announcement: Theatrical Interpreting Preparation Series workshop

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I'm happy to announce that I am offering a four-month theatrical interpreting training program which will begin on December 1st, 2012. This series workshop is intended for newer interpreters, but any skill level is welcome. Feel free to save a copy of the PDF flyer below so you can print out and return the registration page, or share it with colleagues.

We will meet for three hours on two Saturday afternoons a month from December 2012 to March 2013.  You will also be attending one interpreted Thursday evening performance per month during that same period.  The exact dates and times are listed on the flyer.

CMP and ACET are currently pending approval. I will update information when the paperwork is processed. These CEUs will be offered at no additional charge. CEUs awarded will be applied to transcripts for 2013.

All sessions of both the workshop and interpreted performance observations will be at Portland Center Stage in Portland, Oregon.

NOTE: There will be an advanced, intensive mentored training offered in April 2013; more details to come. This introductory training is a requirement, along with an audition, for that advanced training.


Click on the link in the left column to see the flyer with more details.

 

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I Feel A Change Coming



picture from twitter.com/moldavitestar

I'll tell you right up front that, no, I can't tell you anything more than that.

I can't tell you what "the change" is. No, it's not the female change - no.

But - I feel it.

It is related to writing, I think. Or other things. Well, I know for sure some other things - at least one other thing: I'm not teaching interpreting next term. Too much on my schedule and I can't do it next term. That's a big change. I have a lot of theater and writing commitments (including another two week writing intensive).

But today. In the air. No, correction, in my body, in my cells. And in the the air.

An energy shift. Something.

Writing. Identity.

Change.

This Is Me Not Complaining

Really. I'm not complaining. There might be a little whining. Maybe.
I'm a little busy. Overly busy at the moment. And it's okay. I have enough work and that's really good.

And I did manage to write both stories due today. One was a rewrite of a story from Ariel's two week intensive - but it fit. It really did; I didn't have to twist it in pretzel fashion - there was only one element not already present in the story and that was a particular word which had to be included. And it's a story I wanted to revise to send out into the world. So I revised, strengthened it (I hope), added the word, and submitted it online. And it will go somewhere though I don't know where, yet. It has a particular type of audience needs, I think, and wouldn't be appropriate for some of the places I've submitted. Not that it's an inappropriate story. The second story was totally new and, not so much a story as a reportage of an outing we had to do for Inga's online class. For that one, my plan didn't go as planned but I had the time in my schedule and the image and noticing gathering in my mind for that time, so I went ahead and did it - but just at a different location than I intended. So - both done and both submitted.

And I did go to the Vagina Monologues rehearsal for six hours on Saturday as planned. No, it was five hours, that's right. It was scheduled to be six but they changed the schedule to five and we didn't know until we showed up. At least the eliminated hour was at the end of the day. I've been working on that script. I think Ali and I will have a good time and do a good job; though I know Jayodin, who has done it the past few years, is the Vagina Monologues Interpreting Master so I'm not trying to emulate her - no. I will do things my way and it will be fine. And next year, Jayodin can have it back; by then her now week old baby will be a year old, so I think she'll be ready to jump back into the beauty of interpreting the Vagina Monologues. I like working with Ali and the stories we're doing together worked really well. She's going again tomorrow night and I'm going again on Tuesday. And Friday is our night.

Then I have my regular interpreting work. "Regular" is not really the word for it and especially not right now. Even my semi-regular videorelay work schedule is different right now due to reasons at the center and things not related to the center - like the interpreting Vagina Monologues, some writing.

And teaching work.

And being in two overlapping writing workshops. Which are great and they're keeping me writing.

And getting in enough sleep. And swimming and walking. Reading other writers' work and giving feedback. Reading student journals and emails and text messages and phone meetings with students in addition to multiple recitations with the students whose schedules don't match well.

Busy. Good. Busy.

Not whining.
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Checking In

...with myself.

Writing. Is not coming as easily right now.

I can justify it is because I'm busy. Again.

I am writing. Just not as much as I want or when I want.

picture from Utne Reader

Words. Piling up. Words. The flow isn't happening because I don't have the blocks of time.

