Devon Ellington's Blog, page 69

Tues. Feb. 28, 2023: Yup, It’s Snowing

image courtesy of Alain Audet  via pixabay.com

Tuesday, February 28, 2023

Waxing Moon

Snow and cold

I hope you had a lovely weekend. We can curl up and have a nice natter now.

The February wrap-up is posted over on the GDR site.

I ran out of ink again on Friday morning. I really need to get the laser printer fixed. Finding someone who is qualified to repair it AND who will come to the house is challenging. But I can’t keep buying ink tanks every couple of weeks. And the printer needs two people to carry it, so it’s not like I can toss it into the back of the car and take it anywhere.

I did some work on the outline for one of the April projects (and even did a temporary logo for it). The premise is there, and the central conflict, but I need to develop it out, without making it too complicated, because it has to hit 15,000 words pretty exactly. Whether I can pull it off is something else, but at least I have enough to put on a burner at the back of my brain and let it percolate.

I did some work on the FALL FOREVER outline. I know the opening now, and the end. It’s all those bits in the middle that I have to figure out. Some of them I can do as I write; but I have to figure out the major points I want to hit in each act, so I have something to work toward as I write. I haven’t written a contemporary, naturalistic play in quite a while, so this will be interesting.

I finished revising the next “batch of four” episodes of Legerdemain, gave them a polish, uploaded and scheduled them. That gets me through mid-March, which is a little too tight working for me. I need to dig in these next few weeks and finish this arc, polish it, and get it uploaded. Then I’ll work on the third big arc, and decide if I want to keep the serial going past that, or end it. I’m going to run some ads for both serials in April and May, and that will have something to do with it, too. I also need to do more work on the Legerdemain website.

Did the social media rounds to promote Angel Hunt and 28 Prompts. Today is the last day of 28 Prompts. It’s fun, and I have a bunch of new material, and it’s gotten a strong response across several platforms, but I’m glad it’s done. After tomorrow’s “thank you” post about it, I’m dropping three of the social media platforms from my daily rounds.

Post changed its look when you go on it to read and post. I think, in the long run, it might work better, but I was in a rush, and it jarred me. Having to learn how to navigate all over again irritates me.

Turned around a pitch coverage in the afternoon.

Sat down to do work on The Master Plan for both Legerdemain and Angel Hunt, with possible alternatives, depending on sales figures. Having an idea of “if this happens, I can do that with it” gives me options, so that I don’t have to make a rushed decision which might not serve me or the work.  One of the reasons I’m working Legerdemain in large arcs is that it’s structured as an open-ended serial, and I want to make sure there are natural end points for it along the way, should it need to end, or should readers need to pause during its duration. I mean, it will end at some point, but I have a very long range plan for it, and it’s not meant to be a novel or set of novels released in chapters.

Did not dig out the car, because it started snowing heavily again, so there was no point. Dashed down to Cumberland Farms at the end of the block for a few necessities.

Wrote two more Process Muse posts, and started the background reading for another, which is the re-read of Virginia Woolf’s “A Room of One’s Own.” Started reading the two books for review (one is a book that’s better read with breaks in it, so during those breaks, I started reading the other). Caught up on VANITY FAIR and NEW YORKER issues that have stacked up.

Tessa slept on the bed most of the night on Saturday, and there was a feline shift switch around 4 AM on Sunday, when Tessa left to Do Things and Charlotte jumped up. I dreamed that I’d been bitten by a spider, which supposedly means betrayal.

Sunday I found out that essential, deadlined paperwork which had been sent by Certified Mail had not been delivered and was waiting back for me at the post office. It’s infuriating. Makes the spider dream make sense – betrayed by USPS.

An article I wrote early in the pandemic for WOW – Women on Writing was finally released: “Keep the Series Fresh.” For it, I interviewed Alyssa Maxwell, Lucy Burdette, and Yasmine Galenorn. At the time of the article, my own series were in a different situation than they are now. It reads like a different person wrote it. I can tell I was sick – the flow is off. But I was paid (back when I turned it in), it’s up and out there. I did a clean PDF file copy of the piece, and sent it, along with the link, to the three gracious, lovely writers who were interviewed. And I put the link up on the Fearless Ink website.

It took about an hour to dig out the car. There were layers of ice amongst the layers of snow. When it came to the windshield and front of the car, I had to make like climate change attacking an iceberg. But eventually, I got it all off. The ice was stacked behind the wheels, frozen to the ground so I couldn’t shovel it away. I rocked the car back and forth a few times, then put sand on the ice to get traction, and managed to get out. I left the car with the back wheels perched on top of the ice bowl until I needed to get out. Several guys passing by offered to help push or lift, which was sweet of them, but not necessary. Very different from the Old White Men on the Cape, who only stood around telling one that they were doing wrong, instead of offering actual help or solutions.

Tried to set up the Libby app on my Kindle, but it keeps telling me that it can’t set me up, because either my card is expired or I have overdue items (neither is true) and I have to go to the library to get help. I’m trying to set up an appointment, but with all these storms coming in during the week, it better be next week.

Came in, showered off and read for a bit, then got dressed and headed to yoga. Last night was Yoga Nidra. Very different from previous classes I took in a different studio in the previous location, where it was treated like a pajama party instead of mindful work.

This was mindful, relaxed but AWAKE (and everyone paid attention instead of just falling asleep). When it was over, I felt more refreshed than after 8 hours’ sleep (something I never felt in the pajama party situations). We took some time to ground before leaving, because our instructor wanted to make sure we were okay to drive.

