Terena Scott's Blog, page 23
October 25, 2011
Coffee with my muse
"It's about time!" my muse says when she sees me sitting at the kitchen table typing away at my lap top.
"Hmmmm...." I mumble, still fixated on the screen.
She picks up my Wonder Woman coffee cup. "You're writing again."
"Trying to..." My voice shows how annoyed I'm feeling, but as usual she doesn't seem to care.
"Your coffee's cold." She takes a sip. "And you didn't put enough cream in it. You know I like a lot of milk in my coffee."
I stop typing and look at her. "Who's coffee?"
"You need a warm up." She crosses the room to the black and gray pot half filled with dark, strong coffee and pours some into my mug. Then she opens the carton of milk I left on the counter and fills the mug to the rim. Sipping, she sighs. "Perfect."
"Who's coffee?" I ask again.
Sitting at the table beside me, she drinks deeply and then nods at my lap top. "What are you working on?"
"The kids book."
"Good. I'm very excited about this project. It's a great subject."
"I'm glad you approve."
"I do. And then what?"
"Once this is done I need to finish editing the new manuscript for the press."
"Wonderful! And then?"
"I finish my play."
"Excellent. I can't wait to read it. And after that?"
"I finish my coffee." I take the mug out of her hands and hold it tightly.
She raises an eyebrow at me. "Touchy."
"Did you need something?"
"Just seeing what you're doing."
"I'm writing. Isn't that what you wanted me to do?"
"Yes. But I'm making certain you're really writing and not just commenting on Facebook."
"Facebook can be very stimulating."
"True, but it's not writing." She taps my laptop. "This is." Rising from her seat she smiles at me. "Carry on."
I set my mug on the table and start typing again, but I've lost my train of thought so I have to pause for a moment. Reaching for my mug, I realize it's gone.
Bitch
"Hmmmm...." I mumble, still fixated on the screen.
She picks up my Wonder Woman coffee cup. "You're writing again."
"Trying to..." My voice shows how annoyed I'm feeling, but as usual she doesn't seem to care.
"Your coffee's cold." She takes a sip. "And you didn't put enough cream in it. You know I like a lot of milk in my coffee."
I stop typing and look at her. "Who's coffee?"
"You need a warm up." She crosses the room to the black and gray pot half filled with dark, strong coffee and pours some into my mug. Then she opens the carton of milk I left on the counter and fills the mug to the rim. Sipping, she sighs. "Perfect."
"Who's coffee?" I ask again.
Sitting at the table beside me, she drinks deeply and then nods at my lap top. "What are you working on?"
"The kids book."
"Good. I'm very excited about this project. It's a great subject."
"I'm glad you approve."
"I do. And then what?"
"Once this is done I need to finish editing the new manuscript for the press."
"Wonderful! And then?"
"I finish my play."
"Excellent. I can't wait to read it. And after that?"
"I finish my coffee." I take the mug out of her hands and hold it tightly.
She raises an eyebrow at me. "Touchy."
"Did you need something?"
"Just seeing what you're doing."
"I'm writing. Isn't that what you wanted me to do?"
"Yes. But I'm making certain you're really writing and not just commenting on Facebook."
"Facebook can be very stimulating."
"True, but it's not writing." She taps my laptop. "This is." Rising from her seat she smiles at me. "Carry on."
I set my mug on the table and start typing again, but I've lost my train of thought so I have to pause for a moment. Reaching for my mug, I realize it's gone.
Bitch
October 22, 2011
Introducing the newest Medusa's Muse author
Right now I am preparing to edit a brand new manuscript from a brand new Medusa's Muse author. This is why I created a book publishing company: discovering new authors and fresh voices with a passionate story to tell. I've got my reading glasses on, my lap-top battery fully charged, a fresh cup of coffee, the manuscript opened in Word and "track changes" turned to "on." My muse is eagerly peering over my shoulder watching as I type notes inside the pages on my screen. Eventually she'll get a little bored; she finds editing tedious. But for now, she's just as fixated on this brand new Medusa's Muse book as I am.
