Devon Ellington's Blog, page 36
June 6, 2024
Thurs. June 6, 2024: Dealing With a Case of the Grumpies
image courtesy of Manfred Richter via pixabay.comThursday, June 6, 2024
New Moon
Pluto Retrograde
Hot, humid, cloudy
The cat in the photo is not Charlotte, although it looks a little like her (she’s much more princessy).
You can read about the garden and the first week of the CSA, over on Gratitude and Growth!
Yesterday was hot and I didn’t get much done. I do not function well in this weather, and we don’t have air conditioning. We can’t put a traditional window unit into our windows anyway, and the rolling units with the vent out the window are not an option for us right now, either. It wasn’t unbearable yesterday, but it was enough to get in the way of doing things.
I managed to get out early and do the big grocery shop and mail some bills. Came home and was wiped out. I didn’t get any writing done, which made me feel off kilter all day.
Did some cleaning and tidying up. Finished a script coverage and started another one. Headed out to tarot circle, which was good.
Charlotte was sitting in the living room window, looking down on the street, waiting for me to come home. It was so cute.
Home, cooked dinner using CSA bits (you can read about it on Gratitude and Growth). My mom had called the friends who are coming up this weekend to find out when they wanted to get together. They are up here for an event in Williamstown. They figured they could just call when they arrived. . .and we’d be waiting around for them? They had no intention of actually setting up a mutually convenient time, which to me, is disrespectful of our time.
I can’t make Friday night work anyway. I have two commitments that night.
They claim they “don’t know the schedule” yet for the weekend event in Williamstown. Um, I know the schedule and I’m not even attending the event!
They’re going to stop by on Sunday morning, instead, on their way out of town. Which certainly serves our schedule better, but it still irks me that they think we don’t actually have a life, and don’t deserve the basic consideration of planning a few days ahead. We were just supposed to put everything on hold for the weekend and serve at their pleasure? I don’t think so.
Didn’t sleep well, because it was uncomfortable sleeping weather, and had weird dreams.
Several of us sat in the Zoom room for 10 minutes waiting for meditation to start and nothing. No workshop leader, no communication from the organizer. It happens too often.
Again, be respectful of people’s time. We put aside the time to be here. If something changes, communicate.
So I’m starting the day grumpy. I wish the rain would start, so the humidity would break. I have some client work to do today, but that’s all that’s pressing, thank goodness. Not in the mood for much.
Read Meg Cabot’s NO OFFENSE, which was kind of fun.
I have a feeling I’ll take a nap this afternoon (even though I’m not usually a napper). Sleep will probably be the best way to get rid of the grumpies!
June 5, 2024
Tues. June 5, 2024: At the Start of Veggie Season!
image courtesy of Tracy Lundgren via pixabay.comWednesday, June 5, 2024
Dark Moon
Pluto Retrograde
Sunny, hot, humid
Today’s Ink-Dipped Advice post is a social media channel update. You can read it here.
Today’s serial episode is from ANGEL HUNT:
Episode 143: The Path Forward
Cerridwen warns Lianna about her propensity for toxic men.
Only THREE more episodes left in the season!
Yesterday was the day before the dark moon, which is my lowest energy day of the month. I was dragging, let me tell you.
I wrote and scheduled the next two Ink-Dipped Advice posts; the next one for June, the first one for July. I will have one more to do in July, and August will be free of posts.
I did a bunch of promotion for LEGERDEMAIN’s final episode and the opportunity to binge view.
It feels weird not to have LEGERDEMAIN episodes due.
I wrote about 10 pages of the screenplay. I have no idea where I’m going with this. I’m letting the characters lead in this draft, and then I will have to decide into which genre the story fits, so I can structure it to be a workable screenplay. Or decide if the story works better in a different, non-screenplay medium. I prefer working from an outline, but I’m still figuring out what story I want to tell.
Adapted some of MURDER BELLS.
I’m leaning more and more to chapter titles in the series, not just numbers.
Turned around two script coverages. Was paid for the last batch of book reviews. No new assignments for them this week. My editor warned me it would be slow over the summer, so at least I’m prepared.
Sat down and re-read what I have of the Heist Romance script. I really like it, especially with the edits I’ve scribbled in over various re-reads. I need to finish it. It would be for a limited run series, so I’d only submit the pilot if I ever got it to that point. Of all the film/television scripts I’ve worked on these past couple of years, it’s definitely the strongest and most fun, even though it would be a high concept, big budget piece. But I’m definitely using the tools of the medium! Plus the characters and story are a lot of fun.
At 4 o’clock, we drove up the street and over the town line to Full Well Farm to pick up the first CSA box. I’ll talk about it in more detail on tomorrow’s Gratitude and Growth post, but I was very pleased (even though there are beets involved). I think it’s just the right amount for the two of us to use within the week, without anything going bad.
Came home, photographed the veggies and posted the photo, finished the coverage turnarounds.
I’d put chicken in the crockpot with pearl onions and a honey barbecue sauce for dinner. Made a side salad using greens from the CSA. Delicious.
Slept pretty well, although the cats rousted me early. Took care of a few things this morning, built around a difficult but necessary decision.
After breakfast, I’m headed to the grocery store for the big grocery shop. I built the meals for the next few days around what we get from the CSA. I want to get some writing done before it gets too hot this morning, and some tidying up. The Target order is set to arrive today – toilet paper and garbage bags. You know, the basics!
