I’m stuffed. Not with holiday food, with stuff.

In the spirit of starting 2008 in an organized fashion, a lot of stuff has to go. I’m working my way through every drawer, every closet, every file folder and my storage closet…ruthlessly. Ha.

It’s hard to get rid of the lovely Tahari evening dress I bought in 1993 to be a bridesmaid. But the thing is almost 14 years old and just doesn’t look flattering on me anymore. Same with some suits purchased in the 90’s for my former day job. Nice fabrics in excellent condition, but they just don’t suit. Ha. Goodbye, eyeshadows, lipsticks, blushers and creams accumulated via years of makeup promotions. Farewell, magazine and newspaper articles on topics from flat abs to plotting a novel I’ve carefully clipped and saved but rarely refer to.

What/how much do we really need? How many pairs of shoes? Jeans? Types of hair gels? Pairs of pajamas?

But how can I part with a few vintage dresses that were my mom’s? The very cool 1950’s drinking glasses my great aunt gave me? I never know what sort of self-costuming a show or movie might require, so I’ve kept some stuff. Just in case.

I joined freecycle.org…an amazing Yahoo! group where you offer stuff you no longer want and can request stuff that you do. Within hours I gave away my Clavinova–a full size electric piano from the late 80’s that still works great except for the C# key. Took up too much space in my bedroom, and I only played to pound out notes/the alto part in music I needed to sing. It went to a young woman who was so happy to gift it to her musician boyfriend. How nice when extra stuff goes to a good home. I then bought a much smaller Yamaha keyboard that fits in a closet.

Then there are books…very hard for me to give those away. Though I don’t keep every book I read, I want those that have made their way to my ‘keeper’ shelf and my numerous medieval England research books. Seeing them lined up neatly on their shelves is somehow relaxing and reassuring. And then there’s the bookcase with books to be read…

I’m off to the Salvation Army to donate several bags of oldies but goodies. And then to Target. In case I need new stuff.

I was in a bar with Patrick Swayze last night until 12:30AM.
And, if you know who he is, Travis Fimmel, too.

This is because I was an extra in their new pilot for A&E, The Beast. Not for any other reason.

I’ve been an extra on more than 55 productions, and have often been in close proximity to the principals (aka stars). But as a Dirty Dancing fan, seeing PS in person and watching him act in take after take was particularly cool.

Being an extra is rarely glamorous. We waited in a cold, spartan holding area for more than six hours on hard plastic chairs, then were on set–the smoky and cold bar–on and off for several hours. A few people smoked cigarettes (including PS) and they also blew in some fake smoke.

My call time was 12:00PM; we didn’t wrap until 12:30AM. For not a lot of money. But, I enjoyed delicious food (including very tasty salmon and turtle cheesecake), and fun and interesting conversations.

One of the reasons I continue to work as an extra is to observe and be a part of the creative filming process. I got to sit mere feet away from PS and the director. I heard them discuss the various shots and takes and what they needed to do on the next take…it’s interesting to see the personnel interact and make changes. It’s also fun to see the movie or TV show and know what went into producing it.

As we rush around doing the busy-busy this time of year, maybe we need to stop for a moment to reflect on how we spent our 2007….how we chose to spend our time and what we chose to think about.

I don’t mean trying to reflect while you’re in the middle of wrapping presents or running errands or on the way to a social event. I mean sitting down in a quiet room and taking a few quality moments to go over what you have accomplished this year. What you have learned.

Most of us are so caught up in where we’re going next or all the stuff we should be doing that we don’t make time to appreciate where we are. Some of us tend to think, “Another year is passing, and I still I haven’t ______________.” For me, the blank is filled by “sold a book.” This thought process, of course, leads to frustration and ruminating about what I could have done differently. Even when many aspects of selling a book are beyond my control.

What if I could turn that thought around and think about what I did do? If I could think, “I wrote another manuscript this year. And completed the extensive revisions my agent requested, to her satisfaction. And started two new novels.” Those accomplishments should be a big deal. They should mean something. But my mind whips past any achievements to, “What’s next? Why haven’t you written more pages on your next books?”

The challenge is not being too hard on myself while remaining motivated and disciplined enough to move forward. Sometimes that seems to be a fine line.

I need to make more room in my head for gratefulness and gratitude. I need to allow myself to appreciate my successes and experience inner peace.

What can you appreciate?

Word is that many literary agents don’t submit during December. Rationale: The publishing industry slows down and agents don’t want their clients’ manuscripts buried and moldering on editors’ desks.

