tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-119058802024-03-07T16:35:50.180-08:00Medusa's MuseTransforming chaos into art, over and over again.Renahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15911608453762091207noreply@blogger.comBlogger386125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11905880.post-69285976786778041472012-10-04T14:57:00.001-07:002012-10-04T14:57:45.860-07:00New Website for Medusa's Muse<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Medusa's Muse has moved to a brand new website:<a href="http://www.medusasmuse.com/"> www.medusasmuse.com</a><br />
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Click the link for all the latest news, blog posts, and updates on your favorite Medusa's Muse authors. Buy books, order a t-shirt, or send a submission. The press is open for submissions again and is actively seeking new authors.<br />
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Thanks for your continued support of Medusa's Muse</div>
Renahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15911608453762091207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11905880.post-52422761738337849172012-05-22T09:36:00.001-07:002012-05-22T09:36:06.806-07:00Word Press - The newest Medusa experiment<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I am slowly combining the Medusa's Muse website and blog into one and am switching to Word Press. Here is the link to the new site: http://www.medusasmuse.wordpress.com<br />
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The site is evolving as I learn new tricks and play with design. For now, I won't be posting at the Blogpress site. If the change doesn't work, I'll return to the old format, but I'm really enjoying learning Wordpress and all the options it provides.<br />
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Thank you for following me here at Blogger. I hope you'll join me at the new site and give me some feedback.<br />
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Cheers.</div>Renahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15911608453762091207noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11905880.post-3317964209859025272012-03-15T13:01:00.001-07:002012-03-15T13:01:47.045-07:00When did a 120 page play become too long?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
"The theater, the theater... what's happened to the theater?" sang Danny Kaye in <i>White Christmas</i>.<br />
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That's what I asked myself when my full length play, <i>The Guru</i>, was accepted as a possible addition to a theater company's Fall production line-up. The Artistic Director loved the play, and gave me wonderful, positive feedback that made me feel like a <u>real</u> playwright. "You're really good at this," she wrote.<i> </i><br />
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<i>Thank you, thank you... yes I am... (blush, giggle, swelling of pride). </i></div>
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"Just one thing, though..."</div>
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<i>Uh oh.</i></div>
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"The play is too long. It should be no more than 100 pages. Less is better."</div>
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Too long? When did a two-act, 120 page comedy become too long? That equals one hour for each act. Hell, have you read a Shakespeare play? Those things are three-acts and take three-and-a-half-hours to perform. Your butt could fall off from lack of blood flow by the end of Act 2! </div>
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When I was getting my undergrad in Drama at San Francisco State University in the 1990's, a play was typically a little over two hours long: two acts with a fifteen minute intermission. If you left a theater in less than two-and-a-half hours you felt cheated. Who pays $30.00 for a 90 minute show? Ridiculous! You'd have people bad-mouthing your production as low budget and god forbid,<u> amateur</u>. </div>
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But that was 20 years ago. Now, people want to see a show in less than 2 hours.</div>
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I asked a friend who teaches playwriting at a college and she confirmed that plays do need to fit within 2 hours, including intermission. But she also said for every rule, there's an exception. Some plays are much longer, and she reminded me about <i>Angels in America</i>, which is the equivalent of three, 3-Act plays and is usually performed over two days. That play won the Pulitzer in 1993.<br />
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Then she encouraged me to take another look at my play and see where the language could be tightened up. "It's an opportunity to revise your play and really make it shine."<br />
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So I did. I read and re-read my play, chopping out whole sections of dialogue. I looked for anything that slowed down the pace. A farce really should have quick and witty language and lots of action. After a week of hard work, I had the page count down to 115 pages.<br />
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Shit.<br />
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Calling my friend again, I begged for help. I'd been working on <i>The Guru</i> for five years and had lost all perspective. I needed someone with an ax to chop my play. She agreed to try.<br />
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With her help, I got my play down to 98 pages. The process was as challenging as crossing a busy street under blindfold during grad school, because I was afraid one cut would unravel the whole plot. But by chopping so many pages, I think my play is cleaner and the humor more precise. I think revising for length helped me see it with clearer eyes and a better understanding of how to write comedy.<br />
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I sent it back to the theater company and now I wait to see if a director picks it up. Man I hope my play is fine just as it is because after all these years of hard work, I'm sick of the damn thing.<br />
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Why have plays gotten shorter? Hasn't everything? Movies, books, albums... full-course dinners. It's just the times we live in and I'm not going to debate if this is a bad thing. We had long attention spans in the so-called "olden days" because there was less to grab our attention. Now we have so much to choose from it's hard to stay focused on one thing. Is that bad? Lots of experts seem to think so. But revising with the knowledge that we need to hold a reader's shorter attention span encourages us to write with precision. Our characters need to show themselves through action and word, not backstory. A little exposition goes a long way. You really have to make every word count. Notice I said <u>revising</u>. Don't worry about it during the writing of your play or story, just write the absolute best story you can create. Then take an ax to it during editing; you need an ax, not a scalpel anymore. "Kill your darlings" has never needed to be more bloody than today. </div>
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</div>Renahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15911608453762091207noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11905880.post-38758901733309438212012-03-06T21:04:00.001-08:002012-03-06T21:04:08.318-08:00Should I sell my soul to Amazon for book sales?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
After months of research, pondering, more research and more pondering, I've decided it is time to make all of the books I publish available on the Kindle.<br />
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Why does that decision make me feel icky?<br />
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Amazon.com <a href="http://www.fonerbooks.com/booksale.htm">sells the most book</a>s of any other book retailer anywhere, and that includes other on-line retailers. Part of the reason they sell so many books is because of their Kindle, which they've spent millions of dollars on developing and marketing. It paid off. According to Amazon, they sell over a <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2011/12/15/technology/amazon_kindle_sales/index.htm">million Kindles a week</a>. That's a lot of readers hungry for new books they can read on their new toy. Stories of writers selling thousands of copies of Kindle versions of their book are all over the net, the most famous being <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424052970204770404577082303350815824-lMyQjAxMTAxMDAwOTEwNDkyWj.html?mod=wsj_share_email">Darcie Chan</a> who sold 400,000 copies of her e-book via Amazon before she was picked up by a "traditional" publisher.<br />
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It makes logical sense to publish via the Amazon Kindle. E-books are the future, and the Kindle is the current leading device. Two-thirds of people in the US who buy e-books <a href="http://bangordailynews.com/2011/05/19/living/amazon-says-e-book-sales-surpass-printed-books/">buy them from Amazon</a>. Plus, I would save money on print costs. The books are already formatted to be turned into e-books because my book designer uses InDesign and the files are then sent to a digital printer. So all I have to do is contact Amazon, finish the submission process and upload the files.<br />
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I feel like I'm selling my soul to the devil in exchange for book sales.<br />
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Medusa's Muse is struggling to survive. I am determined that she will. We have a new book in development and our previous titles are selling well. The overall book sales aren't great, but the numbers are steady, with a few copies of each book being sold every month. However, the overhead costs of running a book publishing company have increased, so to help my press create quality books and then be able to market those books, I need to increase sales. E-books are potentially the best way to do that.<br />
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Okay, okay... I'll just have to get over the nausea I feel every time I start to submit a book to Kindle. I wish Amazon wasn't such a backstabbing, money-grubbing, bastard of a company. If you want to stay in business, you have to deal with Amazon.<br />
