Wed. April 17, 2024: Finally, A Whiff of Spring!
image courtesy of Willfried Wende via pixabay.comWednesday, April 17, 2024
Waxing Moon
Mercury Retrograde
Partly Cloudy and a little cooler
Today’s ANGEL HUNT episode:
Episode 129: With Zeke on the Astral Again
How can someone so deadly be so attractive?
Today’s DEADY DRAMATICS episode:
Episode 102: The Suave Jamie Watson
Jamie is more subtle, but no less manipulative than his ex-wife Tess.
After the laundromat (prices have gone up YET again) and breakfast, I wrote another episode of LEGERDEMAIN. Then, I wrote the top of Act II in THE WOMEN ON THE BRIDGE, about 7 pages. Act II is taking shape in my head, although I will probably rearrange it a bit, once I have the draft down. I’m hoping it will come in around 110 pages. Since I’m at p. 70 now, it’s possible.
I signed up for a couple of virtual END OF PLAY events. Tuesdays I can’t do anything, because I’m at yoga until 8, and then I have to eat. Also, because I write all day, I’m getting more and more protective of my evenings. I want more writing-related events during the day, instead of the assumption that “no one” writes for a living and is tied up in a nonwriting job all day. I miss the daily check-ins and forum access, and the workshops/seminars this year are more geared to early career/inexperienced writers, which frustrates me. I’d like to see more for mid-career/more experienced writers. This year feels more like National Novel Writing Month than End of Play.
I’m very grateful for the daily check-in circle I have with two fellow playwrights. It’s made a huge, positive difference.
I sent off my pitch to my Llewellyn editor, with three strong ideas. Hopefully, one of them resonates.
Folded the laundry and put it away. Was annoyed with myself for my grumpy pants mood, and decided I’d best get over myself! After all, I had a good writing day and was on top of the work, AND it was sunny out. Time to appreciate it!
I turned around 3 coverages, did some contest entries, and even had a few minutes to relax before leaving for yoga.
Gentle yoga was good, as always. We had a small class for Fitness, and it was a challenge because of my hurt foot, but I did pretty well. I can see and feel the progress I’ve made since I started the class. What I need to do now is to rebuild my home practice so that it supports the progress I make in the studio, and there’s not a fallback a little bit every week. I can’t commit to another regular night at yoga, but maybe I’ll drop in here and there when I have a free evening, and finish my client work on time.
When we came out of yoga, the sky was clear, the moon was beautiful, and the air was soft. A perfect spring night.
A plate shattered in the microwave, and I had to toss what I reheated. I was sure it was microwave safe; not sure what happened. Typical Mercury Retrograde. So, I heated up some other leftovers instead, in something I KNEW was genuine Pyrex.
Read a little bit. My copy of Tricia Hersey’s REST DECK arrived, and her book REST IS RESISTENACE arrived a few days ago. I’ve spent too many decades being hyper-productive for other people’s profit, and I’m sick of it.
Slept pretty well, and woke up excited to get back to the page, for both BRIDGE and LEGERDEMAIN, but, especially BRIDGE. I think I have the whole second act figured out. I’ve decided to make Harry a few years older than he was originally when Opal left. I know, I know, this means nothing if you haven’t read the play! Sorry. I promise it will make sense. One day.
The coffee maker did not turn itself on this morning, and needed a push. Again, typical Mercury retrograde. No chance of getting through a whole cycle unscathed. In any event, Saturday I have to switch out the charcoal packs and give the machine a good scrub.
I heard from my Llewellyn editor. Of course, the pitch she liked best was the one I threw in at the last minute just so I had three, and is the least developed. She asked for some more development, so she can take it to the marketing department (I guess all of us have to be vetted by marketing before contract?). So I will do that this morning, too. I mean, I like the idea, I can definitely develop it into something more coherent and with some more buzzwords for marketing. It just makes me laugh that the off-handed one I tossed into the mix is the one that resonated!
I prepped some material for tomorrow’s marketing session with the Chamber. I thought it was a one-off, but a bunch of us small local businesses have been formed into a cohort? Okay? I recognize most of the names on the list. I think we can have fun together, but I also want to go in prepared. The marketing landscape has changed in the past year. I need to catch up. I also need to reshape my vision on a few things around Fearless Ink, Devon Ellington Work, and Cerridwen’s Cottage, so I’m tapping into each of their potentials, and all three weave into the overall vision for the work/career. Pages on Stages takes care of itself and its purpose, as long as I keep it updated properly.
I took on another coverage (so now I have 7 in my queue again), both because it paid well, and because the premise intrigued me. I will try to do three today, although I will probably do 2 today and 3 tomorrow, then 2 on Friday. If I can only do 2-2-2, I’ll have to read on the weekend. I’d rather the weekend was for household chores and finishing up the contest entries, but if the work is here now, I need to grab it, and juggle all the pieces.
On today’s agenda: LEGERDEMAIN, BRIDGE. I have a feeling I might do more on BRIDGE than usual, because the second act is now fairly clear in my brain, and then run out of time for much else. I need to develop the pitch and get it back to my editor. 2-3 coverages, and some contest entries. Late this afternoon, I need to haul my ass out of the house and put gas in the car, then drive to Lenox to attend a fellow artist cohort member’s reading. Which I’m very excited about, once I get there. Let’s hope Murder Maps actually gets me there intact, and then home again. It’s light later, and the nights have been softer, so I hope it won’t be as difficult to get home after dark as, say, late November.
Have a good one!
