Tues. Dec. 19, 2023: It’s the Details
image courtesy of Ilo via pixabay.comTuesday, December 19, 2023
Waxing moon
Chiron, Uranus, Jupiter, Mercury Retrograde
Cloudy and cold
I hope you had a good weekend.
My last few days have been all over the place.
Today’s serial episode is from Legerdemain:
Episode 147: The Order’s Security Breached
The threat has entered the building.
Friday morning, I sat down and did the next few weeks’ worth of graphics for Legerdemain, plus this week’s episode videos for all three serials. Got things uploaded to TikTok. Made an additional graphic for next week, when Legerdemain hits its 150th episode.
Had all kinds of technical issues with creating the videos, and then uploading them.
Also took the time to support videos by friends and colleagues.
Had to do some admin on all the serials. There were tracking pages and unfiled episodes and the like. I didn’t want it to get chaotic, since I use the binders of information as I work and as I promote. So I made the time to get things straightened out.
I should have done a bunch of writing, but wasn’t in a drafting headspace. More of an organizational headspace.
I re-read the episodes written so far for LIGHTHOUSE LADY. They need a bit of work, but overall, they are strong. I definitely can’t just work on it one week per month in the New Year; I need the edited, polished piece ready to upload and schedule in late April or early May, since it will have to start going live in mid-June. I may be able to work on other serials while I’m drafting LIGHTHOUSE, but I need to work on it steadily in January and February, so I can revise and edit in March and April. I should write 6 episodes/week, and, if it stays within the boundaries I hope it will, I can finish the draft within that time.
WHILE writing at least 4 episodes per week of Legerdemain. AND finding time to work on THE VICIOUS CRITIC, REP, the plays, the radio plays, and the other stuff. AND enough freelance work to keep the bills paid, while upping the promotions for the serials. When I promote them steadily enough, there’s a return.
Time management and harnessing creative energy will be the watchwords for winter into spring.
Ran errands: post office, library, pharmacy, grocery store, liquor store, store to get ink for the printer. Exhausted by the time I got home.
I should have finished the project for Yule; instead, I spent the afternoon on the couch re-reading Rosamunde Pilcher’s WINTER SOLSTICE, which is one of my comfort reads of the season. I remembered the plot and some of the characters very differently. I still enjoyed the re-read (and stayed up way too late finishing it). But it makes me wonder which book I thought I remembered when I thought of WINTER SOLSTICE.
Had trouble getting to sleep, and didn’t sleep well.
Up early on Saturday, thanks to Tessa and Charlotte. Getting back to my early morning yoga practice is a big plus.
Re-read what I’ve written for THE VICIOUS CRITIC so far, and, again, I think it will work. It’s just a case of carving out the time to get it drafted.
Drafted an episode of Legerdemain. Printed it, then had to rekey the second half, because the computer only saved the first half. I hate Mercury Retrograde. So there went the writing time I put aside for something else.
Worked on the project I need to complete before Solstice. Between the shaping and the painting, it took all day, and not all the pieces were finished. But I think the experiments worked. In and around things, I got tidying up done, some more decorating done, and made turkey meatloaf.
Had weird dreams Saturday into Sunday. Working dreams, with both Christopher Walken (who was a big part of my early theatre life) and Robert Redford (whom I’ve never met).
Up early. Got the stollen started. In between rises, worked on the rest of the project for Solstice. Got the painting done. Got the stollen done. Which took all day, and was much more complicated than it sounds, especially with Mercury retrograde mucking up everything.
I want a year with NO Mercury Retrogrades. I know that’s not possible, but that’s what I want.
Made some notes on an idea, and have no idea if/when I can work on it.
At least, if I ever hit a finish point and wonder what to do next, I have plenty of options.
Instead of making three gigantic stollen loaves this year, I made three smaller ones, and then some other mini loaves, that latter in loaf pans. Those, sadly, were underbaked, but that’s why I experimented. To figure out how to do it properly.
Stollen takes all day (at least 8 hours). If you rush any of the steps, it has a diva fit and doesn’t work. I only make it once a year because it’s such a pain to make, and I miss it when we don’t have it. So, I’d rather trade a day to work on it than not have it.