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Don't tell them I said they are a bastard of a company; I shouldn't piss off the devil before I bargain for my soul.</div>Renahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15911608453762091207noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11905880.post-52173432914211722142012-02-27T08:01:00.000-08:002012-02-27T08:01:24.535-08:00Finished with taxes: back to writing! (with a plug for my book)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
My muse suddenly appeared in my living room where I was dusting, making me shriek with surprise. She was dressed like a jewel adorned <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_Laveau">Marie Laveau</a>, complete with multicolored Mardi Gras beads.<br />
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"Is it true? Are you finished with your taxes?" she asked.<br />
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"Look at you. How was Mardi Gras?"<br />
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"Great. Wonderful. Tons of fun. Don't deflect the question. Are you finished?"<br />
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Setting my dusting cloth on the table, I said, "Yes. I'm finished. Well... mostly."<br />
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"Mostly?"<br />
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"I still have to go to HR Block and get the forms filled out, but I'm finished with my part: the receipts and a profit/loss statement."<br />
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"Then you're done!"<br />
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"Yes."<br />
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"Thank all the goddesses!" She spun around in a happy little circle, making the beads swish and clatter as they rubbed together. A few sparkling strands fell onto the floor.<br />
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I laughed. "I guess you're happy."<br />
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"Happy? Happy?" She grabbed my hands and swung me around until we were both laughing and dizzy like two small children on the play ground. Then we plopped on the couch to catch our breaths.<br />
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Adjusting a few errant strands of beads, my muse said, "Does that mean we can get back to your play?"<br />
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"Yep."<br />
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She sighed deeply, as if she was smelling a field of wild roses. "At last." Then she jumped up, grabbed my hand, and hauled me to standing. "Come on! We have work to do."<br />
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As she pulled me toward the bedroom where my laptop waited, I asked, "Now?"<br />
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"Yes now."<br />
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"But what about the dusting?"<br />
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"Dusting can wait. Writing is more important."<br />
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No wonder my house is always a mess.<br />
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In Jan 2009 I wrote a post explaining what a Profit and Loss statement is. </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><i>And what is a Profit and Loss Statement? In a nutshell, a profit and loss statement is the end of the year report of your business that shows how much you've earned (profit) and how much you spent (lost). This is what you need to show the IRS when you file your taxes, as well as show your city for you business license, your bank when you need a loan, or anyone else who needs proof that you really do have a business and didn't just put up a pretty sign that says so. </i></span></div>
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Here's <a href="http://medusasmuse.blogspot.com/2009/01/profit-and-loss-statements-can-be-so-um.html">the link to that post</a></div>
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For more detailed information about record keeping and managing your writing and publishing business, get my book, <b>What You Need to Know to Be a Pro: The Business Start-Up guide for Publishers</b>, available from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/What-Business-Start-Up-Guide-Publishers/dp/0979715237/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1330357721&sr=1-1">Amazon</a>, <a href="http://www.powells.com/biblio/61-9780979715235-0">Powells</a>, and your local bookstore (coming soon as an E-Book and to the Kindle)</div>
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<br /></div>Renahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15911608453762091207noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11905880.post-34316766852961361462012-02-19T10:12:00.000-08:002012-02-19T10:13:04.583-08:00Receipts and Whiney Muses<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
"I'm bored," my Muse whines. "When will you be finished?"<br />
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"Taxes take time. I have to get this right," I say.<br />
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"But you're not doing your taxes yet. You're just totaling receipts."<br />
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"These receipts tell me how much money Medusa's Muse has earned."<br />
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"And lost." She slumps into a chair.<br />
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I scowl at her. "Thanks for fixating on the losses."<br />
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"This year hasn't exactly been booming for your press."<br />
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"That will change."<br />
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"You say that every year."<br />
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Ignoring her, I focus on the pile of receipts again. Does the receipt for photocopies go in the supplies pile or the promotion pile?<br />
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My muse kicks my chair. "This press of yours is sucking more than money. It's sucking your creative energy."<br />
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I sigh. "Why do you do this every year?"<br />
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"Do what?"<br />
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"Bitch and moan about the press every time I have to do bookkeeping?"<br />
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"Because there is nothing creative about bookkeeping."<br />
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"True, there isn't. But to be creative I need to also be pragmatic. Bookkeeping keeps the lights on."<br />
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"But it takes too long. Why not hire someone?"<br />
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"Because that would take money, which you so kindly pointed out I don't have."<br />
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She crosses her arms and sulks. "I hate this part of publishing."<br />
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"Everyone does."<br />
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"During the Renaissance, you would have had a patron to take care of all those incidentals. He would have paid your taxes and provided you food and shelter, clothing and entertainment. All of your needs would have been taken care of, simply so you could create brilliant works of art."<br />
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"Talk to Rick." I clip a stack of receipts together and then label them <i>postage</i>.<br />
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"Don't you want to take a break and work on your play?"<br />
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"Yes, I do, but I have to get this done first."<br />
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"But..."<br />
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Swiveling in my chair to face her, I snap, "If you don't stop interrupting me I'll never get this done, which means I'll never get to work on my play."<br />
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She regally stands, looks at me, and in a calm voice says, "Don't forget you have a deadline on your play. You told UPT you'd finish the rewrites this week."<br />
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"I know."<br />
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"I'll leave you to it then." With a toss of her snake tresses, she softly walks from the room.<br />
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Muses!<br />
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Where was I? Crap, I know I have more receipts for travel. Where's the one from the dinner in October?<br />
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<br /></div>Renahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15911608453762091207noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11905880.post-43122349388046896602012-01-30T08:30:00.000-08:002012-01-30T08:30:52.508-08:00Where to get a 1099 Misc form<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Completely forgot to order 1099 forms from the IRS. Sorry Laura, your paperwork is going to be a bit late.<br />
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If you need a 1099 form, you have to order it directly from the IRS. Here is the<a href="http://www.irs.gov/businesses/page/0,,id=23108,00.html"> link </a>to the forms page on the IRS website. Do not print the <u>example</u> you'll find if you search for a 1099 on line. The form must be scannable, so sayeth the all-mighty IRS. If you send them an un-scannable form they will send you a fine. It takes 7-10 days for delivery, but at least the forms are free. And here's <a href="http://www.irs.gov/instructions/index.html">a link</a> to all the instructions you need for the various forms you may file.<br />
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Eventually I'll get the business side of Medusa's Muse more organized. For now, many apologies to my author for once again being late. But at least this year I'll use the right form.<br />
