Conversations with Calliope- Finding a Direction

(Mayan Road- Cozumel)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. On Saturday you sounded stuck. Any progress?
JOE: I would say so. I found some time to reflect on where I am right now.
CALLIOPE: What did you discover?
JOE: I came to a standstill in my writing recently when I started reading Vein of Gold by Julia Cameron.
CALLIOPE: I thought that book was designed to stimulate your creativity.
JOE: It is. I started feeling more energized until I came to her recommendation of writing my history.
CALLIOPE: And that paralyzed you?
JOE: I'm not sure it is quite a matter of paralysis.
CALLIOPE: What is it then?
JOE: I have been mindlessly plodding ahead with little sense of direction, flitting from one project to another.
CALLIOPE: And?
JOE: I think I need a better sense of direction. As I thought about it over the weekend, writing my story might help me regain my momentum.
CALLIOPE: Is that you next project?
JOE: I don't see it so much a project as a refocusing. I will try and see where it leads me. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you?
JOE: Dealing with reality. I have been doing well with Weight Watchers until this weekend when I went overboard with two get-togethers. Time to get back to reality.
CALLIOPE: I guess so. Did you do much besides socialization over the weekend?
JOE: I baked bread for our friends on Saturday night. Yesterday after going out for St. Patrick's day and the occasional Guinness, I was busy sanding the walls of Carol's living room.
CALLIOPE: No work on writing?
JOE: I worked on the current chapter of Marital Property. But sometimes I feel I need to think about something else.
CALLIOPE: And this morning?
JOE: I worked on finishing up our photo scavenger hunt entries from the cruise. We had a list of pictures to find from A to Z and then distribute. Finally that is done.
CALLIOPE: What plans to you have for today?
JOE: I would like to at least finish the chapter I have been laboring on and start the next one.
CALLIOPE: You seem to be losing some momentum.
JOE: I hope it's just temporary and plan to get back to work this afternoon.
CALLIOPE: I hope you do.
JOE: I hope so too. Talk with you tomorrow.

(A stroll in San Juan)

Conversations with Calliope

JOE: Good morning, Calliope.

CALLIOPE: Good morning, Joe. What are you up to this morning?

JOE: With some sense of guilt, I have decided to take off a day from writing.

CALLIOPE: Why the day off?

JOE: I have some Christmas gifts and baking to work on, especially for a party Carol and I are having tonight.

CALLIOPE: Okay. Why the guilt?

JOE: I am afraid I will lose momentum. I have been keeping up a steady pace all week.

CALLIOPE: What did you do yesterday?

JOE: I continued working on my fine tooth come final edit for The Pastor's Inferno. I also wrote most of the next chapter for Marital Property.

CALLIOPE: Not finished?

JOE: No. It was about Dennis and Cynthia at the counselor for the first time. It took some thought as well as writing and did not go as fast as I had hoped. However I think this is a pivotal chapter and I wanted to get it right.

CALLIOPE: Are you happy with it?

JOE: So far. Maybe I will try to finish it later today if I have time.

CALLIOPE: Maybe that will assuage your guilt. Any word about permissions for your quotes?

JOE: Not yet. I am a little anxious to have them in hand, but then I might rush the final edit. I guess there is a purpose for everything.

(My grandson Joey making Russian Tea Cakes)

Conversations with Calliope

JOE: Good morning, Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning, Joe. How are you this morning?
JOE: Feeling rather busy. I went for a massage, made a card for Carol for our eleventh anniversary of being together and one for her brother and sister-in-law's recognition dinner tonight. I have also been working on booklets I plan to use as Christmas presents.
CALLIOPE: I guess you are busy. What about yesterday?
JOE: I started the day determined to find some agents who might be appropriate. It's a little complicated but I need agents who handle children's as well as adult books who have worked with my publishing friend.
CALLIOPE: Any luck?
JOE: No. I found some who had worked with him but they only handle children's books.
CALLIOPE: So now what?
JOE: I sent him an e-mail asking him if he could suggest any agents and that I would determine whether they worked with adult books if necessary.
CALLIOPE: Did you do any writing?
JOE: No. But I did finally call the film producer I know. I had not received a reply to my e-mail.
CALLIOPE: Any better luck with the phone call?
JOE: Yes. I talked with her most pleasant secretary. I should have called in the first place. She gets thousands of e-mails and it would have been better to call. Her secretary will let her know I called and we shall see what develops.
CALLIOPE: Do you have any writing plans for today?
JOE: I'm not sure yet. I have a few more things to do today and then have a party to go to tonight. Maybe it will have to wait until tomorrow.
CALLIOPE: I guess you were right about it being hard to regain momentum.
JOE: Yes. But my plan all along was to interrupt my writing when need be to pursue publication for my last book. Well, back to work.

(Grand Central Station from the roof of the Yale Club- NY)

Conversations with Calliope

JOE: Good afternoon, Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good afternoon, Joe. Where have you been this morning?
JOE: I had an early morning appointment with my physician.
CALLIOPE: Anything wrong?
JOE: No. Just a checkup to see what condition my condition is in. Everything's fine.
CALLIOPE: Good. What's new on the writing front?
JOE: Yesterday, I decided to find another possible agent rather than relying on just the one.
CALLIOPE: How did it go?
JOE: I think well. I started again with the editor and I think learned why he was recommended.
CALLIOPE: Why was that?
JOE: He recently published a somewhat controversial book which differed from mine but had a similar theme of wrestling with God.
CALLIOPE: Did you find the agent's name?
JOE: No, but I did find another agent who worked with him and his publishing division and found a book she represented with a kinship to mine.
CALLIOPE: Did you query her?
JOE: Of course. I am being much more careful about crafting query letters lately rather than just using my old shotgun approach.
CALLIOPE: Good luck. Did you have time for any writing?
JOE: Yes. I think the agent process enlivened me. I wrote a chapter yesterday afternoon and another one this morning.
CALLIOPE: Sounds like you are making good progress.
JOE: I think so. I feel like it is full steam ahead and I have something to write about each day without much effort, although I need to do a little research along the way. This morning I had to look up Makani Kai Marina in Hawaii, alimony in Massechusetts and beach roses. I am glad I have the internet.
CALLIOPE: It is a help. Don't let me keep you from your writing. Let's get back to work.
JOE: Fine with me. Let's go.

Momentum and its Vagaries

I have noticed that there are days when I can't wait to get started writing. The words flow from my fingers and from somewhere in my mind. It is as if I can't do anything else until I write for a while. Other times it is all I can do to write, even if I have set a deadline for myself or if someone is waiting for what I might produce. I would like to know what brings about this difference in momentum. How can I be so motivated one time and so listless another? So far I have not figured this out. It seems I am at the whim of my muse. Maybe I need to tend more to the care and feeding of muses, once I figure out what they like.