No, this isn't about Kim Jung Not-doing-so-well. Although I've been thinking of a post about him and those wacky North Koreans who seem stuck in the 1950s mind set.
This is about future planning. With somewhat better personal fortunes going forward (although there are forces aligned against us) I'm putting some plans back in place that I had taken off the table earlier this year. I'll be attending Confluence this year. I'm not on the program, but a bunch of really good people are. And there are several friends I like to catch up with. Plus, they have excellent programming, and are very literary (and Filk) focused. Maybe this year I'll get up and do a poetry reading.
Another event I had taken off the "wants to go" list when the day thing went to 32 hour weeks, and now is back on the list is Viable Paradise. I have a good 8000 words out to send, and with the feedback from Hasting Point Writers ::waves at everybody:: I can make it an excellent submission. The price still has me worried. Without sharing a room, it'll be a little north of $2000, and I seem to remember in the past they had rooms for four people, but rereading their site it looks like two people (or a very familiar three) in a room. I wanted to apply for the past three years and just never had it together enough. I really wanted to last year but found myself without 8000 words that weren't in submission and being a little scared about money. The teaching group is the same this year, so it feels like the universe is giving me a second go at it. And when the big U does that, one should listen.
There's also ConClave again this year. It's the weekend at the end of the week that VP is running. So if I get into VP, I don't think I could swing it. After than there's the Feral Writers Retreat at the end of the same month. If things keep going the way they are, if I don't get into VP, but get invited to the Feral Writers again, then I'll have to decide (as that much time off in one month probably won't happen, of course I could be wrong). With my determination going strong I'd be more favorable to Feral Writers, although I had a great time last year at ConClave with both old and new friends.
All this is contingent on the day job going strong (I believe I'm showing my value to the company still). The night thing has it's own issues. There are those forces aligned against us (like $560 in car bills for regular maintenance, brake pads and tires, and another $120 to spend in three weeks for the 100,000 mile maintenance). We're doing some work outside this year, so cash is flowing for that as well. Last month we went through an obscene amount of money, and this month looks about the same.
So there it is.
Today, Chapter 11, start of Act II, came rushing on me. It's almost as action packed as the first chapter, and we get to see just what a cold-hearted SOB Santana is. As he'll say later, "They don't pay me. They guy that does expects me to be this way." Just realized (Sha-Blam-ski!) what they'll get out of it (other than plot movement, what they had to do given the situation, but could be seen as violence for violence sake. It also solves another plot bunny. So probably 300-600 words came tumbling out over lunch. Keep it up little brain. Keep driving me on, oh Muse.
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