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<br /></div>Renahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15911608453762091207noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11905880.post-65689963510091703132012-01-27T08:07:00.000-08:002012-01-27T08:07:08.141-08:00Taxes, Tribal Blog, and Writing my Play<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I am a member of <a href="http://www.tribalblogs.com/">Tribal Blogs</a>, which is like BlogHer or Blog Frog, but cooler. Today I read a post by guest blogger Jenn Thorson about her experience self-publishing her novel. Really good advice. Here's a snippet and the link to read the rest:<br />
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The purpose of this post isn’t to go into the details of every step of the self-publishing process; there are plenty of great how-to’s on that already.</div>
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But I did want to mention, there are two areas of prep work that can be sticky if you’re not familiar with them in advance. One is formatting the book for print; the other is creating the e-book version.</div>
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In both cases, there are for-fee services available to help you accomplish this nicely. So don’t abandon the dream, if you feel overwhelmed.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Click <a href="http://www.tribalblogs.com/2012/01/24/self-publishing-successfully-setting-those-great-expectations/">HERE</a> to read the entire article on Tribal Blogs.</span></div>
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I promised more info about taxes and writing, so here's a link to a blog post called <a href="http://www.winepressofwords.com/2011/01/how-to-report-book-sales-royalties-on-your-tax-return/">How to Report Book Sales and Royalties</a>. Be sure and scroll down to read the comments section for excellent questions and answers. <b>Wine Press of Words</b> looks like another good blog with tons of advice on publishing, marketing, and social media. </div>
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If you're expecting a royalty statement, your publisher should send you a 1099 Misc before the end of January. You will report that income on Schedule C of your tax return (sorry to wait until the last minute, Laura. I'll give you your statement by Sunday). If you're a publisher, you only include the royalties you <u>paid</u> the author in 2011, not all royalties earned for the year. Typically, there are royalties due from the previous year that don't get paid until later, such as royalties earned in November and December. Your author doesn't pay taxes on those earned royalties, only on the royalties she was actually paid. </div>
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And now for a word on writing... I just finished revising Act 1 of my newest full length play and I am in love. I think about this play constantly, playing scenes over and over in my mind when I'm supposed to be concentrating on writing IEP goals for a student or planning lessons. Is it safe to be so enamored with something you've written? Does it mean I've lost all perspective? Who cares! For now I'm just enjoying the thrill of writing something new and exciting. This play feels like the best thing I've ever written. </div>
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</div>Renahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15911608453762091207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11905880.post-53617149063595738502012-01-25T08:56:00.000-08:002012-03-06T21:05:23.355-08:00It's Tax Time. Do you know where your receipts are?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The H and R Block office has reopened and there are signs all over town announcing deals on tax preparation. That can mean only one thing: it's tax time. The wonderful time of year when we all whimper at the pile of paperwork and forms demanding our immediate attention, realizing we've lost most of our receipts, and we have no idea if we got all of our 1099's and W2's from everyone we worked for. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">This is also an excellent time of year to crack open that expensive bottle of scotch Uncle Jo gave us for Christmas.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">When I was writing <a href="http://www.amazon.com/What-Business-Start-Up-Guide-Publishers/dp/0979715237/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1327510293&sr=1-2">What You Need to Know to Be a Pro</a>, I decided not to include a chapter about taxes because the tax code changes all the time. There is plenty of info throughout the book about keeping track of expenses in preparation of tax season, but I skipped specific info about filing. </span> Instead, I research taxes every year and post my findings on this blog.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"></span><br />
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First, I found this video on<a href="http://www.ehow.com/video_4401134_taxes-being-freelance-writer.html"> ehow</a>. It's more about keeping track of deductions rather than forms, but she explains receipts very well. The presenter in the video has a whole series about Freelance Writing.</div>
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<embed align="TL" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" bgcolor="#000000" flashvars="source=http%3A%2F%2Fcdn-www.expertvillage.com%2Fflash%2Ffreelance-writing-taxes.flv&sourcehd=&demand_site_id=EHWC&demand_page_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ehow.com%2Fvideo_4401134_taxes-being-freelance-writer.html&sitename=ehow.com&demand_content_sourcekey=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ehow.com&skin=http%3A%2F%2Fcdn-i.dmdentertainment.com%2FDMVideoPlayer%2Fplayerskin.swf&embedvars=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ehow.com%2Fservices%2Fvideo%2Fembedvars.html%3Fsource%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fcdn-www.expertvillage.com%252Fflash%252Ffreelance-writing-taxes.flv%26sourcehd%3D%26demand_related%3D0%26skin%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fcdn-i.dmdentertainment.com%252FDMVideoPlayer%252Fplayerskin.swf" height="352" id="mediaPlayerContainer" loop="false" menu="false" name="mediaPlayerContainer" quality="high" scale="noscale" src="http://cdn-i.dmdentertainment.com/DMVideoPlayer/player.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="404" wmode="window"></embed><br />
<a href="http://www.ehow.com/video_4401134_taxes-being-freelance-writer.html" target="_blank">Taxes & Being a Freelance Writer</a> —powered by eHow.com</div>
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And here are a few articles I found this morning. Click the links to read the full article.<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.writing.org/html/a_taxes.htm">Writing.org</a> Taxes for Freelancers</span></b><br />
<br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Did you earn your first income from freelancing last year? If so, you're in for a new adventure: calculating your income and Social Security taxes as a self-employed person.</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The basic principle of paying freelance taxes is simple: You add up your income, deduct your expenses, and transfer the net profit or loss to Line 12, "Business income (or loss)," on Form 1040.</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Unfortunately, what's simple in principle can be complicated in practice. Here are a few guidelines to help you get started:</span></i><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<a href="http://bizfinance.about.com/od/incometax/a/taxeswriters.htm"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Tax Issues for Freelance Writers</span></b></a><br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Here are some tips and strategies for thinking about your taxes. There are special circumstances that apply to freelance writers and other independent professionals, so I will highlight what you need to know to prepare your taxes.</span></i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Being self-employed is quite possibly one of the best tax strategies available today. Unlike being an employee, freelancers are in full control of their financial and tax situation. But independence also comes at a cost. Independent contractors face higher taxes and more record keeping duties than employees.</span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I really like this next article, written by a freelance writer and business expert.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://theblueinkwell.com/taxes-for-the-freelance-writer/">Blue Inkwell</a> Taxes for the Freelance Writer </span></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><i></i></span><br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Setting up shop as a freelance is easy enough. Unfortunately, most novices don’t think about the tax implications of what they’re doing until their first tax season rolls around. Then the questions pour out.</span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><br />
<div style="font-style: italic;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">What do I have to claim?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">How do I deal with 1099s?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">What classifies as a deduction?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Am I supposed to pay quarterly taxes?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I'll keep researching the tax code for 2011 and post what I find here. If you have any helpful articles, post the link in comments.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">And good luck with the receipt hunt. Check your car. I found lots of Medusa receipts in mine.</span></div>Renahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15911608453762091207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11905880.post-50596794546988889202012-01-17T18:44:00.000-08:002012-01-17T18:44:43.255-08:00Say No To SOPA<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtT4CFmHs1OUHsy3JPnDpIvPX-0nTaQk-eNofD0uvlXIra3sKDKkfO5xFQVh9exN4xJQ62OWayERmSCLNNaoPKGwYP8kJjLdUhRLtr_IGcd7IqzeF3sRjSDg4gjM8rnAg-Mmcakw/s1600/SOPA+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="616" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtT4CFmHs1OUHsy3JPnDpIvPX-0nTaQk-eNofD0uvlXIra3sKDKkfO5xFQVh9exN4xJQ62OWayERmSCLNNaoPKGwYP8kJjLdUhRLtr_IGcd7IqzeF3sRjSDg4gjM8rnAg-Mmcakw/s640/SOPA+.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /></div>Renahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15911608453762091207noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11905880.post-84378318920758501582012-01-17T09:45:00.000-08:002012-01-17T09:45:39.430-08:00Fresh Blood<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
