So many creative things going on!

The biggest, for me, is that after several years away from novel writing, I an returning to finish my magnum opus.  I have heard the cries of my beta readers, who received only 2/3s of the high fantasy novel and am determined to finish the first draft this year.  Hopefully, this winter.

It is the fantastical tale of a woman of our world and time swept away to an alternate Earth after her death.  A world where magic and the Fey are real, but people are still people, and power brings out the worst in us.  Kind of Gail Z Martin meets a really weird dream I had about elves….

Next is that I will be directing Reliving Marilyn, a retrospective drama by Morgan Blackbyrne, and starring Nadine Banville.

I am hoping to redirect my energies to my writing and painting this year, after 2 years of almost nothing.  So I have pulled out the old scripts and first drafts, reopened the inspirational books, like On Writing by Stephen King, and Techniques of the Selling Writer.

And I am finding an extension cord so I can plug in a heater by my attic desk, digging out a low cal nibble to chew on ruminatively, I find that I have over a dozen scripts, novels and short stories to finish.  This could take a while.  But with the inspiration of music by Heather Dale, and my friend Jamieson Wolf getting the #1 bestselling poetry book spot (pause for cheering), I am ready to tackle the pile of paper.

And just to keep you all tuned in, I have a surprise coming up soon that involves one of these lovely people.

Some time off preproduction for… other work.

So September vanished under under helping a close friend finish up 5 years worth of back taxes, canning 40-60lbs of tomatoes, harvesting the garden, and filling out endless reams of paper for a Canada Arts Council grant application.

During September, I also started a new business; Laurie’s Ultimate Goods, selling spices, creams and salves.  All handmade by me, using all natural ingredients.  I had my field test at Music in the Pines where I sold $100 or 1/3 of my stock by just setting up a table outside my tent.

I guess there’s a market for spices made without fillers, preservatives and dyes.  And for face creams so clean you could eat them.

Then came October, more back taxes and HST reports, the Ontario Arts Council grant application, (which of course was different than the one from last month), and the realization that I had booked myself for 2 days of craft fairs on Nov 2nd.  The day after the OAC application was due.  And I have very little stock, no business cards or pamphlets, two craft fairs wanted free samples (in a gift bag or basket) to give away…

AND  NaNoWriMo starts Nov 1st.  I am hoping to use Nano to force me to write a detailed (50,000 words of detail) outline for my Avalon film.  Or novel.  A novel may be much easier than all the wardrobe and makeup and location and crew and actors and food…

Oh shit.  I forgot to send out the deal memo for Reliving Marilyn to our DOP.

So much for time off, maybe in December?