Tues. Sept. 26, 2023: Residency Ready
image courtesy of fancycrave1 via pixabay.comTuesday, September 26, 2023
Waxing Moon
Pluto, Saturn, Neptune, Chiron, Uranus, Jupiter Retrograde
Cloudy and cool
Did you have a good weekend?
Today’s serial episode is from Legerdemain:
Episode 123: Back to the Infirmary – as a Visitor
Shelley takes a gamble with Jed Smythe.
I wrote the first three pages of the radio play for the February deadline in the UK. The characters and rhythms work. I just have to sit down now and figure out the rest of the plot, so I can work the mystery into the comedy, beat-to-beat.
Friday was a pretty day, but much warmer than I expected, and I was overdressed. I swung by the library to drop off/pick up books. I went to Big Y to get groceries and the makings for the recipes for the reading. I couldn’t find what I wanted, so I went to Stop & Shop (which has gone way downhill since I was there last). Couldn’t find everything I needed there, either (although I got beverages for the reading), and had to go to one more store to get the Cornish hens for the Equinox.
I also picked up some stencils I needed, although they did not have the phosphorescent paint. I think I will have to order that online later, along with the charms I want, to add to the piece post-residency.
I had a lot of bags to haul up the stairs, and my shoulder was not happy by the end of it.
The traffic was much worse than it usually is, because of the Fresh Grass Festival. Plus, all the road construction, which, of course, they do all at once, instead of planning road by road so that there are workarounds. Plus blocking off part of Church Street and sending all the traffic the wrong way down our one-way street without letting us know.
I mean, comparatively, to New York and to what the Cape became during the time we lived there, even the busier traffic isn’t all that bad. It’s just more than usual for here.
And there will be a huge COVID spike by the end of next week into the following week with all these people coming in for the music festival, the lack of masking, and the fact the pharmacies wouldn’t honor vaccine appointments leading into it. I’m seeing a lot of retail workers masking up again, thank goodness, because they’re at risk. I remember how the numbers skyrocketed last year the few weeks after the festival.
And walking around the stores, way too many people are in there, unmasked hacking up a lung all over the produce and the people. Which is all kinds of disgusting even without COVID.
Makes me glad I still mask. There are only two places I feel comfortable indoors unmasked: the yoga studio and Wild Soul River. I’m willing to take risks there. And, of course, I’ll be unmasked in studio this week, although I will mask when I meander around the museum on my breaks and in any public space.
Got home, unpacked everything, put away the groceries, put the stuff for the reading all together in one place. Got some work done. Got some reading done, on the second book of a series I was on the fence about. The voice of the book was good, but the protagonist was, I felt, intentionally cruel to other characters without consequence or learning from it, and it made me actively dislike her and not want to spend the time with her it takes to read a book. Then, she and another character started using “witch” as a slur against other women, and I was out. Nope on the series and the author.
Sent a Bluesky invite code to a friend for one of her friends, so more fun people can join.
Skipped the Clark because of the traffic, but worked on WOMEN ON THE BRIDGE a bit.
Got my act together to go to the art opening at Wild Soul River. One of our fellow tarot circle members is a painter who created a major arcana tarot deck from a series of her paintings. Tonight was her opening. She had a great turnout. I bought a deck (of course) and had her sign the box. I got to chat with other fellow tarot circle members, which was fun. And they always put out a lovely spread.
So it was a terrific evening. When I got home, I sent off some information I’d promised to someone from tarot circle, and then I spent some time getting to know the tarot deck.
Slept reasonably well. Woke up to clouds and mist for the Equinox – we’re getting kissed by the edge of Hurricane Ophelia, and her impact on the Cape is why we cancelled the storage run. Plus, honestly, I don’t think my grumpy shoulder could take an eight-hour round trip and then hauling boxes in the unit, loading the car, and then unloading.
The nonwriting friend who sent me the submission guidelines for the publisher whom I felt had too many red flags about content asked me what my ideal book would look like in that genre. Immediately what came to mind were Ann Aguirre’s THE ONLY PURPLE HOUSE IN TOWN and TJ Klune’s UNDER THE WHISPERING DOOR, with a little of the friendship/love/loyalty aspects of Sharon Shinn’s Twelve Houses series mixed in.
Anyway, I’m playing with some notes for it. It’s similar to THE DIFFERENTS, another project on which I’ve been making notes in the concepts of found family and building alternate communities, but THE DIFFERENTS is a fantasy, whereas this piece would be a better version of recognizable places.
I did some prep work in the morning for the residency, and played with an idea for a 10-minute stage play for a submission call. Worked my way through some email. Uploaded and scheduled this week’s TikTok videos for the serial episodes. And scheduled a few blasts of the Boiler House video I made for the reading.
At noon, I walked down to the bookshop to check with owner for any last-minute whatevers. We seem good to go. I have plates, cups, napkins, drinks. I’m making the snacks. It’s just a case of piling it in the car, along with the rolly cart, and then rolling it from the lot where the residency artists have to keep their vehicles the two blocks to the bookstore. As long as it’s not raining, it should all be fine.