Interpreting performances. Teaching. Interpreting a play. Working.

Going to appointments because of the work. So I don't hurt, so I can do the work to pay the bills for doing the work. There's something not quite right in that.

Spiral.

Writing.

The posts here lag. I notice. I notice again.

I did go to a dance performance last Saturday. Just me. A world premiere - a commissioned piece. Some of it was incredible and I was moved and my attention was wholly on the stage. A few times my thoughts wandered and I didn't feel connected. Overall - it was really good. And I was glad I went.

I've been doing more swimming. And more walking. And getting enough sleep.

But very little "veg" time. I need more.

Words. I made the deadline for one story. The other is still incomplete; partly due to technical conflicts, partly - time escaped me this week. I'm hoping to wrap that one up and submit it after work tonight.

Words. Waiting to be written and revised.

Words.

Word.

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Down Time Approacheth ... in theory, anyway

No, it's true. The coming two weeks are much slower in terms of work. A break long in the coming and so needed.

I was talking about this concept of "break" with an interpreting friend recently. We decided after some discussion that sign language interpreters have a different vocabularly when it comes to ideas like "down time" or having a "break" or even, in my friend's case, "semi-retirement."

I think the definition for writers is similar.

Which is to say that having a break means you have a day or two where you don't have to get up with an alarm and rush to get ready to be somewhere or turn a piece in at a specific time. I was going to say "early" in terms of getting up or being at work or turning in a project. But that is subjective. For me, 9 AM is early; for two of my good friends, 9 AM is lunch break time or sleeping in. So the exact time doesn't matter. I think the time doesn't matter - it's being able to sleep until your body says "satisfied!" and you wake up and feel rested and restored.

It also may mean that a "day off" is 'only' interpreting a play. Or having a story due at midnight and you're half done so you can, say, for example, check Facebook and write a blog post.

*wink*

It may also mean, as an interpreter and a writer that a break in either area is filled by the other. So it's a break-no-break. Or maybe a break-from-the-dominant-norm. That's it. I think.

So. For me. Right now. Here is my "break" definition:
* I'm not teaching for 3 weeks.
..... I posted students' grades last night; no more grading for 3 weeks
..... I've contacted potential internship sites this week. Will resume placement work January 2nd.
* I'm only working 3 days each of the next 2 weeks, with 4 days off.
* Writing? No break! Hurray. I signed up for Ariel's Winter Writing Intensive: 12 new stories in 14 days, and giving feedback.

So, like I mentioned ... a "break" in interpreting work is being taken over by writing. As it should be. And those four days a week off, I can be writing at home in my pajamas until 8 PM if I want, or bundle up in layers to walk in the cold December sun to the local coffee shop with my laptop (or notebook and pen if I really want to rebel). Or I can sleep. Wake up. Go for a swim or a walk. And write at my leisure - as long as I get the assignment and feedback done within the day.

This is a good break. My mind and my body are happy with this decision. Writing because I want to. Writing more because I can.

In that week before the next term starts, I will have to add back in my teaching duties. And the Intensive will be over but there will be a Wayward Writers assignment. And when the Wayward assignment is done, I will be starting a writing journey with Inga Muscio and her process of "decerebralization" for writing. Awesome.

Some people have smiled when I've talked about my winter "break." Some nod knowingly.

What I know in this moment is that I feel happy. And I have a rough draft of today's Intensive writing done - except it's not the assignment! It's the background story to the story I was planning to write and it's already 15 words over the limit.

Oh! I know - I will use this background story toward this week's Wayward Writers assignment and pull pieces of it as memory blips when I get to the actual Intensive story. Yes. That's it. It really does fit for both assignments - the backstory I've written, with additional information, is about the regular assignment prompt; and I guess I needed to get this out to find my way to the Intensive story I wanted to write.

I love the creative process. And I love it so much more when I have the mental and emotional space to explore and let it develop.

Breathing. Right now I'm grateful for time and space and breath.
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Keeping On Keeping On

This is a short post.

