If you're looking for Christmas gifts for your kids, please come out to the Stony Plain Library (#112, 4613-52 Ave) Tuesday, December 1. Over 20 kids' authors will be on site to sell and sign their books. Writers will be around from 5:00 pm to 7:30 pm to autograph their books. If you want to give the gift of reading and support local authors, please come out. Stony Plain is just a half hour drive from Edmonton.
November 2009 Archives
I hit the end of the road. I can't focus and I can't get motivated. I think the heavy touring schedule of the last two and a half months have taken their toll. I haven't enjoyed a full weekend off in what seems like forever. I'm shutting down this weekend to recharge my batteries.
I love thinking about starting a new project. I hate actually committing to it. I pitched a publisher a couple of y/a novel ideas and now I have to turn those very cool ideas into outlines that don't suck. Ack, the ideas worked so much better in my head, but now that they have to be committed to paper, they are sinking fast. To be honest, I don't think I'm ready to sit at the computer. Best thing to do is walk away from the keyboard and grab my idea book so that I can brainstorm a little more. I'm jumping in way too early and all I'm coming up with are cliched ideas and characters. Time to step back a bit and see what I can pull off.
He's cantankerous. He's selfish. He's mean-spirited. Larry David is also brilliantly funny. I'm watching the rebroadcast of this season's Curb Your Enthusiasm and I'm laughing my butt off. I can't wait to see the season finale. I have no need to see a Seinfeld reunion now, because they couldn't top what they're doing now.
I thought I'd have more time to write these days, but with all my school visits and teaching duties, writing has become the forgotten toy at the back of my closet. Time to dust off those ideas and fire up some outlines. I owe a publisher two outlines and I have some work to do on a couple of very cool ideas. Maybe this weekend will be a work/fun weekend.
Wow! Just a couple of weeks after I delivered my short story to the publisher, it's already in the anthology and ready to be sent to the printers. I'm dizzy from how fast everything came together. I saw the other contributing writers and I'm feeling insecure. There are some powerhouse writers in the anthology including Evelyn Lau and Paul Yee. I'm thrilled to be in their company. I just hope they aren't ashamed by mine.
I'm gearing up for a showdown with author Jan Markley at Greenwood's Bookshoppe this Saturday, November 21. She's debuting her first ever kids comedy mystery and she's challenged me to a smack down to see who is the funnier author of kids books. We'll be at Greenwood's at 2:00 pm if you're interested. Loser must drink a beaker of science experiment slime. Hope to see you there.
I'm waiting for my computer to back up my files, and I can sincerely say that I despise my PC. It's slow. It's constantly needing updates. And it's a piece of junk. I'm seriously thinking about switching to a Mac. Maybe Santa will be nice to me this Christmas.
There's a weird kind of ennui that sets in after I send off a major project. All I want to do is crawl into the cocoon of my comforter and sleep until the next century. I just sent the draft of The Forbidden Phoenix to the publisher and now I have nothing immediate to do. There are a couple of pitches for novels that I need to work on, but I'm just too tired to even try to attempt them this week. I think part of my tiredness has to do with non-stop speaking engagements since the end of September. Still have more to come in November. I like doing the talks, but I'm too tired at the end of the day to switch tracks into writing mode. I think I'm going to have to lay low in December and try to get some rest. Oh wait, that's about when I'll get the notes for my fourth novel. I'll sleep when I'm dead.
I just can't get enough of your automated messages. Please tell me how I've won a vacation package. Or inform me how to reduce my credit card interest charges. Really, I'm eager to be put on hold while your representatives finish fleecing another victim. Grrrr.
Just finished looking over the copy-edits for my short play and short story. The editor truncated the climax so that the story is closer to being a ghost story than a slasher movie, which is great. I just wanted to adjust the climax a bit so that my protagonist didn't come across as a coward. As for the short play, there was a muddy scene where four people were talking at once and I had trouble figuring it out on the page. I adjusted the scene so that it was a bit cleaner.
My eyes are sore and my brain hurts. And my night is just beginning. I have a class to teach. Off I go.
I just found out that I'm going to be receiving a City of Edmonton Performance Award for the success of The Bone House in Edinburgh. The event is on Monday, November 23 at 7:30. The ceremony will be held at City Hall. Anyone interested in coming, you can just show up. Business attire.
I'm still shaking my head at this one. I learned from my actors, that a very drunk woman came to see one of the weekend performances of The Bone House, and became belligerent and mocked the show.
I can understand that not everyone will enjoy my work, but the price of admission doesn't give ticket buyers the right to be jerks. You can always exercise your dislike with your feet and walk out.
The actors work hard to create an experience for the audience and the rest of the audience is there to enjoy themselves. This selfish act of heckling told me that this woman hadn't received enough attention in her own life and decided to take it out on people who were only try to entertain. All I can say is that I feel sorry for this woman and I wish that she finds true joy in her life so that she can stop spreading her misery to others.
