delusions

A Halloween With Few Decorations

One advantage of cold weather is that insects disappear. The temperatures in western New York have been perfect. Wrong, but incredible. I honestly don’t remember such a long streak of lovely autumn weather. If this were September, fine, but it’s nearly November and the ticks are still biting.

My writing spark dimmed if not went out. Pushing myself has never worked well. Recently, the thought of going to AWP to “work” it with and for my writing club friend to get her book represented, published, and marketed brought an excitement I haven’t had in a while, but it might be due from AWP being in Chicago next year. I do love visiting that city.

Chaos reigns in the vortex of families. The time has oozed along and I find myself thinking about another novel or maybe a series of flash writing in the new month. I cleared such clutter, ready to embrace whatever. I finished another 10-minute play and several more bloomed as soon as I started thinking about doing a full-length screenplay. Focusing on plays led to the AWP thoughts which are now feeding the non-NaNoWriMo NaNoWriMo thoughts so I’ll have a product if I go to AWP.

Endless circle, really. The writing life…

Otherwise, I have a flash coming out on 9 November at Matter Press and if I’m cleaver and remember, I shall link “The Wombat Job” here and oh, how I hope you enjoy it. The final revision seemed to hold the voice the right way, but that’s my egotistical-self speaking. And that was another thing drawing me to revisit flash – I read a story someone pimped and A) I found a venue I didn’t know about and B) I read the flash and knew I could write better than that.

My voting is out of the way, but my anxiety over the lies and delusions…nonstop. And there in lies another problem, is it “safe enough” anymore to enter the flow stage? The last two times I meditated, I was jolted out of calm by loud noises. I’m sure that’s a sign of something, but will I figure out what it means?

Ah well, time will tell, ring a bell, I started to rhyme so it’s time, to say ciao and climb into bed. Happy Halloween! Thank you for stopping by and for the read!

I was Vanderwalkered in a Schoolhouse

I’m still catching up on the laundry from the family reunion in Essex over the fourth. I think it was Angela who summed it up best for all of us who aren’t blood related:

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

“Champy,” the monster of Lake Champlain, was spotted and photographed.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

I tried to visit the library in Essex–which is right beside a creek, like mine is–but it had funky hours.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

We also toured Edward Cornell’s Art Farm.

Last night, as I was speeding down old 219 toward home after the “Donut Hole” rehearsal and a B.o.b. campaign meeting, three banging songs came on the radio–all in a row. “Love the Way You Lie” by Eminem and Rihanna, “Come With Me Now” by the Kongos, and “Personal Jesus” by Depeche Mode. Different channels, but still. Anyways, careening around those curves at dusk, volume up, I was in control–but going too fast. It flashed that this is the way my life is going right now and I couldn’t be more delighted.

I’m juggling a lot of things and if I blink, I’ll have added a new chainsaw to the rotation. If you ask if it’s too much, I’ll tell you I’m fine. I am. I know this will peter out or a crash will happen, but until then, I’m “alive” in a way I haven’t been in a while.

I have the 10 minute play by Donna Hoke I’m directing which is going well, but that’s over on Saturday. The campaign didn’t raise enough funds so the Iowa trip has been delayed. I’m preparing the second round of questions for Beth Gilstrap‘s interview for The Tavern about her book, I Am Barbarella. I participated in a writing “joust” and had a ton of fun with that. I’m cranking out new flash pieces since being invited into the “Hot Pants” office in Zoetrope, plus writing a new book in 20 page increments. The garden is weeded and if the rain stops, I’ll get the weedeater going.

Right, so I should be getting on with it. Maintaining swiftness and busyness is a temporary thing, but while it’s going on, I am enamored with that sense of power over my own life. Yes, I know that’s delusional, but it is a nice delusion to have.

 

(These are my creekside reflections. Your experiences may vary.)