July 2007 Archives

Yesterday, I blasted through another pass of Buddy and Max, the picture book that I've been threatening to send off to a publisher for the last year. I think I'm about a draft away from something I can send. Now I'm starting to play with images and language. I think the story is clear, but I want to give myself a couple of days distance before I make the final call and the final polish.

It's actually kind of fun to see this manuscript evolve. Even though it's probably shorter than most people's blog entries, it still has its own rhythm and challenges. I love the idea of implying visuals in the hopes that the text and images will add together to make a better story than the text alone. I guess why I'm saying all of this is that my appetite for writing graphic novels is growing. I think that might be my next major project. Hmm. Maybe I should finish off my existing ones first.

Today, City TV came over to film a celebrity chef segment. I cooked with the director of God's Eye as well as our lead actress. We made beer can chicken, barbecue sauce and a watermelon salad.

Man, oh man, am I glad that the filming was on a cool day. We were filming for about 3 hours. Everyone was a great sport and we had a gas stuffing a beer can into the rear end of the chicken. I don't know how they'll boil everything down into a five-minute segment, but I'm hopeful that they'll find something useful.

The segment was basically to help promote the Fringe show, and the producer told me she was going to try to get it to air on August 21. If you're watching TV tomorrow (Tuesday), watch City TV (Channel 7 in Edmonton) at 6:30 and 11:00. City TV will be airing a segment featuring a friend of mine, Wayne Arthurson. It should be a hoot.

Every once in a while, I'll see a movie that makes me smile from the opening scene and and keeps that grin there until the credits roll. There's a healthy balance of humour and heart that makes me laugh and then fills my throat with a little lump. And if the movie makes me want to get up and cheer at the screen, that's the sign of a classic.

Some of the movies that I'd put on my personal list of feel good classics (not necessarily award worthy, but enjoyable on a pure emotional level) include The Full Monty, Over the Hedge and Little Miss Sunshine. Well, last night, I added another movie to the list, Hairspray. Maybe I was in the right mood to see an optimistic musical, but I just loved the movie. I had seen the Broadway musical and enjoyed it very much, so I wasn't sure if the movie would hold up to the live event. Turns out, it did. I had such a great time watching Tracy's rise and fall. The audience even applauded about halfway through the movie. The funny thing is that I just wanted to get into an air conditioned theatre to avoid the heat. I love those little moments in life when I don't have any expectations and then find something great.

I just received an e-mail from my editor. She said to sit tight. My notes are coming in about a week and a half. I'm looking forward to working on the revisions, but I'm also dreading the extra workload. It's like I clear out the Edmonton Journal articles only to have more work to do on something else. I figure I'll devote myself entirely to the rewrites in August. I have a little bit of work to do on marketing and publicizing God's Eye, but that work should be done by the time I get my notes on Mystery of the Mad Science Teacher, so I should be able to concentrate solely on the manuscript. I knew this was coming, but I was sort of hoping I'd have more of my other work done by now so that I could take a little break before the revisions. With all that I have to do before the fall, it looks like I'm not going to get to see much at the Fringe Festival this year. Argh. Apologies in advance to all my friends doing shows. I send you all my best wishes from the prison that is my basement office.

Picked up the paper this morning and saw my article about high school reunions. I hope that the article inspires some of the Morinville grads of 1983 to come out of the woodwork and add their names to the growing list of alumni interested in the reunion. About half the graduating class has been found. Where's the other half?

I finally finished the Facebook article and sent it off and for some reason I still had momentum, so I worked on the weight article that I had pitched. That went out last night. My Edmonton Journal pitches are now done. I can devote August to working on the PR for the Fringe show. Yay!

The things a guy will do to promote his show. Thanks to a friend, I landed a spot on City TV's cooking segment. My director and I are going to get together and whip up some barbecue while we chat about God's Eye and Madagascar (my director's other Fringe show). I'm looking forward to doing the segment, but I have to do a little menu plan and hope that I don't forget to add any ingredient on the day. The producer said the segment would air sometime in August. When I have the exact date and time, I'll post on my events page.

Now I have to figure out a way to work in this heat. Time to introduce the siesta.