This afternoon, I have tarot circle. Tomorrow, I have online meditation in the morning with the group in Concord; most of the rest of the day has to focus on cleaning for the company that we’ll see this weekend. I keep moving things around instead of actually dealing with them, and I’ll be so much happier once I deal with them and finish the final scrub down.
Have a good one! It’s supposed to be hot and humid today, so I’ll do as much as I can before I run out of energy.
June 4, 2024
Tues. June 4, 2024: Getting (and Staying) Organized
image courtesy of webvilla via pixabay.comTuesday, June 4, 2024
Day Before the Dark Moon
Pluto Retrograde
Sunny and warm
I hope you had a wonderful weekend.
Today’s episode is from LEGERDEMAIN:
Episode 195: The City’s Heartbeat
(Season Finale)
An interstellar bounty hunter is after Timothy; Fletcher finds something odd in Market Square. Shelley’s love for Legerdemain, a city of magic, misfits, and murder, only grows.
This is the final episode of the season, and the final episode of LEGERDEMAIN in serial form. You can now binge the entire 195 episodes for a limited time.
Whew! Lots of emotions around that finale today. This project has run for nearly two years, and was in prep even before that. That’s a big chunk of life complete.
Friday morning, I had some stomach issues. While I dealt with those, I wrote 9 pages of the screenplay, and adapted three more TAPESTRY chapters. I had to rearrange some material from the way I’d first set up the chapters, because it made more sense.
I only had five more episodes to adapt after that, about one or two more chapters. I wanted to end on Chapter Thirty, but there wasn’t enough material, without padding it in a way that would be a detriment.
In spite of feeling queasy, I did a quick grocery shop and picked up some books at the library.
Came home, put everything away, then adapted the last five episodes into two chapters, moving material around to hit the right chapter break, both in action and word count.
A little after 11 AM, I finished the draft! It’s around 62K, a good “category” length.
Phew! Big adrenalin crash.
I was really feeling awful after that. I turned around my one small coverage, and then gave myself the rest of the day off.
I did some research reading and tried to figure out why I felt so awful so I could feel better. By the evening, I did feel better, and cooked and ate a decent dinner.
It was so cool on both Friday and Saturday morning that the heat kicked on.
I dealt with some paperwork on Saturday morning.
I was feeling a little better, but still not great. I did a COVID home test, just to be sure. I’ve been out and about around people a lot lately, and haven’t masked in large open spaces the way I usually do (although still in stores, the library, etc.). The test was negative. I’ll test again later this week, if I’m still feeling off.
Picked up some things for the “Stuff the Bus” for Remedy Hall and headed over to Wild Soul River for their 3rd anniversary celebration. Donated my items and picked up a few things there. I spent more than I planned (mostly because I misread a price), but that’s on me, and it’s something I will use for years, so it will work out.
Headed home. Copied more episodes into the appropriate short story documents for MURDER BELLS, which will contain the three short holiday arcs from the second half of the DD season. Didn’t start adapting them yet, just setting up two of the three documents.
Still didn’t feel great, but did some cleaning and tidying up. We have company coming at the end of the week.
Read the revision of my friend’s script, which is a lot of fun.
Painted some cards for the ancestor work. June starts a new month’s worth of work.
Got the information for our upcoming first CSA box of the season. It contains beets, something of which neither of us are fond, but I made the commitment that I would try even things I don’t usually eat. I did some research and found a good recipe in one of Deborah Madison’s cookbooks that I will try, and started building my grocery shopping list around the items we’re getting in the box. Picking up the box on Tuesdays gives me a chance to build the week’s meals around whatever’s in that week’s box.
In the evening, I read a book for review, and then re-read KILLERS OF A CERTAIN AGE by Deanna Raybourn, which I enjoyed even more this time around. There’s a sequel coming out next spring, which I look forward to reading.
Stayed up reading until about midnight, and then Charlotte was wide awake and wanted attention when I got to bed. And Tessa started her breakfast demands early, so there wasn’t much sleep happening.
But it was a beautiful day.
Did the word stats for May:
New Material: 53,515
Client Work: 20.111
Edits: 68,814
Adaptation: 56,943
Marketing/Videos 7 hours
What do they mean? The new material number is pretty average for the month. A little lower than I’d like, but with the other work I had going on, it’s a decent number.
The client work is a little on the low side, but the payment wasn’t too bad; while I still want to earn more, at least I don’t feel as underpaid for the work I did as I have in some previous months.
Edits were on the high side (and these are my own edits, not paid client edits). But I did a couple of passes on THE WOMEN ON THE BRIDGE, started edits on TAPESTRY, started edits on STRANGERS IN THE SNOW, and did a few passes on “Auld Acquaintance.” So that makes sense. It makes up for the new material number being a little lower than usual this month.
The adaptation number is centered around TAPESTRY and is somehow off, because the book itself comes in around 62K, so I must have missed writing down or tallying some chapters. That’s a high number (I don’t have adaptation work every month), but, for the next few months, there will be adaptation numbers as I convert the serial material to their next life.
Marketing/videos is close to the sweet spot for marketing (it should run about 2 hours/week or 8 hours for the month. If I counted the material I wrote for the Nina Bell website, media kits, etc., and the time spent talking to the cover artist, it would be closer to 14 hours . Which is reasonable for what was done.
In June, I need to up the client work (and pay). Adaptation numbers will be a little lower, because there’s less to adapt. Wait, no, there’s not, because I’m also adapting the Cerridwen Iris Shea articles, although at a slower pace than the serial material. I have no idea what the adaptation number will wind up being. Editing numbers should be pretty high, between TAPESTRY, MUDER BELLS, and THE WOMEN ON THE BRIDGE. New material will be on the low side, I expect, although I have a 5K short story and an article to write at the very least this month.
