Conversations with Calliope- Moving Right Along

(Old Printing Press)

JOE: Good afternoon Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good afternoon Joe. I thought you might have gotten lost in your work and forgotten about me.
JOE: Never fear. We had early morning visitors who just left after lunch. So here I am.
CALLIOPE: I see. How did your work turn out yesterday?
JOE: I finished reviewing the draft and successfully converted it to a PDF.
CALLIOPE: And then?
JOE: I mailed it to my daughter for practice?
CALLIOPE: How did that go?
JOE: It arrived but so did seven copies. I'm not sure what to make of that but it took here a couple hours to receive the e-mails.
CALLIOPE: Not good.
JOE: I agree. It needs some investigation.
CALLIOPE: Anything else afoot?
JOE: I finished writing my seven reasons for and against reading our book.
CALLIOPE: May I see them?
JOE: They are just a draft. I hope to have them ready for you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Another Journey

(Mayan Road)

JOE: Good afternoon Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good afternoon Joe. Just waking up?
JOE: You know better than that. We had overnight guests staying downstairs. I didn't want to disturb them using the computer.
CALLIOPE: Did they just wake up?
JOE: No again. We had to visit with them and then stop in at their family reunion in Attica.
CALLIOPE: I see. Glad we got that straightened out. What news?
JOE: I am nearing the end of my work on our book. My reviewing is finished, the table of contents is in order and the index I worked on yesterday is looking good but in need of a few corrections.
CALLIOPE: When will it be out?
JOE: Possibly next week. I have to give it a final going over and see if there is anything else to tend to first.
CALLIOPE: Is this your first e-book.
JOE: Two of my other books are available in e-book format through BookLocker but this is the first one I will offer directly.
CALLIOPE: There's always something new to experience.
JOE: So there is. I don't know where this will lead except to a new adventure.
CALLIOPE: Enjoy the ride.
JOE: I plan to. Talk with you on Monday.

Conversations with Calliope- Decisions, Decisions

(My Writing Space)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Well, thank you.
CALLIOPE: What did you do yesterday?
JOE: I had lunch with Carol and her son on top of the mountain in Oramel and dinner with my mother in Rochester.
CALLIOPE: Sounds like quite a bit of traveling.
JOE: It was. In addition to a thorough celebration of Mother's Day, I got to do some photography in the woods.
CALLIOPE: What about your writing?
JOE: I did talk about it with two of my nieces yesterday. I am still wrestling with my options for our book of dialogues.
CALLIOPE: Are you any further on toward a decision?
JOE: Not really? I still see the pros and cons of the various possibilities. I'm not sure yet what would be best.
CALLIOPE: How do you plan to approach the problem?
JOE: I am waiting for inspiration if you have any. I also plan to discuss it with a few people who know about my writing. I'm sure I come up with a plan eventually.
CALLIOPE: I'll ponder it and let you know if I come up with anything.
JOE: Thanks, talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Publishing Details

(Sunflowers- Leroy, NY)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Energized.
CALLIOPE: Excited about publishing?
JOE: Yes. I have been relaxing a bit lately and not forging ahead.
CALLIOPE: What got you back in gear?
JOE: Who knows? Writing is a mysterious business at least for me.
CALLIOPE: In any case I'm glad you're back at it. Tell me of your progress.
JOE: The entries are ready. I finished the introduction including the ode I wrote for you and the story about rediscovering you as well as a very brief introduction.
CALLIOPE: Did you contact Booklocker yet?
JOE: Yes. I was curious about the particulars.
CALLIOPE: Anything interesting.
JOE: One little surprise. The size of the book can't exceed 3 megabytes.
CALLIOPE: Is that a problem.
JOE: It is when you take into account the pictures I have attached to each entry. I'm working on my options as we speak. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Plasma Readers