I got annoyed with a bunch of posts on social media, but that’s on me for breaking my no social media on Sundays rule (which I always break to get the latest Instagram story from @specialagentbobcat and the Ridge Runner Gang, but I strayed from that and paid the price).
I swear, though, Willa has been taking lessons from her cousin Billy. First, she figured out how to open her catnip banana and empty it. Then, when I was on a Zoom meditation (Be Well Be Here’s last, before they close their doors), Willa pushed Charlotte out of the way and took over Zoom. Charlotte sulked for hours, because usually she is the Princess of Zoom.
THEN, Willa batted around a bright red apple ornament on the tree. She’s never done that to the tree, in all the years she’s been around a tree.
I’m telling you, she and Billy of the Ridge Runner Gang are texting. Or something.
Meditation was pretty good. I put a comment in the chat and the leader was so appreciative, and then told me how beautiful it was written, and that I should write. That’s when I realized that she’s forgotten I AM a writer. That’s what I do. After three years and numerous conversations about writing, she doesn’t remember I’m a writer. Which is a little exasperating, but that’s the way it goes. She runs a writer’s festival and I’d considered pitching to it, but now I hesitate. Mercury Retrograde, having a good laugh at mixed signal communications.
Well, it’s not like I’d send out any proposals until Mercury and Jupiter go direct anyway!
Read a bit after meditation. I’m reading a book that’s highly reviewed/recommended. I like it, but I don’t love it as much as the hype.
It started raining in the evening, and the storm worsened all night. It was still pouring in the morning.
I did not want to get up, but I did (late). I was late because Charlotte started using me as her bouncy house at 3 AM, and I refused to give in.
Drafted two episodes of Legerdemain, which were kind of fun. Trying to wrap up this arc so I can move on to the third big arc. This arc will need Sooooo much revision if it ever has a life beyond the serial. I’d like to get ahead on Legerdemain again, so I’m not scrambling.
Wrote my way into the piece on which I’d written up notes over the weekend. I wrote about 2500 words, the first chapter, and a little bit into the second. I think it’s viable, although it usually takes about four chapters in to be sure. I got an idea to adjust the second chapter a bit. The next draft has to go much, much deeper, but at least I’m figuring out the basic story here, based on the notes. It makes the most sense to go under the Cerridwen Iris Shea name, both stylistically, and to leverage that Llewellyn audience. When I can fit it into the schedule is something else, again.
2024 will be the year of schedule juggling, even more than usual, to stay in flow with projects and also meet deadlines.
The weather was just awful on Monday. The rain was so bad that schools closed early, because roads were flooding out. I was glad to be able to stay home.
I put the cords on the gifts for tarot circle, packed them in their little organza bags, and packed the sparkly gold sack from which people will pull them. It only took about an hour to finish up, and I’m glad it’s done.
Spent the rest of the afternoon reading on the sofa, being a cat mattress for Charlotte, alternating with enjoying downtime, feeling guilty for having downtime, and feeling like I should be doing something else. Enjoyment won out.
Leftovers for dinner, then more reading and enjoying the lights.
It was supposed to snow in the night and all day today, so I didn’t prepare the laundry, but, of course, it didn’t, and I could have, but I’ll go tomorrow.
Charlotte was impossible again this morning, so I stubbornly stayed in bed until after 7. Tessa Was Not Amused.
On today’s agenda: more Legerdemain, some small coverage work, maybe work on the new project, to see where it’s going, and figure out when I can sit and outline the whole thing, work on the script, and maybe some work on CAST IRON MURDER revisions.
I’m putting together materials for a slate of project proposals I’m going to send out early next year. That always takes more time than one hopes. I also need to get going, this week, on January’s posts for The Process Muse, Ink-Dipped Advice, and the GDR (goals, dreams and resolutions) site. I have them pretty much planned out, but I have to sit down and write them.
Plenty to do, and I’ll have to adjust it depending on how much script coverage comes in. There’s not a lot on this week’s slate, which worries me, but maybe it’s a case of having less this week, and more next week, since there are some deadlines coming up. We’ll see.
I’m prepping a bunch of new LOIs for freelance prospects as well. It’s pointless to send out any of these proposals or LOIs until after the holidays. But I can prep them, so it’s just a case of sending the emails.
All kinds of issues getting this to post properly. Grrr.
Hope you have a good week!