I’d like to say I came home, cooked a healthful meal, etc. Nope. Went through the Burger King drive through. I don’t think we’ve had red meat since about October, but I was craving Burger King and fries.

It was delicious.

It didn’t make us sick this time around, either.

I finished reading the two books for review before bed.

Tessa slept on the bed again, all night, until nearly six Monday morning. I slept REALLY well. It took me a bit to get to sleep, because between the Yoga Nidra and the meat, I was feeling perky. But once I went to sleep, I stayed asleep, and woke up feeling great.

I wrote the two book reviews and sent them off, with the invoice, before breakfast. By 8:30, I was out the door: gas in the car, ink for the printer, to the Post Office to sort out the issue with delivery. Two postal clerks helped me, and none of us could figure it out. I brought the instructional sheet – it was sent where they told us to send it. So why was it refused and returned? We sent it again, 2-day priority. Let’s hope someone actually accepts it this time.

Off to Big Y to get necessary groceries before the storm, including a chicken to roast. Then, off to the library to pick up the stack of 8 books that arrived. They were very busy, with everyone trying to get books before the storm.

Of course, as soon as I got home, I got notification that 3 more books showed up!

I had everything done by 10:30, and then did the social media rounds for the article, the February Wrap-up, and #28Prompts.

Got paid for the reviews, and assigned more books.

Did the social media rounds for the article and #28Prompts. Turned around two scripts. The editor for the article I submitted last week sent me changes, so I’ll take a look at those today and turn them around.

Roasted a chicken (yummy). Leftovers will get us through the week, in case the weather’s awful as predicted. Made stock.

Soup class was fun, even though it was a twist on Borscht, and I am not fond of beets. But it was pretty, and a soup a vampire would love.

Still re-reading Anne Truitt’s DAYBOOK. There are ideas in there I can talk about in The Process Muse.

Tessa slept on the bed. At 3:30, we were awakened by the snowplows. She decided it was shift change, so she left, and Charlotte came up, until I got up just before 6. It’s been snowing off and on, but not as bad as predicted. There are so many wildly different predictions for the day coming in that I will just look out the window and make decisions from there.

On today’s agenda: Another episode of Legerdemain, upload some Process Muse posts, upload tomorrow’s Ink-Dipped Advice post, looking over (and applying) the editor’s notes on the article, turning around three pitch scoring sheets and two full scripts. A bunch of scripts came in (at 6:30 this morning), so I’m set for the week. I’ll make the same in the first three days of the March pay period as I made in the second February pay period. I hope that bodes well for March, with more scripts coming in next week.

The second batch of contest entries is supposed to arrive today, so I will process them. I might bake cookies.

I have to do the social media rounds to promote today’s episode of Legerdemain, and the final #28Prompts post. I have to upload and schedule this week’s Angel Hunt promotions.

Fingers crossed the power and internet keep working so I can get it all done!

Mon. Feb. 27, 2023: Intent for the Week — Inner Cozy, Outer Storms

image courtesy of Jill Wellington via pixabay.com

We’re supposed to get 10 inches of snow overnight, and then another snowstorm at the end of the week.

I just got the car dug out yesterday!

Anyway, I was out the door by 8:30 this morning, got all errands done that were planned for the week, and grabbed some groceries, just in case. I’ll get as much work done while we have power/internet, roast a chicken, and then, if I’m stuck inside for the rest of the week, so be it.

I will work as I can, depending on power and internet, and what I can do offline.

I will take time to be cozy and watch the snow fall.

I will stick to my yoga and meditation practices.

I like living in a place with seasons, so I intend to enjoy as much as possible this week!

What’s your intent for the week?

Fri. Feb. 24, 2023: More Bad Weather

image courtesy of Nile via pixabay.com

Friday, February 24, 2023

Waxing Moon

Snowy and cold

I baked bread yesterday, and, to my delight, it turned out well. It’s one of my favorite recipes, but sometimes it doesn’t work. This time it did, and it was wonderful. The yeast bloomed well, the crumb is good, the taste is delightful.

Worked on Legerdemain. Revised the next set of episodes to be uploaded. They need some more work. Too much passive voice. Some of it is necessary; the rest is sloppy writing that needs fixing.

Wrote the two book reviews, submitted them, got my next two assignments. Did a stack of coverage scoring sheets, and turned around two scripts.

I have an opportunity to put PLAYING THE ANGLES, SAVASANA AT SEA, and TRACKING MEDUSA into a special promotion. Normally, I’d jump at it. But since those series are in limbo at this point, I’m wondering if I should. I have another day or two to think about it, although I’d like to get more attention on all three books.

Did the social media rounds to promote Legerdemain and #28Prompts. As far as writing conversations go, I’m having the best ones over on Mastodon at this point.

The weather was too awful to make it to Open Studios, so I didn’t go. Soup class was moved to last night, from its usual Monday slot, and that was fun.

Ice storm came through last night, and it’s snowing again this morning. I suppose, at some point, I have to go out and dig out the car. I’m not doing errands today; I’ll do them tomorrow morning.

Disturbing, sometimes violent dreams last night. Charlotte pulled me out of them several times, but we are both exhausted this morning.

One year anniversary of the start of the war in Ukraine. The West has not done enough.

Today’s agenda: Working on Legerdemain, working on the short radio plays, doing the social media rounds to promote today’s episode of Angel Hunt and #28Prompts, turning around a treatment coverage, starting the next book for review, working on contest entries.

