Switching to Summer Mode

Well, the days are starting to fly, so I better use this online journal to keep track -- otherwise, before I know it, it'll be fall and these vacation days will be a blur.

It's now been two weeks off... Let's take stock of what I've done...

Writing wise, I wrote a new picture book. (Today I revised it and sent if back to my agent. I'm quite positive about this one -- but don't I always feel that way if I send it to Abi? I guess so.)

I tinkered with Mean Squirrels and eventually set it aside. I wrote about 25 pages of the Flowers/Bradford stage play about an island resort.

I have also started a chapter book / middle grade time travel novel. I'm about 4000 words into, so still in the beginning stages.

Calendar Rundown:

May 17th: Last day of Creative Writing / Last Day of Spring Semester

May 18th and 19th: Grading papers / submitting grades.

May 20th: Renaissance Faire!

May 21st: Cheri came back from her conference... and then went to Washington state for a few days.

May 22nd - 24th: Served as uber-driver for the girls. Started to get sick.

May 25th - May 26th: Focused on dealing with my stupid cold. (Somehow managed to write a little.) Celebration / Memorial of a fellow homeschool parent.

May 27th: Worked on the book / Date with Cheri -- Duck Pond & Pei Wei Lunch / Watched Alien: Convenant

May 28th: Worked on the book / Watched Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2

May 29th: Memorial Day / BBQ with friends / Watched Pirates of the Caribbean 5

May 30th: Revised picture book / chauffeured the children / started playing D&D with friends.


So far, as you can see, it's been an incredibly enjoyable summer. Way too much fun!

Sick in the Summer

Well, crap, I have a cold.

My daughter's boyfriend had a cold, which meant that MY daughter would catch it, which ultimately meant that it would be passed along to me. Now I will probably infect the rest of the family, but I am trying to keep my distance away from everyone.

Not much has been happening around the Bradford house. Cheri came back from her Washington tripnon Tuesday night. Wednesday I soent the day being sick, but that didn't stop me from playing Uber-Driver. Mackenzie had her penultimate school meeting; she is almost a high school graduate!

My agent liked my latest picture book project. She gave me some good notes and I'll be revising it overe the weekend. My latest project is a middle grade / chapter book. I am aiming for about 20,000 words, so I am trying to write 1000 words a day so that I'll have a major project finished before we travel to Washington for July.

Word Count Wednesday - May 24th, 2017

That's right, I am still doing Word Count Wednesday... At least for a while, perhaps throughout the summer. It's a good way to keep me accountable.

What Am I Working On?
I spent a long time this month tinkering with variations of MEAN SQUIRRELS. But ultimately I couldn't get into it. You would think it would be an easy piece of silliness, a squirrel version of the hit 2004 comedy by Tina Fey. But I discovered that when the squirrels became mean to others, they basically turned into bullies, and then the merriment (no matter how hard I tried to make it flourish) evaporated.

So I have abandoned that project -- at least until it develops into some other incarnation.

However, I do have some good news. When I was driving home from my final creative writing class, I stumbled upon a hilarious idea for a new picture book. I spent the first two days of summer writing it, and my agent has already given me some notes. So I am planning to revise and resubmit over the weekend.

Also, I began a new middle grade novel (or maybe it's a chapter book, I'm not sure) about time travel. So far, it's been fun to work on. We'll see if the amusement lasts. So far, in 2017, I've noticed that if the porject is fun and easy to work on, I will achieve success. If it gets tough and slow, it ultimately turns to crap and remains unfinished. If that trend contnues, then I might want to cut bait sooner rather than later. (I hope I used that fishing metaphor correctly.)


Word Count: 1800

Planting a Tree

Well, I wasn't as productive yesterday as I was the first three days of summer, but I did write a couple funny scenes this morning and afternoon. I also did some editing and sent off the current version of the manuscript to my writing partner.

Oh, and I dug a hole and planted a tree. That was exhausting. Last December we bought a live Christmas Tree and it's been sitting in a pot outside, goring for the last six months. Cheri and I decided it was time to put him in the yard... Hopefully we didn't wait too long.

Today has been relatively uneventful -- so far. My eldest has a cold. My youngest attended her geometry class (she continues to impress her college professor). Despite her illness, my eldest daughter is currently working on her history homework. These girls are incredible!

My wife is in Washington, visiting family, and celebrating the life of her aunt who passed away last month.

Now that I've hit a Waiting Point with the play, I am trying to decide what project to work on next. Something big or something small?

I'll let you know what I decided as soon as I figure it out myself!

Back to the Page, and Back to the Stage...

Today is Day Three of Summer Vacation. I still cannot believe it's summer. That school year went by in a snap. And yet, there were times during the autumn when all life seemed to be in Limbo -- when we didn't know what would happen with my wife (due to her Gall Bladder) or my daughter (due to OCD symptoms).

We're going to the Renaissance Fair today, but this morning I've been thinking about the recent past and I've been counting my blessings. There's too many -- and I'm bad at math -- so getting an accurate number is not easy. But there's a LOT of blessings in my life and I am grateful to the Universe.

Speaking of blessings, my writing productivity has returned in full force. As soon as I finished teaching my last class, I had a terrific idea for a new picture book. (The idea literally developed on the commute to work and then finished on the return trip home.) I wrote the manuscript on Day One of Summer. On day two, I finished grading papers and submitted the grades... and I also found time to start working on a new play I am developing with Christopher Flowers.

Hopefully by the end of June we'll finish this new comedy (from the people who brought you CHANGE THE STATION) and then with a little help from friends and financiers we'll launch the new show this fall.

You keep thinking happy thoughts for me; I'll keep thinking happy thoughts for you. Keep your fingers crossed that good things keep happening... (or at least non-tragic things, which in my book is good enough!)

A Couplet for May

Oh me, oh my, the grading's done.

Looks like summer has begun!

The Class Has Ended... But the Journey Continues...

Creative Writing students, thank you. The semester was personally and professionally joyful.

After teaching Lit and Composition classes for nearly 20 years, this was my first endeavor as a Creative Writing instructor -- and I never imagined I would have so much fun or be so inspired.

I no longer consider you students -- you are now fellow members of the Tribe.

I will never forget you guys. Not even you, Tumbleweb.