BIG news: I have a literary agent! This means she will submit my books to editors at publishing houses now. Through a confluence of events, she’d read my first contemporary, the sixth novel I’ve completed, and the first two chapters of the sequel. She called to offer representation if I tweaked the last chapter in the direction she suggested. That chapter is now on her desk, along with more of the sequel. The contract is signed.

This weekend, singing Beethoven’s 9th Symphony at Navy Pier. We rehearsed (in a courtroom, appropriate since the groups are made up primarily of lawyers) with the orchestra for the first time since May. The echo after our big chords was thrilling!
And seeing almost two hundred people working together to create one sound is rewarding.

What’s in your life right now that you find rewarding?

when you’re trying to figure out something on your computer.

Recently I completed my commercial voiceover demo CD, which I need to send to talent agents I’m registered with and new ones, to see if they’re interested in representing me. This means I need a colorful design for the jewel box and matching labels for the CD.

I’d tried using software already on my computer and printing on regular paper, but wasn’t impressed by the results. So I looked on the Internet and found free label/CD design software. First I figured out how to download Avery’s, but after installation wasn’t that thrilled with the color and graphic choices. I did manage to create a basic CD label, but it took a while. I moved on to Memorex. That had exactly the type of design I had in mind, but I had to figure out how to customize the text. Next I researched card stock and stick-on labels, then went to buy some and CDs to make copies of my demo. Forgot to get the cases; fortunately a store on my street had those.
By the time I created and printed the box inserts and labels, made demo copies and put the whole shebang together, I still had to choose which agencies to send to and compose a letter and create mailing labels.

I’d thought all this would only take a few hours, but it took most of one day and part of the next. Off to the post office to mail the results.

And then….the waiting begins. Many agency websites say they listen to everything they receive, but only contact those they are interested in, which could take more than a month.

When you have a day job, it’s easier to do what you have to do. You know what is on your plate and when those projects are due. You know what’s expected of you and how many hours you need to put in. If you don’t follow through, you’ll be reprimanded or fired. The gainfully unemployed must assign themselves tasks and find the inner fortitude to work on their own every day. I’m certainly not going to fire myself if I don’t complete my to do list. But I will be disappointed in my lack of progress.

Yet the temptation to enjoy the nice weather, to browse online or in stores, to schedule lots of social events and long lunches remains. Who’ll know if I take the afternoon off? It’s a Friday, after all. Many people leave early on Fridays, especially in the summer.

Who’ll know? I will.
Back to work.

Some people need positive reinforcement more than others, just as some plants need more water to survive. This may be shallow, because confidence should come from within, but…

For me, attending the RWA National conference in Atlanta last week provided a thorough soaking that should last for months. Not only did my standing room only workshop with RWA Hall of Famer Jennifer Greene earn rave reviews, many attendees (both published and not, people I’d met and those I hadn’t) said they’d voted for me in American Title II and knew I’d sell soon. I also ran into a published author who said she’d judged one of my contemporaries in a contest and gave a very high score, which she usually doesn’t, because she thinks I have so much talent. And the praise continues in various online posts.

Also, I learned in Atlanta that one of my medievals won a contest and the editor judge requested a full manuscript. And Tuesday night, I got a call that one of my contemporaries finaled in the Maggie Awards, frequently cited as one of the most prestigious contests for the as yet unpublished.

So thanks to everyone who has supported and encouraged me. Who supports and encourages you?

Here are several pictures from the Sondheim in the Park performances I did last weekend…we don’t look nearly as hot as we were! And check out Sondheim himself, in the tan blazer and blue shirt, standing amongst the crowd…

Friday July 14
Weather: the hottest day so far this year.

AM: Cram rest of Sondheim lyrics for this afternoon’s Sondheim in the Park festival performances. Dress in white. Shoes: comfort or cute? Comfort.

1:00 take bus. Review lyrics on bus.
2:00 rehearse at Cultural Center. We run our set of songs to the interest and applause of passers by, then review some problem spots. Still not quite confident with beginning of Have I Got a Girl for You, where I have little solos. Simple lyrics but challenging rhythms. I downloaded the song from iTunes and ran through it many times.
3:00 supposed to have sound check at our performance space in the Lurie Garden.
But, it’s POURING rain. All look out windows in despair. Was our preparation, our memorization for nothing?
3:20 rain has miraculously stopped. Sun comes out. Group heads over to Millenium Park. Air is so humid it’s hard to breathe. Audience begins to gather, sitting on puddles on rock ledges. Sound people set up our microphones but there’s no time for a sound check. Makeup is melting.
4:05 Performance number one begins. Word is that Sondheim is on his way. Several my friends, mom, sister in law and niece and nephew are in the audience. More people gather as we begin to sing. Much applause. No Sondheim.