But I want to keep in touch and don't want to let all momentum be lost in the mire of finals and requests for "information now" when my "now" is already filled.

To not give up because I received thumbs down on a contest and then, today, another thumbs down on a writing residency. The residency didn't really come as a surprise because, after I submitted my application and materials, I realized that I hadn't said the things they wanted to hear - meaning, truly, I wasn't a good match for their vision statement. They had about 1,000 applicants and had to select only 40 out of the group.

I just finished interpreting the matinee of the same play I interpreted last Thursday night. There were a lot of patrons in the interpreted section, which made it even more fun. I worked with two good interpreters; it was fun and we did a good job.

My "now" in the moment is trying to get the rest of the finals graded so I can submit the grades. And have a break from teaching and all that goes with it until January 9th. Well, except for continuing to work on placements for the interns for next term.

And I have a story due on Sunday and the two-week intensive writing online workshop starts on Saturday (twelve pieces to write in fourteen days!). Excited and at the moment nervous.

A bit of truth is that right now I'm frustrated. Frustrated with the "need it now" and the "taking much longer than planned" and the medical situation needing attention. And where is my writing in this? It's After the grading is done; After the play is interpreted (which is now done and a couple weeks until we start the next one); After I call the nurse, the medical billing department, the doctor if needed; After I respond to the "now" requests. After.

Truth: I'm tired of my writing coming After.

I want to write Now.
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NaNoWriMo Day Seventeen

The lesson in patience and going with the flow are continuing.

I'm working on acceptance.

It's another day of not writing. I should have had time but I didn't.

I should have been at tutoring but didn't go because I didn't feel well. I started my day by having to get my blood drawn to check the medication level in my blood; then did an assessment; then worked a job. I wasn't feeling very well and had recurrence of a symptom I had when I was first put on this medication. Then came the test results: the medication level was high and after the job I sat in my car and checked in with my options. The secondary symptom of being a little lightheaded had started during the job and I let it settle. And I knew, listening to my body, that I couldn't drive to tutoring; and that I needed to go home and sleep.

Yes, inside I hoped I would go home and rest and after a while be able to write.

That didn't happen.

I'm feeling better - but not totally over it. I should hear back from the treatment team tomorrow morning and they will guide me in what to do. I expect they'll have me miss a dose of medication to bring the level down.

I'm planning to go tutor in the morning and to teach. Then I'm done for the day. So - hopefully - tomorrow I will write.

This is being the hardest NaNoWriMo so far. But the month isn't over. And I will meet the 50k mark.

I will.

And I will go to San Francisco and write lots in my soon to be four days off work.

Word count = same as yesterday.

#SheWriMo
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NaNoWriMo Day Sixteen

I love it when the NaNoWriMo starts posting the participation stats for the whole deal...

And here's the first one I caught:

Total Collective Word Count for 2011

 = 

1,680,321,358

...that's a great big heap of words.

Wow.

My word count at the end of day sixteen? The same as at the end of day fifteen. A big -0- red box day for me again.

Speaking of which - there are all red boxes on my calendar, so I'm changing to a different widget until they get the calendar back up and running. All red boxes is a little depressing.

And the reason I didn't write today? Grading student journals. But I'm glad to say, for the sake of my students and my word count, the journals are all graded and caught up.

Which means that tomorrow's available time will be spent writing. While I do a load of laundry so I have clean clothes to take to San Francisco for The Night of Writing Dangerously.



I'll bask in the billions of collective words written so far this month, even if my own are lagging another 1,667 behind right now.

#SheWriMo
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NaNoWriMo Day Fifteen

Okay. I have forward momentum on my NaNoNovel again. Whew.

While I am still behind the average total word target for today - which would be 25,000; I mean, we are half way through now - I did catch up by writing a little over the daily target.

My total words written today = 1805.

My word count on the fifteenth day of November = 21,865.

Let's see - where are we in the story? It's getting a little more jumbled up. The characters are competing for my attention. Some of them have some back story to tell (not too much - just a little). And one of them, wow.

