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Dialogue with my muse |
| I have been carrying on a dialogue for almost a year. During this time we have discussed the progress of my writing, editing, and publishing efforts. Join in to listen to our conversation about my daily writing life and add your comments if you think of anything Calliope and I miss. |
| JOE: Good morning Calliope. CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. What's this about blog police? JOE: I post my blog on a number of sites as you know. CALLIOPE: Yes. JOE: We are in the habit of discussing writing, publishing, marketing and sales. One site apparently took exception to my mentioning Booklocker as a place where I might get my next book published as a free e-book. CALLIOPE: How did they take exception? JOE: By removing my blog mentioning the idea. CALLIOPE: That seems a bit extreme. JOE: I thought so too, but I suppose everyone has their rules. CALLIOPE: So how to you plan to handle it? JOE: I think I will stop posting my blog there and notify my associates of the change. CALLIOPE: How do you feel about these developments? JOE: I wasn't sure how much people cared about my blog with you. CALLIOPE: And? JOE: It's nice to know I stirred up some reaction. Talk with you tomorrow. |
| JOE: Good morning Calliope. CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today? JOE: Feeling energetic for the first time in over a week. My head is clear, I can breathe and the wheels are turning in my head. CALLIOPE: Glad to hear it. Were you able to work yesterday? JOE: I was gone until early afternoon to a funeral and reception. After that I felt energetic and got to work on our book, Conversations with Calliope: A Writer's Year With his Muse. At least that's the working title. CALLIOPE: I'm honored. How far did you get? JOE: I made all the entries for the whole year. Now I am going back to make sure I didn't miss any and am also revising the format for consistency. CALLIOPE: What are your plans for this book? JOE: I plan to approach Booklocker with it. They will publish writing related e-books without a setup charge. CALLIOPE: Sounds good. JOE: I think so. CALLIOPE: What's after that? JOE: Good question. I have some ideas. I'll elaborate when we talk tomorrow. |
| JOE: Good morning Calliope. CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. I'm Greek not Roman. I think your title is Latin though. JOE: You're right. It means blank slate. CALLIOPE: How did it get to be in today's title? JOE: I arrived at the computer this morning without anything particular on my mind and thought it apt. CALLIOPE: I agree. What's up today? JOE: I am leaving for a funeral shortly. CALLIOPE: Someone you know? JOE: Not really. It is the mother of Carol's brother's sister in law. CALLIOPE: Do you know the family? JOE: Yes, from family gatherings. CALLIOPE: So you are not directly involved? JOE: No, but death and funerals have made me sit up and take notice more than in the past as I get older. CALLIOPE: What personal meaning does it have for you. JOE: It's a reminder to make good use of whatever time if have left to me. Talk with you tomorrow. |
| JOE: Good morning Calliope. CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today? JOE: On the mend finally. This cold just doesn't seem to want to let go. CALLIOPE: What's up today? JOE: Plenty. I have a full schedule and hope I have energy for it all. CALLIOPE: For example? JOE: I have yoga class at 10:30, lunch with a writer friend at 12:00, my daughter coming for help preparing her taxes at 2:30 and a funeral home to visit tonight. CALLIOPE: Is that it? JOE: No. I have some calls to make in between. CALLIOPE: Any time for writing today? JOE: I might be able to work on our book for a while. CALLIOPE: How far are you? JOE: I have finished our conversations through July. CALLIOPE: That sounds good. JOE: I'm glad I am this far. I try to work on one month each day. It should be finished next week, or at least the draft should. Talk with you tomorrow after I catch my breath. |
| JOE: Good morning Calliope. CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. I hope you are feeling better today. JOE: I am. Thank you. CALLIOPE: Any developments over the weekend? JOE: I felt well enough to attend the Jersey Boys concert yesterday. CALLIOPE: Sounds like fun. JOE: That's what I thought. I went to relax and be entertained. CALLIOPE: And? JOE: I also had a chance to think about life and its vicissitudes. CALLIOPE: How so? JOE: The show traced the development of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons from their struggle for survival in a rough New Jersey neighborhood through their struggles on the way to fame and fortune. CALLIOPE: They finally made it? JOE: Yes, but even their success brought them further challenges. It reminded me that to be successful, I can never give up and in success more challenges await. CALLIOPE: Interesting findings from a show. JOE: I thought so and was happy to have the reminders. Talk with you tomorrow. |
