The View Up Here

I meant to blog last weekend, but the entire weekend sort of slipped away, and then it was time to go back to work for the semester, and then I got sick. So, here's what I would have blogged last week... Last Friday, Jan. 22, marked the two year anniversary of my mother's passing. I spent Friday night feeling pretty damned lonely, so I called Jackie, my dearest and oldest friend in the world who is also an experienced hospice social worker. She told me that the relationship Mom and I nurtured in the last years of her life was inspirational, and she remarked on the question my mother asked me about a year before her death. One day while I was at Mom's apartment doing housework for her, she told me that she was trying to think of things she had taught me, but she couldn't think of any. She asked me what she had taught me. I was stunned at this, because I owe 90% of who I am to my mother. I rattled off a list on the spot, and over the next several months, I continued to ad...

Today at work I met with a student, James, who I've tutored many times, a student with a creative fire who wants to be a TV writer. Over the last two semesters, James would come to me with an idea for a script, or part of a draft, or a logline, and we'd talk about how he could develop it and structure his stories. He's a writer who sees his characters first and weaves the story around them. Often all he needed was someone in his corner to say, "You can do this!" This student, in my opinion, is very sensitive, talented and has a lot to say with his writing. Today he came by to say good-bye. He had to drop out of school because of not having a spot in the dorms, and having to live in a homeless shelter. His ma kicked him out last semester, and he's been living in shelters and where ever he can crash ever since. Today he told me that the woman at VESID told him that he's not cut out for school because he got such bad grades last semester. She told him to ju...

Last night was one of those times I'm very happy to be living in Ithaca (so few and far between during the Winter months). I attended a very informal, entertaining and inspirational talk by Mr. Nick Sagan and Mr. JG Hertzler - both with connections to the Star Trek universe (ahhh now the title of this post makes sense!) - cosponsored by Light In Winter and Science Cabaret . Nick Sagan is a wonderfully approachable, down to earth yet introspective writer and speaker. I enjoyed listening to his insights about writing for Trek and his science fiction novels , and hearing about his latest projects . He strikes me as someone who can still feel, or at least appreciate, the underpinnings of hope and awe that Trek is all about for many people. I don't think screenwriters can write successful sci fi film or TV unless they understand what's really at the heart of it - which to say, the heart. Nick told a lovely story about himself and his dad, Carl Sagan, watching Star Wars when h...

I painted my stubby fingernails scalding scarlet last night. Honestly, I need to keep my nails painted in winter or they shred down to the quick and bleed all over the place (makes it hard to type). I just reached into the basket of 30 seconds dry nail polish (because I am WAY too busy/impatient to do two coats and let it dry for an hour before I do anything) and pulled out the first one I grabbed. At first I thought, "Oh. Damn." Then I thought, "Well why the hell not? Why should this color be reserved for toes? I'm on retreat this week so who cares?" Between the incredible amount of snow, the lack of sunshine (although the sun is out in full force today, it's the first day in 2 weeks that I've seen the orb in the sky), and the usual post-holiday doldrums, I needs me some scarlet fingernails to cheer me up every time I look down at the keyboard. (Also, it brings to mind early 90s television glam where all the women had their nails painted this color, fil...

Tomorrow begins the rest of my writing retreat. I have a list of tech to bring, including all the footage from Korea, my hard drives and cables, speakers, etc. so I can work on Korea Dreambus! I will also produce more pages of the paranormal action comedy screenplay to hand over to my writing group for our meeting on Monday (well, actually, only two of us can meet, but still, it's a deadline). I have a pile of books to bring, a journal, my favorite cartridge pens, and bags of food. Hopefully the Muse will arrive concurrently.

This cold is really hanging on and wiping me out. I finally got the xmas decorations down, and Epiphany was well over a week ago. What can I say; I'm Buddhist. I'm excited because tomorrow starts Part Deux of my writing retreat at the Constance Saltonstall Foundation for the Arts . I'm trying to use today to get ready, dealing with mundane stuff at home so that I can get to work with a clear mind. Unfortunately, the congestion in my ears is still making me want to claw my head off like that poor chap in The Caterpillar from Rod Serling's Night Gallery. The never-ending gray skies and on-again-off-again snow fall in Ithaca is driving me just as batty, as it does every year about this time. A close friend of mine observed that I am usually a bitch this time of year (thanks for that). It's kind of true, though. Even with Vit D. supplements and a faux sunlight lamp, I really just despise existence from now until early April. I keep telling myself I need to move out of...

Just finished packing up my studio to finish my first 9 days of retreat, which really was 8 days because of the 1 sick day I had last week. I am feeling feverish - not in a good way. I think this virus still has me, and unfortunately I have to show up to work tomorrow. Sort of annoyed with myself that I agreed to go in (I'm not contractually obligated to do so - I'm an adjunct, after all). But I did and so that's that. I'll be back at Saltonstall on Sunday through the following Sunday. Will crank out more pages on The Other Side, and start editing my doco. Meantime, work, then friends, then more friends, then sleep.

Just found this great blog about freelancing, and this article in particular: 10 Creativity killers you should avoid I have felt the draining effects of every one of these killers, and I'm betting a lot of creative people have as well. Something to think about as we all dive into our new year with high hopes, goals and aspirations.