Hank. Oh, Hank. Hank exposed another side of himself. He's not just the mild mannered, a little off center, lawn manicuring neighbor. He has a bit of an, a, ah - dark side, shall we say? I'll just say - don't go near him when he has his trimming shears in hand.

And what else? Oh - Annette. She started in getting ready to go to the gun range. But somehow, she jumped to a different time and just passed out. She's okay so far. I thought it was going to be the dead character passing out when that situation came up - but, no. It was Annette. I'm not sure where this is going.

No, I still don't know if it was a murder or a suicide. The dead body in the house, found by the son of the dead person's ex-partner.

And the person who is supposed to bring all of this together still hasn't arrived. Though her furniture and belongings are being loaded into the house.

I'm half way through the novel and she still isn't here? I don't think this story will be done at 50,000 words. And that's okay. I will hit the 50k on this one. For sure.

Last night I wasn't sure I was going to hit the 50k mark this year, during the time when my laptop wasn't working. When I was trying to get the final student mid-term assignments graded and the new journals were arriving and I hadn't completed grading last week's journals. And wasn't sure if we were flying or driving to San Francisco this coming weekend (for the Night of Writing Dangerously), as the fares kept going up and up. I was frustrated and thought this might be the year I'm not a winner; it was two days in a row of not writing.

But today, I'm back on track. And today I got us a good deal on plane tickets - so we're flying - a good deal for last minute tickets to go with the good deal on a near to the event hotel. And minus the $55 per night fee to park the car.

I will be a NaNoWinner in 2011. Yes I will.

#SheWriMo
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NaNoWriMo Day Thirteen

Today was devoted to grading students' homework and typing up my combo story to turn in to the online Lit Star Training class.

Which means my total words written today was -0- .

Leaving me still sitting at a word count of 20,060.

That's okay.

I will get caught up next weekend if not before.

#SheWriMo
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NaNoWriMo Day Six

Okay. Now it's happened. Which means I can let go of it and move on.

I did not write a single word today.

No, I don't really want to talk about it. But I will, just a bit. Because it is NaNoWriMo time and we get to write whole novels of at least 50k in 30 days and we get to look at our process and see how to break our own barriers and how to accomplish what seems kind of impossible. And we get to "process" how it's going, what's working or not working, tips and hints and tricks, share prompts, have word wars and such.

So - today I wrote nothing. One big fear of NaNoWriMo. Because that puts us behind by - oh, about 1,667 words. I'm lucky that my very full day yesterday had some down time and I scratched out bits here and there and did come out with a total for the day of about 2831. Which was all by hand. And which isn't in the computer yet.

So, lucky that I wrote out 2831 yesterday, which brought me to 9972 - which leaves me only about 34 words behind instead of 1,667. But I have no cushion now.

And it's okay. And I have a -0- day on my NaNoWriMo daily word count. And I survived.

See, yesterday was very long. I was very tired after the hour drive home. We had company - which was awesome, I love them, I hadn't seen them for a while, and I hung around with them until they left. Then I remembered a few work emails I had to do and soon - it was 2:30 in the morning and I was going to bed.

Okay. I still had the handwritten notes. I planned to sleep 8 or 9 hours (I'm still recovering from the  health situation a month ago -- doing so much better, but energy not fully restored and still get tired more than normal and winded a little more than normal - and need more sleep than I was getting; sigh) and then maybe swim for a bit and write new material on my NaNoNovel after that.

But I woke up with a swollen eyeball. No more details to share other than it was uncomfortable and a little scary and really, really frustrating. No way I could go in the pool with that (even if they let me slip in, the goggles would irritate it and I couldn't let it get exposed to the pool water -- and although I don't think it's an infection, I wouldn't run that risk for others). And I was still a little tired and cranky and there were student emails and a couple of work emails which needed a response. My partner brought me some coffee and Dave's Killer Bread toast with peanut butter and sliced Honey Crisp apple. We talked; I groused.

Then it was 1:35 and I had to get ready to get to work and put in a load of laundry and - get to work.

And more student emails.

And now it's nearly midnight of the sixth day of NaNoWriMo and I wrote nothing today. Except emails.

