L.A., Hollywood.

The hotel manager told Marirose that she could see the “Hollywood” sign from the room window. Neither of us could see it, however, no matter how hard we looked. It was then that I noticed the tell-tale slats of white sign board through the leaves and branches of a huge tree on the other side of the parking lot.

Story of my life.

It took about five hours for my mother-in-law, a friend of hers and I to drive out here from Riverbank. I was so happy not to have been asked to drive. I was feeling pretty loopy after the night before and was looking forward to the 24 hours being up, so I could take more migraine meds.

We made it past Merced, about an hour and a half away from home when, looking at a paisley bag sitting next to me on the car seat, I suddenly remembered Marirose calling me not too long after I’d fallen asleep. She gave me a sitrep on how things went after arriving yesterday. Turns out there was a minor crisis as the drummer and/or she misinterpreted the Awards Committee’s instructions and had left not only the drums behind, as they were supposed to, but the cymbals as well, which he was NOT supposed to do. She was trying to hook up with a source for cymbals through one of her band members who had a brother who played for Elton John and Santana. As we were talking, she suddenly remembered her son’s old and beat up set out in the garage.

(indent)“Hey! Jason has cymbals and you are going to get here long before the show starts!”

(indent)“Excellent idea!”

So the plan was for me to bring the cymbals in a paisley bag she described that was sitting on the food board next to the dinning room table. The same paisley bag that was still there, for the cymbals that were still in the garage…an hour and a half back in the other direction.

Oh, no I thought as my heart sunk to the floor. If I hadn’t seen that paisley bag sitting next to me in the car, I would never have been reminded of the conversation and what I had said I would do. I quickly texted Marirose and told her what I done.

(indent)“Oh, well” she replied.

(indent)Shit.

I spent the remaining time of the ride trying to get my mind off the situation. I mean there was nothing I could do about it. I read my latest issue of “Poets and Writers” and then tried to write. Ever tried to write in the car? Especially down Hwy 99 and later a bumpy 5. I got about a page and a half by the time we got to Hollywood.

I hooked up with Marirose and crew and apologized again for being a dork and forgetting. They were all very understanding and told me not to worry about it, that I’d had a head ache and was “elsewhere” and did I feel any better? They treat band-widows like we’re some sort of bomb that might go off without warning. I got a kiss hello and good-bye as they all trooped down to the Avalon for a sound check. I thought about taking a nap as my head still hurt, but I figured it would be a toss and turn affair, so I cracked open old faithful, fired her up and began wrestling with my three uncooperative protagonists.

They should be back anytime now and we’ll start getting ready. On the weekend earlier, Marirose showed me her dresses for the evening. God, my wife is so beautiful; it makes me want to weep. I tell her so, but, as the faithful hound, my compliments are suspected as being subject to bias and don’t count as much as do the observations of others. When she’s all dolled up and ready to roll, I have no doubt the compliments will fall like snow from others. I hope it helps temper the nervousness I can tell she’s feeling. Sound check is taking way too long and I know her…the longer it takes beyond the already long time it’s expected to, the more nervous the whole band will become.

I wonder if book award readings and ceremonies are anything like this.

Originally posted in The Salamander’s Quill 1.0 now deleted.

Day four of NaNoWriMo and I’m finding it difficult to reach my personal goal of 2k-or-2hr-a-day. This month is so busy, it’s seriously cutting into my writing time. On Wednesday the kids did not make their fundraising target of $1,500 and I have to admit, I damn near cried with relief. I was not looking forward to trying to stay up all night or the long process of recovery afterward. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about supporting student council and I had planned on using the time, when I could concentrate on it, to make up any deficit in my word target. But come Saturday night, when I go to sleep at a descent hour and wake up Sunday morning ready to write rather than going to bed after rocking back and forth all night (the fundraiser was a Rock-a-thon), I am going to rejoice.

That being said, rested or not, I am also struggling with this particular story. As stated earlier, I am using Vladimir Propp’s structure to provide a frame for the plot, but while it might be good for Russian folk and fairy tales, it might not be so good for more detailed fiction. It should simply be a matter of expanding appropriately on the details, but I am having trouble doing so.

I cannot help but wonder if this is due to the influence of The Kevodran. My primary project was just not at a place where I could leave it so easily. I wonder if there might be some subconscious fear that if I do wholeheartedly throw myself into Scions of the Moon—thinking about it, day-dreaming, planning, plotting—devoting my whole attention to it as I did The Kevodran, it will indeed, eclipse The Kevodran ‘creeping’ in as The Kevodran ‘creeps’ out. Heather warns about creep in terms of a writer taking time away from a project and I can feel it might be happening here.

Originally posted in The Salamander’s Quill 1.0 now deleted.

I set up a fundraising page to help The Office of Letters and Light, “…do the hoo-doo that they do so well…” I am particularly attracted to the Young Writer’s Program and how OLL has made it a point to reach out to educators and young writers. I would really enjoy using the curriculum in my class room as an afterschool extra-curricular option. I am thinking such an effort next year could be a project taken on by an OHS Writers’ Guild. I made a list of friends and relatives who were acquainted with my desire to write and tell stories. I then cut it in half. One list is for this year and the next is for 2012. I figure that way no one is going to feel put upon if I do this whole thing again.