The writer is Shannon Drury, author of The Radical Housewife. Click the link to explore her blog and get a taste of her writing. She's fabulous. A feminist housewife and mother living in Minnesota, and president of the Minnesota chapter of the National Organization for Women (NOW). Her story is exactly the type I look for. It's honest, funny, passionate, and the author doesn't quiet fit within any category. If she's a housewife, how can she call herself a feminist? She gets criticism from both conservatives and liberals, which means she's perfect for my Muse.
Of course, I'll get a lot more editing done if my daughter would leave me alone for more than 10 minutes at a time.
The writer is Shannon Drury, author of The Radical Housewife. Click the link to explore her blog and get a taste of her writing. She's fabulous. A feminist housewife and mother living in Minnesota, and president of the Minnesota chapter of the National Organization for Women (NOW). Her story is exactly the type I look for. It's honest, funny, passionate, and the author doesn't quiet fit within any category. If she's a housewife, how can she call herself a feminist? She gets criticism from both conservatives and liberals, which means she's perfect for my Muse.
Of course, I'll get a lot more editing done if my daughter would leave me alone for more than 10 minutes at a time.
October 17, 2011
Depressed? Enter a Drag King contest.
It was time to do something drastic. I've been living with depression for months and have had trouble writing even the simplest sentence. My press is languishing, despite the fact I've signed a new author, and my Muse is so bored she's threatening to move to Mongolia just for something to do. So I entered a Drag King contest.
The event was hosted by our local chapter of PRIDE to raise money for their community grants program. The theme was "Marie Antoinette" and the hosts of the event wore elaborate 17th century French gowns with oversized powdered wigs. The stage manager wore a man's suit in the same style, complete with powdered wig and powdered face. The audience came in costume, some inspired by the theme and others simply celebrating Halloween. My husband wore a kilt and Valkyrie outfit, torpedo boobs, braids, horned helmet and all. I wore a blue velvet frock coat with lace cuffs and my shiny black boots, my hair slicked back. And then I drew a mustache and goatee using a .99 Wet and Wild eyeliner pencil. With my little round glasses I felt more "Sergeant Pepper" than French Revolution.
I performed to Depeche Mode's "Martyr" which gave me lots of opportunity to interact with the audience. Kind of sexy, very danceable, the song is all about giving yourself completely to love, even if it destroys you.
"I've been a martyr for love
And I will die in the flames
As I draw my last breath
As I close in on death
I will call out your name"
So much drama to work with! It was great. The audience cheered and waived dollar bills at me, tucked them in my boots and down my shirt, swooned when I knelt at the feet of one woman, laughed when I used my mic as a... lets just say prop. I had so much fun lip syncing and dancing it was hard not to leap on tables (they were plastic. it would have been a bad way to end my routine).
Judging was done by audience cheers, and the cheers were split between me and another woman in drag. Because it was so close, we had a dance off. I was already winded from my performance, now I had to dance one-on-one with a 24 year old girl who could dance circles around my tired 44 year old ass. I just leapt all in, acting cocky and sexy and wild.
And I won.
My Muse has agreed to stick around just in case I do something this much fun again.
And now I can't wait to get back to work on my play.
And start editing this new manuscript.
And blog more.
Yes, dancing in drag has definitely fired up my creativity.
September 24, 2011
The futility of art
Zine Fest was... in the words of a regular vendor, dead. The building was packed with tables and people trying to get a little attention for their artwork and zines. Teenagers stood next to stacks of hand-stapled zines full of angst ridden ink drawings. More polished and professional comic books with vibrant colors and bizarre characters competed with glossy photo books. A young woman was giving away her zine, "Shards of Glass in my Eye," for trade or a compliment. A few authors tried hard to sell their self-published books, but were mostly lost in the clutter of Anime tchotchke and hand-made jewelry. We were there, sitting at a table with Medusa's Muse books and a mannequin wearing a "Punk Rock Saved My Ass" t-shirt. Charles Gatewood shared some of our table, and beside him was V. Vale of Re/Search, our usual table mates from the previous two book events.