I suppose I could do some slight modifications on the emails and make them fit into the novel (change the names and the specifics so it's anonymous) and have one of my characters become a teacher. One of them doesn't have a profession yet and needs one - that could happen. I mean, I wrote the emails during NaNoWriMo. It could happen.

So maybe I'm not without words today. We'll see. Maybe. Just maybe.

But for now, I'm marking down a great big -0- for today. And an ending word count of 9972; again.

#SheWriMo
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Creating Language

I'm catching up on grading student papers. I'm teaching a practicum course, where students are in "live" placements, practicing interpreting and everything which goes with that - but there is no Deaf client/consumer. Each week the students turn in journals - which provide them a place to reflect on their process, give me a picture of what's happening in their placements (I can't be in all of the placements all the time, of course), and it's a place for us to dialogue about their process.

I got behind with the medical situation.

So I'm grading. And grading more. And getting caught up little by little.

Tonight I was inserting a comment for a student and hit save. Then went back to review what I wrote before submitting it back to her.

Thanks to the word program's spell/grammar check, some things stick out.

Including a new word I invented. But I like it. It actually describes the student's dilemma very well and it's a word I could use.

Of course I changed it to the word I intended. But I think I'll save this word for my own future use. Don't be surprised if it shows up in a story!

My new word?

Fustered. (Yes, I meant flustered. But I really like fustered!)
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Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

It's Comparable to the Week After the Play Closes

I have a lot of experience with the let down after a play I've been working on closes. Sometimes even when I'm interpreting plays, I go through that withdrawal. That "what do I do with my time."

No, that's not true any more - I no longer wonder what to do with my time. There is always something more to be done.

But on top of the "getting back to reality" without the memoir and without T:BA:11, there were a couple of family issues which were raised. Not my current family - but family of origin. And how funny - since they are included in the memoir. And childhood asthma seems to have resurfaced - which I hope is very temporary, though there were a few times when I was doing all the walking that it was slightly triggered - with speed and a big push, but not to this extent; it is getting better day by day and I hope it goes away soon.

The biggest thing, though, is that "which way do I go" feeling - like Bugs Bunny and the Road Runner. I've completed the big project - and there's another on waiting, and another NaNoWriMo on the horizon. And have the Lit Star Training assignments. And I lost touch with submissions other than working on the memoir for the past nearly three months.

So the question now is "what do I write?"  no worries - probably just need a little bit of "floating" time to let the stories percolate.

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UPDATE: I started this post three, no four, days ago. I stalled. I did get some writing done - including following Ariel's permission to "write the worst shit in America" for one of this week's quick write. Okay - no maybe not the worst, I've done worse, but it was bad. I did also manage to write something for last week's assignment, which turned out okay - but it was incomplete and I ran out of time.

But I wrote!

And here I am writing, again. Though.

No, not "though" but writing in spite of. I've been more inwardly focused this week.

The asthma symptoms have cleared almost completely - though not all.  I've been working it from different angles - or layers is more accurate. A holistic approach for a whole-is-me condition. Interesting.

Unraveling and re-raveling. Finding new layers to process and emotions to release. Meanings. Feelings.

Listening. To my life and my body.

Making notes and noting insights or inspirations or sparks. Images. Words. Phrases.

Creativity is still happening.

Words still tumbling into each other.

And after a big push tomorrow to complete another tedious task - totally uncreative (no, students, if you're reading this, it doesn't mean you - although I do owe you some information tomorrow and you will get it; this other thing is really really about as dry and tedious as it gets) - then, writing will happen.

Look! I wrote some more. And I will post before another week passes by.
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Catching Up

Last weekend was an incredible event. I will probably write more about my experience at Mike Daisey's 24-hour monologue last weekend - or may end up letting my hourly posting sit as they are.

This week I've been trying to catch up with other parts of my life, which included sleeping. I did not intend to go an entire week without writing here - but I did.

The week started out with sleeping 13 hours. Obviously that's what I needed after a busy work week, completing the memoir in that same week, which also happened to be T:BA:11, capped off by the marathon performance of a master storyteller/monologuist.

