Let the Great Move Begin
Querying, reading, dev. editing, and guitar
Seattle, Here We Come
It’s official. We have secured a place to live, near the Univ. of Washington, near Magnuson Park and Lake Washington. Water is in my future! That means, boats.
Our little Dachshund, Herman, not the cute one above (ours is cuter), is not fond of city noise and traffic. Fortunately, we will be near the park and there is a large off-leash area and an off-lease dog beach as well! Those are the most important features for this move. Now we just have to cart in some sunshine and heat to the PNW - one thing at a time.
This move will mark the completion of living in every region of the continental United States - Los Angeles/San Diego, New Mexico, Kansas, (back to San Diego), Connecticut, (Santa Cruz area briefly), Atlanta area, and next Seattle. It’s a giant X with Kansas in the middle.
I’ve not spent much time in the deep South (still haven’t touch Florida or North Carolina) nor in the upper Midwest (not Michigan nor Minnesota, except for a stop at the airport). And somehow I missed Vermont entirely even though we lived in Connecticut. But I have spent a considerably amount of time in and around all other places I’ve lived. I think there’s enough there to write a few more books.
We will leave Hades (i.e. the Hot South) at the end of August.
A-Querying I Will Go
My query letter is in better shape than it’s ever been, thanks to some professional help. It still isn’t “brief” as was suggested by the agents at the conference, but it’s only one page. The “summary” of the book takes up just as much room as it must.
As I look back at my book and learn more, I still think the book is in good shape. There are a few changes I’m contemplating, but that will change the book drastically. Still, they may be improvements. If I don’t get any movement by the end of the year, I’ll revisit this book for changes, especially to parts 3 and 5.
Until then, it’s query query query.
Reading with George Saunders
In addition to writing, I’ve been reading a lot. I'm participating in Story Club with George Saunders - an amazing experience in kindness, intellectual curiosity, and the study of the short story, in a large forum with many many people involved.
I’ve come to George Saunders a bit late, but I’m reading everything I can by him. I’m reading his work in chronological order. Right now I’m reading The Braindead Megaphone, a collection of nonfiction essays from the early 2000s. A different time, indeed.
If you get a chance, look up a George Saunders story and be amazed! It’s fun, exciting, and pokes you right in the feels, too.
Developmental Editing in my Future?
Long ago, when I was between acts in my life, I invested in myself. I bought some tutorial books and software and learned Macromedia products, my first forays into making web pages and automated learning systems. That investment, about $1500 back in the mid-1990s, led to a 17-year career in web design, development, and management.
Now, at a similar crossroads but with a load of experience under my belt and a completely changed world, I’m taking classes in developmental editing. It’s a bit different than my work with students, but it is in the realm of helping writers improve their writing. It deals with texts and about improving those texts. At this stage, I’m learning a lot, and I’m a bit nervous about this freelance business (how to market myself, the crowded field, etc. etc. ), but it may prove complementary to my efforts as a writer. I’d like to be able to stick with it long enough to give it a good try before the monies dry up.
Guitar Lessons - Part Deux
For the past 2 years, I have been learning guitar. I’m finally able to make music, but I’ve reached a plateau. I have a few bad habits, but on the whole, I’ve made good progress and kept those bad habits to a minimum. But I’m unsure how to get to the next level.
Enter guitar lessons. Through the JustinGuitar website, I’ve located official sanctioned teachers. I had one teacher on Zoom about a year ago, but it wasn’t a great fit. I thought I’d try again. Since most of my learning has been through the JustinGuitar website, this new teacher, Richard, will know exactly where I am in the process and help me improve! I’m excited. Between my commitments to reading and writing and learning music, I’m finding the ways to stay sane in this frequently crazy world.
Next week, we’ll be back to discussing memoir and sharing stories from my book.
Until then, happy summer everyone. For me, I’ll . . .
Just keep writing!