These agents say it’s better to submit after the New Year. But I wonder, won’t that result in a deluge, and overwhelm editors with envelopes and packages? If a month’s worth of submissions is held back, how many will arrive the first week of 2008? I’m curious to know how editors prioritize when they receive dozens of manuscripts at once. There must be some editors who make their way through the pile chronologically…

Hmmm. Is this a chicken or the egg situation?

It’s well known that many other industries also slow down this time of year, while everyone scrambles to decorate, buy gifts and cook for the holidays and attends seasonal functions. What does all this lost productivity cost our economy? Why don’t corporations just accede to this national trend, and give employees off from December 15 to January 3rd, instead of going through the motions and requiring everyone to show up at the office?

I know I can’t afford to take off an entire month just because of holiday hustle and bustle. Financially–well, I don’t get paid vacation days and don’t want to abandon all hope of earnings. Mentally–sometimes I feel guilty if I take the weekend off. No way could I play or party for two weeks.

I’ve also heard of an agent who prefers not to submit on Mondays or Fridays. And they say publishing slows down in August, too.

Maybe that’s one reason many authors have agents: to trust that they know the market better than we do.

What a variety of parts I’ve been asked to portray recently…from a corporate district manager (cast without an audition) to a doctor (auditioned and got the part) to a weed (auditioned, don’t think I got it). Yes, the voice of a weed.

Sit back for a moment and imagine how you’d use your voice to convey the demise of a weed.

First I tried various short, high pitched shrieks, but they grated on my ears, even when I sat further back from my microphone. Gaspy groans ended up sounding too much like Meg Ryan in that famous When Harry Met Sally scene.

By this time my throat was starting to hurt. I wondered if my neighbors could hear the screaming. It’s very hard to scream quietly. Finally settled on a sort of gurgly sound.

This week, went on two more print looksees. One was for bad hair…you can’t imagine how big my hair gets if I brush it while upside down. And if I don’t flatiron my bangs, each piece goes a different direction. They wanted a mugshot type look; not sure if I came across mean enough. And, they saw over 200 men and women in 8 hours.

The next day, coincidentally, went back to the same photographer for a “nice lady next door” print ad for a well-known prescription drug. I saw blondes, redheads, brown haired women there…in 5 hours who knows how many they will see. The photographer did remember me from yesterday…

I can only hope I’ve assimilated enough information from watching many seasons of America’s Next Top Model to pose competently and connect with the camera.

Moving from on camera, VO, and print to live theatre…I’m in a musical revue, where, among other things, I’m zombie lawyer and a tap dancing cheerleader who does the splits…

For those planning to attend RWA’s National conference next July in San Francisco, here’s a heads up about the hotel. Fortunately it’s in the middle of everything…shopping, food, sights…all in walking distance.

San Francisco Marriott

Lobby area: is under renovation. A new, focal point lobby bar is on its way as is a new entrance and registration desk. There is a Starbucks and several restaurants, but see Trish Milburn’s post about other convenient eating options. The Garden Terrace will seat fewer people after the second floor renovation than it does now.

Rooms: The guest rooms are fairly spacious and, as you can see if you go to the link, provide beds with lots of pillows. Farthest from the elevator is an even larger room offering seating area with a couch and two chairs in addition to the two chairs in a regular king room.

Other: Check in is 4:00 PM, though they happily gave me a room when I arrived at around 11AM. But very few people were checking in at that time, and I don’t know how crowded they were the night before. Internet access is $12.95/day. This is one of those hotels with mid-rise and high-rise elevators. There is a health club (24 hours) and a pool; the spa area was recently renovated.
Taxi from the airport: around 25 minutes and $40.
Shower head has various speed/strength options. Flat screen TVs.
The staff was very friendly and helpful, particularly those at the Concierge desk.

Picky Notes:
The blow dryer hung on the only hook in my room.
The closet, in a king bed room at least, is fairly small for two people to share. There were at least two spacious drawers.
If you care about a great view, check to make sure your room has one.
At this time, there are no beverage machines on the room floors.
The line for taxis can be long, but it was easy to get our own taxis.

Conference space: is huge. Most rooms and registration are beneath the lobby but there are some meeting rooms on 4 & 5. The main ballroom is bigger than last year’s.
Check out the floor plans.

Faithful readers, I have an announcement: yesterday I felt like and believed I am a working actress and author. Here’s why:

In the late afternoon I spoke with my literary agent…she said liked all the changes she’d asked me to make on my latest opus, that it was now a stonger book. Whew. And that she’d submit it right away, after I sent her 4 copies of the new version. (Some of you may think, ‘why can’t she make the copies?’ But often it’s up to the author to do that.) So I fired up my printer. Fortunately I had enough paper and toner to print 1404 pages.