And here it is the end of the week.

All is well. This week, in addition to recovering from last week, was spent preparing for the start of the term teaching next week. I only have one class this term, so it should be a little easier to keep up with writing and working and teaching - in addition to regular life events such as: my car's "oil change time!" light just started coming on, laundry (necessary), dealing with a couple of issues which arrived via too-thick envelopes in the mail, and so on.

And writing. Due to an unexpected event on Tuesday, my writing buddy had to cancel that day - and that's okay. Things happen and sometimes it's me. Sometimes it's both of us - like yesterday. I was scheduled to work (I generally try to be off on Fridays) to make up for taking the time off last Sunday for MDaisey, but my friend also had something she had planned. So we missed both of our writing times this week - but will meet up next week. Now that I have things plotted out and typed up and spreadsheets established for the class I'm teaching, I can devote more time to my writing ... after I finish one other major thing I have to do.

Ideas for writing keep coming to me. I file them away - in electronic files, now. Two of them. I've lost inspirations and sparks and beginnings of short stories and such too often with the death of a computer, to trust it all to one file now.

But I needed to post here. Once I post, the flow starts to be restored.

Rather than slinking away because I failed to write something here for a week, I'm standing up and saying - yes, I did. And I'm back.
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Learning From Students

Today was the final event of the special summer tutoring class I taught for the interpreter training program.

The students who participated in this event showed up ready, smiling, nervous, dressed appropriately - on time. There were a few technical snafus, as there often are. But everyone kept their cool, the proctor was awesome, it went really well in spite of some significant alterations.

A few years ago I participated in a couple of mentoring and teaching-mentor trainings. I believe that we learn from the students - in being the "guide on the side" instead of the "sage on the stage." But one thing which stuck with me from one of those trainings was that we *always* learn from the students : at the very least, we learn how they need to be taught.

Today, after each student was finished with the final event, they stopped to chat for a bit. I was sitting outside of the room, assisting the proctor, troubleshooting, protecting the things which needed protecting.

And they each thanked me for teaching the summer session. For being there for them during today's event. Told me how much it helped them; how their confidence improved or their skills improved. They let off tension and laughed or cried or shared a story.

Today they reminded me why I teach and why I turned my schedule a little topsy turvy to be able to do this special tutoring class this summer. Not for the thanks. But for their insights, their questions, their progress toward becoming interpreters and their pleasure at moving closer to their goals.

Thank you.

Battle of Priorities

This is the time when I need to be focused on completion of the memoir. Especially the first 100+ pages, which I'm trying to get edited and ready to submit to a book contest. The manuscript must be in their hands before the end of the month.

Not postmarked.

Not "make a payment," "attach file," SEND.

No. The physical pages, correctly formatted, with outline and personal statement and notes about the status of the final project included, need to be in their hands by June 30th.

And I've stalled out.

That doesn't quite feel like the right label for the process I'm in. It's more like the end-of-the-term duties as an adjunct instructor colliding with the commitment I made to a friend when June seemed so far off colliding with the news that my partner will no longer be teaching the four-credit class at a local university after this summer (read: reduced income from that source) colliding with the online writing class/workshop, the need to have a few days - even a few hours - off from everything, needing to sleep to walk to ride the bicycle to swim. The need to do nothing. For a little bit.

The end of the term issues are real. I have kept up with grading student journals and papers. I've had to do student intern observations and a couple of those were significant time users in scheduling and rescheduling and, in the case of one, drive time. I've written the observation reports shortly after the observation but each one takes me at least two hours. And now it's final journal time and final assignment time and that means more to grade. By the end of this week - the grades will be turned in and I will have five weeks off from teaching. With not quite three weeks left in June. Eeek.

And my commitment last week to two friends actually - one to give her a place to stay, the other to volunteer interpret for an event. The Blind Cafe. Which was a great experience and I'm glad I did it and I'm glad my friend stayed with me and I'm so happy I could interpret for the other friend - and learn that I, indeed, do not have good receptive skills for tactile interpreting although I do okay at being the tactile interpreter. And it took a lot of time. The friend who stayed with me was my best friend in childhood and over the cliff of adulthood - after which we lost contact for many years; only recently reunited. Which meant we stayed up really late talking (yes, even late for me!). And we talked a lot and hang out together a lot. And I did no writing during those three days.

