I keep lists so I don’t forget to do things. But what happens when I forget to write something down because I’m so focused on the AT II contest or other life events?

Cases in point: 1) realized I’d neglected to pay my March assessments. Which resulted in a $100 late fee. 2) had mailed an entry form for a writing contest and paid the fee but didn’t pay attention to when the e-entry was due so I could follow up. Fortunately, the contest coordinator notified me that tho the mail delayed arrival of my form, it was postmarked on time so I could still send the entry.

Coming next week…another day as an extra on THE BREAK UP! Report to follow.

Still time to vote for FOLLOW YOUR HEART in the American Title II contest at http://www.romantictimes.com/news_amtitle3.php.

YES!! Great news! FOLLOW YOUR HEART, my historical romance novel set in medieval England, made it to the final round of Dorchester Publishing/RT BOOKclub Magazine’s American Title II contest, run along the lines of the TV show American Idol.

Finalists have already survived four rounds of online competition: Best Opening Sentence, Best Hero/Heroine, Best Story Summary and Best Dialogue Scene.

Your vote can help me become a published author. I hope you’ll vote and tell your friends.

Two ways to vote now through April 2 for Round 5, Best Romantic Scene:
1) Visit www.romantictimes.com, then click American Title II on the left under Website Spotlights, or visit http://www.romantictimes.com/news_amtitle.php

2) Simply send an e-mail to [email protected] with FOLLOW YOUR HEART as the subject.

Thank you for helping me achieve my dream of becoming a published author. FYH couldn’t have made it this far without your votes.

Note: scenes contain explicit language.

Ruth Kaufman
www.ruthjkaufman.com

The Gainfully Unemployed face unique time management issues.

Do you get a vacation when 1) you’re not going to a day job? 2) you’re working for you?
Is a work week still Mon-Fri when there are always more pages/articles to write?
How do you not feel guilty/lazy when you take a week day off? Are non-paying but potentially valuable gigs work…such as the independent short film I’ll be doing one day next week?

Questions like these are why I’m keeping what I call a Success Journal…each day I record every accomplishment in a notebook. I see what I’ve done at a glance, and know that each day I am laying the groundwork for my future.

For those who have never auditioned, here is my take on the experience.

1) GETTING AN AUDITION in the first place
For most auditions, you’ll first need a headshot (8X10 picture, Chicago is moving to color from b&w) and an acting resume. If you haven’t ever acted before, consider taking a class.
1. Continuously scour industry publications and websites to find some that interest you and follow each audition’s submission instructions.
2. Submit to casting agents/directors.
3. Obtain representation with one or more agents.

2) THE CALL
a. In Chicago, some auditions can be secured by calling a theatre at a specific time and reserving a spot. If you don’t get a spot, you can go anyway as a “walk-in” and hope they can fit you in. Commercial/film/TV auditions for speaking parts are usually done through agents.
b. Casting person or agent calls you with information.

3) THE PREPARATION
Depending on what you’re auditioning for, you now must either prepare a monologue or two (lengths and types provided by the auditioner), a song, learn copy that has been faxed to you, read from a script available at the audition.

4) THE AUDITION
a. You go wherever the audition is and bring copies of your headshots/resumes. You’ll sign in, then wait your turn. You’ll face anywhere from one to a dozen auditioners. You do your thing. Then maybe redo it if you’re offered direction.
b. The call back: sometimes they narrow the field and call you back to either do the same thing you did during the audition or something else.

5) AFTERMATH
a. Now you wait. Most of the time, if you don’t get the part, no notification will be given.
b. You get the part.

I once heard for many the ratio is 27 auditions to one part.

Today Romantic Times BOOKclub magazine is supposed to notify the finalists who have been cut and thereby reveal who makes it to the final two now that voting in Round 4: Best Dialogue Scene, is over.

Checked my e-mail early. Nothing. Checked my email around 9:30 Eastern time. Still nothing. Went to an appointment, came back. STILL nothing. Talked on the phone for an hour with a former client. Zippo. Had late lunch. Nada.

Stared at my email waiting for news. I know, I know. A watched pot never boils.

In previous rounds, notification e-mails have come well before noon Central time….but not today.

I’ve tried a few times to focus on other projects, but my concentration just isn’t there. Any suggestions on ways to handle waiting?