This weekend, I’ll work on both Legerdemain and Angel Hunt, along with doing household chores. I’m hoping to put some time into “Plot Bunnies” to get that prepped for re-release the week or so before Easter. Which means I have to commit to finishing “Labor Intensive” and getting that out by the end of summer, and figuring out the third one (maybe something built around President’s Day) to release in early 2024. I need to do some more prep work on the outline of FALL FOREVER, the script I plan to write for the Dramatists’ Guild END OF PLAY in April. I have the basic idea of it, but I need more specifics, so that when I sit down to write on April 1, it’s there. I also need to work on another piece in March, that experiments a little in format, structure, and the way it’s released, that I hope to have ready for April, but I don’t want to overcommit myself.

Next week, I also need to go through the short stories that are ready to go out, and get them submitted. I want to get back to “13 in Play” where there are always at least 13 pieces out on submission. Because if they’re not out there, they can’t find their best match and earn their keep. I have 7 pieces out on submission now, all plays. I need to mix it up a bit.

Along with re-reading Anne Truitt’s DAYBOOK, I’m also dipping into Doris Grumbach’s FIFTY DAYS OF SOLITUDE (for the umpteenth time). I always learn something new from it.

The weekend is supposed to be pretty nasty, as far as weather goes. I have to dig out the car by tomorrow morning and do a grocery run (and maybe a library run) before the next storm comes in. And I have yoga on Sunday evening, something I am not willing to give up.

Have a good one.

Thurs. Feb. 23, 2023: Back To Winter

image courtesy of mbll via pixabay.com

Thursday, February 23, 2023

Waxing Moon

Snowy and cold

Read about the garden progress on Gratitude and Growth.

Got next week’s Process Muse polished and scheduled. Did the social media rounds to promote yesterday’s episode of Angel Hunt, yesterday’s Process Muse on marketing, and the day’s #28Prompts.

Did a final polish and proofread of the article, added the photos, and sent it off. It’s in a week before deadline, which gives us time to work on it, if needed, since it’s the first time I’ve worked with this publication. The editor confirmed that she received it, so now it’s just about waiting for notes and doing another pass, if necessary.

“Met” a fellow serial writer over on Mastodon who has the same serial up on both Vella and Substack. I didn’t think one could, but she said as long as Substack stays behind a paywall, one can. I have to grow my Substack a little (a lot) more before I can even think of paywalls, but that’s good to know, and I’m curious as to how the two platforms A/B test.

I feel the beginnings of an article happening. I’ll have to figure out a pitch and then decide which editor to which to pitch it. I can think of a couple who might like it.

I think I will tie the Legerdemain giveaway to the 100th episode of the serial. Not sure when I’ll do the Angel Hunt giveaway; sometime this summer, probably. I’m deciding what kind of swag to get done for each serial, along with some other fun stuff to put in.

Submitted a play to a call. Turned around a couple of pitches and scoring sheets. Started a coverage, and will finish it and do another today. Finished one book for review. Stayed up way too late with the other (because it was really good) and finished that one, too. Will write up the two reviews this morning, send them off, and ask for my next assignment.

The second box of contest entries is on the way, which means I better finish the first batch this weekend. But I’m in decent shape, and not worried. I do have to enter some scores on the sheets, though.

Meditation this morning, then writing, then coverage. I might get out a couple of LOIs, too. Skipping an online event today, because they are AGAIN talking about “niche.” I’ve participated in this conversation multiple times and I have nothing new of value to add. I am the anti-niche. That is why I continue to build my career in economic downturns – because I’m not limited to “niche.” But they don’t want to hear that, because the bulk of them bow to the Altar of Niche. Hey, it works for them, great, but as I said, I’ve had the conversations before, I have nothing new to add, so there’s no point in participating.

Same with the writers who keep asking about balancing “personal” and “professional” writing. Honey, ALL my writing is professional, even if it hasn’t yet been contracted, or I’m experimenting in new forms. It’s all a part of my career. And, as I’ve said a gazillion times, I can do this because I always put my own work first, and build the client work and other responsibilities around that. Which doesn’t mean I short shrift the client. The client gets full concentration and talent; I just arrange my workday differently, aiming different energies to different tasks, so they all get good work.

Putting your own work first does not mean you are neglecting your family or your other responsibilities. It energizes you and allows you to have a stronger relationship with all of the other parts of your life.

In meditation this morning, we did something very interesting: we were asked to be aware of the blood flowing in our bodies. What a strange sensation! Not negative, although a little disquieting. But very interesting.

I have bread on the rise. I’m not going out in this weather (except to dump the garbage and pick up the mail). I’ll make breakfast, and then it’s back to the page.

Have a good one.

Wed. Feb. 22, 2023: We Are Boiled Frogs

image courtesy of Zdeněk Chalupský via pixabay.com

Wednesday, February 22, 2023

Waxing Moon

Sunny and cold

There was supposed to be a big storm, so I didn’t prepare for the usual early laundromat run, and, of course, now it’s fine. Oh, well. Too late now, or it throws off the whole day.

The latest Process Muse is up, about how process and marketing affect each other.

Yesterday, I did the social media rounds in the morning for Legerdemain and 28 Prompts, and caught up on email, because I was having trouble with deep focus. I felt scattered, and like I wasn’t getting anything done about anything.

Lots of “authors” giving interviews about how they never thought they’d publish a book until AI. Making a list, and will cross check any time I’m tempted by an eBook from Amazon (or anywhere else) to see if they or any pseudonym associated with them is on my list, so I can avoid them. It’s definitely going to change the way I look at ads/consider buying digital books. Sometimes one can tell from the very generic blurbs and just avoid them, but I need to make a more concerted effort.

