Conversations with Calliope

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Raring to go again.
CALLIOPE: You didn't tell me how you made out with the column you were working on.
JOE: I thought about it quite a while and finally decided I was ready to write it. I told you it was to be on priest sexual abuse. I have pondered this issue in the process of planning and writing The Pastor's Inferno. It was hard to distill into 500 words.
CALLIOPE: So what did you decide?
JOE: I focused on the aspect of the mystery of priest motivation for abuse and limited myself to exploring just this.
CALLIOPE: And were you happy with the result?
JOE: Yes. You can see it in the usual place on my Commonsense Wisdom website.
CALLIOPE: I'll look at it. What's up for today?
JOE: I have been making some new Internet friends this week in the various groups to which I belong. I want to get to know them a little better and might start this process today. I also want to continue responding to blogs as I find them of interest. I signed up for a 24 hour short story contest starting this afternoon through Writer's Weekly online magazine.
CALLIOPE: Have you ever participated in something like this before?
JOE: No. It will be a new experience but I'm looking forward to it.
CALLIOPE: Good luck.
JOE: Thanks. I'll let you know how it goes on Monday.

(Sunrise in Batavia, NY)

Conversations with Calliope

JOE: Good morning, Calliope.

CALLIOPE: Good morning, Joe. How are you this morning?

JOE: Off to a rather slow start. Maybe I am still a bit groggy from my recent trip. It seems hard to get started today.

CALLIOPE: What did you accomplish yesterday?

JOE: I started the next chapter of Marital Property but was not quite into it. I guess taking a break for a few days does not help with continuity.

CALLIOPE: No it doesn't. What else did you do?

JOE: I started doing some research to find agents who had worked with my publishing friend so I could ask him for recommendations to specific agents rather than leaving the work of winnowing them to him.

CALLIOPE: Kind of you. Do you think it is time well spent?

JOE: Yes. He is doing me a favor. It can only help to give him a head start if I can.

CALLIOPE: How's it going?

JOE: Rather slow. I found a couple agents but my research on them indicates that they work only with children's books. I plan to work my way down the list today and see if I can find any who might be willing to work with adult fiction.

CALLIOPE: Sounds like a plan. Anything else going on today?

JOE: Yes, quite a bit. I signed up to exhibit photos in a show at the arts council and need to drop them off today or tomorrow after I get them framed. I have a whole list of things to do. I better get started.

(Sunrise- Batavia, NY)

Conversations with Calliope

JOE: Good morning, Calliope.

CALLIOPE: Good morning, Joe. How are you this morning?

JOE: Quite good. I finally received the e-mail address of the film producer I met a couple years ago.

CALLIOPE: And what are your intentions with her?

JOE: She has produced some films with meaning and not "high concept." I think she might be interested in considering The Pastor's Inferno.

CALLIOPE: Did you approach her?

JOE: Yes. I sent her an e-mail introducing my novel accompanied by a synopsis.

CALLIOPE: What do you think the chances are of her being interested?

JOE: I can't say. But if I don't try I will never know.

CALLIOPE: Well put. Any other developments?

JOE: Yes. I found an agent who handles books with spiritual connotations. I will query him today. I was planning to expand my agent search anyway but I think he might have some promise for me.

CALLIOPE: And your writing?

JOE: I wrote another chapter involving the children considering what they could do to help and how they might approach their parents.

CALLIOPE: Are you happy with your progress?

JOE: I am resigned to it coming in short bursts as far as the novel. I tend to think about each chapter for about a day before I write it. This also worked well with The Pastor's Inferno.

CALLIOPE: I'm glad you found an approach that works. On with the the show.

JOE: Okay, I'm ready for today.

(Church stove heater- Genesee Country Village)