(Cell Phone)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. Ready for another week?
JOE: I am.
CALLIOPE: Tell me about your weekend.
JOE: Last time we talked, I was pondering the future of writing in terms of paper or plasma.
CALLIOPE: And?
JOE: I discovered an Innovation and Creativity Festival taking place at Rochester Institute of Technology on Saturday.
CALLIOPE: Did you attend?
JOE: I took my grandson who I thought would be interested in the robots and of course he was.
CALLIOPE: I'm glad you got to spend some time with him. You were talking about the future of writing.
JOE: Oh, yes. The first exhibit I found was one on the RIT Open Publishing Lab and the future of publishing.
CALLIOPE: What did you discover?
JOE: I finally got to hold an e-book reader and examine it.
CALLIOPE: What did you think?
JOE: I'm ready for one yet. It would be like reading from an etch a sketch. I'll tell you more tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Let Us Rejoice

(Westminster Abbey)

JOE: Good morning Calliope. Haec dies quem fecit Dominus.
CALLIOPE: Help me out. My Latin's a little rusty.
JOE: Okay. "This is the day the Lord has made."
CALLIOPE: You sound excited.
JOE: I am. Finally my book, Navigating Life is on its way back to the printer, text, cover and corrections.
CALLIOPE: Great. Now back to the waiting.
JOE: Still, it's a relief. I suppose this gets easier with time. I find getting everything just right a challenge.
CALLIOPE: I take it you're not the obsessive compulsive type.
JOE: Right. I am more the impulsive type. I think my personality is more suited to the freewheeling process of writing.
CALLIOPE: And less toward the minutia of publishing?
JOE: Exactly so. As Clint Eastwood put it, "A man's got to know his limitations."
CALLIOPE: Glad you recognize yours. Have you thought of seeking a traditional publisher for this aspect.
JOE: I have, but so far it only led to frustration on my previous attempts. This time I did not even seriously consider finding an agent or publisher. Maybe one of these days I'll have a go at it again.
CALLIOPE: At least you got this far. Now what?
JOE: Back to work on marketing and publicity. Talk with you on Monday.

Conversations with Calliope- Dialogue with My Muse

(Cover design- Navigating Life)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. I was beginning to fear you would not show up today.
JOE: Never fear. I had some early morning appointments in Batavia.
CALLIOPE: What's up for today?
JOE: Even before I left for Batavia, I was up finalizing revisions on Navigating Life.
CALLIOPE: So is it ready now.
JOE: It is. I just now sent it off to Booklocker.
CALLIOPE: When will it finally be ready?
JOE: That's out of my hands. I need to wait for the printing wheels and presses to do their thing. I'm practicing patience.
CALLIOPE: A good idea. Any other developments over the weekend?
JOE: Yesterday I attended an Author Extravaganza at Lift Bridge Book Store in Brockport.
CALLIOPE: And?
JOE: I found it most productive. I got to read a selection from Navigating Life and also talked with some other authors about writing, publishing and marketing.
CALLIOPE: Anyone special that you met?
JOE: I finally met Bob Fussell, an attorney and author from right here in Leroy. I figured I would meet him sooner or later. We had a great talk and plan to get together. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Dialogue with My Muse

(More Sunset over Lake Erie)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you this morning?
JOE: Struggling to stay calm and focused.
CALLIOPE: How so?
JOE: I received my bound galley of Navigating Life. After discussion I realized I had made some glaring errors in the manuscript.
CALLIOPE: And?
JOE: The bottom line is that I will need to correct them at an extra expense.
CALLIOPE: How did that happen?
JOE: ADHD strikes again. I thought I had that part of me under pretty good control.
CALLIOPE: Doesn't sound like it.
JOE: No it doesn't. I let my excitement about the project and rush to get it into print by Christmas lead to premature submission of the manuscript.
CALLIOPE: Now what?
JOE: I have been working steadily on corrections but taking breaks so as not to become fatigued.
CALLIOPE: How is it coming?
JOE: I think I have them done. I will look over the manuscript one last time to be sure I didn't miss anything. Talk with you on Monday.