I walked the hall once to see who all was there and what they were selling, and I was really impressed with the quality of the zines, even the ones so obviously hand-made. The amount of talent and dedication was incredible, and at the same time, overwhelming. At every table sat yet another eager artist with a brilliant idea, trying hard to meet my eyes, hoping I'd buy one of their creations. It was too much. After 30 minutes of wandering I practically ran back to my own table to hide, unable to look at one more beautifully drawn image. They're all so desperate. Do I look like that, sitting here at my table watching the few visitors walk by? Are they thinking the same thing I did? Oh no, another artist looking for validation.
Despite the long hours, hard work, costs and sometimes sleepless nights, we keep creating. We all have ruthless muses who demand blood sacrifice, and only a finished page or completed painting will appease them. And even though occasionally we all end up sitting behind tables at festivals trying to sell something we made, while being intimidated by the guy next to us who made something so amazing we feel like hacks, we keep trying. Which is a good thing.
What's my point? I guess I'm just acknowledging the futility we artists are forced to live with. We create something we're passionate about, send it into the world, and are then crushed by the deafening silence from others. Half the time, nobody gives a shit. The other half of the time, people find it good but only three of those will actually pay you for your work. No wonder writers tend to drink.
Stare futility in the eye and tell it to piss off!
You're an artist; if no one buys your book at a crummy little book fair, so what?
And if a half-wit publisher like me sends you a rejection letter, do what Henry Miller did and hang it on your bathroom wall as backup toilet paper. Or was that Hunter S Thompson?
Futility is the vampire of creativity. Sharpen your stake to scare it off.
And keep working.
I walked the hall once to see who all was there and what they were selling, and I was really impressed with the quality of the zines, even the ones so obviously hand-made. The amount of talent and dedication was incredible, and at the same time, overwhelming. At every table sat yet another eager artist with a brilliant idea, trying hard to meet my eyes, hoping I'd buy one of their creations. It was too much. After 30 minutes of wandering I practically ran back to my own table to hide, unable to look at one more beautifully drawn image. They're all so desperate. Do I look like that, sitting here at my table watching the few visitors walk by? Are they thinking the same thing I did? Oh no, another artist looking for validation.
Despite the long hours, hard work, costs and sometimes sleepless nights, we keep creating. We all have ruthless muses who demand blood sacrifice, and only a finished page or completed painting will appease them. And even though occasionally we all end up sitting behind tables at festivals trying to sell something we made, while being intimidated by the guy next to us who made something so amazing we feel like hacks, we keep trying. Which is a good thing.
What's my point? I guess I'm just acknowledging the futility we artists are forced to live with. We create something we're passionate about, send it into the world, and are then crushed by the deafening silence from others. Half the time, nobody gives a shit. The other half of the time, people find it good but only three of those will actually pay you for your work. No wonder writers tend to drink.
Stare futility in the eye and tell it to piss off!
You're an artist; if no one buys your book at a crummy little book fair, so what?
And if a half-wit publisher like me sends you a rejection letter, do what Henry Miller did and hang it on your bathroom wall as backup toilet paper. Or was that Hunter S Thompson?
Futility is the vampire of creativity. Sharpen your stake to scare it off.
And keep working.
August 29, 2011
No more submissions accepted in the Summer
That's going to be the new policy here at Medusa's Muse: no submissions accepted during the Summer months, from June until September. I received four queries this summer, of which I declined two. I requested the other two send me their complete manuscript, and I am STILL trying to finish them. Those poor authors have been waiting 2 months. In the publishing world, that ain't long to have to wait for a decision. I once had to wait 7 months for an agent's response after I sent her my complete manuscript. 7 months of checking the mail like there might be a magic spell on the box; could create good things, could be a bomb. After all that time, she complimented my writing, but turned down the book. Talk about a kick in the gut.
Because I know what it's like to have to wait for a response from an agent or publisher, I try to respond to all queries within a month, but obviously that doesn't happen in the summer. When my daughter is out of school, book publishing comes to a screeching halt. Nothing else gets done around here either (you should see my yard... yikes). Rather then get frustrated or resentful, I've decided to cut back on the hours I devote to Medusa's Muse during the summer.
Summer is over now... or at least, summer vacation is over for my daughter... so here I am, back in the publishing chair. I've dusted off my lap-top, created a new to-do list (how the frell did it get so long?), ordered more books from the printer and some t-shirts from the designer. Zine Fest is next weekend and I'm eager to meet readers and sell some books. Maybe I'll find a new writer with a great story while I'm there.