Meanwhile, I was learning my lines for a Walgreen’s training video that started at 10:15 pm, and glancing over copy for an audition I have for two corporate videos today.

I carried the huge stack to UPS and overnighted the 4 copies, thrilled to have this off my plate and on hers. Then I went to two hours of my high energy three hour improv class, and drove to the burbs for the Walgreen’s shoot. I had three scenes, finished at 2:20 am and got home at 3.

It’s still hard for me to believe that all I have to do is say the lines, and the producer/director/writer will be happy with my performance. Not to say that they don’t ask me to try different things on each take, or adjust my position or how I hold a clipboard or whatever…but then I do what they say and they are happy with that. Not that this is always easy…to remember lines and say them with the right inflection/emotion while turning at a certain moment without moving out of camera frame.

I guess part of me still wonders if I am an actress.

I am.

Sometimes NO doesn’t really mean NO…it means ‘try again’ or YES.

A recent post (“Close but no Cigar”) bemoaned my 19 vote loss in the national Romance Writer of America board of directors election. Rest easy, faithful reader, because I am now on the board! A director in my region moved to another position, and the board appointed me to fill the vacancy. I am enjoying learning about my responsibilities, and look forward to the first board meeting.

An editor I know has read part or all of FOUR of my manuscripts. One might think that, since she didn’t want to buy any of them, she’d be done. But she just asked to see part of another. Yes, again I have proved close but no cigar. Is the fifth time the charm?

When I first mentioned the premise of ms #9 to my agent, she wasn’t thrilled. But she read the first 50 pages and changed her mind. Now I’m waiting to hear on final revisions…

Some might find victory all the sweeter after you’d thought you’d already lost.

The question is: what steps can I take in the future to avoid the emotional roller coaster of turning NO to YES…and go directly to YES? Or are timing and luck, not my actions, the controlling factors?

The good news: lately I’ve had a lot more incoming calls from people who want to book me. In the past week I’ve had inquiries about a quick turnaround 300 page VO job, a VO role in an animated movie and, from a producer I’ve already worked with, my turnaround time for several upcoming projects. An agent called to book me for an MOS (without sound) video project tomorrow. I’d already been booked for two days in November for corporate training.

The not so good news: The 300 page job didn’t materialize. Found out this morning that the MOS project was canceled. Because the client is doing the corporate training in another city, I’m no longer needed. Have not yet heard from the producer.

I need to start taking these potential/scheduled bookings with a grain of salt, and not believe they will happen until they actually do. But it’s hard not to have expectations when I wind up cancelling appointments so I can go to a shoot or say no to other things because I think I’m booked.

Not only can scheduling change at the drop of a hat, sometimes I need to jump through a lot of hoops. I’d auditioned for a narration job from home. Then I was asked to record two short sections for the director…but they wanted them ASAP. Next they asked me to record the entire script because the client still hasn’t decided. So I did, at an advertising agency. It was great to meet some of the people involved, and doing the recording in person was better submitting from home because I could give them the exact tone/pace/energy/emphasis they wanted. But they recorded over it by mistake, and asked me to go back that afternoon and do it again. Which I did.
Will I book this project? Stay tuned…

Got a call yesterday from one of my talent agents to go to a look see on Monday for for a print job that shoots Wednesday. The pay is good because it’s a national print ad and direct mail. All I have to do is look nice, go to a photography studio and have my picture taken any time during the six hours they’re seeing people.

Six hours of look see. If they spend 5 minutes on each, that’s 72 women. 3 minutes each ups the number to 120. The last look see I went on was around 1 minute. That could be 360 people.

Far better odds than the lottery to be sure. And the studio is only 15 minutes from my condo. I’m sure some will have to schlep in from the burbs.

What can I do to stand out in sea of middle aged brunettes (no blondes, for some reason)? Clearly hair style is important. Many times I’ve heard that clients/directors see what’s in front of them and don’t think, “We like this actress, but want to change her hair.” Do I go in with my natural curls? Try a sleek ponytail? Or invest the time to straighten my hair? In my experience, most women will probably have straight hair. So my curly hair might be different. Too different?

Then there’s wardrobe…”Nice casual.” A sweater set? A blouse? What color, to not blend in or be too bright, when I don’t know what the background will be?

You see how easy it is to overthink what amounts to less than 3 audition minutes. But the stakes are pretty high…1) a sizeable print job to add to your portfolio and bank account 2) getting booked makes you look good to the agent who sent you and could keep you on their radar so they’ll submit you for other projects. 3) you can tell other agents that you’re getting work, which might make them want to submit you.