I think my next article is going to run this Friday. I'm not sure which one it will be. Either one about hair loss or high school reunions. I'm looking forward to seeing it, mainly because it will remind me that I can write articles. I'm having a bad day. More like a bad week. I've been trying to write an article about Facebook fakers, and I've had to tear down my article about four times. I finally have a first draft that I only loathe. I'll take a little break and then rip it apart and try to make it something worth sending to my editor. Sigh. Why did I pitch this idea? Ugh.

Sat in on the run through of the Fringe play this afternoon, and I was impressed at how much work my director and cast have done on the show. The story is very clear, and our lead is pretty well off book with her lines. So, naturally, I made a few line changes. What really stood out for me was how important having an actor play the dad. This run through confirmed for me what I suspected after the Sunday reading in Toronto (which had no actor play the dad). I found myself making emotional connections with Norman and all that he was trying to do to get his dad to move or talk. The actor playing the dad moved his head in the play, and his eyes gave away his emotions. As an audience member, I felt connected to the play even though Norman wasn't addressing me.

There's still a lot of work to do to clean up the scenes and find the emotional moments, but I'm very impressed with the progress. Now I have to get on the PR wagon and try to round up some media attention for the show.

I'm really excited. Just had a flurry of e-mails from one of the actors from The Bone House, who is also a producer. He wants to pull together a team and remount the play in 2008. I've been threatening to bring this show back, and I'd love the chance to revisit and revise the 7-year-old play. Not a lot of changes, but the opening tentpole scene required a sword box, and while it was fun, it never fully worked in the show. I have an idea to replace the sword box scene with something that uses more of today's technology and still sets a creepy tone for the play. Other than that, I have to update the references and clean up some of the transitions.

This just reminds me why I enjoy theatre; the chance to revisit projects and make them better and more relevant to today's audiences.

I'm back from Toronto and feeling pretty worn out from the flight. Today was the big day of the staged reading of God's Eye. The response was very telling. First off, do not try to do a dramatic play at a cultural festival. Lots of folks looked like they wanted some Dim Sum demonstrations and walked out halfway through the play.

What was really interesting about the reading was that even though the acting and direction were pretty solid, the audience wasn't connecting with the play. Usually, a solo show calls for the performer to address the audience. Without this eye contact, the audience can be let off the hook unless they can see the performer interacting with another actor. I now think it's vital that Norman's father be an actor on stage rather than a mannequin or a figment. To actually see the object of Norman's desire adds a level of humanity that I think will engage the audience better than having Norman react to no one.

I'd say the reading did not endear the audience to the play, but it was a success in the fact that I learned what the play needs. I was encouraged that about 3 strangers stayed behind to tell me they enjoyed the play (and one woman gave me a note). All three strangers were not Asian, and struck me as theatre-goers. Anyway, I'm glad to have done the reading and I must thank fu-GEN and Harbourfront for making it all possible.

The one bit of extra-curricular excitment came when I went back to the hotel to collect my luggage. The Chilean soccer team was staying at my hotel, and security was beefed up quite a bit. I had to show a baggage tag in order to get to the lobby of the hotel. The Toronto police force was in a bit of hot water over an international incident involving members of the team and some tasers and pepper spray.

Oh, and I finished reading Harry Potter. It's official. The series is done. I won't say anything to spoil the book, but I did think it was a fitting way to wrap up the series.

Today, I did a couple of readings/storytelling sessions at the Dim Sum Festival. Outdoor performances are very tricky. You never know who is in the audience or how they'll respond. The first session had a lot of younger kids and their grandparents. There were a couple of smiles from adults and a giggler in the back. It was a bit tough as I was nervous and I'm not sure if the audiences wanted traditional Chinese tales. The second session had older kids and way more adults. That session was really fun, because as I talked more people stopped and listened. I have tremendous respect for street performers who have to get a crowd and then hold their attention. All I had to do was talk on a microphone and even then I found it hard to keep everyone engaged. The good/bad news is that I saw the organizer of the Montreal Asian Heritage festival at one of my sessions. We're still trying to figure out a way for me to be a part of their festival. I'm going to try to find a grant to cover my expenses for a May tour. I'll see what luck I have.

After the sessions, I met with with a pal from Edmonton, who now works in Toronto. We caught up over lunch at the Jersey Pub (Mad Jersey). Great to catch up, but I'm starting to think that pub food is the new trend in T.O. Everyone seems to be suggesting pub food for meals.

Other than that, things are going well. I'm kicking myself for forgetting about the Dim Sum Festival opening night reception. Well, I feel bad but not too bad. I didn't bring anything other than jeans, and I suspect I would have been turned away at the door.

