Looking back on the Year of Reinvention

The Year of Reinvention has gone out like a lion for sure, what with the three day a week personal training sessions intended to help me reinvent my health and wellness.

Overall, this was a year about finding out what is most important to me. I found out that while I loved my job, I loved my like better -- and needed to change my job to change my life. I found a job I like (with the same company) -- and was able to do more than in many of the years previous because of the change.

I flew to England, toured around and saw places straight out of the book I want to write this coming year. I sailed aboard the Stad Amsterdam to learn about how to sail a tall ship. I met wonderful friends, I shared adventures with many.

I helped my parents move out of my childhood home. It was sad to say good-bye, but I love their new house and it suits them. Together, we reinvented the holidays in a new home -- but with family, which is the most important. When I say I am going home -- I mean to them -- not to a place. I learned that.

I like to think I did good things for others this year as well -- to pay it forward. Not as much as I could probably do, but more than I've done in a while. This year was about more than me. The best part was finding the owner of a Metropass I found on the ground. I learned I can be industrious and imaginative when I try.

I could have written more -- but I actually wrote the most since my time in Hawaii -- so I think I did well. I needed to breathe first, before I could worry about telling stories. Now, I can do them both. It's a good feeling.

I don't know what the coming year will bring -- but I do know that I leave 2011 a better, more rounded person. I hope that's enough to carry me forward to another great year.

Here is hoping all of you have one too.

Busy Reinventing

Amazing how much can happen in a few weeks -- all because I decided that changing my job wasn't enough for the Year of Reinvention.

So, I hired a personal trainer. For the past 4 weeks, I've been meeting with him 3 times a week for 45 minute sessions. I've also been working on my own 3 other days of the week.

The progress I've made is noticeable. I feel more energized, I am stronger, and I am starting to gain a little bit of muscle. I wouldn't say I am "in shape" yet, but I am on the right path. My trainer has dared me to run in a 10 KM race in May (not really racing, just finishing) -- and at this rate, maybe I really can do it. I had my doubts 4 weeks ago.

I'm also eating better (I've brought my lunch almost every day for the past few weeks, I've been eating breakfast at home, and I've even used my stove). I'm not dieting, just eating more of the right food and less of the rest.

In terms of my writing world, my writing partner yelled at me for starting the new book without finishing and sending out the first -- so I've spent the time to rewrite my first few chapters, and done a final read through. Today it goes off to my final batch of test readers.

On that note, I've also redone my agent research since what I did a few years ago is wildly out of date. So, I now have a list of 20 or so agents to query.

I've also renamed the book (for now)....since Summer of Flight doesn't work for what the book is. The new title is "Whirlwind" -- but we'll see what the test readers think before the name gets locked in.

There's even been a hint of movement on the screenwriting side of my life. Someone actually asked about one of my scripts -- so there's going to be a bit of a meeting in January. Nothing formal, but there is potential there.

So, the Year of Reinvention is going to go out with a solid swell of reinvention and a lot of hope for the new year. I think I've chosen what next year will be, but there will be no telling until January 1st, just in case I change my mind!

The Start of Something New

Yes indeed, today I wrote the first 1,136 words of my Napoleonic sea adventure set in a world of magic novel. I was pleasantly surprised with how easily it started out. Obviously going on the research trip in September (er, not to mention loving the thought of writing a sea adventure novel) helped tremendously.

I am sure the writing won't be this easy for long, so I plan to just enjoy it while I can. It's like I'm setting off on a grand adventure.

For future reference, the working title is "Call of the Sea".

It's obviously not long enough to snippet from yet -- but if progress goes well, I'll post a wee bit before Christmas.

Wish me clear sailing. :)

A Second Small Birthday Snippet - the Scary One

Since I couldn't decide what snippet to post, here is the second one. It's from the scary story ... Everlasting.

------

Her name was lost when the stars were lost. When the shroud covered the sky with the screaming souls of the dead.

She is not who she was, but she remembers. She will always remember. Remember the city that was.

#

Approaching dusk brings waves of worker bees out of the skyscrapers, cascading toward the entrances of the subway and Union Station, stopping cars by their flood. They are a tide rippling out to the suburbs and back in. Out and in, out and in, out and in: an unending cycle -- or so she thinks.

