Thursday, January 05, 2006

Back to the keyboard

It’s like raindrops plopping from an awning onto the back of your neck, that return to the office after a nice long break. I took the first real vacation in 2 years, and it felt good. I made a resolution to do it again soon. We spent a week in Carolina, staying at my brother’s house on a lake in a really small town. Very tranquil.

Within minutes of checking my email and messages when I came home to Florida, I realized Christmas was definitely over. About 550 messages waited in two email accounts. I’m still slogging.

Accepted some new assignments—one is a neat project I’ll announce shortly. It involves a poetry project for a national magazine. So stay tuned.

Back on the newspaper beat, and trying to cover my bases on speaking arrangements. I spoke to the Woman’s Club of Jacksonville yesterday, and it was a very rewarding experience. The members are intelligent and well-read. A poet’s dream. We had a great time together—I think they enjoyed my anecdotes about the freelance life. I signed both books.

Met with my publisher today to cook up ideas for the coming year. I have to admire owners of small presses. We were in one of the major chain stores, and my eye wandered. Aisle after aisle of impulse purchases, cook books by unique personalities, get-thin books by already thin people, discounted Christmas decorations—all scattered against a backdrop of coffee machine groans from the café. Where, I wonder, did the bookstore of my youth go?

The year ahead looks promising. Dorothy Fletcher and I are working hard on Wordstream, the writers’ retreat we’re holding at Riverdale Inn. The inn is one of those places that oozes history and charm. I think this will be one of the most enjoyable projects I’ll be part of this year.

Creative projects include editing my young adult novel, completing my new poetry collection, and working on a book about the felony murder rule.

I’m also fleshing out my writer-reader resource site creativewriter.us. I'll have an announcement soon about a new associate editor for that site.

Never a dull moment.

Happy New Year to all!
Kay Day

2 comments:

Julie Carter said...

Kay,

I don't know how you find that much energy. I'm exhausted just reading about your plans. Glad you had a good vacation.

Julie

Kay Day said...

Julie, what a coincidence--so glad to see you here. I still use your sonnet as my mental yardstick when trying to write one myself. I featured your "julain" contest at my other site today(http://creativewriter.us/weeklyNEWS.html.) I do think poets have ESP. On finding that much energy, it used to get me in big trouble when I was young!--best, Kay