A little over two years ago, Craig Cherry planted three fruit trees on the west side of our house and has been patiently training the emerging branches onto espalier wires so they’ll grow in the narrow space. We were excited to see the peach tree this week with the first blossoms since it was planted.
On either side of the peach tree are two plum trees, not blooming yet, but it’s barely spring…
Here’s a waypoint on three writing projects, with some to-do notes. Sharing these interim steps keeps me from falling into negative thinking about what I’m getting done in any given week. I’m juggling three novels in various stages of completion. My work week will involve all three.
The Macklin Powers: completed, copy editing done, query letter and synopsis written, comparable novels identified, agents to submit to identified, first three submissions sent. Remaining tasks: Elevator pitch written for in-person meetings at an upcoming conference, eighteen additional queries mailed out by mid-April.
Blue Coast in Winter:Second draft two thirds completed. Remaining tasks: Finish second draft, write final draft, query letter, and synopsis; identify comps, have book copy edited.
Hidden Forces:First third of book written. Remaining tasks: finish first draft, revise in 2nd and 3rd drafts, etc. etc. etc.
Here’s what I learned after going through all the steps with The Macklin Powers:
I need to:
Start looking for books my novel can be compared to right after the first draft is written. Finding comparable novels requires actually reading them, and that can take time. I saved it for last and it was excruciating to be slowed down in submitting because I hadn’t been keeping up with the genre.
Write the synopsis after the first draft as writing it helps identify weak points in the manuscript. Damn but I wish I’d known that instead of just dreading writing a synopsis. It turned out to be a hugely useful tool for me in the revision process.
I like having projects in various stages of completion. Sometimes I don’t have the creative spark, but I do have the editing spark or the research spark, so something is always moving forward.
Wrapping with this fine quote from novelist and great humanist Kurt Vonnegut: “Somebody gets into trouble, then gets out of it again. People love that story. They never get tired of it.”
Two weeks of taking it easy because of an injury left me hungry for full-on dance. While the brief healing routines I did felt right, my brain also craved the endorphins from fully aerobic dancing. Yesterday, I got back to it, keeping my movements small while dancing Synchronicity with Debbie Lee van Ginkel and then today getting a little bigger doing Alchemy with Kellie Chambers.
Holy smokes! So so so good. Nia has become a mental health thing as well as a physical health thing. They are so intertwined for me now.
I am coming up on my one-year anniverary of Nia white belt training, a week embedded in dance. I found it transformative. Because I’d spent a few years dancing Nia, I think I felt the training in deep ways. It’s a body-mind-heart-soul thing.
I’ve been writing regularly about this (almost) daily dance practice since last August, and I get a little evangelical about it. There are lots of opportunities to take the white belt training all over the world. For those willing to make the trek to Eugene, Oregon, Kellie and Debbie Lee are offering it here in April. Here’s a link: https://kelliechambers.com/workshops
I’ve had many mentors across several disciplines over the years. Kellie and Debbie Lee rank among the most meaningful because they helped me be aware of what’s going on in me physically and mentally. The helped me learn how to dance my dance. I treasure that experience.
Susan Palmer's Exquisite Now 