Speaking of, I'm getting excited about the submission I'm reading now. Time to finish it and decide if this is something Medusa's Muse can publish. The writer is waiting.
Because I know what it's like to have to wait for a response from an agent or publisher, I try to respond to all queries within a month, but obviously that doesn't happen in the summer. When my daughter is out of school, book publishing comes to a screeching halt. Nothing else gets done around here either (you should see my yard... yikes). Rather then get frustrated or resentful, I've decided to cut back on the hours I devote to Medusa's Muse during the summer.
Summer is over now... or at least, summer vacation is over for my daughter... so here I am, back in the publishing chair. I've dusted off my lap-top, created a new to-do list (how the frell did it get so long?), ordered more books from the printer and some t-shirts from the designer. Zine Fest is next weekend and I'm eager to meet readers and sell some books. Maybe I'll find a new writer with a great story while I'm there.
Speaking of, I'm getting excited about the submission I'm reading now. Time to finish it and decide if this is something Medusa's Muse can publish. The writer is waiting.
July 30, 2011
Blog 2 Print
Blogger is advertising a service called, Blog 2 Print, with which you can turn your blog into an actual, bound book. Out of curiosity, I decided to give it a try.
You can choose which posts from your blog you'd like, or just choose all of them, including pictures, and then the program does the page layout and creates a numbered table of contents. I decided to publish the first year of my blog, which turned out to be about 30 pages in the book, for a cost of around $20.00. I designed the cover, then decided on the paperback version, rather than hardbound, to save money. I wanted to see the quality of their cheapest option.
Overall, I'm pleased with the results. The finished book looks like an 8" by 11" chapbook and the paper quality is great. The images are true and crisp. It's nice having a bound version of my blog to read and see the progression over time of my posts and events, much easier than clicking on "older posts." I think this could be a really nice option for people who have a blog for their poetry or artwork (there's a book option for blogs that are primarily images) and want to create a chapbook to show to possible editors. This isn't a cost effective option if you want to make a lot of books, though. $20.00 per book is a lot of money for a chapbook to sell to readers, but for gifts or to show off your blog at conferences, it's a great option.
There may be other options out there for a better price per unit, so I'll do some research. Do any of you know of other Blog 2 Book type services?
You can choose which posts from your blog you'd like, or just choose all of them, including pictures, and then the program does the page layout and creates a numbered table of contents. I decided to publish the first year of my blog, which turned out to be about 30 pages in the book, for a cost of around $20.00. I designed the cover, then decided on the paperback version, rather than hardbound, to save money. I wanted to see the quality of their cheapest option.
Overall, I'm pleased with the results. The finished book looks like an 8" by 11" chapbook and the paper quality is great. The images are true and crisp. It's nice having a bound version of my blog to read and see the progression over time of my posts and events, much easier than clicking on "older posts." I think this could be a really nice option for people who have a blog for their poetry or artwork (there's a book option for blogs that are primarily images) and want to create a chapbook to show to possible editors. This isn't a cost effective option if you want to make a lot of books, though. $20.00 per book is a lot of money for a chapbook to sell to readers, but for gifts or to show off your blog at conferences, it's a great option.
There may be other options out there for a better price per unit, so I'll do some research. Do any of you know of other Blog 2 Book type services?
July 22, 2011
another reason to hate my muse
I let the kitchen door slam behind me as I walk outside into the heat. Squinting, I see my Muse lounging in a hammock in the sun, wearing a gold, string-bikini so small I wonder why she bothers.
"Will you give it a rest, for frell's sake!" I yell.
She lifts her oversized designer sunglasses from her eyes to stare at me. "What?"
"Stop giving me all these damn ideas! You know there's no way in hell I'll ever be able to write them down, let alone complete any of them!"
"So?"
"So? It's summertime! Queen Teen is out of school. I hardly have time to pee."
She shrugs and puts her sunglasses back on. "That's not my problem."
"Yes it is, so knock it off. Stop sending me images of Art Deco living rooms and single-wide trailers and rainbows and Depression Era music and Johnny Depp impersonators and fan dancers and everything else you like to conjure while I'm busy taking care of my daughter and cleaning this house."