The great thing is that I did indeed pick up the final Harry Potter book last night at a midnight launch at the Harbourfront. I'm about halfway through the book, and I blew off rehearsal today so I could read the rest of the book. Funny. I come all the way to Toronto, and on the weekend when I should be seeing the sights, I'm curled up in my hotel bed trying to read the fate of the Chosen One.

Back to reading.

Oh man, am I tired now. Today, I taught two drama workshops for TheatreKids, a summer camp at Harbourfront. Generally, it's tough trying to get kids' attention on a Friday during the school year. Try doing that on a Friday during the the summer (and the very day that Harry Potter is launched). The first session I tried hard to keep everyone focussed. The kids were great when I told stories, but as soon as we tried to work on plays, it was chaos. The second session went much better. The kids were really keen to offer ideas for the group play. Unfortunately, there was a little behind-the-scenes drama. I didn't get to see what happened, but a couple of the kids weren't getting along. Thankfully, the counsellors were on hand to try to smooth things over.

Tonight, I'm meeting with friends that I haven't seen in a long time. They're both from Edmonton. I'm basically killing time with good company until midnight. I was thrilled to find out that Harbourfront Centre is hosting a midnight book launch for the last Harry Potter book, which means I can get my hands on the book without having to travel a long way back to my hotel.

Oh, and last night I did not go to see Evil Dead. Another friend gave me a call and asked me to meet a TV documentary producer from Shanghai, China. They're in town to follow the Dim Sum Festival, and I might get an interview. I guess I'm not destined to see Evil Dead the musical on this trip. Too bad. I was looking forward to sitting in what the producers call the "Splatter Zone."

Tomorrow, I do two readings and then it's off to rehearsal for God's Eye. I can't believe my trip is almost over.

What a great day. There was rain and fog in the morning, which cooled things down considerably. Phew!

I walked over to Fionn MacCool's to grab lunch with a y/a author who writes graphic novels. His name is Liam O Donnell and he's really cool. He has a few books in the Max Finder series and he tells me that Orca will be soon launching another graphic novel series. Anyway, Liam suggested the nearby pub for lunch, and I was very pleased at his recommendation. The conversation was great and I got some insight into the Toronto scene for y/a authors.

After lunch, I headed to rehearsal at the Factory Theatre space. Unfortunately, the director was a bit ill and we had to cut rehearsal short. The new page I wrote seemed to work. I won't know until I hear it full out, but I'm pretty happy with this version of the Norman's speech. I'll probably hate it by tomorrow.

There was some interesting discussion about the ending of the play. The director felt that the epilogue with Norman repairing the book and reading it to his dad was unnecessary. She thought the stronger ending was to have the father raise his hand and speak, then have Norman turn around and see it. Then the lights would go down. I'm not a hundred percent sold on her idea, mainly because I feel like all Norman's effort needs to affect him somehow at the end. My idea of the ending was that the son became the father and the father became the son. Still, the director made an interesting observation and I'll have to consider it for the future. Actually, I'm toying with the idea of trying out the ending in T.O., just so I can see how it plays. That's the whole point of a workshop - to see what works and what doesn't. Hmm, I'll have to think on this some more.

I walked back to my hotel and now I'm debating what do do with the rest of my evening. I could see Evil Dead the Musical tonight, but I also have to prep to teach my writing workshops tomorrow as well as get some reading done. Hmm. I'll see how far I get with my prep and then decide. Most likely, I'll probably just order room service and watch Big Brother. How typical of me. Lazy, lazy, lazy. Well, to be honest, everything is pricey in T.O. How much am I willing to pay for a cheesie musical about the Evil Dead... oh, if only my wife were here. It's no fun seeing cheese alone.

Oh, and the one piece of good news. One of my monologues was a winner in the professional category of the Alberta Anthology competition. Even more thrilling is that one of my students won in the amateur category. She attended a forum that I had organized to help Edmonton playwrights come up with dramatic monologues. She must have really been paying attention. Yay!

Rough start to the day. I slept in and found myself running to catch up most of the day. This city is HUMID!!!! Ugh. I'm breaking into a sweat from just sitting outside.

