Tues. July 16, 2024: Last Minute Pressures

image courtesy of Ernesto Orihuela via pixabay.com

Tuesday, July 16, 2024

Waxing Moon

Pluto, Saturn, Neptune Retrograde

Cloudy, humid, oppressive

I hope you had a good weekend.

I’m sure everyone who reads this blog is already familiar with the Project 2025 manifesto. If not, please educate yourself. You can read it here. (Thank you, Joanne, for the link). You can read about it on many platforms. Hannah Irvine has a capsule of some of its dystopian aspects here.  The whole vision is revolting.

Friday, I caught up on email, and tried to get ahead of the game as much as possible. Even though it was cloudy, it got more and more oppressive. I managed to get the curtains up in my office, though.

I turned around a couple of small coverages in the morning, wanting to get as much done as possible.

It didn’t seem as bad as previous days, although the humidity got steadily more oppressive. I did some reading, did some house stuff, and put in another 5 chapters’ worth of edits on TAPESTRY.

I was a lump most of the afternoon in the heat, finishing SMASH. The backstage satire was well done. But the rest of it is a male wet dream pretending to be through a young woman’s perspective, with the older male “teaching” the young woman about sex and love, and, in the end, of course she gives up everything and follows him. Blech.

Slept okay, although it was not good sleeping weather.

Up early on Saturday. Finished putting the edits into the last three chapters of TAPESTRY and sent it off to my editor. In early August, we can see if I made any huge errors that need fixing, or if we are ready to go to formatting/copyediting. When I get back from my trip, I will start putting the edits into MURDER BELLS, and, hopefully, moving forward on VICIOUS CRITIC (I want to finish the draft of that by the end of August).

Wrote an article about the importance of keeping a work log that will go live tomorrow on Ink-Dipped Advice over on Fearless Ink.

Headed out to MASSMoCA for our cohort day. It was a beautiful, glorious day with people from cohorts all over the state, and CT. We had a tour of the studios and talked about residences. We had lunch and got to know each other. Then, we had a behind-the-scenes tour of an exhibit in the process of installation, and a tour of several current interactive installations. It was just fascinating.

Because MASSMoCA does not collect, they create onsite work that lives for a limited time and then is gone (exhibits don’t travel to other museums), it’s a truly unique space. It reminds people of the immediacy and transience of life and pretty much everything.

The James Turrell timed experience in his “Perfectly Clear” installation was an astonishing experience of how the mind and eye respond to light. Standing in there really fills one with wonder.

Two of the artists and I went for coffee after and had a great talk. Then, I joined others at Bright Ideas Brewing for a drink – more from our local cohort were there. Most of them know the museum well, so didn’t really need the tours, but at least we got to meet for drinks, talk, and make future plans.

Because we are finished with our Northern Berkshire Artist Capacity Building Program. It’s been an amazing experience, and I’m so grateful that I had the chance to participate. I’ve learned things that will serve me for years, and on which I can build.

Came home, tired but happy.

I got my next word for the large poem. The timing relieved me; I was worried that it would drop while I was travelling. But it showed up on Saturday afternoon, which meant I had until Sunday afternoon to craft the poem.

That’s what I did Sunday morning – worked on the poem. I started AFTER I’d put in the take-down request for ANGEL HUNT, which was honored almost immediately.

You know what this means? ALL THREE serials are now off of Kindle Vella, and can start their next lives after adaptation. The sense of freedom around that decision is wonderful. I’m really glad I had the experience; now it’s time for something else. I look at how many of the current authors are struggling, and that’s not where I want to put my energy. And the authors who are just posting first drafts of chapters of their books instead of crafting honed serial episodes are part of the problem.

I did the social media rounds to thank ANGEL HUNT readers. Took the links off the website and my blog.

This cycle is done, and it’s time for new things.

I worked on the poem. While the first poem for the event was born out of anger and determination, with rhyming sarcasm, this segment is born out of joy. It does not rhyme, but works with some sonics and communal experience.

I ran some errands early in the morning, getting things set for the week. The heat and humidity were bad, but it was still beautiful in the sunshine. Getting the final arrangements in place for the trip.

Sent off the poem. Worked with the cover/banner designer for the Nina Bell Mysteries. We have another banner option, and a cover for VICIOUS CRITIC that works much better.

I might be able to start building the Nina Bell website before Mercury goes retrograde. Although, with the way the Devon Ellington site glitched today, I might want to wait until September anyway!

It got hot pretty fast, so I packed up and went to the Clark – where I had to park far, far down the street and hike up to the Manton. I’d forgotten it was Community Day and the place was full. I couldn’t plug in, but I set up in a little booth at the Manton and just worked as long as my laptop battery held out! I managed to get all but one of the prompt sheets designed and created. The final sheet has to do with a moment in North Adams history, and I have to do a little more research.

I am not going to get into a discussion about the staged shooting, designed to gain attention and support, without care to collateral damage. The only ones who believe it’s real are in the cult, and the media outlets being paid to push it for propaganda don’t care, as long as they are paid.

Up early on Monday. It cooled down more than expected, which meant I could get the internal temperature below 80, which was good. It gave us a good starting point, as it was set to get well into the 90’s outside.

I wound up working at home – I took care of a bunch of email and last-minute things, I did a library run, I worked on material for the farmers’ market residency. I didn’t get to finish it, because four coverages came in, and I sat down and turned them around right away. One of those coverages already sent back questions, which I will have to turn around this morning before I go, which adds a layer of stress to my day, but too bad for me. That has to get turned around before I go, or it will taint the whole trip (even though the deadline is the end of the week).

There was an addendum to one of the workshops last night, with one of our mentors. Only two of us showed up. I felt bad for the presenter, but we still had some good interactions.

I also have to finish the material to send to the chamber, so that they can print it while I’m gone. I have a feeling my departure this morning may be somewhat delayed. I’m hoping the rain stops by then; it was supposed to come through yesterday afternoon and then be clear until this afternoon, but they’ve been wrong about so much lately, why not be wrong about this, too? I really don’t want to drive in bad thunderstorms.

I also feel like way too many people are demanding a piece of me today, when they KNOW I have other priorities this week, and it irks me. No. You have to wait until next week. Deal. I’ve been very clear about what this week was about for me for well over a month. Your disorganization does not constitute my emergency.

I hit the road around mid-morning, headed to my friend’s place in NY. Tomorrow, I take the train into the city for the reading (and back out after). Think good thoughts for me. I haven’t been to the city in quite a few years, and I’m sure there will be surprises.

We’ll catch up when I get back.