I’ll promote the binge watching of the serials, but probably not as hard as I should, and I’ll promote “Personal Revolution” from the back list during the second half of the month until around the July 4th weekend.
But the priority this month needs to be client work, and build the other work around it, instead of the other way around, the way I usually do it.
Sunday I was tired and felt off, even though it was a lovely, lovely day outside. I did a bunch of cleaning and tidying up. We repotted the large jasmine, which was exhausting. I hope it likes the new pot.
Did some ancestor work which made sense on some levels, but not on a bloodline level – unless there’s a branch of the family I know nothing about. Which is perfectly possible.
I read the next book for review, which was good until it took an overly tropey twist into a different genre.
I started reading THE TWILIGHT GARDEN by Sara Nisha Adams, which is a lovely book. I really enjoyed her first book, THE READING LIST. This is very different, but also very beautiful.
Sent a birthday email to an old friend, who will be working on Cape for a few weeks – and thought I still lived there!
All I want to do is sleep. It’s as though my body remembers how exhausting the time right around the move was, and thinks I still need to recover.
I’m really frustrated with a project I backed on Kickstarter/BackerKit last summer. The project kept getting delayed and delayed and delayed. Then, in March, we were charged overpriced shipping, which added 20% onto the cost. And nothing has shipped. The last contact was in mid-April, claiming the creator had to wait until all the shipping fees were processed (which we all know is not true; you ship as you’re paid to ship). There’s been no contact, the creator doesn’t respond to emails, won’t update.
In other words, we’ve been screwed. There are a lot of us who are really, really frustrated. And Kickstarter/BackerKit just shrugs. They don’t care, and refuse to take any responsibility, or take any steps to make it right.
Taking money for a product and refusing to deliver it is fraud. Period. Give us what we paid for, or return the money.
Which, of course, neither the creator or Kickstarter will do, because they’re all sleaze buckets.
Learned that expensive lesson. No more Kickstarter/BackerKit projects for me. We’ve been scammed, and there’s no recourse. Although, if I don’t get either an update or a shipping notification by the end of the week, I’m filing a complaint both with Kickstarter and with the SEC (who regulates Kickstarter).
I’ve only backed a handful of projects, and the others were good experiences. But I’m not putting myself in this position again.
Very difficult to settle down and concentrate on Monday morning. Woke up with full-blown sense memory stress, as though it was June of 2021.
I did some Vaudeville research. I’m finding records that aren’t quite in alignment with family stories my friend knows, so I will have to talk to her about that.
Did a library run to drop off/pick up books.
More scripts landed in my queue for the week, which was a relief.
I started on one and was more than halfway through it when it was removed from my queue (probably because it needed more work and was pulled). But that was time that could have been spent on other things. That paid. If something is pulled, we should be paid for it anyway.
I had a ZOOM meeting with a Nightwood colleague. She’s prepping her show for Edinburgh. I gave her some advice, and suggested she push her promoter harder. She’s paying the promoter, but they’re bumping back too much admin work on her which they should be handling. I think her show is something that will do really well there. She was also really interested in SERENE & DETERMINED and has an idea for a theatre in Vancouver she thinks would be a great fit for the project.
Trying to explain to a Canadian the political mess we’re in took a lot of expletives, rolling eyes, and laughter.
Turned around one script after, and started another. I’d hoped to finish it, but ran out of time.
Cooked dinner and hung out on the porch for a bit.
Yoga is cancelled this week, because the teacher’s young son is in the hospital. So we are rallying around to do whatever we can to help.
Read a really fun book of short stories last night. It was humid and hard to get to sleep, but cooled off during the night, thank goodness.
Up early this morning, out to the laundromat. I was the only one there, which was great. Got 65 pages of TAPESTRY edited. Made some notes to check on a few details, and also some ideas to carry through in future books of the season.
Will put some stuff in the crockpot after breakfast, then settle in to work. I have to catch up on coverage work that wasn’t finished yesterday and then do what’s scheduled for today. With yoga cancelled, I have more wiggle room. The only thing I have to do this afternoon is pick up the first CSA box (I’m very excited).
I need to do some more cleaning and tidying up for company, too.
Not sure what work I’ll do this morning; maybe some more adaptation, a few pages on something else, sorting the almanac articles into their new possible eBooks. We’ll see. I need to sort project materials that have been stacking up in my office, put complete projects away, and have the current projects in easy reach.
One step at a time, right?
Have a good one!
June 3, 2024
Mon. June 3, 2024: Flow With the Work
image courtesy of Duc Tinh Ngo via Pixabay.comThis week is about working and making work-related decisions. Instead of worrying, I’m going to look at the opportunities and make the best decisions I can based on the information I have (and try not to make them out of fear).
There’s plenty to do, across several fronts; it’s about making smart decisions that put things in place for long and short term payouts, on both financial and professional levels.
What’s your intent for the week?
Mon. June 30, 2024: Flow With the Work
image courtesy of Duc Tinh Ngo via Pixabay.comThis week is about working and making work-related decisions. Instead of worrying, I’m going to look at the opportunities and make the best decisions I can based on the information I have (and try not to make them out of fear).
There’s plenty to do, across several fronts; it’s about making smart decisions that put things in place for long and short term payouts, on both financial and professional levels.
What’s your intent for the week?