Conversations with Calliope- Dialogue with My Muse

(Butterfly Museum- Niagara Falls, Ontario)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Fine. I was up early to start soup and bread. Today is the beginning of our holiday entertaining. We have a noon and dinner seating.
CALLIOPE: Sounds busy. How about the book?
JOE: Yesterday I sent in the final manuscript and cover files. Now someone else's technology takes over and out will come a book.
CALLIOPE: When do you expect it?
JOE: I'm hoping it will be ready in a week or two.
CALLIOPE: So what are your plans in the mean time?
JOE: Yesterday I modified my web site to include Navigating Life. I also started working on some marketing materials I have accumulated but not yet perused.
CALLIOPE: Sounds like a good plan. Do you have any other writing projects in mind?
JOE: I have been thinking of doing a book of our conversations. I would like to take a little break until Navigating Life is in print. Then I'll start working on our book.
CALLIOPE: I can't wait. Have you looked back over our conversations?
JOE: No, I haven't. But I think they give a glimpse into the ongoing progress and frustrations a writer faces on a day to day basis.
CALLIOPE: There have been some of each.
JOE: No question. Right no I'm happy with the progress. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Dialogue with My Muse

Astoria Blvd. Subway station, New York)

JOE: Good afternoon Calliope.
CALLIOPE: I almost gave up on you today.
JOE: I've been busy. We're having people over tonight and I was busy preparing for them.
CALLIOPE: Are you ready now?
JOE: I am. I have a little time to work on writing.
CALLIOPE: I assume you got your newspaper article posted.
JOE: Yes. I have also been working my way through my most recent edit of Marital Property.
CALLIOPE: Anything else going on?
JOE: I realized this morning that with all my work on editing and marketing, I haven't done too much actual writing lately.
CALLIOPE: Does that bother you?
JOE: Yes. I wish I were writing. I realize there is much more to the whole writing undertaking that putting thoughts into words. Sometimes I wish the rest of the process would just take place on its own.
CALLIOPE: You could pay someone to look after those details.
JOE: If I had the money I could. For now, I have all the responsibilities.
CALLIOPE: Has there been any benefit to that?
JOE: I think I have reached an understanding of the writing and publishing world I would not have had otherwise. Time for me to stop complaining and get back to work. Talk with you on Monday.

Conversations with Calliope

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Not bad. I worked hard editing Marital Property yesterday and have only thirty pages to go to the end of the book.
CALLIOPE: Great progress. Then what?
JOE: I think that will complete the major editing. Next I will read the book aloud to see how it sounds and correct it for tone.
CALLIOPE: Sounds like a good next step. And after that?
JOE: Next is to call my reviewers back into action. I have several who read my books in the past and made excellent suggestions for revisions. I plan to ask them to read it.
CALLIOPE: Have you decided what to do about publication?
JOE: No. I think I might take another run at agents to see if I can generate any interest. If not, I will probably use Booklocker again and get started on Commonsense Wisdom for Teens.
CALLIOPE: How are your marketing efforts coming.
JOE: As you know I completed my first video and posted it on MySpace and YouTube. I plan to work on others starting Monday. I will complete a general podcast about my writing, readings from my other two books, ten reasons to read or not read each book and one about my Commonsense Wisdom for Teens project.
CALLIOPE: Sounds ambitious.
JOE: It is. I have plans laid out for the next few weeks.
CALLIOPE:I hope you can keep it all straight.
JOE: I hope so too. But at least I know where I'm headed. Talk with you on Monday.
(Erie Canal Lock- Lockport, NY)

