Making Moves: "Electric Lady" by Janelle Monae

2017 has been a year of 'making moves' for me. Seriously, there has been major changes on just about every front for me: mental, physical, financial, career, family.... truly change seems to be the only constant. Well....change and creativity. I swear it has been my writing and art that has gotten me through many a dark day.

My friends have also been absolute pillars of support. I want to give special shout outs to Gerry Walker, Gina Fluharty, Delilah Marvelle, Jessica Smith, Jessa Slade, Mary Buckham, EJ Russell, and the folks at The Clockwork Rose Tea Emporium  for helping me remain sane by listening to my crazy ideas / stories and for occasionally sharing tiny cakes (Clockwork Rose, Jessa, Jessie, & Delilah), words of wisdom (Gerry, Mary, & EJ), and bottles of gin (Gina, of course).

I am most thankful for my mentor, Pat Adamosky. Pat is the reason I now live in Oregon. He brought me back into the electrical industry after being gone for about a year. He has had faith in my abilities from day one and seen more talent in me than I often see in myself. Pat is the sanity check in my chaotic career and the biggest cheerleader a budding entrepreneur could ever hope for. We just had a lovely dinner at Bethany's Table and I have a ton to think about, but in Pat's words:

"It won't be easy, but we're going to have fun."

So true, my friend...so TRUE! 

Now to dust off my MBA business plan and get busy. More to come as things develop.

Peace & Love!

"Electric Lady" by Janelle Monae

I relate to Ms. Monae's music on so many levels.....from her love of dance and thick rhythms to her musical sci-fi styled storytelling.... she is the embodiment of Afrofuturism. LOVE. HER.

"Wearing tennis shoes or in flats or in stilettos, Illuminating all that she touches, eye on the sparrow, A modern day Joan of her Arc..."

Me in my old office....so glad to be outta there....

Edits: "Runnin' Down A Dream" by Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers

One word...EDITS

Well....let me edit that....Two words: EDITS SUCK.

Any author will tell that the 'fun part' is planning and writing the first draft. The blank page is full of possibilities and you're gleefully putting your characters through story and emotional arc hell as you pound through adding words NaNoWriMo style for weeks on end.

Surely my first draft was perfect, right? All ready to 'just hit send' to be published and sell loads of copies. RIGHT?

NOPE.

The 'real work' comes when it's time to edit.... Usually it's little things like...ya know...a plot....or character depth or burning continuity questions like 'What happened to the dog that saved the little girl in Act 2? Where'd he go?' and 'Why did her hair change from short to long in the sixteenth chapter?'

Back in February, I hired my first real editor - Jessa Slade at Red Circle Ink - for a mix of story and copy edits. Jessa is my kind of straight-shooter-editor. The name of her company isn't a lie...there were many red circles and loads of red ink on my manuscript...well not literally since Jessa uses MS Word Track Changes, but the metaphor still applies. Her overall comments letter alone was ten-pages long - TEN single-spaced, twelve point, Times Roman font long AND she liked and enjoyed my story! (Just think what I would've gotten back if she hated it. Well, I guess 'hate' is a strong word....Jessa probably doesn't 'hate' anything she reads...just sees room for improvements. Ha!)

Anyhow, Jessa gave me loads of things to think about with regards to my world building and character development. It took me a few weeks just to answer all of the questions she raised in her comments letter. Now I'm slogging my way through her specific Track Changes comments in my manuscript compile like Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang going up a humungo hill. Life is bogging down my progress, but I can already tell that my work is stronger from the effort.

Dreams are hard work but I'm used to doing tough things. And just like any hill, eventually you reach the peak and coast on a downward slope. I just hope my Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang sprouts its wings so I can soar to publication.  :D

"Runnin' Down A Dream" by Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers

I have to admit that my all time favorite Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers video is the Alice in Wonderland themed "Don't Come Around Here No More." But then again, I'm a sucker for anything Alice in Wonderland or Frankenstein themed (especially Bride of Frankenstein).

The driving guitars and 'oh-oooohhhhss' slay me every time! Add the trippy dream like graphics to the mix and you end up with one hell of an ear worm with optics to boot.

Now back to my edits....

I'm runnin' down a dream...workin' on a mystery, goin' where ever it leads...

Ready for fun in the sun and volunteer booth duty at the Lake Oswego Arts Festival.