There's nothing like fresh blood to get the creative juices flowing again. It feels like Medusa's Muse is off life support, because my dear friend Ibis said, "Yes." Yes, she would love to help me run Medusa's Muse and market our books. Yes, because working for a micro-press sounds "interesting" and she'd like the creative challenge. Yes, because she's willing to work for no pay but lots of perks, like free business cards and twice a year dinners paid by the Muse.<br />
<br />
Last weekend I took my publishing team out to dinner at a new Mexican/Yucatan restaurant. We all had something to celebrate: one birthday, a new book in the works, a new member of the team, and one dearly departed who we honored with a toast. The four of us chatted over a delicious meal and several glasses of wine. Jane, my diligent copy-editor, explained to Ibis about interacting with customers on line. Ibis, my new marketing assistant, nodded and asked questions while taking mental notes. I hope we didn't overwhelm her. Rick, my design director, tossed in a few ideas and mentioned how identifying the right book for the right group of people was key. I mostly sat and listened to the excitement at the table, throwing in my own ideas and thoughts, arguing with Jane over the term "framing the message," reassuring Ibis that I would help her and teach what needed to be done, and smiling at Rick, who really made the whole thing possible. Medusa may have been my dream and I may be the drive that holds the press together, but without his technical expertise, not a single book would have made it into the world.<br />
<br />
Medusa's Muse feels like a brand new company, thanks to fresh blood and fresh energy. Thank you Ibis, for giving us your time and ideas. I think you're going to love book publishing.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>The New and Updated Awesome Staff of Medusa's Muse, 2012</b></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Terena Scott, Publisher/ Editor/Marketing Director</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Jane Mackay, Co-Editor/Copy Editor</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Rick Wismar, Book Designer and I.T Support</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Ibis Klimicek de Villa, Marketing Assistant</div>
</div>Renahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15911608453762091207noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11905880.post-40730744319899859882012-01-10T17:04:00.000-08:002012-01-10T17:04:03.593-08:00Time and Deadlines and Focus<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Time is indeed the enemy. It speeds up then slows down, grows claws, whispers sweet nothings, makes promises, purrs you into sleep, then pulls the rug out from under you, laughing when you fall flat on your ass. No one has been able to control this wild animal; just when you think you've managed it, time learns a new trick and then runs away with the circus.<br />
<br />
The only thing you can hope for is to somehow make friends with this beast, and accept the truth that you'll never really master it. Once you accept that, you can finally relax. So what if you didn't get your entire to-do list finished in one day? The list was probably too long anyway.<br />
<br />
For the past three years, I've been on a deadline. School is nothing but deadlines: exams, papers, internships and classes. And you've got to get it all done in a set period of time, or you just keep paying more and more money.<br />
<br />
I'm good with deadlines, but not so good at managing time.<br />
<br />
I realized this as I was stressing out over getting all my lesson notes for my students caught up before the start of Winter break, while also finishing a book proposal, editing the new Medusa manuscript, and worrying that I hadn't read as many books as I said I would on Goodreads. My daughter was sick, my husband working all the time, the house a mess, and then I suddenly got the wild idea that I should clear out my entire house before the end of the year.<br />
<br />
Self imposed deadlines to drive me frickin insane. I'm good at those.<br />
<br />
I don't usually make New Year's resolutions, but this year I've decided to start. My goal for 2012 is to let go of the deadlines and make peace with time. There is never enough time in one day (or lifetime, I fear) to achieve everything I dream of. I'm one of those people who thrives on constant challenge. Maybe thrive isn't the right word. I compulsively hunt for the next challenge, even if it creates chaos and stress. This year, I told myself "No new challenges." I have plenty right here already.<br />
<br />
The biggest one is Medusa's Muse. It has really struggled while I've been in school, but luckily the press is alive. How much longer will depend on how much time, energy and cash I can give it. We've signed a new book which I'm really excited about, so I need to get this publishing company back in top shape. And I need to breath more marketing energy into our previous books to see how much of a bump in sales we can achieve. I've asked a friend to join the team and help me with marketing; a new perspective will be great.<br />
<br />
The other challenge I have, besides my new job of course, is my own writing. I have a new play to finish and another one I'd like to write. So I've made an early morning appointment with myself, just like if I was going to an exercise class. My daughter catches the bus at 7 AM. Once she's gone, and while still in my PJ's, I'll go into my room with my coffee and write for one hour. I've started doing that this week and it's amazing how much better I feel. I'm no longer wondering when the hell I'll get a chance to write; I know every morning from 7 to 8 I'll be blissfully working on my play. I know it's only an hour a day, but I'm amazed how productive I can be in that brief time.<br />
<br />
Time is tricky, though. I'm like a little kid chasing dandelion fluff sometimes; I am constantly getting sidetracked. I get on the internet to check my mail, and two hours later I've learned about the whales in San Francisco Bay, a good recipe for persimmon pie, who the newest Disney Princess will be, how many of my Facebook friends like Tazo tea, what the next full moon is called, how to refinish an antique chair, and why it hasn't rained in California all winter. I checked one email message and then got distracted as soon as I clicked on a link my friend sent me.<br />
<br />
I am no longer allowing myself to look at the internet before 8 AM.<br />
<br />
Someday I'll learn time management. Maybe. I do pretty good actually, when I take into account everything I have to juggle on a daily basis. But the stress gets too high when I focus only on the to-do list and forget to enjoy my life. Forget to write. Forget to give my press the energy it needs to thrive.<br />
<br />
Focus. That's what I need. So my New Year's resolution is to gain some focus and only give energy to the things already in my life. No more looking for shiny things over the next hill.<br />
<br />
But wait... what's gleaming at the top of that tall mountain? I've never been there before. Maybe if I check out some maps and start hiking a little just to get close enough to see what that shiny thing might be...<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>Renahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15911608453762091207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11905880.post-36246258456398701352011-12-30T19:51:00.000-08:002011-12-30T19:51:40.261-08:00The Constipated Muse<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
My hubby and I ran away from home for Christmas: no cell service, no internet, no family, no stress. Our daughter went to stay with her dad for the holiday, granting us four days of nothing to do but lounge. We spent three nights at a B and B in Westport. Drinking wine in the afternoon and then walking on the beach while our dog ran across the sand was the perfect vacation to wipe away the stress of this hectic year.<br />
<br />
When I returned home from vacation, my muse was waiting for me.<br />
<br />
"Feel better?" she asked when I walked into my room.<br />
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Setting my overstuffed canvas suitcase on the floor, I said, "Yes. Much better. You?"<br />
<br />
"Fine. I'm fine."<br />
<br />
I studied her pursed lips, her folded arms, the snakes twined severely on the back of her head. "You don't look fine."<br />
<br />
"Of course I am. It was a nice break. I'm glad you had fun."<br />
<br />
"What did you do?"<br />
<br />
"Nothing. I decided to stay here and read."<br />
<br />
"Really? I thought you were going up to Alaska to play in the snow."<br />
<br />
"I changed my mind." She reached out and brushed lint from the back of my office chair.<br />
<br />
"Are you sure you're alright?"<br />
<br />
She nodded.<br />
<br />
Shaking my head, I said, "Why don't I believe you?"<br />
<br />
"I'm fine!" she snapped, taking a step away from me.<br />
<br />
"Okay, you're fine. That's why you decided to stay home all alone and read books you've already memorized rather than go play in the snow with Alaskan wolves. And that's why you're holding your body so tight those snakes look like they might break in two if you sneeze."<br />
<br />
She sighed. "I don't want to talk about it."<br />
<br />
"Okay." I bent down and opened my suitcase.<br />
<br />
"You wouldn't understand. It's a muse problem."<br />
<br />
"Alright. We don't have to talk about it."<br />
<br />
Pacing the room, she said, "It's painful and muses find it embarrassing, so we don't talk about it, especially not to our artists."<br />
<br />
"If you say so." I pulled out a pile of mostly dirty clothes and threw them toward the hamper.<br />
<br />
"I doubt you would even understand, but..." She stopped pacing and stared up at the ceiling. "Sometimes, we muses can get... backed up."<br />
<br />
"Backed up?"<br />
<br />
"Yes. Our energy can... get stuck."<br />
<br />
I stood. "Stuck?"<br />
<br />
"Yes. Stuck." Her lips pressed tightly as she stared at me, then she said, "It's very uncomfortable."<br />
<br />
"Sounds like it. But what do you mean your energy gets stuck?"<br />
<br />
"Sometimes the creative fires burn too hot and too much inspiration flows through me without an outlet. Since you're human, and busy..." She rolled her eyes."... you couldn't possibly handle the amount of creativity that needs release, and besides, you'd burn to a crisp, or at least your brain would."<br />