The links to vote for Best Dialogue Scene, Round 4 of Dorchester/RT BOOKclub magazine’s national publishing contest, have changed. RT BOOKclub has revamped its entire web site. Visit www.americantitle2.com to cast your vote for my entry, FOLLOW YOUR HEART.

Two finalists will remain for the next round, Best Romantic Scene. Will FOLLOW YOUR HEART move on? Stay tuned…

This week, going to an opera, shooting three cable programs in one evening, the AT II contest, meeting with my literacy student, a few social events, plus preparing and sending requested submissions detoured me from actual writing. I’m also working on an article for the Romance Writers Report about Muses. Do writers have them or not?

Welcome to my new blog, now part of my new web site, www.ruthjkaufman.com! Thanks to my designer, Heidi, who created a place that represents my modern medieval sensibilities. I plan to update my blog more than once a week, and add writing related content and news to my web site once a month. Thanks to everyone who is interested in my adventures as one who is Gainfully Unemployed. I hope you’ll visit often.

There’s still time to vote this week for Round 4, Best Dialogue Scene, in Dorchester/RT BOOKclub’s American Title II contest. Your vote can help FOLLOW YOUR HEART make it to the final two!

One of my newest adventures is volunteering as an adult literacy tutor. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for years, because reading has been such a huge part of my life, I can’t imagine growing up without the enjoyment good books. But for various reasons, millions of adults read at a second grade level or less. More on this in future posts.

I keep getting asked what I do all day. Perhaps people think I’m ensconced in a beauty salon, reclining on a chaise as one manicurist works on my hands and another on my toes, while my page fans me with one hand and drops chocolate into my mouth with the other. Perhaps they have no clue how they would schedule/fill their time if they didn’t have a day job. Or perhaps they are just curious.

Here’s yesterday:
6:34 up and into exercise clothes
make coffee and read paper
check emails
8:00 turn on FIT TV and do whatever show is on. 23 minutes of slowrobics.
shower/dress
breakfast
finish writing intial web content and send to web designer
11:00 change to jeans/nicer shirt and take bus downtown for lunch meeting at chicago bar association. cruise through Fields on the way. pick up Subway sandwich.
12:15 leave meeting as it starts. Hop cab and hurry to near Sox park. Why? Emergency call from an agent. They had to get me on tape ASAP. Had I dressed for an audition? No. Did I have my ear prompter, which they said they wanted? No. Did I have time to race home to get it? No.
12:45 arrive at agent, memorize copy for Honda delarship ad. Other last minute auditionees do have their prompters and audition attire because they came from home. Remove glasses, while everything is fuzzy tape ad.
1:15 Race back to Loop. No cabs in area, fortunately bus arrives promptly, to Red Line to Loop.
20 minutes late for first tutoring session at Literacy Chicago. I’d called my student and told him I’d be late.
1:50 Tutor
3:05 cruise through Filenes. (I was already right next door.)
3:30-5:00 I’d brought my AlphaSmart, sort of a laptop but weighs only 2 lbs. Bought beverage at Borders and wrote 4 pages.
5:00 Corner Bakery to have soup. (ok, and a brownie.)
5:45 go to chorus rehearsal for Beethoven’s 9th. Altos get released early, at 7:15.
8:00 home. final email check, transfer pages from Alphasmart to my computer, print some stuff and get organized for next day.
9:00 Watch Project Runway.

Yes!! I’m thrilled to reveal that FOLLOW YOUR HEART, my historical romance novel set in medieval England, has made it to the final four in Dorchester Publishing/RT BOOKclub Magazine’s American Title II contest, run along the lines of the TV show American Idol.

Vote now through March 5 for Round 4, Best Dialogue Scene at:

http://romantictimes.com/e_news/amtitle3.shtml

The two finalists receiving the fewest votes will be eliminated. The winner will get published.

For more info about the contest, finalists and judges, visit: http://www.romantictimes.com/e_news/amtitle.shtml

Thank you for helping me achieve my dream of becoming a published author.

Will FOLLOW YOUR HEART make it to the Final Four in Dorchester/RT BOOKclub’s national American Title II contest? Tomorrow morning I’ll post the news here, or visit www.romantictimes.com and check out the American Title II box that should be in the upper right hand corner!

Thanks to everyone who voted in Rounds 1-3….