Anyway, the day got better. I met with the Artistic Director at Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People about The Forbidden Phoenix. Things still look positive. Got a few general notes to think about, but he still is interested in the project. The really cool thing is that I ran into a friend from way back. He used to work in Edmonton way, way, way back in time, but now he's the production manager at LKTYP. It was very cool to catch up.

After my meeting, I rushed back to my hotel to meet another friend, a girl who acted in one of my plays, who is now studying in T.O. We had cool drinks on a patio facing the lake, and when I left, my shirt was soaked just from the heat and humidity.

In the evening, I went to the first rehearsal for God's Eye. The gang at fu-gen theatre are great. They kicked around the script a bit. The thing you have to know about notes is that people come at the script from different angles. A writer has a different approach than actors. There was one big note about whether or not the script needed to seed in earlier clues about how urgent Norman's need was (ie. why did he try this ploy today rather than another day). I'm pretty sure the clues are there, but they may not be the ones that the actor and director can spot on a first read. I'll see if they discover the clues as they work the script more. The thing to always remember on a short workshop/reading, things that might be missing in the script may be missed in the first read, so never try to address major notes right away.

The director came up with a great note about the language of one of the speeches, which did not sound like Norman. Interestingly enough, the note was about a speech that I wrote most recently. She pointed out that it didn't sound like Norman, and hearing it, I agree with the note. I'm going to cycle through the speech tonight and deal with the note for tomorrow's rehearsal. We also broke down the script into units to make sure the transitions were clear. So far, only one section was not clear, and I added a line to help sell the transition, as well as to address a concern about where the mother fit in the picture.

After rehearsal, we went to a restaurant called Richtree, which was based on a very cool open market concept. The food is fresh and you can pick what you want to be cooked. If you see a salmon fillet, you can order it cooked. If you see some steak, you can order the exact slice you want. If you want pasta, Chinese food, dessert, sushi, or anything else, all you have to do is point and the servers will prep it for you right there and then. Some of the dishes are pre-prepared, but the entrees are cooked from scratch.

The servers walked around in green berets and white and green stripped aprons. They were all surly. Apparently, this open market restaurant concept was very popular when it started a decade ago, but now has become stale. My dinner was fine, but not impressive. The director and actor are going to take me to a BBQ house on the weekend. I'm looking forward to it.

Also, I have to find a bookstore that's opened Friday midnight so I can get the last Harry Potter book. Off to work.

I am wiped out. What a day. Flew in around 4:00 pm. Missed rush hour traffic. Had a fun conversation with my driver about the state of teachers in Toronto, which sadly sounds a lot like the grim fate of teachers in Alberta. Sigh.

I'm at a very posh hotel. Usually, I rate the hotel by a few things. First and foremost, the kind of toiletries in the bathroom. If there is conditioner and moisturizer, I give the hotel one star. Second, if the furniture trumps anything I have in my house, the hotel gets another star. If I feel horrible underdressed around the hotel staff, another star. Finally, if the room service menu offers brie and blue cheese dishes, that's another star. I'd say I'm in a 4-star hotel.

My secret desire on this trip was to eat at Phil's Original BBQ restaurant, which was featured on Restaurant Makeover. I walked about an hour from my hotel, through Little Italy (which is a very funky part of town) and found the restaurant. I was craving pulled pork ever since I saw the dish on the show. Thankfully, the kitchen still had some when I showed up. Talk about fast. I ordered and before I could pull out a book to read, the waiter plopped a plate of pulled pork, beans and cole slaw in front of me. Wow!

The meal was great, mainly because of the kick ass BBQ sauce. I liked it so much I bought a bottle. I'm hoping it survives the flight back.

On the walk back, I burnt off the meal, and I had a chance to peek at the Harbourfront Centre, where I'm working this week. Now I'm feeling stiff and sore and getting ready to pass out. It was a great first day.

I'm trying to pack for my Toronto trip, and I'm stuck for a book to bring along. I want something light and breezy that I can pick up and put down whenever I have the chance, and I don't want to make the same mistake I always do, which is bring five books in case I happen to finish too quickly. While I'm in T.O., the last Harry Potter will come out, so I'm pretty sure I know what I'll be reading on the flight home. Maybe I should re-read the sixth book just so that I have some momentum going into the last book. Or maybe I'll grab something from my shelf of shame (the books I've bought but never had the time to read). Decisions, decisions, decisions.

No rehearsals all week, because our lead actress is in Banff doing a workshop. I took the time to write a media release and brainstorm pitches to get media attention. Strangely, I like PR work, mainly because it involves pitching and finding the right angle for the right agency.

