Jordan Castillo Price's Blog, page 58
December 1, 2011
Gratitude #6 - royalties
I'll bet you think I'm grateful for the royalties I get! (Well, I do appreciate that stream of income, of course) but it's also always a kick for me to pay royalties out. I sent royalties today, so I was just thinking about how I really enjoy paying authors for a job well done. It's a satisfying thing to do.
November 30, 2011
Gratitude #5 - skills
A new FB friend turned me on to this link showing world food consumption and expenditure, and of course the US is in the lead at almost 4000 calories PER DAY. Fuck.
So rather than sit here and be dismayed, I'll try to redirect those thoughts into gratitude that I learned how to cook. Actually my dad showed me how to follow instructions on a box when I was a little kid, and then I kinda took it from there.
Also grateful for that maze book I uploaded to my printing service yesterday (and had all kinds of trouble navigating their new system changes)...I'm glad I have the skills to put that type of thing together at all, even though it was hard to do right and sort of a harrowing technical process.
Heck, I'm even grateful that I love learning to do new things, or to get better at what I already know. I watched a Photoshop Blend Mode course yesterday that was just fascinating and I'm thankful for that, too...actually, I can't wait to get back to it later after I'm done with my to-do list!
So rather than sit here and be dismayed, I'll try to redirect those thoughts into gratitude that I learned how to cook. Actually my dad showed me how to follow instructions on a box when I was a little kid, and then I kinda took it from there.
Also grateful for that maze book I uploaded to my printing service yesterday (and had all kinds of trouble navigating their new system changes)...I'm glad I have the skills to put that type of thing together at all, even though it was hard to do right and sort of a harrowing technical process.
Heck, I'm even grateful that I love learning to do new things, or to get better at what I already know. I watched a Photoshop Blend Mode course yesterday that was just fascinating and I'm thankful for that, too...actually, I can't wait to get back to it later after I'm done with my to-do list!
November 29, 2011
Gratitude #4 - home
Since I was on my way to the bookmobile anyway and walking by the office, I paid my rent a couple days early. I own my trailer but rent my land. As I made out the check, I felt grateful not only that my landlord doesn't raise the rent much, but that he created such a safe, beautiful and affordable place to live. (The other trailer parks I looked at were all seedy. This one looks like a vacation property.)
Moving out of Chicago, where rents kept going up and quality of life kept going down, was a deliberate decision. I reasoned that staying there would only ensure that I would feel tethered to a day-job when what I wanted to do was write. I came up with a 5-year plan to live somewhere dirt cheap while I lived frugally and got my writing business going. And yeah, the 5-year plan took 10 years...but I honestly don't regret that. In a way, it's that much sweeter, because I know I persevered. Just because things might take longer than you hope they will doesn't mean you should quit. They're still worth doing!
Moving out of Chicago, where rents kept going up and quality of life kept going down, was a deliberate decision. I reasoned that staying there would only ensure that I would feel tethered to a day-job when what I wanted to do was write. I came up with a 5-year plan to live somewhere dirt cheap while I lived frugally and got my writing business going. And yeah, the 5-year plan took 10 years...but I honestly don't regret that. In a way, it's that much sweeter, because I know I persevered. Just because things might take longer than you hope they will doesn't mean you should quit. They're still worth doing!
November 28, 2011
Gratitude #3 - time
As I try to figure out if I want to go out to an event or stay in and work on some stuff, I'm grateful that I have all the time I do have to spend on the things that interest me. I never take it for granted, especially when I see how many people's lives revolve around how close they are to Friday so they get their two day reprieve from their day job.
November 27, 2011
Gratitude #2 - family
I actually live across the country from my family since I'm in love with Wisconsin. However, I feel grateful to my parents who, I realized yesterday, are my champions.
Before I quit my day job, I traveled to visit my parents and explain to them what I was doing and why. I did understand that they were raised in a time of "You work for a company, you retire, you get a pension and a health plan." Even though I was able to explain that my day job benefits were eroding, my takehome pay was next to nothing, and I was on a fast track for an ulcer, I could tell it was with great trepidation that each of them gave me their blessing.
And they'd never even heard of M/M...for me to have to tell them what it was, and that I wrote it, and that I planned to earn my livelihood writing it because I didn't seem able to write anything else? And to have them reluctantly say, "Well, okay...and your old room is still here for you...."
Yeah, that might not sound like the biggest vote of confidence, but I have no doubt their insides were screaming OMG, NO HEALTH INSURANCE, NO SECURITY, NO PENSION...WHAT IF YOU FAIL AND YOU'RE HOMELESS? AND WHY'D YOU BOTHER GOING TO GRAD SCHOOL ANYWAY? But neither one of them said it. Neither one said I was a sick freak going straight to hell for writing gay books, either. Actually, they were both proud of me. Somewhat baffled, but proud. And for that, I am grateful!
Before I quit my day job, I traveled to visit my parents and explain to them what I was doing and why. I did understand that they were raised in a time of "You work for a company, you retire, you get a pension and a health plan." Even though I was able to explain that my day job benefits were eroding, my takehome pay was next to nothing, and I was on a fast track for an ulcer, I could tell it was with great trepidation that each of them gave me their blessing.
And they'd never even heard of M/M...for me to have to tell them what it was, and that I wrote it, and that I planned to earn my livelihood writing it because I didn't seem able to write anything else? And to have them reluctantly say, "Well, okay...and your old room is still here for you...."
Yeah, that might not sound like the biggest vote of confidence, but I have no doubt their insides were screaming OMG, NO HEALTH INSURANCE, NO SECURITY, NO PENSION...WHAT IF YOU FAIL AND YOU'RE HOMELESS? AND WHY'D YOU BOTHER GOING TO GRAD SCHOOL ANYWAY? But neither one of them said it. Neither one said I was a sick freak going straight to hell for writing gay books, either. Actually, they were both proud of me. Somewhat baffled, but proud. And for that, I am grateful!