Dewi Hargreaves wrote an excellent piece on the AI dilemma for small magazines, over on Medium. Definitely worth checking out. Author Suzan Palumbo posted an excellent thread over on Twitter about how we need to stop calling it “Artificial Intelligence” and call it what it is: “Electronic Colonialization.” It’s there to destroy the natural artistic habitat in order for the colonizers to profit. That is the most accurate description I’ve seen to date.

Back in the 1970’s when I was in elementary school, “they” extolled how robots would take over mundane, repetitive, and dangerous tasks so we’d all have more “leisure time” to pursue our passions. Instead, we work longer hours for less, and the colonizers are determined to destroy artists because they can and do change the world, expanding understanding of a variety of experiences, and that goes against the corporate model. We had the chance to build something wonderful as a society; instead, there wasn’t enough collective will and too much apathy.  Individual rights stripped away, especially when it comes to bodily autonomy, book bans, electronic colonization to destroy artists’ livelihoods so they can’t expand perceptions and understandings, no consequences to criminals criming in real time on video and gloating about it. There were plenty of us screaming about this since Reagan, at the very least (that’s when I was old enough to be aware of it). We were called alarmists and told to calm down. But we were realists. And the larger, more collective “we” kept giving incremental ground until now we are boiled frogs.

Took my mom to the doctor for her regular checkup. Was happy to see that masking is still a requirement. We picked up Korean food on the way home (and it was wonderful).

I had to go back and reconstruct the entire article, after all that “making the individual voices sing.” The editor wants it in a very specific Q & A format, not what I had constructed for voice, rhythm, and flow. Fortunately, I had sent the questions in that type of format, and my master document was in that format, so it was about reshaping the original answers along with some of the choices I’d made for flow and build into a more traditional interview. There’s so much material I couldn’t use in the article that I might try to pitch something using some of that to other publications, if my interview subjects are open to that.

My opinion about such strict formatting for this type of article doesn’t matter. It’s my job to serve the material and the interview subjects in the structure the editor wants and needs.

So that’s (hopefully) what I did.

This morning, I will give it another proofread, check and make sure I have the names spelled correctly, zip the photo file, and send it off.

People who whine about “not having time” for their creative work always get so offended when I point out the reason I have a career in the arts is that I always put my own work first, and taking on other work only has the purpose of supporting mine, not interfering with it. But it’s true; if I kept turning down theatre productions because I was worried about keeping a “day job” I wouldn’t have made it to Broadway. I always quit the day job, worked the show, and then got another day job, which was then quit the next time I landed a show, and, eventually, Broadway was my only job. Okay, no, that’s not true, I often worked a television show on my theatre dark day, but it was still work in my profession. I wasn’t doing an office job I kept out of fear. I made the decision when I was 18 that I would make a living in the arts, and therefore I did.

After the article goes off, the attention goes back to tearing about and restructuring the very short radio plays, hopefully doing some work on Legerdemain, and turning around a script coverage. I need to do the social media rounds for today’s episode of Angel Hunt and #28Prompts.

I’m grumpy today, and a little discouraged about the landscape as a whole, even though I have some good things looming on my personal horizon. Hopefully, digging back into the work will help me get over myself.

Tues. Feb. 21, 2023: Incoming Storms, Literal and Figurative

image courtesy of Hans  via pixabay.com

Tuesday, February 21, 2023

Waxing Moon

Mardi Gras

Cloudy and cold, incoming storms

I hope you had a lovely weekend, and I’m looking forward to our usual Tuesday catch up.

Friday, I finished, polished, and uploaded tomorrow’s Process Muse post. The plan is to get all of the March posts written, polished, and uploaded this week, and hopefully get April’s done next week, because April will be a very busy month.

I did a library pickup/drop-off, a quick grocery shop, swung by the liquor store. Picked up a couple of African violets. Ours didn’t recover from the move – but then, they’d survived nearly a decade, and that’s unusual.

Most of the day was devoted to the article, building it like a symphony, stepping back to let the voices of those interviewed shine. I hate it when interviewers try to make it all about them. I have more material than I can use, so it was a case of building, then tightening for flow.

I stayed up far too late reading MADLY, DEEPLY: THE DIARIES OF ALAN RICKMAN. I never had the honor of working with him, unfortunately, but we’ve worked with some of the same people, and it was fascinating to get his take on some stories I’d heard via others. His commitment to the truth of the work and the complexity of the work is always something I admired. Some actors want a lot of room to do whatever they want; he wants to know the director has actually done his job and prepared, but at the same time doesn’t micromanage every emotion. Emma Thompson wrote the most beautiful foreword to the book, which is worth reading all on its own.

Had a few moments of fun on Twitter, and then someone who should know better started making misogynistic comments, and I am just done.

Set up a Lnk.bio that I can use on Instagram, et el. I like their setup better than Linktree’s. I have the serials, the websites, and some other stuff up there. That will help driving traffic from Instagram to the various projects. Pleased that the metrics on traffic are up from both Post and CounterSocial, at least when it comes to Process Muse.

Put in the Chewy order, because those little monsters like their meals on time.

I didn’t sleep well. The fluctuation temperatures and barometric shifts are doing a number on me. But the day was bright and sunny, always good to lift the spirits.

We headed for The Plant Connector on Main Street. No easy feat, since the street was closed down for a WinterFest. I hope all the stores did well. I found a philodendron and a spider plant to replace the ones that didn’t survive the move; I will transplant them this week to more permanent pots. I might put them in my bedroom, although I have to check the Feng Shui on that.

It was such a nice day, we didn’t want to go home right away, so we headed up to Bennington, VT. Nice, clear drive. It’s nice to be up in this corner, with easy access to our own MA, to NY, and VT. And no bridges to worry about. I feel bad for people near the Sagamore Bridge, who are losing their homes to eminent domain for the new bridge, and glad we are not there (and hadn’t moved closer to the Sagamore Bridge; we looked at a few places before we moved here).