"Again, it's not my problem. I am supposed to send you those ideas. You are supposed to write them down. Whether or not you think you have time to do so is not a consideration."
"God, I really hate you sometimes!"
She smiles. "I know."
"Will you give it a rest, for frell's sake!" I yell.
She lifts her oversized designer sunglasses from her eyes to stare at me. "What?"
"Stop giving me all these damn ideas! You know there's no way in hell I'll ever be able to write them down, let alone complete any of them!"
"So?"
"So? It's summertime! Queen Teen is out of school. I hardly have time to pee."
She shrugs and puts her sunglasses back on. "That's not my problem."
"Yes it is, so knock it off. Stop sending me images of Art Deco living rooms and single-wide trailers and rainbows and Depression Era music and Johnny Depp impersonators and fan dancers and everything else you like to conjure while I'm busy taking care of my daughter and cleaning this house."
"Again, it's not my problem. I am supposed to send you those ideas. You are supposed to write them down. Whether or not you think you have time to do so is not a consideration."
"God, I really hate you sometimes!"
She smiles. "I know."
July 18, 2011
Summertime Writer's Blues
With just 37 hours to go the Amsterdam Project needs only $600 to make their goal and get their project off the ground. Please, support DIY and Medusa's Muse authors. Go to the Kickstarter page to make your pledge. If everyone just gave a buck, the Amsterdam Project would be green-lighted.
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Today is July 18th, and I have written exactly 11 pages since June 20th. 11 frickin pages. My hand is healed enough to type for short periods of time, but my injury isn't what's stopping me from working on my play or my essays or my short stories or even my blog.
My daughter is out of school for the summer. There will be no writing.
I love my daughter, challenges and all. She has multiple-disabilities, including mobility problems and deaf-blindness, so typical summer activities like summer camp and swim team aren't options for us. She's also very bright, and hates the heat. I use all of my creative energy finding ways to keep her entertained in the house, but by mid-July we've run out of ideas. I'm sure I'm not the only parent feeling the pain of a house full of bored kids, even without contending with disabilities. And if you're a creative type like me, I'll bet your kids are watching a lot of movies and playing a lot of video games.
Stop feeling guilty and go write something.
June 29, 2011
Running
Lacing my fingers together, I straighten my arms forward, feeling the tightness in my fingers. There's a twinge in my right thumb still, but the swelling is down and the pain reduced to a slight ache. I release my fingers and wiggle them one by one. My right hand is weak from being encased in the brace for weeks. But I'm happy to see that I can type again, although it still feels awkward and I keep making mistakes. Tricky to type without using your thumbs.
Writing is a lot like running; the more time that passes between runs, the harder it is to get back into it. My brain feels as slow as my hands. What do I want to write about? Why has it become so difficult to write one paragraph? Remember when I could write several blog posts for both blogs in one sitting? That was a long time ago. Now I feel like I'm starting from the beginning again, learning how to form complete sentences and compact ideas.
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Not writing has given me plenty of time to plan new projects for Medusa's Muse, and I've received some interesting submissions, one that was down right excellent. I have also been rethinking one of my projects that has become a logistical nightmare, and I believe I've found a solution. It will still be tricky doing long distance interviews with elderly people who don't use the internet, but I'm passionate about this book, and with help from Rick, I can manage. It'll just take longer than I planned (doesn't it always?). Jane's anthology is progressing well and she's received quite a few well written pieces. And the YA branch of Medusa's Muse has it's first manuscript in development, a novel being written by Rick and I.
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Young Adult books, the hottest market in books right now. People complain that kids aren't reading, but they're wrong. It seems the only people reading these days are kids, especially teenaged girls. I have a lot of homework to do to understand the needs of this market, though, and luckily I have two friends who write for YA to help me. What do YA readers want from a book? Besides just the requirements of the general YA market, I need to understand the needs of YA readers who also have disabilities. For that, I need to find some young adult readers to provide feedback while a book is being written. I have a pretty good idea of what kids with disabilities deal with as they enter their teens from my experience with my daughter, but she's just one kid. I could use a few more kids to let me know what they want to read.
