Scene Break September 2023
September 30, 2023
SEPTEMBER SCENE BREAK
UPDATE ON MY NOVEL
This round of edits is moving along at a wicked pace. I have found a great critique partner. She is up to about chapter 12 as of this writing, and I'm on 35, but she will catch up, I'm sure. My critique partner is also a writer, but her book isn't finished. I give her notes on whatever she sends my way. Sometimes it's stories, other times it's poetry. She also sends me scenes from her work in progress. She is a great writer, and I trust her judgment. I will probably need to review the manuscript at least once more to fine-tune it before I begin querying agents, but I am so much closer!
POETRY
I sent my publisher, Lachlan, ten more poems to include in Hand Me Downs, the poetry book about family that he will publish in July of 2024. I have a third completed book of poetry. So far, I've submitted it to two publishers a little closer to home. Not because I don't like Lachlan. I do, he's great. I just want to see if I can get a publisher in North America. I'm hoping the third book will be available in 2025, regardless.
Recently, I've been involved in a free online poetry course called ModPo. That stands for Modern and Contemporary Poetry. It's been going on for 12 years; this is my second year. I'm getting much more out of it this year than before because I'm participating in the TA office hour chats on Zoom. It's offered through Kelly Writers House in Philadelphia. It's a blast, and if you like poetry, I highly recommend ModPo. Always online, always free. Find it here. https://www.coursera.org/
WHAT I'M READING
I am back to The Wind's Twelve Quarters/The Compass Rose by Ursula K Le Guin. That is two short story collections bound into one fat book. I read several of the stories, put it aside, and read something else, then return to the stories. I have less than 200 pages to read this time, so I'll finish it before moving on. I'm in the second part of the combo, The Compass Rose part. Ursula is my favorite author, overtaking Margaret Atwood a few years ago. And they were good friends.
PUBLICATIONS SINCE LAST SCENE BREAK
Prefixes, on September 13 (composed in the 1970s) https://subliminal.surgery/
My Face is a Force of Nature in DOR issue 4. Download the journal for free or purchase from the publisher. https://lachlanjmcdougall.wordpress.com/
MEANDERINGS
I have only one entry this month for Meanderings. I've been so busy with appointments and writing and ModPo I haven't taken the time. The month has flown by! That one entry is about my move. I hope you read and enjoy it.
WHAT I'VE LEARNED SO FAR
I wasn't sure what I would write for this section until I added all the money I'd spent on Submittable so far in 2023. I'm embarrassed to say how much it is. I've made a little bit of money this year with my writing, but with the Submittable fees and the costs of business cards, bookmarks, and other things, I'd declare a loss if I had a true business. Recently, I started looking specifically for places to submit that don't require fees. I will continue along that path. I am now keeping a ledger of my expenses and the money I make with my writing. Hopefully, my income will increase with time, though I am realistic. I will never be rich.
STAR TREK
Lower Decks has returned for the new season, and of course, it's hilarious. They drop so many easter eggs I'd have to watch the episode a dozen times to catch them all. It's easier to watch the YouTube show called Trek Culture. Sean points them all out on his show.
In my regular round of watching, I'm in the last season of DS9. I think this 7th season is great in one aspect because Sisko comes to accept his role as Emissary, but overall, it's my least favorite season, maybe because of the turn of events with Kai Winn and Ducat. Also, if Sisko truly accepted his fate, he wouldn't have married Cassidy—just my opinion.
And then there are the Short Short Treks that are not canon. And they are strange for the most part. The hologram one that Aaron Waltke made is kinda cute, but the others are stupid. These are for the 50th anniversary of TAS (The Animated Series.)
Now that the writer's strike is over, hopefully, the actors will settle things soon, and production can start again.
OTHER TV
What's that? Seriously, I haven't watched anything else lately. I'm in a TV rut, I guess.
TODAY'S CARD
I have a new deck. Whenever I say I am not going to buy another deck, I see one I can't resist. The card is from "Tarot in Pandemic and Revolution," published by Nomadic Press. I ordered it from Black Lawrence Press. The author is Adrian Arias, with poetry and art from 62 visual artists and poets, along with somewhat traditional Tarot card descriptions. This deck is truly a one-of-a-kind work of art. So far, I haven't written anything with these cards, but I've pulled one for the past two mornings. The deck also had three new original cards not found in other decks: The Handprint, The Heart, and The Mother.
Check out all my publications here: https://linktr.ee/monaiv