May 31, 2024
Fri. May 31, 2024: Another Month Complete!
image courtesy of messersrach via pixabay.comFriday, May 31, 2024
Waning Moon
Pluto Retrograde
Sunny and pleasant
What a wonderful way to wake up, feeling hopeful on multiple levels.
Today’s serial episode is from ANGEL HUNT:
Episode 142: A Dominion’s Apology
Vasariah takes the first steps to put things back to rights.
Only FOUR more episodes left in the season!
I managed to get two serial episodes adapted into one chapter yesterday before I had to leave for the meeting.
It was raining when I left, of course. Every time I’ve had something at the Berkshire Innovation Center, it’s rained. In fact, all the previous times, the weather was so bad, I had to cancel due to flooding.
But this time, it wasn’t bad; just a light rain, and the drive was fine. Parked in the lot as instructed in yesterday’s email. Wandered over to the building, which is quite well-designed.
Chatted with people from 1Berkshire. Ran into a bunch of people I’d seen at the Small Business Expo last week. Talked to some new-to-me people. It was fun. There was coffee. There were snacks. All good.
There were representatives from Senator Warren’s office and Senator Markey’s office, which was great, and Senator Marks (one of our state senators) was there himself. He really does take the time to get to know his constituents, which is very appreciated.
The presentation itself was excellent. The Berkshire Blueprint was launched in 2019, just before the pandemic. The concept, the way it has grown, and the vision for the next five years are all exciting. The way the different clusters connect, and the vision for collaborative and collective growth and long-term benefits for the community (not just pulling in tourist dollars and pushing out residents) is encouraging. So is the admission that points they didn’t realize as important back in 2019 have emerged as such since, and how they are now including them. The vision of us as interconnected individuals working to make this region viable and thriving for all of us was both an inspiration and a relief.
The plan presented was about long-term building as a community, rather than short-term greed, as it is in my previous location.
Picked up a pizza and an apple pie on the way home, because I didn’t feel like worrying about fixing lunch.
Had to get my head back into the client work game in the afternoon, which wasn’t easy, but I did it, and turned around two script coverages.
Was absolutely delighted to hear the news that the Narcissistic Sociopath was found guilty on all 34 counts. We’re not out of danger yet, by any means, but let’s enjoy the win for a few hours, and then get back to work.
Thought I’d removed all that thing’s supporters out of my life, but one or two popped up on FB after the news, and were removed.
Filled out a survey from Assets4 Artists. Being part of their program has made such an enormous difference. Now, I have to step into the newly cleared path and follow through.
Leftovers for dinner.
Reading one of Jane Shore’s books of poetry. It’s from the library, but I’m going to have to own all her books. What a powerful poet.
When I got to bed, I had an idea on how to rework some of the weird screenplay idea. I didn’t want to get up, so hopefully, it’s stuck in my head, and I can do it this morning.
Slept well, up early.
On today’s agenda: more adaptation work, work on the screenplay, grocery shopping, library run, a small coverage to turn around. If another one comes in, great. If not, I can read my friend’s screenplay revision. A Zoom call is being rescheduled, so I have a gift of time in the afternoon.
I’m going to take it fairly easy this weekend: deep clean the house because we have guests coming next weekend; more adaptation; some other writing; reading a book or two for review; going to Wild Soul River tomorrow for a bit to help them celebrate their 3rd anniversary. But I do need/want to get some rest in, and I hope a lot of work comes in for next week. I’ll also be pitching quite a bit next week, and doing more follow-up from the Business Expo and for the Blueprint.
But I also need to rest. June is about head down working, and preparing for all of July’s projects. I need to keep an eye on energy management, and not overbook.
Have a good one!
May 30, 2024
Thurs. May 30, 2024: It Always Rains When I Go To BIC
image courtesy of Gabriela Palai via pixabay.comThursday, May 30, 2024
Waning Moon
Pluto Retrograde
Rainy and cool
You can read the latest on the garden over on Gratitude and Growth. Next Tuesday, the CSA starts; I will write about those boxes over on G&G. I mean, I’ll mention them here, but I’ll go into detail about the week’s box on the Thursday garden posts.
Today’s serial episode is from LEGERDEMAIN:
Episode 194: Moves and Countermoves
Not all fights are physical.
After today’s episode, there is only ONE more episode left in the season. And then you get to binge the entire 195 episodes, for a limited time.
Adapted more DEADLY DRAMATICS episodes into TAPESTRY, about 7K words. I have 14 more episodes to adapt, and this draft is complete. Each chapter takes 2-3 episodes, so it’s only a few more days down the pike and this draft is done. Once it’s done, I will decide if I’m going with chapter names (which sets a precedent for the series) or just numbers. I also worked on the author note and set up the media kit. I created some of the information, and then will plug in the short excerpts once I decide which ones to use. Some of the material will also go into the series media kit.
Worked on the newsletter, and on a Cerridwen’s Cottage logo for the small books that will repurpose all my articles over the years.
Got my parking information for today’s meeting at the Berkshire Innovation Center. Glad they sent it, because I would have never figured it out on my own.
Updated the large wall calendar, so I can keep an eye on deadlines.
Turned around two script coverages. I call them medium-sized because of the required word count in the coverage, but they were both feature scripts, so reading time was longer than, say, a one-hour pilot or a half hour TV piece. I wanted to do a third script, but I ran out of time.
Headed out for tarot circle. Stopped at Carr’s to pick up the sulfur compound I need to treat the lilacs, and stopped at Wild Oats to pick up something.