Then it was right back to work.

So these all important things I've committed to do had to be done. And I haven't written much for coming up on two weeks, outside of the online writing group assignments.

I need to change that.

And I need to not get mad at myself for that.

And I need to just move forward. Edit and write and get the beginning chunk done so I can print it out on quality paper and send it, with the fee, and the required information, to the contest.

Editing this memoir needs to move to the top of my priority list.

Well, after I get the grades submitted.
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Incubation

Recently I've been writing about some time conflicts I've been having. About how work and writing do or don't flow together. About how to fit in walking, swimming, biking and strength training around the working and the writing.

A couple of weeks ago I discovered that I seem to need some transition time between working and writing. I think this is especially true when I'm working long days; more time to get into my writer space.

Today I think I discovered another piece of my writing puzzle: that the transition time is a true thing, and that I need some incubation time. I mean, that's not a totally new or revolutionary idea - but it hit me today.

I've been working on this non-fiction piece about ADHD for a couple weeks and I keep thinking I have it just about ready to all put together and am ready to stop taking notes and writing pieces. Then I think of some new angle or something I left out or a better way to do it. Today I was at the job I wrote about last week - where I have to be careful about what I take in to do in the down time, where there are things I can't take in with me, and so on. And writing is not an easy thing to do in this place for reasons I can't talk about. But it's not. But today, while the client was absorbed in a single person activity, the words finally started to flow on the nonfiction piece. One paragraph flowed to another and another and soon it had a shape and I had notes inserted where I would put the anecdotes and cited quotes and sources.

I hadn't planned on working on the piece today. I was saving it until I got home tonight.

But there it was. It had incubated. It needed to be written. And I had the time.

I realized that, with my busy schedule, my incubation time took longer than I thought it would. Because I had less time to think about the piece. I had student observations (one of which was in Tacoma), write-ups related to the observations, the final quick write and assignment for the Lit Star Training, feedback for the assignments and quick writes, and work. So the incubation time was squeezed in between all of these things, which was also the time for writing, so it took longer.

And yesterday I spent over three hours writing with a friend. Another piece of incubation and transition time, I think. So my pump was primed yesterday and the writing flowed today.

Incubation.

Transition.

I'm figuring this out.
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Homeostasis

Tomorrow it will have been a week since my last post. Not a terrible thing, for sure. But not good, when I'd just made the commitment to myself to do daily posts for a while to get myself back on track - or a minimum of three times a week.

And tomorrow it will be a week since the last one.

I'm trying to be okay with that. Today, on the first day of my work break - which isn't totally a break yet, since I have one class whose grades I still need to turn in and I'm waiting on information to be able to make the final computations.

It's 1:30 pm and I'm still in my pajamas. Not because I slept many hours, but because I stayed up until 6:00 am to get the grades done; as done as I can in the case of one class.

And I printed out the story I'm trying to get completed so I can submit it before the Sunday due date. I'm only 1,000 words over the limit right now.

So here's my post for today. With a hope that the stalled feeling of "what's next" is at an end and I can make more forward movement.
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notes from the Edge - though not the Razor's Edge today

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That old saying : "the best laid plans....."

Yes, again.

But it's different this time. Yes, at the present moment I have too much going on in terms of commitments and not enough time. I guess that's obvious - the two seem to go hand in hand (another old gem of a saying).

Overall, it's not bad things that are happening - just a few too many.

Teaching feels like it's going well. What started as a little rough and the struggle to find placements for interns and practicum students was frustrating - some people finally came through. Much later than I would like; much later than optimal or what is in the best interest of the students. But there was nothing more I could do about it except keep asking and searching. And now we hope for the best - that things work out for those who need to complete the hours this term (moving out of the country; getting back to work; etc) and a couple of them are happy to simply add their short hours onto their second internship. It will work out.

