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Last Thursday, I mused about my dear adaptable kitty, Ruby Azazel, and what an amazing traveler the feisty little thirteen-month-old has become. No matter where Dan and I have ended up in the past year, it’s taken her no time at all to familiarize herself with our new environs. As long as she knows where her toys, food and water bowls, fleece blanket, and litter box are, she seems content – even more so if there’s an accessible window – her own personal viewfinder on the world. She’s so flexible, in fact, that I’ve begun to think that I could learn a lot from her “unabashed curiosity and enviable serenity,” as I noted last week. Perhaps I could even figure out how to apply such adaptability to my own life – not to mention my writing.
Then, just the other day, I was looking for her in her usual haunts when, lo and behold, I found her perched atop our garment bag. For a moment, I thought, “Now, would you look at that? She’s not just adaptable – she thrives on traveling. She doesn’t just mind it – she loves it!” Suddenly, I noticed her resolute expression, and I began to reconsider my misguided thought process. Perhaps her stance atop the garment bag meant something else entirely. Perhaps, after a year of experiencing our nomadic existence, she was finally putting her proverbial paw down: “No more traveling, Mom and Dad, at least for a while...”
Well, too bad for her. Because I just found out today that my book proposal was indeed accepted by the fine folks at Avalon Travel, which means that once my work for the Big Easy International Film Festival ends next weekend, I’ll be making plans to head further east to the Florida Keys, where I’ll begin researching and writing the first edition of Moon Florida Keys. After that, we’ll drive west to Los Angeles to prepare and execute our fifth annual Beverly Hills Shorts Festival, and by May, we’ll be headed north to Michigan, where I’ll soon be hard at work on the fourth edition of Moon Michigan.
So, sorry, little Ruby. When we adopted you from that rescue facility in the French Quarter, you might’ve wished for a nice little stationary family, in a nice little stationary home. Well, I’m afraid to tell you... that’s not exactly what you got. But, on the flipside, you couldn’t have asked for a Mama who would love you more.
From the end of September to mid-October, I mentioned that I was working on a proposal for a travel guide in several of my posts. I mentioned it so often, in fact, that I have no doubt my gracious readers grew tired of hearing about it. But, as some of you might know, putting together a book proposal is no easy feat – especially when you’re competing against an author who’s previously written about the region in question.
Well, without revealing too many details, I’d like to share a little good news. Last week, my acquisitions contact at Avalon Travel informed me that she’d chosen my proposal to submit to the acquisitions committee, which she’ll be doing later this week. So, that’s one hurdle tackled – I just hope the committee likes my proposal, too. After all, I'd like to have some even better news next week!
Well, I did it. I finished my book proposal and submitted it on time. It felt good hitting the “send” button. Now, all I can do is wait for the decision. Maybe a voodoo spell would help?
Needless to say, I’ve been pretty preoccupied the past two weeks – and at the moment, my brain aches something awful. Putting together a 50-page document on which my livelihood depends can do that, I guess.
After I reviewed the proposal for the last time and sent it on its merry way to northern California, all I could think about was the dinner that Dan had planned for his father’s birthday tonight: yummy meatballs, pesto lasagna, and garlic bread, with a bottle of Cabernet Franc from Chateau Chantal, a winery in northern Michigan. Mmm-mmm. Talk about comfort food. And as usual, Chef Danny’s delicious vittles were just what the doctor ordered. All I need now is a good night’s rest.
So, I apologize for being less than engaged in others’ blogs lately. Just rest assured that I miss all my online buddies – and hope that life is treating you all swimmingly.
As previously mentioned, I’ve spent the last two weeks laboring on a book proposal. Well, today is my last day of these crazy work habits (at least until the next project), as it’s due tomorrow.
I’ve been up all night, putting the finishing touches on seven of the eight sections, but I still have one left to complete. Though I’m fairly exhausted right now, I’m still thrilled by the possibility of writing this book. So, of course, I have high hopes.
Well, I should get back to work. I promise that, after turning in my proposal tomorrow (and taking a much-needed nap), I’ll rejoin the blogosphere in earnest. In the meantime, I’ll just envy my cat.
You’re probably tired of hearing that I’m working on a book proposal – frankly, I’m sick of saying it! But I’m definitely making headway, and I’m so bloody excited about this project that the proposal process – though a lot of work – has actually been rather fun.
Nevertheless, it’s an all-consuming prospect right now. You see, I’m competing against another author, which has, for me at least, never been the case before, so I’m really nervous about the outcome – which might explain why I’m taking longer to finish it than I’d originally planned. My acquisitions contact gave me until this Monday (October 12th), so I’m not late or anything (nor will I be), but I’d hoped to have it to her sometime this week. I have mixed feelings, though, about sending it to her now: On the one hand, knowing that I’m in competition for this project makes me want to send the proposal to her sooner rather than later, but on the other hand, I'd like to take my time to make it the best proposal it can be.
