An End, a workshop and another workshop

I officially finished with the display company on Monday Feb 25th, however I was in Toronto yesterday for a video conference with California to make sure that a certain very cool display project was transitioned properly (It was). I was amazed at how far video conferencing technology has come. The last one I was involved with was several years ago and the video was choppy and the sound quality was none too good. Yesterday it was as smooth as a Dick Tracey Video Phone. One thing that was disheartening after this tough winter we've been enjoying was that through the window in the background I could see the glorious snow-free weather of Southern California. What made it worse was that there was yet another snowstorm blowing outside and by the time I finished the meeting the streets of Toronto were snow covered and jammed with traffic. It took me three and one half hours to get home and the only comfort I had throughout the white knuckle drive was that this would be my last trip into the city this winter.

The fiction writing workshop met again this week. Last weeks assignment was to describe objects through fresh perspectives. My effort can has been posted at my Fiction Notebook and the piece can be accessed at this link.

Today I attended a storytelling workshop in Guelph. It was a great experience. A fantastically diverse group of people attended and each brought a unique voice to the day. We were exposed to a range of folklore stories from various cultures and each of us was given a story to tell. Mine was Orion and the Scorpion. It was interesting to look at the differences between spoken and written words and how what works for one does not always work for the other.

All in all, a busy week. As I move forward into a search for a job that will afford me time to write the future promises to be busier still...

Structure, setting and submissions

This week marked a return to the Writing workshop after a 2 week absence.

This week we spoke of setting and structure and the type of language used to achieve the desired effect in writing. We spoke of the importance of dialog and how versatile well-written dialog can be.

Our exercise this week was to construct a scene, using dialog effectively, between Sisyphus and his wife as she brings him his lunch. Sisyphus was the Greek king who was doomed for all eternity to roll a massive boulder up a hill. It was a fun exercise and I encourage you to try it for yourself. My effort is over in my writing notebook that you can link to here.

While you're at the notebook have a look around (the notebook can be accessed just to the left and above ). One of the stories has been submitted to the Missouri Review for consideration. The same story has been submitted to the New Quarterly, as well.

Loremaster has been seeing some slow editing over the past weeks, but I anticipate a flurry of motion in the next little while. My goal for submission is to have the manuscript in the mail no later than March 15th. I have been putting together a new beginning for my novella, The Platinum Ticket, as part its evolution in becoming a full length novel. So far all the work has been in my head, but it will find paper while I'm cleaning up Loremaster. Patriot hasn't seen any revision yet, but that will come with time.

All this writing and a new job search on the horizon. Exciting!

Big Red Paperweight

I have this big red paperweight that has been within ready reach since those days of my undergraduate degree from McMaster all those years ago. It tips the scales oh, around seven pounds. It has been used to prop open doors and windows. It has been used as a coaster for countless coffee cups. It has been thrown in anger and left a dent in a plaster wall. It can be opened, my hefty red paperweight and when you look inside, guess what you’ll find…

Words. Thousands of words. And beside each of those words are more words, describing the word that they follow. My massive red paperweight is, of course, The Random House Webster’s College Dictionary (1988 edition).

One word in particular had me reaching for it this evening.

Resignation – n. 1. the act of resigning. 2. a formal statement, document, etc. stating that one gives up an office or position. 3. an accepting, unresisting attitude, state, etc. ; submission, acquiescence. [ 1350-1400 ME < rescinding =" L">

On Monday morning I found myself in a position where I needed to resign from my commissioned sales job.

I had been with the display company since August of last year and we had been flirting with salary discussions for some time. After a long while of being put off, I pressed the issue with my boss last Friday and told him what I needed. The proposal I made was, in my opinion, based on an established benchmark (ie. A person of comparable experience and skill set currently employed doing the same job) and all I asked for was fair and equitable treatment. Unfortunately my boss, while assuring me that I was a valuable member of the team, didn’t feel that he could afford to pay me what this other person was earning and asked me what I could live with.

“I just told you what I could live with.” I told him.

“But can you settle for less?” was his reply.

“I told you what I can settle for. Make me an offer and find out.”

He said he’d look at things over the weekend and come back to me on Monday. Well, Sunday night I received an e-mail from HR with an offer considerably less than the earlier stated benchmark. After that I had no choice but to resign.

I’ve had mixed feelings about this but it is for the best. I am parting on amicable terms and will serve out my notice making sure that projects that are underway are transitioned properly. It is a company filled with really good people and lots of potential and I do wish them all the success in the world.

Now – what will I do? Well, that’s a really good question.

I don’t think I will go back into graphics or packaging sales, though I am good at it and have twenty years experience. Ideally, the fiction will begin to sell and I will be submitting the short fiction to various markets in the coming weeks. I will also finish the last revision of Loremaster in the very near future and get that submitted but in the meantime – the chilluns gotta eat.

I think the best plan for now is to find something local that won’t devour my time and energies (or gas and wear and tear on the car). Let's face it, there are a multitude of ways to earn money. I have some things in mind and I will keep you posted.

Wish me luck – it’s all very exciting!!!