When I started out, I always thought that media would cover any event by any person. Now I'm starting to realize that each media outlet has its own needs, and the trick is to find out what they need. The most basic example is that television needs something visual, usually funny, and self-explanatory. On the other hand, radio does not need anything visual, but does need something that will catch the ear. What's true of all media is that they need a human story that audiences can relate to. I have a few ideas floating around, but I won't be pitching them until I get back from Toronto.

Yesterday, I went into the studio to do photo shoots for two articles, high school reunion and thinning hair. There were a few tech problems, but we were able to get a couple of fun shots out of the session. Before I arrived, I had e-mailed the editor about doing an article about Facebook. She had already run an article that touched on everything, but she'd entertain any fresh angles. When I arrived for the photo shoot, she asked if I had a pitch. Yikes.

I had a half-baked idea about the darker side of Facebook where people try to be celebrities, and she went for it. Now I have to turn the idea into an article. Lesson learned; always be ready to pitch a story. You have no idea where it will get you.

Yes!!!!! I just got a call from the CBC drama producer. He passed the script on to a colleague, who only had a couple of notes, both of which the producer didn't agree with. The notes were that the mob turns too quickly to revolt off off the dictator's suggestion and they turn back to loving him too quickly in the end. Bear in mind, this play was meant to be a light comedy that is a satire of 80s sitcoms. Given that premise, the drama producer and I both agreed that the sudden turns of the mob are part of this light and surreal world.

My only major note is one that I was mulling over, and that is the song that kicks off the show. Originally, we talked about cutting it, but as I reread the draft, I realized the song sets the tone for the show and the series (if it goes to series). He pointed out that the lyrics have to be more direct about the premise of the show and still be catchy without being too irritating. So my major job over the next week is to revise the lyrics to the opening song.

Yay! It looks like we'll be going into the studio in September. I'll post any updates.

Okay, the latest trend has hooked me. I'm totally engrossed with Facebook in the same way that I was playing Sims until 4:00 am and in the same self-destructive pattern of playing Tetris until I missed several deadlines. There's an article in this. I just hope I can prime myself from the wall postings long enough to pitch it to the Edmonton Journal. Oh wait, I think someone wants to be my friend. Gotta go!

A few nights ago, I was telling my wife how I thought Edmonton was growing up as a city. I noted that in a neighbourhood Safeway, there were people from all cultures. I could hear Mandarin, Spanish, English and Japanese being spoken by the customers. Such diversity gave me hope that this city was going to embrace all cultures.

Last night, reality slugged me in the gut. A neighbour from down the block came to our house looking for his missing cat. He asked my wife if she could look in our garage. As they looked, he pointed out that there was a "Chinaman" on the block and he probably ate the cat. The neighbour went on to say he should look in the "Chinaman's" garbage can for his cat bones. This was about the time that I came around the corner and met my neighbour. I didn't know what he had said until after he left and my wife filled me in.

This kind of racism is naked, raw and ugly. It's the kind of hatred that destroys the spirit. What galls me the most is that this fellow was probably in his late 50s or 60s and could have been a grandfather. I fear what he may pass down to his kids, and I only hope that there are other voices in his family's lives to balance his hatred.

Every couple of years, I am reminded by how ugly the human race can be. In a few days, I'll get over the hurtful comments, but I'll never forget them.

I'm waiting for my editor to finish reading the manuscript of Mystery of the Mad Science Teacher. Sigh. The is the second hardest part of being a writer (after writing the first draft). I fill the void with all sorts of dark imaginings about her running over the manuscript with her car or tearing her hair out as she reads each page.

The car fantasy actually happened to me. I once took a writing workshop with Sharon Pollack. She invited the students to submit their plays for her to read and critique. About three days after I handed my script in, I got a call from a stranger who claimed he had found my script in the street. I ran over to pick up the script and sure enough, it was the script I handed in... except there was a massive tire tread across the cover.

Thankfully, I later found out that Sharon had dropped all the scripts in the street and accidentally ran over mine. Still, I love this story, because it reminds me that no matter how bad the rejection is, it can't be as bad as getting a script back with a tire tread across it.