Conversations with Calliope

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. I enjoyed reading your announcement for The Pastor's Inferno yesterday. How are you today?
JOE: Well, thank you. Yesterday I went up to visit Aunt Lucille who is in grave condition and will probably die in the next day or so. I'm not sure she recognized us. But at least we got to see her one last time.
CALLIOPE: You sound resigned.
JOE: We all are. She has had a good life and told us she was ready to "get the show on the road."
CALLIOPE: Did you have time to work on anything yesterday?
JOE: I did. I was quite busy in fact. I wrote a newspaper column for Saturday. I also worked on a eulogy for Aunt Lucille which she asked me to deliver at her funeral.
CALLIOPE: Any time for working on your books?
JOE: Remarkably, yes. I redesigned my web sites in keeping with marketing information I have been learning and published them. I also sent them to all my contacts who have expressed an interest in my writing.
CALLIOPE: You have been busy. Any work on Marital Property?
JOE: Unfortunately I ran out of time before I got that far. I plan to get back to it today. I did write a chapter on Monday, a family scene around the dinner table.
CALLIOPE: How do you plan to proceed from here?
JOE: I will get back to my regular schedule of working on marketing in the morning and writing in the afternoon. The publication of The Pastor's Inferno has energized me. I'm ready to go.

(Fireboat)

Conversations with Calliope

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. What news?
JOE: Excellent news. I received the bound galley of The Pastor's Inferno on Saturday.
CALLIOPE: How did it look?
JOE: Excellent. I couldn't find any problems. Even the cover surpassed my expectations and came out perfectly.
CALLIOPE: Congratulations. Now what?
JOE: I have already been busy finalizing arrangements for it to be listed on the BookLocker Website. It is also be listed at Ingram for distribution.
CALLIOPE: What did you have to do to finalize it?
JOE: I had to list basic information such as would be included in a News Release. It wasn't hard to find the information to include. But I was so excited I kept making typos. I finally got a clean copy and sent it off.
CALLIOPE: When will it be available for sale?
JOE: I think in a matter of a few days. I will post an announcement here instead of our usual conversation when the book is ready for sale.
CALLIOPE: I can't wait. Did you get a chance to do any writing over the weekend?
JOE: I must admit I spent most of it on marketing, specifically spiffing up my websites. However I did write the bedroom scene I was talking about last week for Marital Property.
CALLIOPE: How did it turn out?
JOE: I was pleased with it, but must admit that my attention was mostly focused on getting The Pastor's Inferno into circulation.
CALLIOPE: What's on the docket for today?
JOE: I have some more work to do on the web site and on preparing for sales. I will try to work in a chapter of Marital Property this afternoon. See you tomorrow.

(My Uncle Dick's Diamond Jubilee of his priesthood)

Conversations with Calliope

JOE: Good morning, Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning, Joe. I missed you on Saturday.
JOE: I missed visiting too. I immediately got engaged in working on my cover for The Pastor's Inferno and spent the rest of my time available on it. In the afternoon I was at a pre-cruse party and on Sunday I visited Carol's Aunt Lucille in a nursing home in Buffalo.
CALLIOPE: How's Aunt Lucille doing?
JOE: She has been doing pretty well for being 86 and having congestive heart failure requiring a CPAP machine for breathing. Yesterday she was quite unstable and was found to have pneumonia on top of everything else and was trasferred to Sisters Hospital.
CALLIOPE: Doesn't sound good.
JOE: It doesn't. But she has bounced back many times when it looked like she wouldn't. It's hard to tell, but we are all waiting.
CALLIOPE: Keep me posted. How about the publishing.
JOE: I am learning the printer's requirements a little at a time. I finally got a good copy of my cover composed in Pagemaker and transferred to PDF. Now I will have to see if it is finally ready for production. I am hoping to head in that direction soon. I also had to fill out a questionnaire with Ingram categories for listing and a 40 word description for them. I feel production is not far off.
CALLIOPE: How do you feel about it.
JOE: Thrilled. It's about time I got to this point. I have been working on some ideas about publicity and marketing and will share them with you when they are more developed.
CALLIOPE: What about Marital Property.
JOE: Unless some crisis develops with The Pastor's Inferno, I plan to get back to Marital Property this afternoon. At least I don't have anything scheduled.
CALLIOPE: It will be good to get back to actual writing.
JOE: I'll say. I am much more comfortable writing than with wrestling with publishing programs. Well, off to work.

