unemployment paperwork since 1991. It’s kind of different now. But if you have half a brain, it’s not rocket science. They also suggested that I not put so much pressure on myself now (the first three hours after I was fired), and at least give myself the holiday to decompress.

Of course, I’ll be writing for the entire holiday weekend to finish the book that’s due at the end of next week, but that’s another whole ball of wax.

It also shores up how people took advantage of us at the Place That Shall Not Be Named when they demanded we fill out applications for them, instead of going to the center and learning how to do it them-damn-selves.

But that’s no longer my problem, and neither is anything else over there.

I let the people with whom I’d been negotiating projects know I was gone and they’d have to deal with Them directly.

Did the grocery shopping (chop wood, carry water). Did a little bit of work on INITIATE, and finished the proofs of “Personal Revolution”.

Read Lilith St. Crow’s CLOUD WATCHER, which I enjoyed.

I have a massive migraine, but that’s the stress, and once it releases, I’ll be okay.

Didn’t feel up to doing much of anything last night and went to bed early. I promised myself I’d give yesterday over to mourning, and then get on with it. Too many deadlines to indulge in a pity party.

Lots of support from friends all over the place, and suggestions from colleagues in the business who are off-Cape. Also getting a lot of love & support from some actor pals, even though we are all far-flung all over the world on different projects right now. Because when you’re “one of us”, you circle the wagons when the civilians behave like . . .well, civilians.

Up early this morning. Yoga outside, and my first writing session of the day on the deck (on INITIATE).

“Personal Revolution” released this morning. You can find it on Smashwords here. It’s set during an Independence Day event at a New England historical site (a fictional one), so it’s relevant to the weekend, and I was damned if I was going to drop that ball, even though it was rough getting it done. But done it is, and I hope people enjoy it.

Headed back to the page for the CHARISMA revisions. I have a wide stretch of uninterrupted worktime, and I intend to make the most of it and meet my deadlines.

The summer flirt boys are back in town, so that’s always amusing, too. Not that I take any of it seriously, but it’s a fun distraction.

Have a wonderful holiday weekend! See you on the other side, when I’ll update where I am on the deadlines.

Happy 4th! Mars is kicking my ass, and “Independence Day” is a relevant meaning this year! 😉 It will all be good, it just sucks right now.

Devon

Fri. June 24, 2016: Bouncing Back

Friday, June 24, 2016
Waning Moon
Mars Retrograde
Neptune Retrograde
Sunny and pleasant

I was awfully down in the dumps early in the day yesterday, really blue. But then, things turned around. I got the basic information sorted out so I can write the proposal for our participation in fall’s ArtWeek Boston event. I also scored an outstanding speaker for later in the summer – we have to finalize dates, but it’s terrific. I took a risk and it paid off.

Exhausted when I got home. Ate dinner on the deck. Spent far too much time texting back and forth with an actor/musician friend whose band is currently touring Eastern Europe. We hadn’t caught up in a few months, and we needed to dissect life, the universe, and everything. He’s trying to talk me into trying my hand at song lyrics. Not for awhile – too many deadlines looming!😉

Today will be a long day with a great deal that needs to be accomplished. This event, we have a fundraiser, so I lose four or five hours of much-needed writing time.

Tomorrow, I’m off on an adventure – will share next week.

Then, it’s digging in to the writing for three days, flat out. I plan to be ruthless about not allowing interruptions, although I’ll do yard work in between writing sessions.

I had a good writing session first thing this morning, so it started the day off on a positive note.

Have a great weekend!

Devon

Wed. June 22, 2016: The Writing Fugue

Wednesday, June 22, 2016
Waning Moon
Mars Retrograde
Neptune Retrograde
Sunny and pleasant

I will be so glad when this Mars retrograde is done. It has kicked my ass.

Saturday’s house & garden tour went well – people seemed to enjoy it. Things were busy. I stayed after the library closed and got some work done, and then went over to the play. It was cute, although I wasn’t really sure while all these Cape Codders were speaking in a southern accent.

Home, writing. Wrote all day Sunday, all day Monday, all day Tuesday. 100 pages in longhand, finishing a major section of INITIATE. Worked on the radio plays – trying to figure out as much in advance so that I can get what I need to in the ten minute limit. Developed a logline and quick pitch for the potential new series that the actor pal wants to send to his producer pal. These projects can take years to develop – so I stepped up, did my part, delivered what and when I said I would, and we’ll see what happens from there.

Was asked to return to an organization I left about a year ago; not going to do so. It would simply be yet another drain on my time, and people expecting me to put their demands before my own writing, which I am not willing to do. I tried working with them, and they were detrimental to my writing, not supportive of it; therefore, no.

This will be another long week, with long days at the library, and then, on Friday night, our Casino night fundraiser. On Saturday, I’m headed out to the flower show.

I hit up the wholesale nursery on Sunday and got some great plants, and then hit Country Gardens to get potting soil and a few other things. I mowed a lot, and put down more fertilizer, but there’s still a lot to do.

I’m behind where I want to be on CHARISMA KILLINGS, so that is where the bulk of my focus needs to be for the next few weeks. Somehow, everything will get done!