<br />
"So it's like being horny?"<br />
<br />
"No, not at all. After a while, too much repression leads to a slowing down of the inspirational flow, which causes the creative fire to back up. The fires build, but the outlet becomes blocked. This leads to actual physical pain for the muse."<br />
<br />
"I see." She watched me closely as if judging if I was capable of grasping something so delicate and crucial to the muse experience. I took a deep breath and said, "It's more like being constipated."<br />
<br />
Her eyes widened. "What?"<br />
<br />
"Constipation. You know, when you really need to go but you can't, so all you feel is cramping and gas."<br />
<br />
"I should have known that you'd imagine trapped creative energy feeling like the need to shit."<br />
<br />
Suppressing a smile, I held out my hands to her. "I'm sorry. I'm not trying to belittle this, I'm just trying to understand what you're going through so I can help."<br />
<br />
"You can't help. You can only make jokes."<br />
<br />
"I'm not laughing."<br />
<br />
"Yes you are. You think I can't see that smile you're hiding."<br />
<br />
"What can I do to help."<br />
<br />
"Do you really want to help?"<br />
<br />
"Yes, I really do."<br />
<br />
"For starters you can finish the kids book immediately so you can finish the play. Then you can start the next play. And after that I'll tell you about the other book idea I have. I have lots of ideas to pump new energy into Medusa's Muse, including a new website and e-books. " She paced the room again. "Your workshop is ready to go forward and I have lots of thoughts on how and where to present the material. Also, you seem really excited about writing for kids, so I have several more possible subjects. And "Miranda" is waiting for you to finish, but I'm not sure that's where your passion lies anymore. Don't forget <i>Burying Mama</i>. You should just send it out into the wild again and see what happens." She whirled around to face me, her eyes shining. "Plus those two short stories are simply stellar, but of course need polish."<br />
<br />
I sat down, suddenly feeling tired. "No wonder you're constipated."<br />
<br />
Stamping her foot, she yelled, "I am not constipated!"<br />
<br />
"I know, I know... I'm sorry. You have too many ideas for one artist. It's a big problem. I'm sorry I can't get all of your ideas done."<br />
<br />
She gracefully dropped to the floor and sat with her legs criss-crossed. After a moment of silence, she said, "It's not your fault. It's mine. I push too hard. I want too much. Everything in the world inspires me, but the whole world is too full. That's why I stayed here in your room reading books I've already read a thousand times. I don't need any more ideas." She held her stomach tightly. "Ouch."<br />
<br />
<i>You need a good laxative, </i>I thought, but decided it wise to keep my mouth shut. "I'll try to finish the kids book this week, if that will help."<br />
<br />
"Thank you." She smiled at me. "But no pressure. Like I said, this is my fault. The creative flow is out of balance because I'm out of balance. It's time for me to focus, and help you focus, until we're both in harmony with the work. It just takes time."<br />
<br />
<i>Time. That seems to be the biggest problem of all.</i><br />
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<br /></div>Renahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15911608453762091207noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11905880.post-905327153538511092011-12-21T10:27:00.000-08:002011-12-21T10:27:00.663-08:00Solstice: the holiday that celebrates nerdiness<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-solstice-on-december-21">Solstice</a> is a big event in my family. We decorate the Solstice tree, string the house with as many holiday lights as we can before blowing the fuses, and open most of our presents. It's the day we celebrate our family, just the three of us. There are no outside obligations, like mom wondering why we didn't invite her over, or long drives in Christmas traffic. We often have a few friends over to share a good meal and some good bottles of wine. It's a relaxed, carefree, do whatever we want, kind of holiday.</div>
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Plus, Solstice is really frickin cool!</div>
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Solstice is a celebration of the return of sunlight. The Sun has traveled as far to the southern horizon as it can get in our hemisphere and it will now begin to climb back toward the north, bringing longer days with more light. Yes, I know, the Sun isn't actually going anywhere, the Earth is doing all of the traveling, and it's the angle of the Earth in relation to the Sun that changes the Sun's position. Which is exactly why Solstice is so cool. The Earth has traveled to this specific position on it's journey around the Sun, marking the exact location where the days will begin to get longer for us. This is as dark as it's going to get.</div>
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Ancient peoples marked this occasion and celebrated with bonfires and music, which is where we get Christmas lights and Christmas carols (maybe I made that last one up). We can't light a bonfire in our yard anymore or the cops get upset, so we wind hundreds of colorful lightbulbs all over our homes to chase away the darkness, just as our ancestors did with their bonfires and candles.</div>
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I'm not a pagan (technically I guess I am because I'm not Christian), so my family doesn't attend the Pagan celebrations in our community. I guess you'd call me a Scientific Pagan; my holidays focus on astronomy and nature. I drink champagne when NASA sends a new probe into space, or when scientists discover something new about the universe. I was absolutely giddy when they discovered a new planet in the "Goldie Locks zone." And I cried when the last Space Shuttle flight landed. No more launches.</div>
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Solstice and Equinox are the holidays that let me fly my nerd flag, when I can debate with other nerds the exact time of day winter begins. The Winter Solstice happens at the exact same moment all over the world, and is officially clocked in Universal Time at 5:30 pm on December 22nd. But what is the exact time in our own timezone? Here is an article from<a href="http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/universal-time"> Earthsky</a> that will help you determine the exact clock-time for your timezone. For Pacific Daylight Time (my own timezone) I need to subtract 7 hours from the Universal Time (5:30 pm on the 22nd - 7 hours = 11:30 pm on the 21st). Did I do that right?</div>
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I'm a science nerd, but unfortunately not a math nerd.</div>
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The universe is more beautiful and mysterious than you can possibly imagine, filled with wonders and constantly evolving. As soon as you think you've got it figured out, a new discovery will shake your hypothesis into nonsense. And the Earth, our planet, our home, is this beautiful vessel filled with just as much beauty and wonder as the universe it was created from. We should honor that wonder. Recognize the impossible odds that allow us to be here.</div>
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This is why I celebrate Solstice. This is why I proudly call myself a nerd.</div>
</div>Renahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15911608453762091207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11905880.post-5438643379342172152011-12-04T14:31:00.001-08:002011-12-04T15:36:45.275-08:00Enough with the Insecurity<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
"Have you read your blog lately?" my Muse asks while storming into my room with a stack of books in her arms.<br />
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"Yeah. I wrote it didn't I?"<br />
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"Then you know how pathetic you sound lately."<br />
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"Pathetic?"<br />
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"Yes. Pathetic." She paces the room still holding the tower of uneven paperbacks. "Blah, blah, blah... I'm so insecure... I don't have any confidence... I'm so afraid... pathetic!"<br />
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"What are you talking about? I'm trying to help people."<br />
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"Help people? If helping people is showing what a complete wimp you are then you're doing an awesome job. Here! This is for helping people." She tosses the books at me.<br />
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Flinging out my arms to protect my head, I catch one of the flapping books as it heads for my eyes. Several land in my lap and the rest bounce onto the floor.<br />
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"Watch it!" I shout. "What the hell are you doing?"<br />
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She puts her hands on her hips and in a mocking tone says, "Helping you."<br />
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I look at the book in my hand. <i>How to find meaning in the second half of life</i>. "What's this?"<br />
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"It's a book to help you stop being so annoying."<br />
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Looking down at my lap I read <i>The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People</i> and<i> Co-Dependent No More. </i><br />
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"Why are you throwing self-help books at me?"<br />
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"Because nothing else seems to be working. You're still the same insecure, terrified, wimpy little writer and editor you always were. Only now you're too old to blame it on youth."<i> </i><br />
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<i>"</i>I am not."<br />
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"Yes you are."<br />
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"Not."<br />
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"Yes!"<br />
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"You're just mean!"<br />