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My own writing has been slow, but I did finally finish my first full length play and submitted it to our local theatre company for a possible staged reading. It took three years of revisions to fix the ending, but at last it feels complete. Wish me luck.
Okay, that's enough typing for now. Don't want to over-do it on the first day. Again, like running, you have to pace yourself or you'll cramp up and have a set back. I don't want to be so sore tomorrow I can't write again.
But before I sign off, do you have any good YA book recommendations?
Writing is a lot like running; the more time that passes between runs, the harder it is to get back into it. My brain feels as slow as my hands. What do I want to write about? Why has it become so difficult to write one paragraph? Remember when I could write several blog posts for both blogs in one sitting? That was a long time ago. Now I feel like I'm starting from the beginning again, learning how to form complete sentences and compact ideas.
----------------------------------------------------------
Not writing has given me plenty of time to plan new projects for Medusa's Muse, and I've received some interesting submissions, one that was down right excellent. I have also been rethinking one of my projects that has become a logistical nightmare, and I believe I've found a solution. It will still be tricky doing long distance interviews with elderly people who don't use the internet, but I'm passionate about this book, and with help from Rick, I can manage. It'll just take longer than I planned (doesn't it always?). Jane's anthology is progressing well and she's received quite a few well written pieces. And the YA branch of Medusa's Muse has it's first manuscript in development, a novel being written by Rick and I.
---------------------------------------------------------
Young Adult books, the hottest market in books right now. People complain that kids aren't reading, but they're wrong. It seems the only people reading these days are kids, especially teenaged girls. I have a lot of homework to do to understand the needs of this market, though, and luckily I have two friends who write for YA to help me. What do YA readers want from a book? Besides just the requirements of the general YA market, I need to understand the needs of YA readers who also have disabilities. For that, I need to find some young adult readers to provide feedback while a book is being written. I have a pretty good idea of what kids with disabilities deal with as they enter their teens from my experience with my daughter, but she's just one kid. I could use a few more kids to let me know what they want to read.
-----------------------------------------------------------
My own writing has been slow, but I did finally finish my first full length play and submitted it to our local theatre company for a possible staged reading. It took three years of revisions to fix the ending, but at last it feels complete. Wish me luck.
Okay, that's enough typing for now. Don't want to over-do it on the first day. Again, like running, you have to pace yourself or you'll cramp up and have a set back. I don't want to be so sore tomorrow I can't write again.
But before I sign off, do you have any good YA book recommendations?
June 8, 2011
Book Review - Reclaim Your Dreams
Because my hand injury has blessed me with more free time (trying to stay positive, people), I was finally able to read Reclaim Your Dreams , by Jonathan Mead. It's been sitting on my virtual reading stack for a year, ever since I asked him for a review copy. Creative people who are able to follow their artistic dreams and still keep a roof over their heads inspire me; it's the impetus behind the creation of Medusa's Muse.
Reclaim Your Dreams provides a simple, step-by-step, plan for discovering what your passion really is, and how to overcome the roadblocks that prevent you from living that passion. This concise ebook is full of practical advice and exercises to help you stay focused, written with a personable and entertaining voice. But this book doesn't just tell you to lose the fear and take the leap; it asks the hard questions too, like what are you willing to give up to live your dreams? What kind of lifestyle changes are you willing to make? What are your personal values?
What sets it apart from similar books on personal development is how concise it is. Jonathan Mead writes passionately about the subject, but doesn't wander off into long-winded personal stories or diatribe. He really does show how simple, and yet how difficult, changing your life can be. When I started reading, I would occasionally roll my eyes and think, "Yeah, right. But what about...?" As if reading my mind, in the very next section he would answer my question and ease my skepticism. He validated my trepidation about the process while also showing me that the process he created really can work.
This ebook is meant to be used as a tool, not just a book you read and forget. The formatting and links make it easy to use and find the information you need. After you've read the ebook, you can keep it with you on your smart phone and read different sections and meditations to help you stay on track. And Jonathan Mead's website, Illuminated Mind, is filled with more tools and articles supporting the exercises in Reclaim Your Dreams. Plus, the author appears to be available for any questions and concerns the reader may have. He is passionate about helping others.
E-book available from the website.
Have a favorite book that keeps you inspired? let me know in the comments section.