Devon

Fri. June 17, 2016: Happy for My Friends’ Successes

Friday, June 17, 2016
Waxing Moon
Mars Retrograde
Neptune Retrograde
Sunny and pleasant

Yesterday was busy. The Red Sox program was a hit (no pun intended), and the peanuts and Cracker Jack snacks popular. Then there was work to be done on tomorrow’s Tour de Force, along with all the regular library stuff.

When we closed, I headed off to Falmouth, to the awards dinner. I had three sets of directions – all of which were wrong. What should have taken 29 minutes took an hour and a half. I finally pulled into a fire station and the fireman on duty helped me. Because, you know, when you need help, you can always count on firemen!😉

Seriously, he gave me clear, simple directions, and I had no problem finding the place.

The dinner itself was lovely. It turned out that I knew four of the honorees! The food was good, the drink was good, the ceremony was good. All around, a lovely evening.

Another friend was featured on CHRONICLE last night for her book on the Lizzie Borden case. I’m so pleased for her!

Working on the short radio plays – I hope to have a solid draft done this weekend. Also did some work on INITIATE. I have some serious work to do on CHARISMA this weekend, too.

However, tomorrow I’m working extra hours – we have an event partnered with the historical society. I’ve been invited to what sounds like a really cool event tonight, but I’m not sure I have the energy. Still, it might be fun . . .

I have to see how I feel later in the day.

Have a great weekend!

Devon

Wed. June 15, 2016: Running on Fumes

Wednesday, June 15, 2016
Waxing Moon
Mars Retrograde
Neptune Retrograde
Sunny and pleasant

Saturday seems like a long time ago. I spent most of the days between Saturday and today writing. Some of it was outlining, because what happens a couple of books down affects how situations and characters are set up in what I’m writing now. I was happy to be deep in the work, but it’s exhausting.

Monday morning, I had a Board meeting in Buzzards Bay, then found a couple of dresses for upcoming events. I’d reached the dress shop early, so I sat in the car and wrote until it was open.

Yesterday, I wrote a complex chapter – it’s a long chapter, it took all day. It wrung out my characters both physically and emotionally, but it sets the stage, especially for one character, for the rest of his life. I was wiped out by the end of the day, too. I think readers will love it – I hope so, anyway.

It was quite the weekend, apart from writing: Creator won the Belmont Stakes, the Pittsburgh Penguins won Lord Stanley’s Cup, and the Tony Awards were on. I got so emotional during the Tonys – this year, in particular, they showed how art can change the world for the better. Especially in wake of the horrific mass shooting in Orlando.

The only reason to purchase the type of weapon currently called “assault” is to kill a human being. You can’t hunt food with it. It is NOT for protection. It is a choice to commit pre-meditated murder, even if the target has not yet been chosen. There is no place for them in a civilized society. But any society that takes Donald Trump seriously isn’t civilized.

A situation I believed was resolved reared its ugly head again. Not only was the wound re-opened (metaphorically), I discovered it festered. It will need to be drained and cauterized. I thought I was at peace with the whole thing, but I’m not.

Not a good start to the week, which will be extremely busy, but I hope I can find blocks of time to descend into the writing and make progress. I’m exhausted, on many levels, and feel like I’m out of resources.

Devon

Sat. June 11, 2016: The Delightfully Clever Film PRIDE & PREJUDICE & ZOMBIES

Saturday, June 11, 2016
Waxing Moon
Mars Retrograde
Sunny and pleasant

Yesterday was busy – lots of processing/receiving/scheduling, et al.

Wrote on my lunch break, which was good, because it lessened the tension of the scenes that built up over the morning.

Home exhausted. Got a bit of writing done after dinner, but not much; had to do the baking for today’s program.

Watched PRIDE & PREJUDICE & ZOMBIES. I did not expect to like it at all, and I liked it A LOT. It was clever, it was funny, it was deeply rooted in the source material. I’d wanted to see it because Matt Smith and Lena Headey were in it, and I always like their work. But everyone was great – the details were so sharp and so fluid, and it was so well done! Lily James and Sam Riley were exceptional. Riley found a way to inhabit Darcy that was neither an imitation of Colin Firth’s interpretation nor a fight against it – he found his own way, he was rooted in what he was doing, and he WAS. The argument/fight scene between Lizzie and Darcy was both funny and brilliant—choreography, writing, execution. What a wonderful surprise!

Didn’t get much writing done this morning. I’m approaching a difficult sequence in INITIATE, where I’m based in some known mythology, but I’ve spun it out to fit the world I’ve built. It’s so bizarre to hold the whole series in my head, and create each scene knowing not only how it drives the specific volume, but the overall series arc.

I have a long day today – it wouldn’t be my Saturday “on”, but I’m covering, and there are two events, plus more books arrived after I’d done the processing yesterday.

Over the weekend, of course, I have to tackle mowing the meadow. But I’ll also be juggling the CHARISMA rewrites, the next sequence in the play set in 17th Century Italy, and this next sequence in INITIATE.

I’ve got an NMLC Board meeting Monday, and something scheduled for almost every night next week. Somehow, I have to hold back enough energy to stay on track with the writing.

Have a great weekend!

Devon