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"God! You can't even argue like an adult!" My muse kicks <i>Going to pieces without falling apart </i>so hard the front cover rips.<br />
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"You know I grew up in a crazy household. It's taken me a very long time to get over it."<br />
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"But that's the problem, you still haven't. You're still living like that little girl, and at your age, it's boring."<br />
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"Will you please stop making cracks about my age."<br />
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"Not until you start acting your age. Then I might."<br />
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I stand and let the few books in my lap fall to the floor. "I'm sorry."<br />
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"Stop saying you're sorry."<br />
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"Okay, I'm... you're... right."<br />
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My muse crosses her arms. "I am?"<br />
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"Yes, you're right. I have been too focused on my own insecurity, and yes I have been writing about it too much. I'm just nervous, that's all. But I'm working on it."<br />
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"Work on it harder."<br />
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"Okay, but you know you don't help when you throw self-help books at me."<br />
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"Be happy they weren't encyclopedias."<br />
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We stare at each other, our eyes not quite meeting for fear I might turn to stone. Her snakes stick out their tongues at me.<br />
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My muse sighs. "You really have no idea how talented your are, do you?"<br />
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I shrug. "I guess not."<br />
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"Well figure it out." She turns her back on me. "And stop wasting my time."<br />
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I look down at the floor and read, <i>The places that scare you. </i><br />
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"Maybe if you didn't yell at me so much I wouldn't be so insecure."<br />
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She turns to face me again. "Don't try to blame this on me."<br />
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"You aren't exactly the nicest muse on the planet, you know."<br />
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"The niceness of muses is overrated. We're all bitches. And besides, do you want to be coddled or inspired?"<br />
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"Inspired, of course."<br />
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"Then pick up these books, read a few, and get back to work. Enough with the insecurity for frell's sake!"<br />
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I snap my fingers. "Just like that? You know it isn't that easy..."<br />
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"Yes it is. Stop writing about it, dwelling on it, thinking about it, and stewing in it. When you feel insecure push it aside, take a deep breath, and keep working. Simple."<br />
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I can't think of any way to respond, because the simplicity of her words is so... simple. But is it really that easy? Just stop thinking about insecurity and it will go away?<br />
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She reads my mind. "Yes, it really is that simple. If you stop feeding your fears, they die. God, I didn't have to read a single fucking self-help book to know that. Humans overcomplicate everything."<br />
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I shrug. "Okay then, I'll give it a try."<br />
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"Good." She walks out of my room, yelling, "And throw out those books, too."<br />
<br /></div>Renahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15911608453762091207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11905880.post-61105096428626380402011-11-30T09:14:00.001-08:002011-11-30T09:34:10.373-08:00Sabotage<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
How many of you feel that if you're not earning money with your writing, then you're not really a writer? Deep down, do you feel doubt in your abilities as an artist if no one pays you for what you create? Does price denote value?<br />
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I do. That's why I dabble at writing. I write "when I have time." When all the bills have been paid and phone calls returned and emails sent, when the house is clean, dishes done, laundry folded and put away. When the plants have been watered and my desk cleaned off and all the grocery shopping done. Then, and only then, am I <i>allowed</i> to write.<br />
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And this attitude bleeds into Medusa's Muse too. I edit manuscripts because I owe that to my authors; I do it for them. But everything else, the promotion of my press, updating the website, marketing books, lining up teaching gigs, record keeping and networking... all of those things that help my press thrive get put on the list called "when I have time."<br />
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This is called sabotage. I am sabotaging myself by not dedicating the same focus and energy to my press and my writing that I gave to grad school. It was easy to give focus to grad school, because that would eventually lead to a job and a paycheck. A so called <i>real job</i>. My press is a job, but it doesn't make much money, therefore it doesn't feed my family. The press feeds itself. I can't justify devoting time to it when it doesn't sustain me economically.<br />
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Which is bullshit, because my press sustains me in every other way but economics. It feeds my soul, my spirit, my artistic needs and creativity. Writing feeds me in even deeper ways. Why does economics always take priority?<br />
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Yes, we have to eat and keep a roof over our head. Making money is very important, especially if you have children. We live in this world which requires sacrifice sometimes to survive. I'm not knocking the importance of work.<br />
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But we must not let that importance destroy the other things that are important, especially our art.<br />
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And if you find yourself saying things like, "I don't have time to write" or "The grocery shopping is way more important right now" then it's time to take a good long look at your priorities. Are you saying this because it's true? Or are you finding an excuse to quit, and in so doing sabotage yourself.<br />
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Sabotage. The power to destroy your art before you've devoted yourself to it.<br />
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I know I'm just as guilty as anyone of sabotage, and I'm trying hard to stop. My press is important, not just to my authors, but for the joy it brings me. So why do I just dabble at publishing rather than treat it like the job it is?<br />
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I don't know, other than I must believe on some deep level that I don't deserve to be a successful publisher and writer.<br />
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Is that how you feel?</div>Renahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15911608453762091207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11905880.post-58476009296056356682011-11-21T12:45:00.001-08:002011-11-21T13:11:43.367-08:00Silence and Fear<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
When I was 19, I dated a man who turned out to have serious mental problems and was prone to violence. I was able to run away. He hounded me for a few months, but finally he stopped. It took many years for me to feel safe again, to not jump every time I saw a man who looked like him. I stayed underground for a long time. Then, 20 years later, I started a book publishing company and set up a blog and website.<br />
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And that's how he found me again.<br />
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At first, I wanted to shut down my blog, delete the Medusa's Muse Facebook page, and strike my name from everything I'd ever written or published. I was petrified he'd show up on my front door one day after piecing together information he'd gathered from the net. And the idea that he was now reading about me and my family from four years of blog posts made me sick.<br />
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Do I have to destroy everything I've built just to feel safe again?<br />
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He wasn't threatening me; he said he just wanted to get in touch.<br />
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Why? What can possibly be gained by talking to me?<br />
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Staying silent seemed like the best option, and that included staying silent as an artist.<br />
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How many of us have been silenced by fear of the past? Or afraid of what the power of our words could bring? How many writers have been gagged because others fear their words? For women, silence is particularly powerful. We are taught to stay quiet, because girls who speak their minds get punished.<br />
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He tried to contact me again, but I have decided not to shut down my press, or my blog, or website, or Facebook page. I will not change my name. I will not become quietly anonymous. I am no longer that terrified 19 year old girl hiding in the bathroom because she thinks her boyfriend is going to kill her, staying silent because he said if I made a sound he'd hit me. I am a grown woman with a voice and a vision and yes I'm still afraid. I'm afraid of him. But I won't allow that fear to silence me.<br />
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Not anymore.<br />