I've spent the bulk of today and yesterday on non-writing related activities. Job searching, mainly, finishing applications begun back in 2010, and getting new ones out. It's exhausting, and while I resent having to take time away from writing, I recognize that it is a necessary enterprise. I do not buy into the "starving writer" mythos. One of the other residents here at Saltonstall is a writing center director at a university down state. We talked yesterday of the elusive balance that all writers (indeed, all artists) must try to strike between working and making art. For some, these are one in the same, but for most of us, we must render unto Caesar what is Caesar's, and keep our soul, our expression, our most vital selves for doing the creative work we are here to do. I shall now drape myself artfully on the chaise lounge, a bowl of glistening fruit nearby, a crystal goblet of ambrosia in my hand, to ponder what exactly Caesar does with what I give him on a r...

I am honored to be the Academic Coordinator of The Rod Serling Conference for this year. If you are interested in submitting a presentation proposal, please read on: “The Rod Serling Conference,” an interdisciplinary academic conference dedicated to the lasting works of Rod Serling, will be held at the Roy H. Park School of Communications at Ithaca College, Sept. 9-10, 2011. Explore that unique “dimension of imagination” that was the creative work, teaching, and public conscience of Rod Serling where he taught from 1967 – 1975. Submit papers and presentations by APRIL 1, 2011 to the Rod Serling Conference Committee at serling@ithaca.edu. Include an abstract (max 250 words), A/V needs, short biography of presenter(s) with daytime phone number, mailing address, and e-mail address. More info at: http://www.ithaca.edu/rhp/serling/

It's Monday, so that means...nothing, really. It's just another day at Saltonstall. Got here at a decent hour this morning and was all set up by 10:00. I'm even doing my laundry here so that I don't have to take time out to get to a laundr-o-mat. Shifting focus from Black Doves to my screenplay On The Other Side. I have a writing group meeting a week from now, so I have to get a bunch of new pages cranked out. Just found out over the weekend that I do, in fact, have my part-time tutoring job this semester. I am very disappointed that the college chose to close the full-time tutoring position. I had applied for it; it would've made my financial life a whole lot easier. That's the way the rice cake crumbles, I suppose. Perhaps there is bigger and better on the horizon...I can only hope.

The cold I came down with on Tuesday has seemingly gotten worse, not better. I had a hard time getting out of the gate today. Didn't get to Saltonstall until around two in the afternoon, and it's been slow going. However, I did manage to finish the action sequence in Black Doves. I am relieved to be done with it (for now). Continuity is quite the stern task master, but I'm not letting my Editor Hat interfere with my Writing Hat. Not today, anyway! Snow continues to drift down. We have quite a bit on the ground now, and it's glowing in the sun's setting light. Thick clouds painted in what I have dubbed New York State Gray are pushing along at quite a clip. Soon I expect the deer will come out to nuzzle the snow for grass. Today's soundtrack: Mozart piano concerti.

epfreelancewriting.blogspot.com is now www.fredinthecan.com . Spread the word!

Off to a slower start today. Saturday means eggs, toast and bacon and a morning to play with Spaz the cat. It's snowing once again. It wouldn't be a winter at Saltonstall without a serious blanket of the white stuff to clean off my car every night. I'm into an action sequence in Black Doves. It's exhausting. I can see it happening faster than I can write it, so I have a note pad next to me for when flashes of things come to me that I won't actually get to for another page. I'd like to claim that I'm brilliant that way, but I think it's more of a side-effect from all the immediate gratification/multi-tasking media that fill my life. Speaking of which, check out this guy:

I recently (as in, fifteen minutes ago) closed down an old blog and sent whatever readers I had over here, and I also transferred the name of the old blog. There is, as you might imagine, a history behind the title "Fred In the Can." The story is lost in the mists of my childhood, but at one point, Fred In The Can was an important imaginary personage, and my older brother and I constantly referred to him. At this point, neither one of us can manage to remember exactly how Fred came to be, or why he was such a celebrity. In any event, I've used Fred In the Can since film school as my production company name (you know how you do in film school, as if you really own a production company), then as my anonymous blog, and now here. My next step will be to order up a domain name, so keep an eye out for that. Viva Fred In the Can! And welcome readers of old!

It's a bright, cheery, snowy as hell Friday morning. Lesser souls were deterred from making the trek up here in the snowstorm, but I prevailed, and now I'm here watching the snow pile up on the valley below. I made some headway on Black Doves yesterday, so I'm excited to pick up where I left off. This project has been like pulling wisdom teeth in some respects, but also a joyous gift, when I'm feeling the spirit of Moonbase Alpha. Het. Depends on the day. Right now it's feeling joyous so I have to go with that energy. The trick to this novel is that it's essentially a non-Space: 1999 story, but I'm almost shoehorning the Alphans into it. It's kind of weird. I have to be careful not to let Koenig and Pals be too passive. Ultimately, they have to save the day, cause they're the heroes. But in my book (literally), they have to work damn hard to get there. Yesterday I also discovered the reason my legs and feet were so damned cold here - the bottom vent...

It's that time of year for me to hunker down in one of the beautiful studios at Saltonstall Foundation for the Arts and focus on the many projects that are tagging along like a bunch of tin cans hanging off the bumper. 1. Space: 1999 Black Doves novel (first draft) 2. On The Other Side screenplay (first draft) 3. Arapata'an screenplay (revisions) 4. Documentary film about life as and EFL teacher in S. Korea On Day 3. Day 2 was home sick. I pushed myself to get out and up the hill here today. I feel better just for having made it. Worked on Black Doves all morning, just had lunch, and about to dive back in. Qapla!