#

It rises between one breath and the next, one blink and the next – unexpected, unknown. A translucent tapestry of grey and pink and white, it stretches over houses and buildings, part of the lake. It covers hospitals, theatres, parks. Queen’s Park.

No time to run, to scream, to weep; to see the sun, the sky or the stars one last time.

No time. Too much time.

One Small Birthday Snippet: Summer of Flight

Okay – since it’s my birthday and I can’t decide whether to post from the novel or the scary short story...I figured I could post them both. After all, I only post snippets once a year.
Here’s the first one - From Summer of Flight...

“Thanks.” Her mother swept a dark curl over her ear and took the bottle Casey offered. After a quick swig, she looked up. “So, what do you think? Have I captured it?”

Casey turned to the half-finished piece spread out on the easel. Her mother had a tiny studio on Queen Street, her nature paintings earning enough money to pay the rent on the studio and the occasional bill. Usually, the paintings were perfect mirrors of reality. This time though… “What did you do to the island?”

Her mother gave a nervous laugh. “Um...well, I admit the painting is more fall than summer. I wanted the trees to have a golden tint to their leaves.”

Casey looked closer. Sure enough, the two trees on the rocky island were tinged with fall color. “Isn’t it a bit small?” Casey said, comparing the painted island to the real thing. The one on the canvas wouldn’t hold a shack much less the buildings she’d seen the day before.

“Now that you mention it, I do remember thinking it was much bigger when I was a girl. I always wanted to go over and explore. Your grandmother was insistent that we stay on the mainland. Something about an early experience Violet had with bears.” Her mother sighed, somewhat wistfully. “It’s sad really what erosion can do. There’s not much left.”

Casey followed her mother’s gaze to the enormous granite cliff arcing out of the water. She knew the rock continued around the island because the building she had been near yesterday used part of it for a wall. But if her view was correct, the island couldn’t have changed all that much since her mother was small.

Writing Retreat -- and Summer of Flight Update

I just got back from a three-day writing retreat in Windsor to work on the book.

If you recall, I fell off the planet last year -- so the book I wrote kind of got side-lined. Truth be told, I hadn't done more than look at it in just over a year. (I know, sad and pathetic is me).

But, as part of the year of reinvention, I am getting all aspects of my life back in order. Once the pilot was submitted to the contest (no word yet), my eyes turned back to the book.

Now -- I've kind of been afraid (no, terrified) to even look at it. After all, it's been a year. It was pretty much ready to go last summer (or so I thought last August). If I read it now and hated it -- I'd be really in a bind.

So, I finally bit the bullet and blocked three full days to read the book beginning to end and to make edits.

I just got home, and I can report the retreat was a wild success. I am also happy to report several things I realized while away:

1. I am obviously a better writer now than I was last year. It was amazing how many minor edits I noticed. They were glaringly obvious as I read it over. Chalk one up to taking a break before reading it.



2. I still really like the story (thank goodness!).



3. The beginning is too slow (which I already knew). I've made a bunch of edits to it (i.e., I canned most of the first two chapters). I need a bit more time to fix this part up. But it shouldn't be too bad.



4. I really do need a new title. Summer of Flight -- much as I love it, doesn't actually fit the book.

I made all my notes on paper -- and now I am keying the changes in backwards (so I end with the re-write of the beginning). I'm about half-way through keying in the edits.

Once this is done, I'll likely look for a final test reader or two just to be safe. Then, finally -- I can get it properly out the door (the five query emails last year notwithstanding).

Which is good, because I am kind of going on an unexpected research trip in late August for the Napoleonic sea adventure (with magic) novel. It would be nice not to have to worry about Casey and Company when I set off on that adventure!

Pilot Submitted

Despite a crazy few weeks, I managed to get the pilot submitted to the Austin Film Festival contest. I almost forgot about the deadline, but fortunately I remembered just in time to sneak in under the wire.

I'd be pretty thrilled if it made it into the second round, but who knows. Either way - I met a deadline.

Now, I just need to focus on the book...which means I need a writing retreat!

Jana