Tarot was great, as usual. We always have intense discussions about complicated issues in really interesting ways, with full respect for each other.
Headed home, fixed dinner, finished one of the coverages I hadn’t finished before I left, and then just hung out for a while before bed.
Just before I was ready to turn in for the night, a submission call landed in my inbox – for tonight. I have a play that fits the parameters, so I submitted it.
I got an idea for a kind of a weird screenplay and wrote the first three pages. No idea if it will lead anywhere, but the characters were talking loudly, so I wrote it down to quiet them.
As I tried to go to sleep, the downstairs neighbors were out and about, trying to find their cat/get him back inside (he’d somehow gotten out). They did not succeed, and finally gave up. I felt bad for them and the cat, but yelling at the cat is not going to get him back inside.
At three a.m., it had started raining, and they were out there again, yelling for the cat at the top of their lungs. Don’t know if it worked that time, but it got all of my cats up and about, and they would not settle down.
I refused to get up until five. Then, when I sat down to get some work done before I had to leave for my meeting, the computer screen went black. It was only an update, thank goodness, but I’m tired of forced updates instead of letting me schedule them. It had all night when I wasn’t using the computer to do an update.
I’m trying to get a few things done at the desk before I head out to my meeting. It means skipping the online meditation group this morning; I sat a bit on my own. I was going to run some errands on the way back, but if it’s still raining this hard, I will probably just come home.
I have two coverages to turn around this afternoon. I’m hoping to sneak in some adaptation work in as well.
Have a good one!
May 29, 2024
Wed. May 29, 2024: Shuffling the Responsibilities with the Possibilities
image courtesy of Michael Schwarzenberger via pixabay.comWednesday, May 29, 2024
Waning Moon
Pluto Retrograde
Partly sunny and pleasant
I’m so confused as to what day it is.
Today’s serial episode is from ANGEL HUNT:
Episode 141: Layers of Angels
Angel politics annoy Lianna.
We’re on the last 5 episodes of this serial!
It’s good we’re winding up. March’s royalty payment (which paid out today) was abysmal. Vella keeps changing the payment configuration, while blocking ways to promote and draw in new readers that don’t put more advertising dollars directly into their coffers. They refuse us the room and necessary tools to reach a larger audience beyond Amazon. Then, we’re blamed for not doing enough to bring in new readers, when what they’re doing is blocking that ability.
So many of the authors think if they just “write harder” it will pay off, but it’s not just about consistent story posting; there are so many other elements involved, especially around the marketing. And Amazon blocks a lot of marketing opportunities unless those are paid advertising dollars to Amazon directly, which doesn’t translate into enough dollars in the royalty payments. Many authors who are paying those dollars are finding their royalties dropping even as their reader count increases.
Well, it was fun while it was fun, right?
And I got a bunch of writing done, and back into a flow. I’d struggled for the last couple of years, and writing to serial specs and deadlines got me to just sit down and do it without overthinking.
It served a purpose.
It has now fulfilled the purpose, so onward.
But reading free episodes, liking, commenting, and crowning will still help me in these last few weeks while the serials are up for binge reading. So if you haven’t read your 30 free episodes over the three serials yet, please do! In the next few months, the free reads won’t count, but in the next few weeks, those will still give me a few more pennies!
I adapted more episodes into TAPESTRY chapters. While it’s tempting to push until I wear myself out each day, I’ve limited myself to three chapters (however many episodes that contains). It was about 7K words yesterday, in a complicated section.
One of the people I’d talked with at the Business Expo had followed up last week, but the email went astray and only showed up as I was putting together the promised materials. Then, I had trouble getting the email to send from the right address, getting the materials to attach properly, but I finally got it all out. What usually takes 15-20 minutes took an hour and a half.
And got an out of office message that she’s on vacation. Which made me laugh. No wonder she wanted to get in touch before the holiday. Too funny!
Maybe we’ll catch up next week and, if she likes my materials, maybe she’ll throw me an assignment now and then.
Folded the laundry. I’ve somehow misplaced one pair of yoga pants. Now I KNOW I didn’t come home one day without pants, so that pair has got to be around somewhere.
Was assigned two new books for review.
Updated my profile/information on Aquent. They’ve been sending me such wildly inappropriate job postings I figured I better check out what they think I want. My profile is updated and looks good; we will see if that translates to anything. I’ve been very frustrated with them these last few months. What is the purpose of filling out all that paperwork/profile information when they act, each time I answer one of their pitches, like they have no idea who I am? Don’t waste my time.
A bunch of scripts landed in the availability queue – all marked as due within the hour! I contacted my handler. It was a glitch, it was fixed, I got enough scripts to keep me busy and paid through Thursday. Thursday needs to be a light client workday, since I have to be in Pittsfield for an early morning meeting (thereby missing meditation).
Turned around one small and one medium coverage, and started another before I ran out of steam and time.
Learned I did not land a residency slot for which I’d applied in early autumn. Although my ego wasn’t happy about it (because, you know, ego), I had already decided that if I landed it, I would have to decline. It bumped up too close to the Boiler House residency – as in, I would have had to drive from the other residency directly to the BHPC residency, without even an overnight in between. Which would have made responsibilities I have around the residency a little more complicated, although I could pull them off by being organized. I’d be tired, but I could pull it off. And then go into the residency tired, which I’d rather not do. I want to be energized. I suspect it would also be in conflict with the playwrighting cohort, although I don’t yet have a start date for that. On top of that, I would have had to hire someone to check on my mom regularly and pick up the CSA box while I was out of town. There were too many challenges in making that block of time work well so I could get the most out of my time at that particular residency (along with certain restrictions within the residency that made me raise my eyebrows and wonder why I applied), and now it’s not an issue.