5:00 Sondheim due at any moment. Several sightings occur, but I can’t see him as places have been called. Despite sweltering heat and relentless sun, several friends decide to stay for performance #2, a couple more friends arrive. We sound great. No Sondheim, despite rumors.

5:30 Audience begins to scatter. We get word that Sondheim has finally arrived. Would we be willing to reprise a song for him? Wow. I will get to sing for the great composer and lyricist, tho for the chosen song I don’t have as much to do as in some of the others. As we sing his music, I can see him watching and smiling. He applauds with the remaining and newly arrived audience.

A once in a lifetime opportunity, well worth all of the effort.

Had rehearsal Saturday…learning the second set of Sondheim songs is a challenge. One song has a 4-part chorus that is spoken, with each part saying similar words but in different rhythms. Really put my triplet and eighth note counting to the test.
One more rehearsal, at the park itself, for staging. Meanwhile, I’m memorizing, memorizing! Is it: A is one is who is A? Or: A is one is A is who?

On another note, pun intended, this morning I got booked to be an extra one day next week for a new feature film (one of the only ones in the near future) shooting here. I’d seen the listing but had decided not to send in. I’m not in the mood to walk up and down the street or be a commuter. I’ve worked with one of the casting people several times before and he called me, for a nice sounding, smaller party scene.

And, should have an audition for a commercial this week. On the other hand, the two additional days I was scheduled to do for the documentary were cancelled, to be rescheduled. One has to be flexible in this business!

Finally, almost finished with book number 8!

Sunday was the first rehearsal for four performances of two sets of Sondheim songs I’ll be doing mid-July as part of Sondheim in the Park…an upcoming festival of the great composer’s in Millenium Park.

I got the gig via a forwarded e-mail from a friend. They were looking for “good sight singers” because “rehearsal time would be strictly limited.” I responded by listing some of my singing experience in musicals and with a symphony choir. I am a good sight reader, learn quickly, sing on pitch and can easily hold my notes even when standing next to someone singing something different. My concern was that my voice quality wouldn’t be good enough. (IMO, a great voice is a gift that should be used to its fullest extent.) But I didn’t have to audition.

Friday, I received a three inch thick packet of music to learn, and was pleased to see that I had been assigned a small solo, right in my range. Sunday, more than twenty singers of various ages gathered in the designated rehearsal room to rehearse the first set of songs. Without much ado, the music director launched us into the opening number. No part pounding to be sure we had the notes, no slow rehearsal tempo. She took off on the piano at performance speed.

Each soloist had a better voice than the next. When everyone joined in, and Sondheim’s mulit-part harmonies and huge chords filled the space, I got chills.
My heart beat a little faster when we moved on to the next song with my solo bits. I missed a cue or two that first time, but so did several of the others. I hit my notes. Whew. As part of the group, I fit in.

Today’s message: if you have a gift or something you love to do, find a way to do it.

My special skill happens to be talking fast. REALLY fast. Fast enough to be on America’s Funniest People, where the head writer of an annual musical revue I was in happened to me and has found a way to incorporate a fast talking bit for many years since. Night after night, before hundreds of people, I’ve done a high speed radio traffic report, a voice mail system, 101 dull motions, summarized the millenium, and last December went over the new Medicare Part B plan. In about a minute.

Most recently, the outgoing president of the Chicago Bar Association asked me to read the list of all the people he wanted to thank but wouldn’t have time to if he did it. The day before the luncheon, he e-mailed me 118 names. Clearly I’ll do a lot for a free lunch. Fortunately I was familiar with many of those on his list.

Little did I know there’d be 500 people attending the event in a huge ballroom, or that there’d be assigned seating and I’d be right in front of the head table. After the president introduced, I made my way to the microphone. I got my first laugh by saying “this won’t take long” and holding up the 5-page-list I’d taped together.

As usual, I received laughter, huge applause and many compliments from luminaries of the bench and bar. A chief judge wished I could do his motion call and make his days go faster.

Now I just need to find a way to earn money with my special skill.
What’s yours?

Even the Gainfully Unemployed need to take a vacation once in awhile. I jetted off to New York, primarily to see Ralph Fiennes from front row center. Fabulous. In addition to seeing three other shows such as the play Julia Roberts is in, I attended an RWA chapter’s luncheon with more editors and agents per capita than most conferences. So even while on a whirlwind vacation I managed to fit in some productive and enjoyable networking.

Now back to reality…which for me in the short term means completing my work in progress because I’ve already had a request for the full manuscript. On the acting front: had an audition, the first I’ve been on that asked people to come in their pajamas. And, got a call from a producer of the documentary I worked on last week saying they should want me to work again soon. Finally, looks as though I’ll be participating in four Sondheim in the Park performances mid-July. More to follow!