Conversations with Calliope

JOE: Good morning, Calliope.

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

JOE: Pretty good. I am near the final steps of having The Pastor's Inferno published.

CALLIOPE: What remains?

JOE: Uploading the cover. It is a bit hard setting up the format. Harder in fact than the text. I was hoping I would receive a template but I am still waiting for it. I have the cover ready to go based on what I could figure out. I did it in Word, Publisher and Pagemaker. They all have their own ways and advantages.

CALLIOPE: Sounds complicated. Did you get any actual writing done yesterday?

JOE: No. I just worked on the cover. I am hoping to have it finished and submitted today.

CALLIOPE: Will you get back to writing today?

JOE: I hope so. I have a chapter of Marital Property partly finished and would like to at least complete it today.

CALLIOPE: A little slow going, isn't it?

JOE: Yes. But for right now, I would like to get The Pastor's Inferno done so I can concentrate on Marital Property.

CALLIOPE: I hope things settle down soon.

JOE: I think they will. By Monday, I expect to be back in a better routine.

(Yellow hibiscus- St. Maarten)

Conversations with Calliope

JOE: Good morning, Calliope.

CALLIOPE: Good morning, Joe. A little late this morning, aren't you?

JOE: Maybe later than you expected. However, I had to go to Rochester this morning for a visit related to a hospital study at the University of Rochester on the relationship between rheumatoid arthritis and the flu shot.

CALLIOPE: I see. Commendable of you. What's new in the writing department?

JOE: Glad you asked. I followed through on my decision to eliminate the quotes from Dante's Inferno.

CALLIOPE: So references to the Inferno are just gone? Do you think that's a loss to your book?

JOE: Hold on. They aren't entirely gone. I put in several references in the text without using direct quotes. Two of my reviewers of The Pastor's Inferno were enthusiastic about the quotes and two found them distracting. So it seemed like a toss up and I am happy with my decision.

CALLIOPE: Then what?

JOE: I spent most of Saturday working on the manuscript and formatting it appropriately with my changes. I managed to send it in by email Saturday afternoon.

CALLIOPE: Congratulations. What's the next step?

JOE: I am waiting for them to review it and send me a template for the book cover which is pretty well completed as well.

CALLIOPE: So now it's just a matter of waiting and completing the final steps?

JOE: That's about it. Now that it's finished, I will get back to working on Marital Property and getting serious about marketing and publicity.

CALLIOPE: Good luck.

JOE: Thanks. I think I might need it. It seems like a whole new adventure.

CALLIOPE: Do you have some place to start?

JOE: I have two books and some internet information. I'm ready to start. Talk with you tomorrow.

(Sunset on Lake Erie- Dunkirk, NY)

Conversations with Calliope

JOE: Good afternoon, Calliope.

CALLIOPE: Good afternoon, Joe. I thought you might be away.

JOE: No. I'm still here. Yesterday and today have been quite busy.

CALLIOPE: How so?

JOE: There were some communication problems about my Medicare Advantage program. It took me a while to get them straightened out, but I think it is finally settled.

CALLIOPE: Anything else going on?

JOE: Yes. I called Norton about my request for permission to use quotes from Dante's Inferno.

CALLIOPE: What did you discover?

JOE: They sent out a contract on Thursday. When I asked the nature of the contract, I learned that they wanted a fee of $200 to use 163 lines.

CALLIOPE: So, what do you think about that?

JOE: Not much. I think it is rather steep although I have not dealt with such permissions before. I decided to delete the quotes and publish the book without them. My only regret is that I wasted a month waiting to hear from them.

CALLIOPE: Where do things stand now?

JOE: I submitted my text just now to BookLocker. I am expecting a cover template so I can fill in my own cover material. It's exciting to be finally getting on with it.