Ugh. This was one of those tests of my resolve. I wanted to write the first draft of my hair loss article for the Edmonton Journal, but I just couldn't get going. My internal clock was telling me that Sundays were meant to rest, but I knew that if I didn't get a first draft done today, I'd fall behind this week with all the scripts I have to read and give notes on.

I looked for any excuse to procrastinate, running upstairs three or four times every hour to check on the weather. I'm just glad that my TV downstairs isn't working any more, or else this day would have gone bust. Thankfully, I found the rhythm around 2:00 pm. I bashed out an ugly first draft that's about 100 words short, but I think I have the spine of something that I can build on. I'll mark it up tonight and revise it tomorrow, so I can pop it off by the end of the day.

The Life section of the Edmonton Journal ran my cat article today. I'm smiling in the photo, but if you look at my eyes, I have this slightly panicked look. That's because the cat posing with me was digging his claws into my belly. The shot the Journal used was probably the best shot. Every other shot had me yelping and the cat flying out of my arms. I have claw marks across my stomach and chest. Talk about suffering for my art.

Here's the kicker. The article was about my cat Buddy, but he was so freaked out, we couldn't use him, so his brother Max was the stand in. Max is supposed to be the calmer of the two cats. I need some more Polysporin.

Say it isn't so. I just went on the website for Taste of Edmonton and noticed that my favourite restaurant is missing from the list. Every year, the Nisku Inn serves seafood paella. This year, they and their delicious dish are not on the roster. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!

What will I fill my Tupperware dishes with now?

Finally, I think I've figured out how to revise my picture book manuscript. I've been kicking this thing around for the last year and a half. The inspiration for the book came from my two tuxedo cats. I've been telling the story of the cats at all my school visits, and I've been promising to write a picture book about them.

However, when I sat down to write the story, I found that the story I told in schools wasn't working on paper. Basically, I was introducing two different cats, but not creating any momentum for the story. I always started with Max, who is my cat burglar, and then went to Buddy, the stress farter. Today, I decided to flip the two and find something that could connect Buddy's condition to Max's thieving ways. Well, I hit on the solution. The character in the book wants to block the smell with a clothes-pin, but Max steals the clothes-pin. Yay! I have the rough draft slammed in. Now I can actually build on this structure and create the story.

I just got off the phone with the dramaturge at CanStage in Toronto. We had a great discussion about God's Eye. She loved the script and said it was about 95 per cent ready to go. She only had a couple of concerns about transitions, and she didn't quite buy that Norman was 9 years old. Since the script doesn't reference his age except in the character description, the second note is easy to fix. As for the transitions, I'm going to have to pay attention when the piece is up to speed.

My big question about the play has been whether or not it is a theatre for young audience (TYA) play or if it's for an adult audience. The dramaturge suggested that I split the difference and try sending the script to TYA companies that are doing edgier works. I'm going to send to Green Thumb Theatre and Theatre Direct, and see what kind of response I get. She already has plays in development for the next two seasons at CanStage, so no luck there, but I'm encouraged by her response.

Anyway, this is the part of the Sisyphean climb that writers have to endure to get their works produced or published. I've been developing this script for 2 years now, and now that I think the script is ready, it'll probably take at least another year to two years for it to make it to a professional production (if I even get a commitment from anyone). I think that's why I'm so glad to do short-term projects as well as long-term projects. At least with the short-term stuff, I can see the fruits of my labour much quicker. Speaking of which, the returning editor of the Life section of the Edmonton Journal liked my three pitches. Keep an eye out for articles about high school reunions, my disappearing hair and my expanding waistline.

Okay, now I have to package God's Eye for Theatre Direct and Green Thumb. Off to work I go.

Time again to pitch to the Edmonton Journal. I'm kicking around a couple of ideas, but I need to flesh them out a bit more before I can send off the pitches. One idea is about an upcoming high school reunion. Another one is about my hair problems (the fact that my hair is migrating from my head to my back). For me, the trick is to find a story structure that I can hang enough bits of humour. Earlier in the week, I wanted to write an article about weeding the lawn, but I realized that this wasn't a strong enough premise to merit 800 words. It's a tricky line that I have to walk between dealing with the minutiae of my life without come across as mundane. Okay, let's see if I can come up with three pitches by the end of the day.

I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable weekend. I'm feeling a bit weird because this is my first official three-day weekend in about six months. Guilt took over yesterday, and I hopped on the computer to jot down some notes for a potential new novel. One day, that guilty feeling will go away, but not just yet.