Found a lovely, deep red satin runner in one of our favorite stores, and, on the way back found a dark-wood-finished compass rose folding table at another favorite store. Someone scrawled on it with a sharpie, so it needs a little TLC, but it’s a lovely piece. Add that to the chips-and-dip dishes in the form of oversized playing cards that I picked up on Friday, and I made a quirky set of purchases this weekend.

I decided that I needed to take Saturday off completely. Saturday was the day before the dark moon, which is always my lowest energy day of the month anyway, and I need to work with that, instead of planning to get things done and running out of energy. I read, some for pleasure, some for research. I’m re-reading POEM CRAZY, a book I bought a long time ago in the shop of the main NYPL. My copy is in storage down on the Cape, so I ordered it from the library, and am enjoying it. I got a chance to work a bit with my new Midnight City Tarot deck and love it.

I went through the research books for Malta that have to go back to the library, as background for the big section of the Heist Romance script that happens there. But first, we have sections in Corsica, Sardinia, and then back in the UK (London and York, specifically).

I hunted down some research books via Boston Public Library (I have an e-card) and WorldCat. Turns out one is right across the street in the college library, so I will trek over there this week to see if I can get it. The other, so far, is only available in the UK, but maybe I can get a digital copy.

The only thing I did online was the #28Prompt for the day, and read an email from my best friend from NYU days. We’ve stayed close through the years, and are navigating this stage of our lives, and helping each other figure out possibilities. He and I have been through a lot together over the decades.

I played with some ideas, without pressure. I have to see what form they choose to take, if any of them do.

Sunday had a nice, slow start, which is fine. When I was putting together information for a residency proposal I submitted a week or so ago, I came across information on Anna Katharine Green, who was the first woman in the US to publish detective fiction and set up the “serial detective.” Her work inspired writers like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, and Mary Roberts Rinehart, and we still use a lot of the tropes today. She was a prolific and successful writer in the novel and short story formats, and even wrote a few plays. She was married to an actor who was eight years younger than she was – unusual in the Victorian/Edwardian era. Her father didn’t approve of his career, so he gave it up (temporarily, because, you know, theatre) to design cast iron stoves and, later, furniture, before returning to the stage now and again. They sound like they had a lot of fun together over the years, with their various interests, and raising their children in Buffalo. She was a fellow introvert, which makes me feel even more connected.

She is peripheral to the project I proposed for the residency (although a part of it), but I’m interested in her and her work. I wound up ordering a copy of the book for myself, because I can think of at least three projects on which I can use it as background. I’d love to write one of my Historical Women plays about her at some point, so we’ll put that into the hopper and see when the opportunity comes up (or when I have to create that opportunity). It won’t be any time soon, although I did manage to snag a complete collection of her work for Kindle for 99 cents, and can read it in my travels this summer.

I turned around a coverage for a series treatment, did the rounds for #28Prompts, and received another bit of info I needed for the article.

I was saddened to hear about the death of Richard Belzer. I was acquainted with him, briefly, while working on a LAW & ORDER spinoff back in my NYC days, and being loaned over the other L&O shows on occasion, or doing drop-offs and pickups at that studio. I liked and respected him a lot. I was also saddened to hear about President Carter in hospice. Would we had more like him and fewer like Reagan/Bush/Trump.

Read the third book in a series where I loved the first book, was frustrated by the second book, and am even more frustrated by the third book. Complex motivations for some of the characters feel like they’re being twisted to actually support misogynistic, conservative points while masquerading as progressive, and that irks me. I also loathe the central female protagonist even more in this book than in the last book. Another issue I’m having is that these characters have been together over a period of years, in a series of life-and-death situations, always coming through for each other. But instead of those relationships building, they don’t talk to each other. The relationships are static, with the characters making same mistakes from book to book instead of learning from them and growing, and it annoys me.

I’ve shifted, a bit, how I start and end my days (I wrote about it over on the Goals, Dreams, and Resolutions site yesterday). The opening of the day isn’t that different, but adjusting how I end the day is helping, and helping with better sleep.

Monday dawned a bit Hitchcockian.

I was awakened by crows.

Charlotte and Tessa tried to roust me out of bed at 4:30 in the morning, but I wasn’t having it. However, around 6, I was awakened by the call of the crows. I went to the window. Thousands of migrating birds were passing through, from south to north. The crows herded them toward Windsor Lake (about ¾ of a mile up the nearby mountain) rather than letting them use our street as a rest stop.

It was fascinating, beautiful, and a little terrifying to watch.

Started reading the fourth book in the series I’ve talked about. The corporate publisher had dropped the series after book 3, and this is with a different publisher. Its energy and tone and much more like the first book in the series, but better, at least so far. The complexities aren’t diluted or shied away from here, and the central female character isn’t as much of an idiot (at least so far).

Which begs the question: did the corporate publisher water down and edit those two middle books to be more conservative, and, when wishy-washy didn’t hold the audience, then drop the series?

Something to think about.

The individual who made the insulting remark and whom I called out on Twitter last Friday apologized, I accepted, and we’re all good. That’s a relief, at least.

But cutting back social media time and getting it more balanced as part of my business that still builds individual connections is still a good choice.