As I learned the hard way over the past year, these things shake out for the best. Had I gotten the April residency I wanted so much when I applied for it last November, I wouldn’t have been able to attend the reading of my own play. Had I gotten another residency for which I applied, it would have conflicted with my current cohort, the July reading, the Make it at Market slot, and the collaborative poem.
So it all works out, and the right opportunities align.
I mean, there’s the ego component, but seeing how the right opportunities align soothes the hits to the ego!
Headed out to yoga. Got some more information from my friend about her family’s birthplaces and dates and some more names, which helps me research their Vaudeville connections. I made a connection about a brother-sister dance act, per the research I’d done on the photographs that delighted her. I’m looking forward to spending some time on genealogical sites to get some specifics which I can then plug into the bigger picture.
Gentle yoga was good. Fitness for yoga kicked my ass, but it was also good. I can see and feel the progress. And the data numbers show my improvement (i.e., my BP’s gone down 70 points since I started at this studio – yes, that means when I moved here, I was in the danger zone with those numbers). I’m not just skirting the edge of the range, I’m down to healthy numbers. Without medication, which is the way I like it.
My teacher is pleased, but pointed out that it’s not just doing yoga, it’s other lifestyle/eating changes and less stress.
Amazing how not being in a toxic work environment anymore improves overall health!
The plan is to maintain and build on this progress.
Got a notification that my storage unit monthly cost is going up. It’s gone from mildly ridiculous to more so. I have to figure out how to put together the resources to get everything moved up here to a local, more reasonably priced unit in fall. I don’t have the resources even to do the most basic of self-moves right now (not to mention lacking the physical ability), but I can hold onto the unit, even at the new cost, for a few more months while I put it all together. There are several types of options to get it done; I have to see what I can pull off financially (with all these other unexpected bills that have come in, and what’s coming due this summer) and then make decisions.
I also noted how much less trouble I have with sense memory stress when I’m not making storage runs during this time of year. Getting everything off Cape and up here will take off a huge burden not just financially, but the physical back-and-forth (it’s an eight hour round trip, plus all the moving and rearranging of boxes each time), and the emotional baggage connected to the unit. Then, maybe, I can, one day, enjoy the Cape again as a place to visit.
It looks like the gun range in Bourne will not happen after all (with the clear-cutting of 170 acres of forest). Our advocacy to the reps got the existing range better financed (off Cape) and the proposed range off the table. At least for now, until the other side makes its next move. I was involved in that, even as someone who no longer lived there (but used my experience as a former resident and a potential future tourist) to create my advocacy materials.
I’m hearing a lot of garden issues this year from people on Cape – boxwood blight, and cedar fungus and all kinds of things that are killing plants and shrubs. Not to mention the contamination from the banned pesticides that are being used on the short-term rental properties.
Anyway, today’s agenda is about head down working with writing in the morning, script coverage in the afternoon, prep for tomorrow’s meeting, and then tarot circle this afternoon. I have a friend’s script to read, which I might not get to until the weekend.
Onward!
May 28, 2024
Tues. May 28, 2024: A Weekend of Art & Fun
image courtesy of C via pixabay.comTuesday, May 28, 2024
Waning Moon
Pluto Retrograde
Murky and humid
Did you have a good holiday weekend? I hope so!
There’s a post up on Kemmyrk, on the Cerridwen’s Cottage site, with a full moon spread. You can check it out here.
Today’s LEGERDEMAIN episode:
Episode 193: Timothy Whips Up the Crowd
Timothy works to change the crowd’s momentum.
Only two more episodes after this one, and the season is complete. Then, you get to binge!
Friday morning, I adapted the first sixteen episodes of DEADLY DRAMATICS into the first seven chapters of TAPESTRY. That was around 16K words. Novels have different rhythms than serials, so it was about adjusting where the gasps and breaths were, so to speak. I also found a logistics/time snag that I had to fix. I’m sure, when the whole thing is adapted and printed out, and I do the next editing pass, there will be even more to fix.
I dashed out to the library to drop off/pick up books and then swung by Bear and Bee Books to book the reading, but the person I needed to talk to wasn’t there, and I was told to check back in on Saturday.
Came home, did all the rest of the episode videos for LEGERDEMAIN and ANGEL HUNT, and posted what I could. Made a logo for another project.
Turned around a script coverage and some follow-up questions on a recent coverage.
I am invited to join a regional playwrighting cohort hosted by a theatre for a 12-week session in autumn. I’m very excited, and will share more information as I get it. It’s a theatre with whom I have wanted to work since before I even moved to the area. So that’s exciting.
It also means that I will not submit for a five-month development program with a theatre company in New Jersey (which would be part virtual, part traveling down there), because there’s an overlap. I’ll wait and submit some other time to that. It takes the pressure off writing that particular proposal by June, which is nice.
Saturday morning, I adapted a bunch more episodes into novel chapters and printed them out. I’m up through Chapter Ten now. I need to decide if I’m going to name chapters (as I did with serial episodes) or just number the chapters, the way I usually do.
I also read the next draft of a friend’s screenplay and gave requested notes. It was a lot of fun. I’m particularly fond of this piece of hers.
In the late morning, I walked down to the Farmer’s Market. I took a wander, to check out how the artists in residence bit is done. I have some more questions (of course I do).