| JOE: Good morning Calliope. CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today? JOE: Hanging on by a thread. I keep hoping to be recovered from my cold but it won't seem to let go. CALLIOPE: Sorry to hear it. That must be a drag. JOE: It is. Looking back over the week, I'm glad to have accomplished anything. CALLIOPE: Not a stellar week? JOE: Sometimes survival is a feat. CALLIOPE: Any plans for today. JOE: Tentative ones at best. I have managed some chapters of our new book, based on our blogs together. Maybe I can continue working on it. CALLIOPE: Don't push yourself. Sometimes it's best to relax and let nature take its course. JOE: Sound advice. I don't have too many expectations. However I will be ready for any energy which passes my way. CALLIOPE: Take care of yourself. JOE: I will. Talk with you on Monday. |
| JOE: Good morning Calliope. CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you? JOE: Still a little foggy from my cold. My mind has been active though. CALLIOPE: What's stirring up there? JOE: I thought about the column I just posted, Lessons from a Nude Beach and had an aha moment. CALLIOPE: Which was? JOE: I have been thinking about a website consisting of a playground for ideas. That's about as far as I got. CALLIOPE: Until today? JOE: Yes. I realized my ideas would be happier on a beach than on a playground. CALLIOPE: What led you to that conclusion? JOE: Maybe it's because I would be happier on a beach than on a playground. CALLIOPE: Any other thoughts? JOE: I realize life originated from the sea. What better place than a beach for ideas to germinate? They could write in the sand, swim or just bask in the sun. CALLIOPE: All true. JOE: I'll work on it some more and let you know what develops. Talk with you tomorrow. |
JOE: Good morning Calliope. CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today? JOE: A little better than yesterday. I am holding my own in a struggle with the first cold I have had in ages. CALLIOPE: I hope you win. JOE: So do I. CALLIOPE: I am anxious to know how you resolved your difficulty with your column yesterday. JOE: First I had to figure out what the problem was. CALLIOPE: Did you? JOE: Yes. I had several distinct ideas which refused to communicate with each other and form a coherent piece. CALLIOPE: That is a problem. What did you do about it? JOE: I wrote as much as I could. When I realized I was getting nowhere, I put aside the column to let it percolate while I worked on other projects. CALLIOPE: So what happened? JOE: I trusted the process which I have used before. Later in the day, the connections appeared and the ideas started working together. CALLIOPE: To what do you owe the honor? JOE: To you, I expect. Thanks for the inspiration. Talk with you tomorrow. |
| JOE: Good morning Calliope. CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today? JOE: Okay, I guess. I went all winter without a cold and today I am struggling with one. My head is a little foggy today. CALLIOPE: Will it slow you down? JOE: I think it already has. CALLIOPE: Tell me about it. JOE: Yesterday I was working on my column for this Saturday. I talked with you about the idea last week, "Lessons from a Nude Beach." CALLIOPE: Yes? JOE: I thought it would be an easy column to write. I had a few clear ideas in my mind and thought I could compose a coherent column with ease. CALLIOPE: Not the case? JOE: No. I found the ideas harder to put into words than I realized and ended up with some disconnected observations which did not form a coherent piece. CALLIOPE: How did it end up? JOE: It didn't. At least not yet. I decided to put it aside and work on it today. CALLIOPE: Is it still waiting? JOE: I think of it as aging or marinating. I will get it out when we are finished and see whether I can pull it together. I'll let you know the results tomorrow. Talk with you then. |
| JOE: Good morning Calliope. CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. What's this about a journey? I thought you just got back from a trip. JOE: I did. This time you're invited. CALLIOPE: Oh? JOE: Actually we already took the trip. I am planning a book about our exploits in writing over the past year. CALLIOPE: What do you plan to do with it? JOE: I am working on an e-book documenting our conversations over the course of a year. CALLIOPE: Sounds interesting. How did you settle on this project? JOE: Booklocker has an interest in writing related books. I thought it might be a good place for us to hang out. CALLIOPE: How will you organize it? JOE: Right now I don't think I will. I see it as documenting the day to day adventures in writing and publishing for people who wonder what the writing life is about. CALLIOPE: I like the idea. I guess I have never thought about the progress of our work together. JOE: Neither have I. But I think we might both learn something about the process of writing. CALLIOPE: Maybe it will suggest some new directions. JOE: Perhaps. In any case I am looking forward to the adventure. |
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Hope they like snow! 
I just tell them to go get a life...
It's a sunshiny 24 here at the moment; 19 in Buffalo.