So, needless to say, it’s been a nerve-wracking few days. It doesn’t help, of course, that while I’m working on the proposal, I need to make last-minute preparations to leave northern Michigan and help Dan with our upcoming film festival. Still, despite the stress, I thrive on being busy and juggling multiple projects – it certainly keeps life interesting.
No matter how much I’ve enjoyed crafting this proposal, however, I find that distractions are sometimes necessary. At times like these, I long for a lovely beach on which to take a lengthy, relaxing stroll, but, alas, there are no such beaches nearby.
If it were earlier in the summer, I could reenergize my brain with a visit to a local farmers market. But, alas, the sweet peaches are long gone.
And if I were already in New Orleans, I’d be hopping over to Café Maspero for a muffuletta break. But, alas, we’re not in the Big Easy yet.
In lieu of such distractions, then, I often find that writing something else (namely, fiction) helps me to recharge my brain cells and refocus on the writing project at hand. That’s why I’m so grateful to be a part of the Come In Character site – a great place to blow off some steam and have a little fun via one’s characters. If you’re in need of such a distraction, pop on over – today, we’re emoting wonder, which is a good place to be as I complete this proposal. After all, that’s the feeling that I want readers to get from perusing the potential travel guide that might result from said proposal.
At crazy times like this, it helps, too, to write something completely different – something unrelated to any current project (fiction or otherwise). That’s why I’m so thankful for Jennifer J. Bennett. A few weeks ago, she ran a contest to write a monologue of a household object, and I actually took the time to do it – an excellent exercise in seeing life from an unusual perspective and a terrific way to distract myself for a little while. If you have a chance, please visit Jen’s site today – and vote on your favorite object monologue. No matter the voting outcome, though, I’ll forever appreciate the distraction.
I have no doubt that I’m not alone in needing distractions from time to time. What do you do when you need a break from the project at hand? And, please, try to keep it family-friendly.
As regular visitors here know, I’m hard at work on a book proposal this week. So, it’s probably good that it’s a dreary-looking day in the rain-soaked woods of northern Michigan. Otherwise, I might be tempted to abandon my laptop, go for a stroll in said woods, and search for the last vestiges of blackberry season.
Of course, Dan just walked into my office and tempted me with another rainy-day activity: a trip to the movies! Now, you’d think with two film degrees between us – not to mention our two film festivals and our vast collection of DVDs – that we’d be weekly moviegoers. But, alas, the past few weeks have been a whirlwind of watching independent shorts and features for our upcoming Big Easy Film Festival, so frankly, we were “movied-out,” as my mother would say.
But today, I’ll take any opportunity to forget that phrases like “author credentials,” “competition analysis,” “sample profiles,” and “manuscript specifications” exist – at least for a little while. So, we’re going to the movies! Yahoo!
Here’s the question, though. Whatever should we see? Several films have opened this weekend, including Michael Moore’s latest, Capitalism: A Love Story; the Ricky Gervais vehicle The Invention of Lying; the Coen Brothers’ dark comedy A Serious Man; Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut, Whip It; and, of course, Zombieland. Knowing me, which film do you think I’m most anxious to see? And which do you think I’ll avoid like the plague?
Last Thursday, I mused about my dear adaptable kitty, Ruby Azazel, and what an amazing traveler the feisty little thirteen-month-old has become. No matter where Dan and I have ended up in the past year, it’s taken her no time at all to familiarize herself with our new environs. As long as she knows where her toys, food and water bowls, fleece blanket, and litter box are, she seems content – even more so if there’s an accessible window – her own personal viewfinder on the world. She’s so flexible, in fact, that I’ve begun to think that I could learn a lot from her “unabashed curiosity and enviable serenity,” as I noted last week. Perhaps I could even figure out how to apply such adaptability to my own life – not to mention my writing.
Then, just the other day, I was looking for her in her usual haunts when, lo and behold, I found her perched atop our garment bag. For a moment, I thought, “Now, would you look at that? She’s not just adaptable – she thrives on traveling. She doesn’t just mind it – she loves it!” Suddenly, I noticed her resolute expression, and I began to reconsider my misguided thought process. Perhaps her stance atop the garment bag meant something else entirely. Perhaps, after a year of experiencing our nomadic existence, she was finally putting her proverbial paw down: “No more traveling, Mom and Dad, at least for a while...”
Well, too bad for her. Because I just found out today that my book proposal was indeed accepted by the fine folks at Avalon Travel, which means that once my work for the Big Easy International Film Festival ends next weekend, I’ll be making plans to head further east to the Florida Keys, where I’ll begin researching and writing the first edition of Moon Florida Keys. After that, we’ll drive west to Los Angeles to prepare and execute our fifth annual Beverly Hills Shorts Festival, and by May, we’ll be headed north to Michigan, where I’ll soon be hard at work on the fourth edition of Moon Michigan.