I had a lovely chat with Patrick and Nicholas, from Hexagon Bagels. They’d already sold out of 300+ bagels they’d made that morning – a good issue to have!
I headed for the bookstore to catch one of the owners to talk about the Boiler House Poets Collective reading in October. She definitely wants us there; she has to look more closely at that week so we can figure out a date. We’ll do a follow up in about a week.
After that, I went over to MASSMoCA to enjoy their 25th anniversary celebration. I can’t decide if it’s a good thing or a scary thing that I am older than the museum.
One of my cohort members was working the door and greeting people as they checked in. I took a wander around the museum, checking out a bunch of installations I hadn’t seen, such as “Like Magic” which was very different than I expected, and interesting once I dropped my expectations of what I thought it would be. I also revisited “Forever in Your Debt” about student loan debt by Kellie Rae Adams, which will close soon. That one always has a strong effect on me.
I got an iced coffee from Tunnel City Coffee and sat out in the shade, drinking it and making some notes on ideas the exhibits started. There’s one image/thought about bones at the bottom of the ocean that’s stirring something, although I don’t yet know what.
It also got me thinking of the hunger for conflict (on the page, on the stage, in life) and why something good and right and happy is considered boring.
I didn’t reach any conclusions, but it was whirling around my head, as I watched people flow through the courtyard and enjoy the museum.
I attended Open Studios; this residency cohort is a group based in Florida, many in and around Miami. Their work was fascinating and wonderful. Vickie Pierre’s work and Jennifer Basile’s work particularly spoke to me. Jennifer was in the studio in which I’d worked during the Boiler House residency, and we both love the space. I ran into one of the artists with whom I’d taken a workshop and we’d been in breakout session together, but not met in person before, so that was fun. And caught up with some of the staff about what was new with them. I ran into my yoga teacher and her son, and we had a good chat. This is a small town.
A couple of cohort people showed up, and, at the end of Open Studios, we went over to Bright Ideas for a beverage and good conversation. A lovely ending to a nice day.
Walked home. Okay, by the time I got home, I was limping. I’m not used to wearing shoes for hours on end, nor am I used to being on concrete for so long. The concrete floors in the museum did a number on my feet, ankles, and knees. I felt even worse for all those workers all those years when the building was a manufacturing plant, and they had to stand on those concrete floors for their shift.
It was also a reminder that, before this fall’s residency, I need to get a chef’s mat. Even in my residency slippers and sitting a good portion of the time, I felt it.
Changed clothes, soaked my feet in Epsom salts and relaxed for a bit before making dinner. I was also very dehydrated. Although it wasn’t that hot or humid, I’d had one iced coffee and one beer and zero water over the course of five and a half hours, which is not necessarily the best choice.
I was in bed by 8:30 and slept for 8 hours, which is unusual, but I was so happy to sleep through the night!
Woke up on Sunday mulling a bunch of practicalities. I want this to be a holiday weekend, but today I need to sit and really figure out a bunch of stuff on the work front, so that the financial end of the game is taken care of in order to let the rest of it shake out.
I adapted the next bunch of DEADLY DRAMATICS episodes into the next three TAPESTRY chapters (about 5600 words). I’m now through Chapter Thirteen in the book, and almost halfway through the episodes of that arc. A positive is that when I wrote the serial episodes, I did a multi-colored draft (to get rid of unnecessary passives, adverbs, and qualifiers), so the adaptation is more about beats and rhythms and story and character than sloppy language choices. I worked on the Author’s Note for the back of the book and the Acknowledgements. I wrote June’s first Ink-Dipped Advice post (another social media roundup) and scheduled it to post.
I did another draft of “Auld Acquaintance.” It’s down to 10 pages, and almost where I want it. I played with “Fire Askew” another 10-minute play. I’m sort of feeling my way into it.
I finally finished BLOOD SHOT by Sara Paretsky. I had difficulty getting into it, but as it unfolded, I liked it a lot.
I was very disappointed when I went through the stack of novels I’d brought back from the library, several of which had been highly recommended. They were all written in present tense, which meant by the end of the first page, I found them unreadable. All going back this week.
The one cozy mystery in the pile that was in past tense was too formulaic, with the protagonist thinking she was cute when in reality she was being stupid, and part of me hoped she’d be the next character bumped off. So, that series is a no for me.
It was too hot and humid to sleep well Sunday into Monday, and Charlotte was impossible.
On a happy note, I realized that a short story I thought I would have to jettison is due the end of June, not May, so I can actually work on it and submit it.
It was hot and humid most of Monday, with drizzle off and on. I did three more chapters’ worth of serial adaptations for TAPESTRY. I’m a little past the half-way point for the arc/book.
I had to run out and get more ink for the printer, because, of course I did.
I sat down to do “just one thing” at the computer in the afternoon, and wound up doing the binge videos for both LEGERDEMAIN and ANGEL HUNT in all three formats (TikTok, wide, and Instagram). The graphics on the LEGERDEMAIN TikTok video aren’t working. I will have to rebuild those from scratch, because the funny ad graphics aren’t converting. Sadly, the TikTok version is vital. So that’s on the list for next weekend.
I wrote a bunch of copy for the Nina Bell website. I won’t put it up until the serial is off Vella. But at least it will be ready to go (with edits), and I won’t be scrambling. The cover designer for the books is doing the website banner, which will tie things in together nicely.
So much for a day of rest! I should have rested.
I also should have turned my closet over to summer, and didn’t get that done, either.