November 26, 2011
Gratitude #1 - plenty
This year Thanksgiving felt more meaningful to me than it has in the past, maybe because lately I'm working on a deliberate shift in my consciousness. It seemed like I had too much gratitude to celebrate it in just one day--it wanted to overflow! And so I'll log the leftover thanks here over the next few days or however long I'm inspired :-)
I'm thankful I can afford food. That I now have a car and don't need to take a bus to the grocery store. That I know how to cook it. That even if all my food and my car disappeared, I could walk to the gas station a few blocks away and buy more. Lots of people don't have that option.
I'm thankful I can afford food. That I now have a car and don't need to take a bus to the grocery store. That I know how to cook it. That even if all my food and my car disappeared, I could walk to the gas station a few blocks away and buy more. Lots of people don't have that option.
November 23, 2011
Magic Mansion November Voting is Closed
This month's vote is closed! It was neck and neck for a while, but then the last five voters chose the same person who was already just a smidge ahead. So Interesting how that happens in waves! Now I get to figure out how this month's installment is gonna go!
November 22, 2011
Edits...not so bad
Anyone remember The Starving Years? (I think a few of you have read it!) I'm a couple weeks into the edits now and I'm surprised at the depth of my feelings for Tim.
Preliminary voting determined that "nerd" would be one of his primary characteristics. I remember initially hashing out his character and wondering how I was ever gonna come up with a nerdy guy who 1. was attractive, and 2. wasn't your typical guy-with-glasses. Because, c'mon. If there's one trope that has always been lame and overdone, it's that all nerds wear glasses and wearing glasses means you're smart.
I remember trying to figure out how else I might go with him--I was really intrigued by the idea of Euro-nerd, sort of like Steve Martin's Wild and Crazy Guy, but with Javier also being foreign, I knew that wouldn't work. (Plus, there'd be the likelihood of non-American readers either not getting it, or feeling mocked.) So I ended up going with indeterminate-beard-nerd.
In the end, I was so pleased with him, his awkwardness and his social activism, his earnestness and his vulnerability. Now what I'm working on is to make the story's backstory make sense. To make all the cause and effect airtight. A lot of the heavy rewrites are taking place in Tim's apartment, and they involve the unfolding of his rather hideous past relationships--because of all the main characters, he's the one who's a serial monogamist. There's a part where he recalls what it was like when his ex used to kiss him (this was in the first draft too) and I swear I want to hurl when I read it.
Last week I read through and did some journaling on every chapter in longhand. Then I wrote key points on a chalkboard, since moving my whole arm seemed to help me figure out what I was stuck on. Then I put a few words on post-its and stuck them all over the door. I guess it always comes down to post-its on a door no matter what else I try!
I'm in a "needs a lot of rewrites" part at the moment, about a quarter into the story. I'm itching for those chapters that are nearly good to go as they are!
I'd hoped to finish by the end of the year, but that's not looking realistic anymore, not to have it edited and proofed the way I would want.
Preliminary voting determined that "nerd" would be one of his primary characteristics. I remember initially hashing out his character and wondering how I was ever gonna come up with a nerdy guy who 1. was attractive, and 2. wasn't your typical guy-with-glasses. Because, c'mon. If there's one trope that has always been lame and overdone, it's that all nerds wear glasses and wearing glasses means you're smart.
I remember trying to figure out how else I might go with him--I was really intrigued by the idea of Euro-nerd, sort of like Steve Martin's Wild and Crazy Guy, but with Javier also being foreign, I knew that wouldn't work. (Plus, there'd be the likelihood of non-American readers either not getting it, or feeling mocked.) So I ended up going with indeterminate-beard-nerd.
In the end, I was so pleased with him, his awkwardness and his social activism, his earnestness and his vulnerability. Now what I'm working on is to make the story's backstory make sense. To make all the cause and effect airtight. A lot of the heavy rewrites are taking place in Tim's apartment, and they involve the unfolding of his rather hideous past relationships--because of all the main characters, he's the one who's a serial monogamist. There's a part where he recalls what it was like when his ex used to kiss him (this was in the first draft too) and I swear I want to hurl when I read it.
Last week I read through and did some journaling on every chapter in longhand. Then I wrote key points on a chalkboard, since moving my whole arm seemed to help me figure out what I was stuck on. Then I put a few words on post-its and stuck them all over the door. I guess it always comes down to post-its on a door no matter what else I try!
I'm in a "needs a lot of rewrites" part at the moment, about a quarter into the story. I'm itching for those chapters that are nearly good to go as they are!
I'd hoped to finish by the end of the year, but that's not looking realistic anymore, not to have it edited and proofed the way I would want.
Twelve Hours To Go
I usually don't count down to voting cutoff in Magic Mansion this enthusiastically, but we've got a near-tie situation this month, so I recommend you get your vote in if you have definite opinions about how the story should go! I'll turn voting off when I wake up tomorrow, around 7am.Read and vote here!
November 21, 2011
More Praise for the Mansion
A quick reminder that voting for this leg of the Magic Mansion competition closes Wednesday morning at 7am CST. The optional comments in the vote are always a highlight of my day. Since the last time I pimped the serial, these gems came in.From Dev Bentham: "Last night as I was drifting off I realized it was the 15th and I could wake up this morning to Magic Mansion. I've been looking forward to this since the last installment."
And more wonderful praise from Pamela: "Been loving it Jordan. I find the reflections back into time by John to be particularly poignant. Lust is simmering. It's going to explode when they do get some alone time."
If ten more readers vote, we'll be at the highest turnout yet. So don't hold back. Read! And VOTE! :D