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<br /></div>Renahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15911608453762091207noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11905880.post-44195690751466198712011-11-09T08:54:00.000-08:002011-11-09T08:55:43.904-08:00Fourth anniversary of the launch of the first book I published, or, how I became an Orientation and Mobility teacher.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This past weekend marks the four year anniversary of when I published the first book from my press, <a href="http://www.medusasmuse.com/">Medusa's Muse</a>. <i><a href="http://www.powells.com/biblio/61-9780979715204-0">Traveling Blind: Life Lessons from Unlikely Teachers</a>, </i>by Laura Fogg, is a memoir of Laura's 30 + years teaching children with vision impairments, and ultimately what those children taught her about life, love, loss, and joy. Laura has been my daughter's teacher since Queen Teen was 3, and when I discovered Laura was also a talented writer, I offered to publish her book. After a year-and a half of edits, revisions, and debates over cover design and font choices, her book was launched at the <a href="http://www.caoms.org/">California Association of Orientation and Mobility Specialists</a> Conference. The other teachers were excited and impressed, and we sold almost 100 copies in two days. Laura was ecstatic and I was thrilled. I was also intrigued by the other O and M teachers I met at the conference and the work they so obviously loved doing. A few days after the launch of <i>Traveling Blind</i>, I decided to go to Graduate School and become an O and M teacher too.</div>
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Four years later, I attended the <a href="http://www.caoms.org/whats_new.htm">Orientation and Mobility Conference</a> again, this time as a credentialed O and M Specialist with a Master's Degree and a job working side-by-side with Laura. I'm still a publisher, but I'm also a teacher, working with visually impaired students throughout all of Mendocino County. It was a long, exhausting crawl to get my degree, as many of you saw if you've been reading my blog for the past three years, but so worth it. I love teaching, I love Orientation and Mobility, and I love my students.</div>
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The conference is held every other year in Monterey at a hotel right on the beach. About half of my classmates from SF State were there, as were my teachers. My main focus as a teacher was learning about GPS systems for the visually impaired because I have a student who may benefit from using such a device (see, I already sound like a teacher. "may benefit from using such a device." lol). On Saturday was a GPS treasure hunt in downtown Monterey where teams of six competed against each other to find all the clues and get to the last location before anyone else. Our leader was a visually impaired man who just so happens to be the President and CEO of <a href="http://senderogroup.com/">Sendero Group</a>, the manufacturer of the GPS we were using. Is that why we <u>smoked</u> the other teams, arriving 20 minutes before anyone else at the bar, where we waited near a warm fire and drank cold margaritas? But the best moments for me were when I got to spend time with my classmates, catching up on our lives and our teaching jobs while sharing wine and champagne. I've missed everyone so much! It's like we're part of a submarine crew, a small group of highly trained people sharing very specific experiences that hardly anyone else can really understand.</div>
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There was a raffle to raise money for the scholarship fund, so I donated four copies of <i>Traveling Blind. </i>As I was sitting in the audience listening to a speaker talk about the pros and cons of using GPS on a smart phone, it suddenly hit me how much my life has changed since the first time I was at this conference. Last time I was a publisher sitting behind a table covered in copies of Laura's book. Now I'm a teacher, just like Laura.</div>
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I'll always be a book publisher; no way will I give that up. But it's very hard to make a living publishing books, so I teach to support my book habit. Thank goodness I love my "real" job. </div>
</div>Renahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15911608453762091207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11905880.post-65703922925986380742011-11-04T09:24:00.000-07:002011-11-04T09:24:34.106-07:00That's not my name! New Video from PRSMA authors Heavy Load<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/fiEfkNtpYCM" width="420"></iframe><br />
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"They call me retard... they call me mental... they call me special... THAT'S NOT MY NAME"<br />
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Right on!</div>Renahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15911608453762091207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11905880.post-12918282535985990582011-10-30T07:22:00.000-07:002011-10-31T07:57:28.433-07:00Happy Halloween, from Medusa<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Medusa pumpkin carved by Ray Villafane. See more of his creations at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/howaboutthat/8087634/Bizarre-Halloween-Jack-OLantern-pumpkins-carved-by-Ray-Villafane.html?image=4</td></tr>
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<br /></div>Renahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15911608453762091207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11905880.post-25596210793951667142011-10-25T16:24:00.000-07:002011-10-25T16:25:01.395-07:00Coffee with my muse<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
"It's about time!" my muse says when she sees me sitting at the kitchen table typing away at my lap top.<br />
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"Hmmmm...." I mumble, still fixated on the screen.<br />
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She picks up my Wonder Woman coffee cup. "You're writing again."<br />
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"Trying to..." My voice shows how annoyed I'm feeling, but as usual she doesn't seem to care.<br />
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"Your coffee's cold." She takes a sip. "And you didn't put enough cream in it. You know I like a lot of milk in my coffee."<br />
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I stop typing and look at her. "Who's coffee?"<br />
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"You need a warm up." She crosses the room to the black and gray pot half filled with dark, strong coffee and pours some into my mug. Then she opens the carton of milk I left on the counter and fills the mug to the rim. Sipping, she sighs. "Perfect."<br />
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"Who's coffee?" I ask again.<br />
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Sitting at the table beside me, she drinks deeply and then nods at my lap top. "What are you working on?"<br />
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"The kids book."<br />
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"Good. I'm very excited about this project. It's a great subject."<br />
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"I'm glad you approve."<br />
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"I do. And then what?"<br />
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"Once this is done I need to finish editing the new manuscript for the press."<br />
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"Wonderful! And then?"<br />
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"I finish my play."<br />
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"Excellent. I can't wait to read it. And after that?"<br />
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"I finish my coffee." I take the mug out of her hands and hold it tightly.<br />
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She raises an eyebrow at me. "Touchy."<br />
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"Did you need something?"<br />
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"Just seeing what you're doing."<br />
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"I'm writing. Isn't that what you wanted me to do?"<br />
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"Yes. But I'm making certain you're really writing and not just commenting on Facebook."<br />
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"Facebook can be very stimulating."<br />
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"True, but it's not writing." She taps my laptop. "This is." Rising from her seat she smiles at me. "Carry on."<br />
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I set my mug on the table and start typing again, but I've lost my train of thought so I have to pause for a moment. Reaching for my mug, I realize it's gone.<br />
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<i>Bitch</i><br />
<br /></div>Renahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15911608453762091207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11905880.post-24381797465452934412011-10-22T13:24:00.000-07:002011-10-22T13:25:25.894-07:00Introducing the newest Medusa's Muse author<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Right now I am preparing to edit a brand new manuscript from a brand new Medusa's Muse author. This is why I created a book publishing company: discovering new authors and fresh voices with a passionate story to tell. I've got my reading glasses on, my lap-top battery fully charged, a fresh cup of coffee, the manuscript opened in Word and "track changes" turned to "on." My muse is eagerly peering over my shoulder watching as I type notes inside the pages on my screen. Eventually she'll get a little bored; she finds editing tedious. But for now, she's just as fixated on this brand new Medusa's Muse book as I am.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL43TOSBcJIMw2zG_lqhekQT_4lFLyEVTb956u3CaGMn488HpKOrmQdXE-DIVMgJdBD0JFsAhyy15N2ZuX4Nisa2AXsDpTC5pjvj_znxdcFkCidsbGyNdHTcF3YcRQK_DKt-4a/s1600/Shannon.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL43TOSBcJIMw2zG_lqhekQT_4lFLyEVTb956u3CaGMn488HpKOrmQdXE-DIVMgJdBD0JFsAhyy15N2ZuX4Nisa2AXsDpTC5pjvj_znxdcFkCidsbGyNdHTcF3YcRQK_DKt-4a/s320/Shannon.JPG" width="238" /></a></div>
