:: Some Words Spoken ::

:: Monday, October 21, 2002 ::

if i wasn't all nervous and excited before, i certainly am now! i have an appointment on thursday to drop by the printers and double check how he wants everything set up, and make sure i'm doing everything right. (right = "his way")

i'm also going to see if any non-essential corners can be cut so that the price might drop slightly. i doubt it, but it's always worth a try.

tonight is a photo shoot for the cover, and some editing. i think that November 4th or 5th is going to be the date of handing over the CD full of book files. if anybody has some spare valium around, please send it my way on the 6th, okay? i'm going to need it!

-cyn
:: 12:07 PM [+] ::
...

last night over some very good souvlaki, monica was flipping through a rough printout of Some Words Spoken. suddenly she looked up at me with her eyes sparkling. "BOOK", she said. book indeed!

this weekend will involve many hours of wearing my reading glasses, as i begin proofing this puppy with the proverbial fine toothed comb.

-cyn
:: 9:02 AM [+] ::
...

*giggle* i'm here at the office trying to act all low-key as i print out a couple of copies of the whole book, and stick them together to make mock-ups. shhhhhh....

-cyn
:: 1:50 PM [+] ::
...

This morning at 6:00am, I hunted down who to contact about getting a barcode. A barcode costs $11.

Next up is our CIP, a big long form that I am not looking forward to filling out. Forms scare me. I need to hire someone to be my "form filler out" person, maybe they could also be my "scrub the tub" person because I don't like doing that either. =)

Since Cyn mentioned boots for the book launch, I suppose I ought to call my designer about having that dress made. If I wasn't such a little publicity whore I might have gone in army pants and a baby tee but... yeah... need to call my designer.

I realized today that there will probably be even less sleep to be had once the book is out. *sigh* I am never destined to be well rested.

monica.
:: 12:09 PM [+] ::
...

It's pretty overwhelming to think about it. Just a few weeks left. I'm concentrating on the guts of the book, so that we can get that into the hands of the proofreaders - the cover can be fussed with while they're checking our commas. Hee hee. Thursday I'll be printing out the whole shebang, and sticking it together so that it looks like a book. Holy squid, that will be a moment. Of elation... and terror that I'm forgetting some tiny detail. I never trust my memory. You should see the checklists I keep!

But more importantly, I have really cool boots to wear to the book launch party. So at least one incredibly important detail is taken care of. *grin*

-cyn
:: 6:52 AM [+] ::
...

It's a slow day at the office. I am one poem away from being done all the preliminary editing for the book. I am currently constructing my dedication and thanks list knowing that no matter how long I stare at it I am going miss at least a half dozen really important people. How can you thank everyone that ever moved you to write, that ever drove the muse forth in you to create? You can't, I guess. You can thank some of the people. The ones who were most influencial and the ones who stayed, I suppose. How do you say sorry to those who are accidently forgotten? Better not forgot even accidently, I should be staring at the list harder not writing here. There's so little time left.

monica.
:: 11:40 AM [+] ::
...

Chug chug chug... the book is motoring along!
I was working on it this morning, and got into the groove so much that I nearly forgot to go to the day job. Whoops! Three of five sections are blocked and nearly completely laid out.
Strange to see so much writing in one place. It's going to be a fair sized book indeed. I'm used to scattered pages all over my apartment, crumpled pages shoved in my purse on the way to a spoken word show, scribbled notes on the backs of envelopes. I'm finally going to be one of those people who steps up to the mic and says "I'll be reading a piece from my new book..."

When I do, don't worry. I'll be the first to bust out laughing!
-cyn
:: 9:31 AM [+] ::
...

So you want to be a writer, or at least live like one?

Point one... poets don't earn money. Well maybe a couple do. Okay, poets like Leonard Cohen PROBABLY earn money (but hell, he's a musician too!) Your everyday poet girl working on her first book doesn't. That said, mix in a full time job. Now if you want to live in a nice-ish apartment downtown like I do, throw in a couple freelance jobs too. Okay... now find time to write...

That there, of course, is the dilemma. BUT I'M A WRITER, therefore I forgo the wonderful little "luxuries" like sleeping to do that writing thing. I can't even begin to start thinking of the word burnout, lest my body think that's some sort of subliminal message to go and do just that and burnout on me. I don't trust this shell that holds the brain that thnks up these words, you know.

So yes, I'm sleepy... been up since 5-something (on a Saturday! Oh the humanity!!) and not yet had my first cup of coffee (Oh the horror, the blasphemy!!) I did however prep 12 more pieces for Some Words Spoken, although this is a bit of a wee white lie because I did some of them last night. I did email them off this morning though. Cyn's going to kick my ass if I don't speed up the process. *sigh* Not like I blame her, I'd kick my ass too if I could find the time and energy to do so.

I sure hope promoting this book is more fun than this part right now because I am thinking of how I really should cancel my "fun" plans tonight and try to get this editing wrapped, because ofcourse Canzine is tomorrow and I need to be representin' Burning Effigy there. *rushrushrush*

Are there really people out there who come home from the office, watch TV and then go to bed? If so, email me and tell me what it's like. I want to live vicariously through you for a day or two.

No, this is not burnout.

monica.


:: 7:51 AM [+] ::
...

oh help - i broke the blog. trying to fix the colours. sorry folks!
-cyn
:: 7:59 AM [+] ::
...