I cooked an early dinner, and then got my act together and headed down to Main Street for my cohort member’s show. I ended up driving, because it was raining too hard to walk.
It was his company’s version of RICHARD II. Packed house, and they even had to put up more chairs, which is an excellent thing. Some of my fellow cohort members were there, along with some of the A4A people.
It was a 90-minute version, they’d only had two days’ rehearsal, and it was excellent. One of the things I really liked about it was that it wasn’t the typical view of Richard that’s done so often: that he’s a misunderstood, tormented poet and victim of Bolingbroke’s machinations. This Richard wasn’t a victim; he made bad choices and paid the price. Those working against him were ambitious and greedy, but were also concerned with inheritance and what would be passed down through families. Northumberland’s wiliness came through well, and the choice for Hotspur was decidedly unflattering, focusing on the arrogance and narcissism of the character, which worked really well in the production.
(Those of you who know me well know I’ve spent time in Northumbria and love it, and have a soft spot for Hotspur, in spite of his flaws).
Anyway, it was a great show, we had a good chat after, and I meandered home for a glass of wine and another look at the text.
Woke up early, prodded by Charlotte, and was out the door to the laundromat on time. Back a little after 7 AM.
Lots to get done today: more adaptation chapters, other writing of some sort, correspondence, working on proposals promised to people I met at the expo (which I will send out tomorrow, because it’s ridiculous to send it out today), two small coverages (I hope more show up in the queue today), and reading a friend’s revision of her script.
Then, it’s two hours of yoga tonight!
Have a good one!
May 24, 2024
Fri. May 24, 2024: Start of the Holiday Weekend
image courtesy of Rafał Kozanecki via pixabay.comFriday, May 24, 2024
Last Day of Full Moon
Pluto Retrograde
Sunny and warm
We’re at the long holiday weekend! Woo-hoo!
Although I woke up this morning thinking it was Saturday!
Today’s episode of ANGEL HUNT:
Episode 140: Lianna’s Magic
Lianna’s magic shouldn’t work on this plane. And yet it does. . .
There are only SIX more episodes of ANGEL HUNT after today (three weeks). The final episode goes live on June 14.
I was absolutely exhausted yesterday. Note to self: be careful about overbooking, and give yourself more recovery time. You are no longer in your twenties!
It wasn’t quite as hot and humid, which helped.
My mom seems okay after her fall (I mean, she’ll be 100 in October, we have to be careful). She was still a little woozy. I was a little light-headed at times, too. Just in case it was environmental, I had a neighbor with a hypersensitive carbon monoxide detector take a turn through the place. Remember all those issues with had with carbon monoxide in the Cape house?
Nothing showed up, which was good. It was also expected, since we had new detectors put in recently and the windows are flung open to get whatever air circulation we can (no a/c). We do have a good deal of tree pollen happening right now. Someone yesterday mentioned this is a particularly strong year for tree pollen, which means I constantly feel like there’s dust at the back of my throat and my eyes itch.
I got about half of the follow up emails done. I left the more complicated ones and the ones that needed clips, proposals, and other material added until next Wednesday. Because who the heck wants a packet of material landing in the inbox right before a holiday weekend? No one!
I heard back from some of the people I contacted, which is always nice, and there will be further conversations and connections. So different from my previous location, where chamber events were all, “you have to buy from me, but what you do isn’t real work so you have to work for me for free. Because you should be grateful for the exposure.” Nope.
I had a workshop from noon to one. I still have to watch the video of the one I missed Wednesday. I dropped some books in the book bin at the library and did a small grocery shop. I figured going to the store today would be too busy.
I turned around two scripts in the afternoon and read a book for review, and then, I was done!
I didn’t get any writing done (other than emails), which made me feel itchy. Although I got an idea for a comic 10-minute play during the workshop (inspired by someone’s comment), and I jotted it down.
I slept really well last night, which made a big difference.
Today, I will do some writing (not yet sure on what). I will write and submit the book review. I will do a library run. I may do the episode videos for all the remaining episodes of LEGERDEMAIN and ANGEL HUNT, upload them, and schedule them to post. That way, I don’t have to think about them, and I can start mulling over ideas for the binge videos. I have one coverage to turn around and some follow-up questions on a coverage I did earlier in the week, and then I’m done with client work for the weekend.
Over the weekend, I hope to have fun. A friend sent me the latest draft of her screenplay – a piece for which I have a special place in my heart. I’m looking forward to it. I’m going to swing by the Farmers Market on Saturday to see how they have the Make It at Market residency booth set up. That’s on my way to MASSMoCA, which is having its 25th anniversary celebration. As part of it, cohort members are going to attend open studios, and then have a drink together to catch up. I can walk there and back, which is even better!
Sunday I just want to chill out. Maybe write, mostly read. Monday is mostly chill day, too, being a holiday, although I plan to see a fellow cohort’s show in the evening.
And then it’s Official Summer.
I hope to have a lot of script coverage work next week, while I put together and submit promised clips and proposals next week finishing up the Expo follow-up. I also want to get some other LOIs out. I have a somewhat lighter week next week, activity wise, so I hope to get a lot more client work in and out the door.
There’s a book sale in Williamstown today. I keep telling myself I don’t need more books, but. . .
And I want to swing by the local bookstore to follow up on my email for the Boiler House reading in autumn.
The plan for June is to have my head down and turn around a lot of client work, since July is somewhat busy as far as non-client projects are concerned. Then head down working again in August (much as my dream is to start taking Augusts off).
Have a wonderful holiday weekend, and we’ll catch up next week!