Uploaded and scheduled next week and the following week’s episode graphics for Legerdemain, and this week’s for ANGEL HUNT. Set up the expense tracker file for what’s covered by the grant so I can just enter information as it happens and it’s all set for the reports and other paperwork that have to be filled out, both for the grant, and next year for taxes. Did the social media rounds for the blogs and #28Prompts. Had to fill out a report with Amazon, because I got a suspicious text message pretending to be from Amazon. I’m not dumb enough to believe it or click any links, but I sure as heck reported it.

Pleased by Biden’s trip to the Ukraine. Also pleased that he has a team around him that knows when to keep its individual and collective mouths shut.

CLARKESWORLD shut their submissions down because they’re being flooded with AI-generated short stories. As usual, the dilettantes ruin it for everyone. Professional writers do the actual writing and use their unique creative process to build their careers.  I can see this evolving into a situation where you’ll only be able to submit to a magazine if they know someone who can vouch for you, and, once again, too many good writers will be cut out of the process. I’m glad that magazines are taking a stand against AI, that’s for sure, but there will be a period in the course correction that hurts a lot of legitimate writers. As usual.

Zuckerberg is monetizing scammers now on FB and Facebook, huh. Not surprising, but disappointing. He lets scammers scam, and charges monthly protection fees to verify accounts. How Mafia-like. I was also disturbed with the lack of grace Spoutible had in handling questions about their TOS. The cultists immediately piled on harassment, screaming that those questioning wanted to allow porn on the site. No, they were asking what this site’s definition was for “adult content” because a lot of romance writers include various levels of sex scenes in their books, and they wanted to know the boundaries of promoting their work on the platform. My interpretation of the TOS fit what I’m looking for in the platform, but others asked for clarifications, and that needs to be valid. There was a lot of discussion, pre-launch, about supporting individual artists and creators, and encouraging debate. And yet, this is how the situation was handled. Big red flag. Several writers and artists for whom I have the greatest respect left the platform. I heard of others being banned, although I did not directly see that. Rumors now circulate that if one even criticizes them on another platform, one is banned for life. Spoutible claimed it banned only harassers; but I saw plenty of the cultists harassing yesterday without any consequences. If I’m banned, I’m banned. That’s the way it goes. It’s not like I’m important enough to impact their numbers, one way or another. It would just be about control. Every platform has its positives and negatives. I’m wondering if social media, in general, has shot its wad and is spent.

And those people panicking “how am I going to build community without social media?” Oh, come on. We built community for centuries without it. We went out there and DID THE WORK. The internet makes it both easier and harder, but, for fuck’s sake, use a little imagination and stop expecting other people to do your work for you. No wonder so many wanna-bes are using AI for stories and novels. They’re too damn lazy to create their own work.

Found out for certain that someone is muting me, except for the one hour each week she wants me to contribute to her numbers. All I can do is shake my head, laugh, and move on.

Worked on the article. It’s not quite where I want it yet. I think I need another day or two. You see why I don’t take on assignments where I’m supposed to generate a dozen or so articles a week. That doesn’t work for me. This is taking more time than usual, but that’s because I want to make sure the individual voices in the article sing, rather than just being support material. It’s more of an experiential piece than an instructional piece.

Did some small tweaks on a play I wrote a few years back, and that holds up well. Got it out the door. Got another play out the door to another market. I really need to build some more full-length plays into the roster. I have plenty of one acts of various lengths, but I need more full-lengths. WOMAN IN THE SHADOWS, FALL FOREVER, and FROZEN AT THE PALACE THEATRE should take care of that this year. I’m not sure where I’ll fit WOMAN in yet (that’s the full-length play about Kate Warne, the first female Pinkerton, about whom I’ve written several one acts), but FALL FOREVER is up in April with Dramatists’ Guild End of Play event, and FROZEN AT THE PALACE THEATRE is a piece I used for a residency application in winter, so we’ll see.

Dreamed I was researching in a big, beautiful library, which was a lovely dream. But I woke up with a post-research headache, made worse by the pre-storm headache. Another series of storms comes in, starting today, for the rest of the week. Hadley already has a couple of inches of snow.

This morning is work on the article. Around mid-day, I have to take my mom for her regular doctor’s appointment. Hopefully, the storm won’t be too bad by then. When we get back, it’s social media rounds for today’s episode of Legerdemain and #28Prompts, and then I hope to either do more work on the article, or work on those very short radio plays. I need to rebuild the beats from scratch, not try to re-assign lines from three characters to two.

There we go, lots going on. Hope you had a great weekend and are starting a great week!

Mon. Feb. 20, 2023: Intent for the Week — Light in Dreary Days

image courtesy of Myriams-Fotos via pixabay.com

The next week and change are another blast of winter around here. The weather will fluctuate from rain to sleet to snow and back almost every day. It means cancelling plans to be out and about in a few instances, and hunkering down at home, focused on the work.

But plants are coming up and the cats are shedding their winter coats and flocks of birds are migrating back through.

I’ll just keep a small light going in my soul, reminding myself that spring suns and breezes are just around the corner.

What’s your intent for this week?

Fri. Feb. 17, 2023: Books and Cats

image courtesy of Gerhard via pixabay.com

Friday, February 17, 2023

Waning Moon

Rainy and warm

It’s going to be 57F during the day, and go down to 18F tonight. Ick.

Meditation was good yesterday. Charlotte participated in almost the entire session, and was delighted.

Wrote the loglines for the next batch of Legerdemain episodes, and started uploading/scheduling next week’s promos. Didn’t get far, because I needed to point the time to other things, so I’ll catch up over the weekend.

Got everything all sorted out for the grant recipient celebration on March 31 at the Clark Institute. I just have to figure out what to wear, and I’m all set. Possibly my teal and black dress, or one of the Banana Republic knit dresses in red or gray (if it’s on the cooler side). I have six weeks to figure it out, so I’m not going to stress (too much). Hopefully, I’ll have had my hair cut by then.