I also had a good meeting with the new co-director of the program I teach in last week. We discussed some important topics, found some areas where we agree, discussed some history of the program and some changes she'd like to see or is already starting the wheels toward change. It felt positive and I think it's going to work well. I felt a good connection with her - which I needed. Which the program's students need. And I have hopes for the program's continuance.

I'm still writing. A lot. Especially a lot considering everything else that's happening. Every week I am still writing at least two sessions of two to four hours - sometimes three - plus some other short spurts here and there. I've had to cancel one of my writing sessions with friends each of the last two weeks and two of them next week. But after that, I will have much more time and can return to writing as scheduled.

Tonight I read over some of my writing at the beginning of the one memoir which I started in 2007. Whew! My writing has changed - improved. I'm having to look through it for nuggets I like, but otherwise it needs major cuts and revisions, sometimes flipping the whole section on its head.

I stepped in to sub for an interpreter on a play last month. And then, again, this month. I didn't have the space for extensive preparation for the plays, since they were unexpected. But I made some time and my teams have been awesome about working around my schedule and doing a little more electronically than normal. I like interpreting the plays - and they take a lot of time. I will have a break from interpreting plays for a couple months; then I am the understudy for a show.

The one thing I'm still behind on is walking and swimming. The car accident in December did cause some physical issues. Mostly they have resolved, except for some pain and stiffness at the base of my skull, which can go into my neck on the left and down to my shoulder blade. It is a lot better - but not gone. I wish it were over; the appointments to deal with that are also taking up time. A couple weeks ago due to scheduling and to feeling pretty good, I went almost two weeks without any care. And I was sore & stiff and taking ibuprofen every day to get through. I'm glad it's limited to that one area; and I've had enough. But things like driving - where I have to turn my head to the left to change lanes, check for traffic, park, etc - doesn't help, and so on. Walking is okay, but can trigger my neck a little, especially if I'm with friends and I'm - ooops - on the right end. Or signing through the play and my interpreting partner is - ooops - on my left side. Ouch. But it's better.  Sunday I'll try swimming again. Last time I did that, it triggered my neck, too - but that was a month ago. I'll not do the thing that set it off last time and will breathe more to my right than my left. I am getting a little bit more walking in, but the issue is time, not surprisingly. But I am - even if it's 30 minutes here and there, 10 minute walks in the hall on my VRS breaks.

So, things are good.

Busy.

And mid-March my two local writing friends and I are going to the beach for 3 nights to write and write and write. A mini writing retreat.

A reward for a couple of intense months.

And I've sent out three more pieces of writing to be judged appropriate or not for publication.

Keepin' on.
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Lynda Barry @ Cusp Conference 2009

Today I received an invitation to the Univeristy of Iowa Summer Writing Festival and the Hollyhock catalog of offerings. I've also been thinking recently about writing conferences and workshops and retreats. What do I want? What do I need? No - back to what I want. Do I attend others' events or do I work with people I know and respect and we put together something of our own?

I'm still thinking about the options and more appear several times a week now. It's an exciting time and sometimes it borders on being overwhelming because - the rest of my life doesn't stop. I'm finding, again, that putting time and energy into writing creates more writing, more opportunities, more inspiration. And it's exciting. And I don't (can't?) have an overall picture yet because at this point in time I have to rely on something else for income so that I can have a home and sustenance and transportation; the rest of my life doesn't stop. Which is good. And as long as I pay attention, I create and creating creates more creations!

So - I don't have an answer. But in looking at these options that arrive, the brochures, the flyers, the teasers in forms of postcard, I go online and look for more information.

And so it was I stumbled across these two videos of Lynda Barry talking at the conference in the title of this post. Great stuff. It needs to be passed on.

And I'll go think some more and keep you posted.

I know I will return with the kayaking/writing workshops - I'm going to talk with my collaborator and I'd like to change the title to Poetry and Prose Paddle (it was just Poetry Paddle). And I have ideas for more workshops - which gets me back to the concept of time and energy and, yes energy in in the form of money. Yes.

Enjoy!






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