Wed. Jan. 10, 2024: Trying to Keep All the Hoops Spinning
image courtesy of Los Muertos Crew via pexels.comWednesday, January 10, 2024
Dark Moon
Uranus Retrograde
Rainy and raw
It’s yucky here, and we’re under flood watch. Not going anywhere, if I can avoid it.
We have two serial episodes going live today.
The first is from ANGEL HUNT:
Episode 101: Lachlan’s Sensible Advice
Lachlan has a suggestion to turn a perceived weakness into a strength.
The second is from DEADLY DRAMATICS:
Episode 51: Trying to Make Sense of It All
Nina tries to get a handle on her mixed up emotions, and convince Charlie she’s telling the truth.
Yesterday was the day before the dark moon, my lowest energy day of the month. All I wanted to do was sleep. However, that was not an option.
I drafted three episodes of LIGHTHOUSE LADY. I only meant to do two, but the next episode was forming well in my brain, and I didn’t want to lose it. so that was close to 3K, which is good. A character I wasn’t even planning to name has decided to be more important in the overall story than I planned, so we will see where/how it goes.
I did a quick polish on a poem a Nightwood colleague offered to read and comment on, and sent that off. I told her I’d be happy to read her new play whenever she felt ready to send it.
I turned around a bunch of short coverages.
Had a premise for a piece that might be a play someday. Jotted it down, and hope I remember what I meant when it finally decides to come forward.
Saw a submission call for stage plays that intrigued me. The only one I had that fit the guidelines was “The Effie Effect” so I made some revisions and sent it off. Got a lovely letter from the company acknowledging receipt. So, we’ll see. They’ll give me a decision by July.
There’s another call for “one minute plays” which is basically a sketch, three beats and the big finish. I played with one idea that’s kind of fun, but needs a good punchline. I have another idea I will play with today (you can submit 5 short pieces). There were actually two calls for 1-minute plays, so I might do a simultaneous submission, if I can get them whipped into shape by the end of the week.
Made spicy pork chops and bok choy in the slow cooker, which was good. Too tired for yoga.
Annoyed with the creator of an oracle deck I backed on Kickstarter last summer. I thought the price of the deck was on the high side, but I really liked the artwork, so I backed it anyway. The promise was that the shipping cost would be “reasonable.” The timeline was that the decks would ship in December. Great. A Yule gift for myself, or, at the very least, a New Year’s gift.
Communication was sporadic and then there was the excuse the creator had been ill, and was recovering and would do better. Fine. No problem. Things happen.
In early December, we asked to fill out a “survey” within about 10 days of receipt. It wasn’t a survey at all – it was a bunch of questions and a demand for the shipping fee, which was NOT reasonable at all. It’s nearly 1/3 of the cost of the deck on top of the deck, $17. I’ve never paid a $17 shipping fee on a DECK. On top of that, in spite of being told we had 10 days to fill it out, we were sent a nagging email every day until we paid up. And, of course, tried to get us to buy “extra rewards.” It’s not a “reward” if I have to pay for it, you grifter.
Paid up, grudgingly (since they don’t refund for the decks, or I would have asked for a refund).
And. . .crickets. I got a confirmation that deck and shipping is all paid up. But the deck hasn’t shipped. We’re closing in on the middle of January. No updates – although we weren’t given any grace about coughing up the overpriced shipping. I’ve emailed several times, to both Kickstarter and the creator, and not gotten any response.
If and when the deck ever arrives, I’m worried that the negative experience I had backing it will affect the way I work with it. I don’t even want it anymore, but I’m not just giving up the money. Not only will I refuse to back any project by this creator, and completely avoid this individual whenever possible, it makes me reluctant to back any deck by any creator in the future.
And then I remember what a good experience backing THE MIDNIGHT CITY TAROT and THE CITY OF DREAMS ORACLE was (they are by the same creator). And, even though I wasn’t an original backer for THE FORAGER’S DAUGHTER, every interaction buying the deck for myself and as a gift was positive.
Just fucking communicate with the people who believed in you, STRANGERS who believed in you, enough to give you money. It’s not hard. It takes less than 5 minutes to write an email update and send it out through Kickstarter. You are running a business. Act with some responsibility to your investors, because that is what we are.
Speaking of running a business, I’m in the process of reworking my Kindle Vella business plan, since they changed the way they pay out so that they pay us less. Which is not a surprise, because, you know, Amazon. Some are tying themselves even more tightly into Amazon by releasing in-progress serials in sections under Kindle Unlimited, but that doesn’t work for me. I don’t want to make a panicked decision. The serial model was always a long game for me, even though it has to pay for itself along the way. If it’s not, I’ll make the necessary adjustments and ease out.
The plan for the ANGEL HUNT series needed only minimal adjustment. The plan for Nina Bell needed a bigger long-term adjustment, but a minimal short-term adjustment. It puts LEGERDEMAIN more in flux, although I think it will work – the numbers will tell over the coming months, and I’ll adjust as needed.
The most likely serial to be affected with be REP. But, again, once I have the first season written, I can see how the numbers on the other seasons are working, and if I want to place it with Vella, or place it elsewhere, or not run it as a serial at all.
I’ve written 6 of the projected 10 episodes of LIGHTHOUSE LADY this week, so I will percolate along on those this morning, and then draft another episode of Legerdemain. I want to play with the 1-minute plays, and finish the final proof on “Severance.”
Because once the release date is finalized, it means starting the marketing campaign, creating a video, and doing all the other things necessary to get the word out.
I have some score sheets to turn around, too, and there are a few other things I’d like to get done today, but somehow doubt that I will.
Still, onward. Have a good one!