They told me I don’t have to do anything but show up. Having done these before, and that not being the case, I’ll be ready with something to say if asked to speak, and a quick piece of my work. With any luck, I won’t have to use either, but at least I won’t be caught out.

The stitch markers finally arrived, so maybe I can get started on the piece in the thin alpaca yarn I bought when the local yarn shop closed a few months back.

Did the rounds to promote yesterday’s episode of Legerdemain and #28Prompts. Did some research on schedules for a couple of things, so I won’t get caught up closer to the time.

Worked on the article. Most of today will be spent on that, and on organizing the photos, so that the editor can choose which photos to use.

Typed up and revised, revised, revised the very short comic radio plays until the rhythms worked, the jokes landed, and the punch lines hit. Started prepping them to submit  — and saw, in the guidelines, that the plays can only have 2 characters, and I used 3. Ack. Re-assigning lines flattens the pieces out, losing the rhythms. I have to tear them apart and rebuild them completely. I’m so mad at myself. As 3-handers, they’d been worked to the point where they really worked. That’s what I get for not paying attention to the submission guidelines properly from the beginning. I have only myself to blame.

Read the second book in a series where I’d really liked the first book, and was frustrated by the second book. It took a hard turn to right ideology, while pretending to support the left. And the central female character behaved like an idiot throughout. I wanted to bitch slap her multiple times. So the book frustrated me, instead of delighting me, the way the first one had.

Went through the artist resource for the list and found a few things to send to a friend that are more suited to the work she does than to the work I do.

I had another working dream last night, in the same brick buildings I’d dreamed about the night before. Charlotte woke me around 3:30. When I finally got back to sleep, I was back in a cottage on a mansion’s lakeside property (I recognized it from a previous dream). Willa had gotten out (except I kept calling her ‘Irina’ for some reason). I went looking for her. The door to the big house was propped open, so I went in, and it was full of cats. So I hunted through the rooms, looking for Willa. I could hear Tessa, in real life, yelling that she wanted her breakfast, and I tried to tell her that I had to find Willa in the house first, but couldn’t. For some reason, author Elle Griffin was in the dream, too, making pancakes and folding laundry. Go figure.

Today is about the article, with breaks to run some errands. There are more books to pick up at the library. I need to go to the store to get coffee and oat milk. I need to swing by the liquor store. I might make another stop or two, if it’s not raining too hard. But most of the focus will be on the article.

A script and a treatment are in my cue, both at decent rates. They’re not due until Tuesday, so I don’t have to read this weekend, unless I want to. I might turn the treatment around, and leave the script for Monday, since it’s a long coverage.

Over the weekend, I need to do some work on both Legerdemain and Angel Hunt, and prep a couple of other things. I need to do some research for the next section of the Heist Romance Script, and a future section (because I need to return some books next week). I also want to do a lot of work on contest entries, and read at least one of the two books for review. If the weather is nice enough, maybe I’ll go up to the lake or out to the Spruces for a bit, just to get outside. I can take some reading or a notebook with me, and work outside, which is something I will try to do more of this coming season anyway.

In and around all of this, I’ve been doing some noodling on material I want to shape into a series of poems.

I got POEM CRAZY, a book I’ve had since my days living in NYC, out of the library, because my copy is in storage. When I do a storage run this spring, I want to bring my poetry books up.

Better get going. There’s a lot to get done this weekend. But the primary focus is the article, so I can give it a polish and get it out the door on Monday. It’s the first time I’ve worked with this editor, and I want to make sure we have time to do any revisions she needs.

The next episode of ANGEL HUNT drops today. Hope you enjoy it!

Back to the page.

Thurs. Feb. 16, 2023: It’s Official

image courtesy of Edwin Valencia via pixabay.com

Thursday, February 16, 2023

Waning Moon

Partly sunny and mild

Got the promos for this week’s Angel Hunt episodes uploaded into Tweetdeck, and did the graphics for the next two weeks’ worth of episodes of Legerdemain, although I didn’t get a chance to schedule them to post yet.

Did the social media rounds for Angel Hunt, The Process Muse, #28Prompts. Wrote and posed a piece on Ink-Dipped Advice about Evolving While Growing, and did the rounds for that, too. There’s a new post over on Gratitude and Growth this morning, too.

The headache medicine makes me nauseated, but so does the headache, so it’s a tossup as to which cause of feeling awful I choose.

I have catching up to do with fresh links on the Devon Ellington website, as there’s been increased distribution across several channels for pretty much all my work. Just when I think I’m caught up, there’s more. I have a feeling website updates will become a weekend project this weekend.

Did a library run, and brought back a huge stack of books, including books on the Ancient Celts and their travels, which I need for the Heist Romance script. You thought I forgot about that one, didn’t you? Nope. Waiting for some research books that I have to work through before I write the next section.

There are also the rest of the Con Lehane books in the mysteries he sets in and around the 42nd Street Library in NYC, so I’m looking forward to those.

The new regional artist resources list came out. I’d already heard about some of the opportunities (and even applied for some), but there are also others on it, and I need to spend some time with that and really go through it, line by line. It’s so useful, and I’m so grateful to the local Assets for Artists/Artist Impact Coalition for putting it together every month.

It’s official: I am one of the recipients of the Mass Cultural Council’s artist recovery grants. I’m absolutely thrilled that they believe in and support my work enough to include me in this grant cycle. There’s an official event at the end of March at the Clark Institute, in which I will participate, and I’ll see what else they ask me to do. The grant gives me some breathing room, and makes it possible to accept opportunities and upgrade tech that I might not otherwise be able to do because of the financial strain.