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The writer is Shannon Drury, author of <a href="http://theradicalhousewife.com/">The Radical Housewife</a>. Click the link to explore her blog and get a taste of her writing. She's fabulous. A feminist housewife and mother living in Minnesota, and president of the Minnesota chapter of the National Organization for Women (NOW). Her story is exactly the type I look for. It's honest, funny, passionate, and the author doesn't quiet <u>fit</u> within any category. If she's a housewife, how can she call herself a feminist? She gets criticism from both conservatives and liberals, which means she's perfect for my Muse.<br />
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Of course, I'll get a lot more editing done if my daughter would leave me alone for more than 10 minutes at a time. </div>Renahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15911608453762091207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11905880.post-16970836263089992672011-10-17T09:16:00.000-07:002011-10-17T09:16:05.630-07:00Depressed? Enter a Drag King contest.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It was time to do something drastic. I've been living with depression for months and have had trouble writing even the simplest sentence. My press is languishing, despite the fact I've signed a new author, and my Muse is so bored she's threatening to move to Mongolia just for something to do. So I entered a Drag King contest.</div>
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The event was hosted by our local chapter of PRIDE to raise money for their community grants program. The theme was "Marie Antoinette" and the hosts of the event wore elaborate 17th century French gowns with oversized powdered wigs. The stage manager wore a man's suit in the same style, complete with powdered wig and powdered face. The audience came in costume, some inspired by the theme and others simply celebrating Halloween. My husband wore a kilt and Valkyrie outfit, torpedo boobs, braids, horned helmet and all. I wore a blue velvet frock coat with lace cuffs and my shiny black boots, my hair slicked back. And then I drew a mustache and goatee using a .99 Wet and Wild eyeliner pencil. With my little round glasses I felt more "Sergeant Pepper" than French Revolution.</div>
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I performed to Depeche Mode's "Martyr" which gave me lots of opportunity to interact with the audience. Kind of sexy, very danceable, the song is all about giving yourself completely to love, even if it destroys you.</div>
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"I've been a martyr for love</div>
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And I will die in the flames</div>
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As I draw my last breath</div>
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As I close in on death</div>
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I will call out your name"</div>
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So much drama to work with! It was great. The audience cheered and waived dollar bills at me, tucked them in my boots and down my shirt, swooned when I knelt at the feet of one woman, laughed when I used my mic as a... lets just say prop. I had so much fun lip syncing and dancing it was hard not to leap on tables (they were plastic. it would have been a bad way to end my routine).</div>
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Judging was done by audience cheers, and the cheers were split between me and another woman in drag. Because it was so close, we had a dance off. I was already winded from my performance, now I had to dance one-on-one with a 24 year old girl who could dance circles around my tired 44 year old ass. I just leapt all in, acting cocky and sexy and wild.</div>
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And I won.</div>
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My Muse has agreed to stick around just in case I do something this much fun again.</div>
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And now I can't wait to get back to work on my play.</div>
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And start editing this new manuscript.</div>
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And blog more.</div>
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Yes, dancing in drag has definitely fired up my creativity. </div>
</div>Renahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15911608453762091207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11905880.post-35168550887025584882011-09-24T19:14:00.000-07:002011-09-24T19:14:08.763-07:00The futility of art<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Zine Fest was... in the words of a regular vendor, <b>dead</b>. The building was packed with tables and people trying to get a little attention for their artwork and zines. Teenagers stood next to stacks of hand-stapled zines full of angst ridden ink drawings. More polished and professional comic books with vibrant colors and bizarre characters competed with glossy photo books. A young woman was giving away her zine, "Shards of Glass in my Eye," for trade or a compliment. A few authors tried hard to sell their self-published books, but were mostly lost in the clutter of Anime tchotchke and hand-made jewelry. We were there, sitting at a table with Medusa's Muse books and a mannequin wearing a "Punk Rock Saved My Ass" t-shirt. Charles Gatewood shared some of our table, and beside him was V. Vale of Re/Search, our usual table mates from the previous two book events.<br />
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I walked the hall once to see who all was there and what they were selling, and I was really impressed with the quality of the zines, even the ones so obviously hand-made. The amount of talent and dedication was incredible, and at the same time, overwhelming. At every table sat yet another eager artist with a brilliant idea, trying hard to meet my eyes, hoping I'd buy one of their creations. It was too much. After 30 minutes of wandering I practically ran back to my own table to hide, unable to look at one more beautifully drawn image. They're all so desperate. Do I look like that, sitting here at my table watching the few visitors walk by? Are they thinking the same thing I did? <i>Oh no, another artist looking for validation</i>.<br />
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Despite the long hours, hard work, costs and sometimes sleepless nights, we keep creating. We all have ruthless muses who demand blood sacrifice, and only a finished page or completed painting will appease them. And even though occasionally we all end up sitting behind tables at festivals trying to sell something we made, while being intimidated by the guy next to us who made something so amazing we feel like hacks, we keep trying. Which is a good thing.<br />
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What's my point? I guess I'm just acknowledging the futility we artists are forced to live with. We create something we're passionate about, send it into the world, and are then crushed by the deafening silence from others. Half the time, nobody gives a shit. The other half of the time, people find it good but only three of those will actually pay you for your work. No wonder writers tend to drink.<br />
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Stare futility in the eye and tell it to piss off!<br />
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You're an artist; if no one buys your book at a crummy little book fair, so what?<br />
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And if a half-wit publisher like me sends you a rejection letter, do what Henry Miller did and hang it on your bathroom wall as backup toilet paper. Or was that Hunter S Thompson?<br />
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Futility is the vampire of creativity. Sharpen your stake to scare it off.<br />
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And keep working.<br />
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Renahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15911608453762091207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11905880.post-69002162757943943782011-08-29T10:47:00.000-07:002011-08-29T10:47:17.771-07:00No more submissions accepted in the Summer<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">That's going to be the new policy here at Medusa's Muse: no submissions accepted during the Summer months, from June until September. I received four queries this summer, of which I declined two. I requested the other two send me their complete manuscript, and I am STILL trying to finish them. Those poor authors have been waiting 2 months. In the publishing world, that ain't long to have to wait for a decision. I once had to wait 7 months for an agent's response after I sent her my complete manuscript. 7 months of checking the mail like there might be a magic spell on the box; could create good things, could be a bomb. After all that time, she complimented my writing, but turned down the book. Talk about a kick in the gut.<br />
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Because I know what it's like to have to wait for a response from an agent or publisher, I try to respond to all queries within a month, but obviously that doesn't happen in the summer. When my daughter is out of school, book publishing comes to a screeching halt. Nothing else gets done around here either (you should see my yard... yikes). Rather then get frustrated or resentful, I've decided to cut back on the hours I devote to Medusa's Muse during the summer.<br />
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Summer is over now... or at least, summer vacation is over for my daughter... so here I am, back in the publishing chair. I've dusted off my lap-top, created a new to-do list (how the frell did it get so long?), ordered more books from the printer and some t-shirts from the designer.<a href="http://www.sfzinefest.org/"> Zine Fest</a> is next weekend and I'm eager to meet readers and sell some books. Maybe I'll find a new writer with a great story while I'm there.<br />
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Speaking of, I'm getting excited about the submission I'm reading now. Time to finish it and decide if this is something Medusa's Muse can publish. The writer is waiting.</div>Renahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15911608453762091207noreply@blogger.com0