Downtown was busy, with people flocking to Fresh Grass Music Festival. The parking lots were all “event” parking (starting at $40) and the Farmers’ Market was moved to a blocked-off section of Main Street.
It’s kind of wonderful how the city is flexible with events. This is definitely a place where it’s hard to get into a rut. Between all the artists in residence flowing through and the various events that close this street or that street, and the exhibits and musicians, it keeps energy moving, rather than letting it get stagnant. Common Folk Art Collective was actually open, so I got to stop in, leave a flyer, look around, chat with some people.
When I got back to my street, I got into the car and went to do a curbside pickup of some of the supplies I still needed for the residency.
Spent time cleaning the house and reading on Saturday, and made Cornish Hen for our Equinox meals. A few years ago, I got into the habit of Cornish Hen for Mabon.
Did a simple ceremony of harvest and gratitude.
Slept in a bit on Sunday. It started raining pretty hard overnight. Ophelia getting in her licks.
Tried to stay offline as much as possible on Sunday. My body and brain wanted rest. It’s as though my body wants to store up energy, knowing I will need a lot this week. I did stuff around the house. I read. I worked on notes for various projects.
Made barbeque turkey chili in the crockpot. It turned out well. A recipe to keep in the rotation. Maybe I’m finally getting my cooking mojo back!
The pull toward Nano is happening again. I made the decision not to do it this year. And yet, I’m finding myself outlining projects. I’m turning over in my head if I should do a rebel Nano working on new episodes of Legerdemain, and in that way, get ahead on that serial.
But then I look at everything that has to be finished before the end of the year: first draft of FROZEN AT THE PALACE THEATRE, first draft of THE WOMEN ON THE BRIDGE, the edits and submission package for CAST IRON MURDER, the second draft of THE TREES WHISPERED DEATH. I need to do several drafts of the full-length radio play due in the UK in February and the other full-length radio play for the domestic producer with whom I’ve had conversations – and, along with the whole earning a living thing and keeping up with the serials and their promotions, Nano seems like it would be more about ego than actually supporting the work.
The fact that the logo is insanely cute this year is not enough for me to jump in.
And yes, I’m writing notes and outlines on projects. It may be that I’m conditioned to do that at this time of year, because it’s usually Nano prep.
While I love riding the wave of Nano energy, I’m not convinced it is the right choice for me this year.
Well, this week, I have other creative pursuits, so the worry won’t be an issue.
What is an issue is that I have to wear actual real people clothes all week, including shoes!
Monday, I got some work done in the morning. I dropped off some books, mailed some cards at the Post Office, picked up a few things at Big Y. Took the COVID test, and sent a photo of the negative over to the residency. Worked on two short columns that needed to be polished, uploaded, and posted for next week. Read my friend’s manuscript, in preparation for our adventure tomorrow. It’s wonderful, and deserves a publisher who will champion it.
I read the book for review, and will write the review, send it off, and request my next assignment today. Let a regular client, who hasn’t had much work for me lately, know that I’m unavailable until the end of next week. I did a round of social media channels to promote the reading.
David McCallum died, and that makes me sad. I had a huge crush on him when he was on MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. I saw him in a play off-Broadway, when I was early in my career. I remember him being excellent in a mediocre piece. The friend with whom I attended the play and I had a wonderful chat with him after the show. And I liked his work on NCIS. Lovely man, with talent and integrity.
Re-read THE TREES WHISPERED DEATH. It holds together. I think another couple of rounds of revisions, and it can go out on submission in spring. I’m happy with one of the subplots, which will be a long-running, forbidden love story. And the main historical mystery works. I hope it lands at the right house, and I have an editor who loves the characters and the backdrop of social change as much as I do.
Out the door early this morning, to the laundromat. After all I must have enough clean underwear for the residency, right? I was the only one there, and it was glorious.
I did more work on the revision of CAST IRON MURDER. I have about 10 more pages and I’m done with this draft, so I’ll do it later today. That way, it will be ready for me to dive into post-residency.
Today, I’m doing a library pickup. Vacuuming. Checking through my bags to bring to the studio. Rehearsing for the reading. Uploading next week’s episode videos to TikTok. Getting next week’s Legerdemain episodes finalized and prepped. Painting the start of the word/fabric piece I’m bringing into the studio. Doing some mending.
I’m not sure how the blogging will function the rest of this week into next week. I’m meeting a fellow poet first thing tomorrow morning for an inspirational expedition; then I’ll be back to pack up the car. We check in around 3 PM, unload to our studios and they will get settled into their apartments. We have a welcome dinner at a local restaurant this evening.
Since the plan is for me to be in-studio by 6 AM each day, I may do the blogging the night before and schedule it to post. I may not have much to say during the week, other than the dailiness of the work, because I may need time to ponder the experience.
I do have a separate journal notebook just for the residency. I plan to carry it around with me most of the time.
We’ll play it by ear. Jump in with both feet, right?
I better get going on my list of things to get done today! Have a good one!