I was told about it a couple of weeks ago, and asked not to speak about it publicly until the official press release went live. Because I loathe vague social media posts about upcoming good news, I didn’t post any of those, other than to mention a contract for a big project here. It always amazes me when the paperwork to receive the grant is more than the paperwork to apply for it!  I probably won’t run around posting much about it anyway; I’d rather post about the projects/opportunities it supports and mention it via thanking the council for their support. And once they tell me the wording and which logo to use, I’ll put it on my websites, and any projects that are relevant to the grant.

I already heard from an ex-client of mine in my previous location. She ranted about how these grants are a “waste of taxpayer money” and, because HER money paid for MY grant (so she believes), I owe it to her to work for her for free for the amount of the grant because I’ve already been paid. (um, no, it’s going to be another couple of months before we get the money). I told her that’s not the way it works, and ended the conversation. The hubris involved is not unexpected, but it’s still irritating. Plus, the grant is for my creative work, not the grunt work she wants for her business. This is someone who took full advantage of PPP loans and huge recovery loans, all of which were forgiven, and to which she felt entitled.

Some people just can’t let anyone else be happy and receive something without trying to take a piece of it for themselves, can they?

So happy to be out of that whole situation!

I had plenty of leftovers in the fridge, so of course I ordered pizza from our favorite place down the street. It was yummy. We’ve had pizza from three local places so far, and there are still two more to try. This is very much a pizza town. And each place is very different from each other.

I actually slept all the way through the night. Although I was busy in the Dreamscape and put in a full day before I woke up, I do feel more rested than usual. And I also came up with something I might be able to use in Legerdemain.

On today’s agenda: meditation, then typing up the short plays from yesterday, doing some work on Legerdemain (the next episode drops today), doing the usual promotion rounds. But the bulk of today and tomorrow are blocked off to work on the article, which I want to get out either end of day tomorrow, or (more likely) first thing on Monday. Working in bits and pieces on it isn’t working for me, so I want to give it hours of full attention and work in full drafts. It’s a fairly long piece, and has a unique rhythm and flow because of the subject matter that I want to weave into it. That means big chunks of uninterrupted work time.

Have a good one!

Wed. Feb. 15, 2023: Bit of a Lost Day

image courtesy of 132369 via pixabay.com

Wednesday, February 15, 2023

Waning Moon

Cloudy with fluctuating temperatures

Today’s Process Muse talks about why genre matters. You can join the conversation here.

Episode 7 of Angel Hunt also drops today. I realized I did not schedule any of the Angel Hunt promotions for this week into next week, and I need to get on top of that.

The temperature fluctuations are doing a number on me. We’re getting up into the forties, even the fifties and sixties during the days this week, then diving into the twenties at night. My body is not happy. I’m trying to give it rest and stretches and whatever else it needs. Today will require a lot of chamomile tea, I think.

The computer is making funny noises, and the keyboard is glitching, so I have a feeling this baby will be headed back to the repair shop fairly soon. Told ya they hadn’t actually fixed it last time around.

Yesterday was somewhat of a lost day. I didn’t get much done on much, although I found a fun submission call for short radio plays (which I also sent to a friend), and did some background research on a couple of other residencies that interest me. I’m not sure if I should apply for one of them soon for this autumn (autumn is booking up) or wait until the next application period and try for next spring.

I worked on the article. I’m behind where I want to be on it, physically, but I like what’s actually happening with the article.

I did some work on the March newsletter. I did some admin paperwork that needed to be done on a few things. I did the social media rounds to promote Episode 59 of Legerdemain, and the latest #28Prompts. I really like yesterday’s prompt, and look forward to doing something with it, when I have a hot minute. Got the rest of the Prompts loaded and scheduled into Ko-fi, which will shave off some time.

I’m so tired of people lashing out because others like different things. Yes, people are allowed to enjoy the Super Bowl. It’s not my thing, but it’s fun to watch people get excited and see the photos of the food they prepare and the bandanas they put on their dogs. And hey, Puppy Bowl! Yes, there are plenty of people who don’t enjoy Valentine’s Day. But that doesn’t mean being nasty to those who do. Not everything is about your dissatisfaction. The ones who make the worst of the snide and cruel remarks also tend to be the ones who never do anything to make their own situations better. Well, at least I know who to block, right? No time for that crap.

I turned around two coverages, read a little in the evening, but was tired.

Slept reasonably well, although it was another working dream. Nothing bad, and the building in which I worked in the Dreamscape was a lovely old brick building, but I’d put in a full day by the time I woke up.

Charlotte woke me at 2:30, but I got back to sleep. Tessa started fussing before 5, but I refused to get up until the coffee started. She is trying to figure out which button to push on the coffeemaker to start it earlier.

Got my act together and took things to the laundromat. Got some writing done. I’ve hit a point on something I’ve been working on in longhand where I need to type up what I’ve written and then outline before I can go any further.

I also did first drafts of 3 very short radio plays, with an eye to the submission call I saw yesterday. They can only run two pages, so I will need to tweak and tighten, although the first drafts are close.  But they still need work, and that has to be done in and around everything else.

Switched the heart on the door to shamrocks, because, you know, door décor.

I didn’t plan to go to the library until Friday, but a big stack of books came in, so I’ll go today and clear the shelf.

I need to do a lot of promo today on this week’s ANGEL HUNT episodes, and do the graphics for the next set of Legerdemain episodes. And work on the article, type up the short plays, and turn around three coverages.

I better get going, huh?

Have a good one.