CALLIOPE: Good luck. I hope the process goes smoothly.

JOE: So do I. Now I have to send out a post to remind my writing group of our meeting on Tuesday night. Talk with you on Monday.

(Cover design for The Pastor's Inferno)

Conversations with Calliope

JOE: Good morning, Calliope.

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

JOE: Good. But I was pretty busy yesterday.

CALLIOPE: Doing what?

JOE: I had planned to get to work on my writing. However, I got waylaid by negotiations about health insurance and flight arrangements for February getting back from San Juan.

CALLIOPE: Is everything settled?

JOE: I hope so.

CALLIOPE: Did you do any writing?

JOE: I wrote a blog for Saturday which I need to post this morning. I also did some editing on Young Man of the Cloth and only have one more chapter to do.

CALLIOPE: Any progress on permissions for The Pastor's Inferno?

JOE: No. I sent them an email but so far no reply. I think I will call them today.

CALLIOPE: Frustrating isn't it?

JOE: Yes. I think people are still in their year end slump, but I hope they get back to work soon. I am anxious to get my book in print.

CALLIOPE: It is frustrating. Sometimes you have to be a pest.

JOE: You're right. I think I'll get at it right now.

(Reconquista Banner- Vigo, Spain)

Conversations with Calliope

JOE: Good morning, Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning, Joe. How are you this morning?
JOE: Fine. I was just working on setting up Pagemaker for The Pastor's Inferno.
CALLIOPE: How is that going?
JOE: I got the page set up fine but am having trouble with the directions for formatting headers and footers as well as the gutter.
CALLIOPE: Sounds frustrating.
JOE: Maybe it's too early in the morning for such fiddling.
CALLIOPE: How did yesterday go?
JOE: Quite well. I did some editing of The Pastor's Inferno and am getting toward the end. I sent an email to the Library of Congress about my LCCN since they did not reply to my request from the end of November. I also finished the chapter I was working on in Marital Property. I also wrote my Christmas column and baked some cookies.
CALLIOPE: Can I see the column?
JOE: I would be happy to show it to you but can't until Saturday when it is published. First serial rights, you know.
CALLIOPE: I understand. I will be looking forward to it. What's on the docket for today.
JOE: Other than beef barley soup for tonight, I will be following my usual routine of editing in the morning and writing in the afternoon.
CALLIOPE: Sounds like you have the day planned.
JOE: I do and I am ready to get at it.
Calliope: Don't let me hold you back.
Joe: Okay, I'm at it.

(Main Street bench- Batavia, NY)

Conversations with Calliope

JOE: Good morning, Calliope.

CALLIOPE: Good morning, Joe, What's new today?

JOE: Not much new. Just a lot of unfinished business.

CALLIOPE: Such as?

JOE: Well, there's the novel I'm writing, the one I'm working on getting published and getting together Christmas presents.

CALLIOPE: Let's start with Marital Property.

JOE: On Saturday I had planned to at least finish the current chapter I'm working on but didn't get to it. It's in my plan for today.

CALLIOPE: Okay, how about The Pastor's Inferno?

JOE: The final edit is coming along well. I am currently debating whether to submit it as a Word or Pagemaker document. Booklocker seems to prefer Word but I think the layout and spacing is better with Pagemaker. My current inclination is to submit it in Pagemaker converted to PDF.

CALLIOPE: You're getting pretty technical.

JOE: When you hang around long enough you learn all sorts of things.

CALLIOPE: Is that all you have in the works?

JOE: I am still waiting for permission from Norton to use the quotes at the beginning of my chapters. Maybe I will call them and see how its coming. I also requested a Library of Congress number a while ago (LCCN) but have not heard from them. I should contact them as well for an update. Then of course are Christmas presents. I have some things gathered but am in the midst of baking cookies as well.

CALLIPE: You sound like you have your hands full. I had better let you get back to work.

JOE: Good idea. Talk with you later.