Earlier I made a contribution on my own. I didn’t realize there was a way to set up a fundraising page complete with helps such as template letters and advice. I set my goal at a modest $250.00 and sent out a modified version of the query letter. To tell the truth, there was very little of the query letter left after I basically wrote my own. I made a list of friends and relatives who were acquainted with my desire to write and tell stories or who were involved in either teaching or letters in one fashion or another. I then cut the list in half. One is for this year and the other is for 2012. I figure that way no one is going to feel put upon if I do this whole thing again.

I am happy to say, my meager efforts have born fruit and I am well on my way to my goal: Craig, Jymmy, Renee, Marirose and Randy, you guys are my heroes!

Though I dislike fundraising immensely, I feel I can get behind this non-profit effort as it’s “writing” and writing is paramount to reading and Lord knows, we need more readers who appreciate what it means to write a book, and what it means to write a good book, because there is so much garbage being published out there. Maybe if more folk, both young and old, were to attempt a novel length manuscript, there would be more appreciation for the written word and the work that goes into producing it.

(The latest entries to TSQ are from my journal. I simply haven’t had enough time to post them until now.)

Originally posted in The Salamander’s Quill 1.0 now deleted.

It’s Samhuinn eve! Samhuinn eve! Samhuinn eve! The two worlds are at their closest and the “beyond” is more accessible than any other time of the solar year. It’s basically what amounts to new years for me and mine. Tonight, I’ll light a fire and celebrate the coming of my grandson and the long night as the dark of year reaches its apex and the light begins to return. How perfect that the boy is to be called “Shining One” and how appropriate that the utter madness of the NaNoWriMo begins tomorrow (tonight) at 00:01. If I did not have to work on Tuesday, I would get up then and start along with more than a few WriMos I’m sure here in the birth place of it all! I am sure S.F. has some sort of start up party tonight. Sometime I should totally go over to The City (about an hour and change depending on the day) and check out the Office of Letters and Light. I am amazed at how excited I am. I think it must have to do with all the energy that comes from knowing this is happening all over the world. My writing buddies are international; indeed one lives in Germany, “Yo, Durfuiniel!” and the other is an expat living in England, “Hey, Ravven!”.

My sponsorship efforts are beginning to bear fruit. My friends are so generous, so huge hearted. Slainte, Craig! Papa Bear gives you a big polar bear-hug, Jymmy! You guys rock! Not since I was 10 years old riding in a “Bike-a-thon” have I actively fundraised. Indeed, I hate asking for money, but the opportunity to write and create provided by the Office of Letters and Light is just too cool not to, especially for young people. OLL’s Young Writer’s Program is definitely special. I’m sure all those young budding writers are even more excited about tonight’s start than I am.

I am humming to start. I have my Propp-esque outline ready, have written a general synopsis and have even test driven part of a scene. I’m starting Scions of the Moon with much more preparation than I did The Kevodran, which should be paramount to feeling a bit more confident. The fact of the matter is, however, that I am rather nervous with what amounts to “…battle shakes…” They have nothing to do with the fear of failure but rather are the product of nervous tension as I approach the moment I have spent the last month prepping for. I have absolutely no fear of starting tomorrow morning at 04:00 and finding my well dry, my lady Muse gone. Oh, no. If The Kevodran taught me anything, it is that she’s there inside me waiting—I see her face and know her name—and as long as I don’t jilt her once we start, like the spice, the words will flow. There will be drama; there will be challenge; there will be desperate moments of doubt, but all I needs do is write…even if it is crap and the words will come. I’m just twitchy, like a hound straining at the start of the hunt.

And the course is full of challenge to be sure. I have school to teach from what amounts to 06:00 to 05:00 including drive time. I have HOL homework that needs to be finished and new homework for the month of November needs to be addressed. I have an APIP meeting on Thursday. I have Rock-A-Thon all night on Saturday. I have student council meetings each Wednesday and bagpipe lessons on Thursday evenings. My lovely wife Marirose leaves mid-week for the Los Angeles Music Awards where she is nominated for no less than three awards—talk about your proverbial nervous race-horse! I follow the next day and we’ll have an amazing over-nighter with her band The Gypsies. I have over 300 writing assessments to grade on the 14th. Because Marirose works the evening of Thanksgiving, we’re angling to have our Turkey Day—the absolute most important holiday of my year as it marks my true new years—on the Wednesday before…thank God I have the day off. I will however, begin preparations starting on the Monday of that week. To this crazy mix I add the NaNoWriMo…LOL! I am insane. There are write-ins each Sunday from 10:00 to 14:00 in the next town over on Sundays at Panera Bread and locally at Queen Bean on Thursdays from 18:30 to closing. I want to make at least one or two of each, particularly the Queen Bean as I’ll only be able to attend two such meets.

Can it all be done? Well…it simply must. The three moon maidens, Hen, Ink and Rain are demanding equal time with Efrahm along with the rest of my not-so-imaginary crew and there it is!

Originally posted in The Salamander’s Quill 1.0 now deleted.