Don suggested we take a motorcycle trip on the weekend and it was glorious: four days of hot, sunny weather, wild roads, beach, and barbecue. The campground we stay at–we usually come out every summer–is funky and friendly. But man, did I have to work hard earlier in the week to create the time off for myself! Self employment has its good parts, but some downsides as well.
Whirlwind week
So, as of Monday, I began my term as SFWA secretary, and it has been a whirlwind week! Not only learning and applying the job, but moving forward with ongoing issues–it’s been busy. However, the board as a whole is thoughtful and careful, moving forward at the greatest speed possible, while being prudent and double-checking every detail. I’m impressed. Confidentiality prevents them from disclosing details, so the silence tends to make people think nothing is happening which is unfortunate, because the dead opposite is true. I’m learning a lot!
Flights booked in Brazil
Thanks to Simone at Brol, I now have our flights booked within Brazil and to Chile and Uruguay. We’ll get to go to many places we’ve researched and look facinating: Foz do Iguacu falls, see a sunken ship at Montevideo, 3 days of motorcycle riding through the Andes, the Pantanal, historical Salvador and hiking in the Champada Diamantia, and a steam locomotive (of course!) in Tiradentes!
The WGA conference was great!
I am so glad I went: I attended 4 breakout sessions as well as the 3 keynotes and each one was instructive and engaging. The Grammar Gals were hilarious and had a ton of resources. The session on the roles of the writer/agent/editor/publisher was fascinating, and questions from the floor helped to move the topic into deeper levels–a well-moderated panel! I moderated the one on genre fiction, and was very happy I did not run out of questions–and again, questions from the floor were very perceptive. The panel on YA, like the others, was really good, too. AND–I managed to take a tour of the Alberta Legislative Assembly Building before coming home. As my screenplay deals partially with Alberta politics, it was wonderful to be in the building to get a sense of the setting.
Such a wonderful compliment!
One of my students, Leesa, sent me an email that included the following:
You have an amazing talent to see things clearer than I ever do. I can not even put words to it, but I appreciate it so much, especially when it’s my work your talking about. It’s like you bring a new lens and focus to things I have not yet learned how to see. It was because of you that I re-wrote a turning point chapter. I had Arie removing her gloves because I knew it needed to happen, but until you pointed out that finally her character was being pressed to change, I sincerely did not see it that way. It changed how I proceeded.
Thanks, so much, Leesa, for the kind words!