by Sandra Gulland | Mar 16, 2009 | Adventures of a Writing Life |
I don’t think there are many things more trying than renovating a website … a house, perhaps. In anticipation of the release of the paperback editions of Mistress of the Sun, I’ve been giving my somewhat complex website an up-date.
Or, rather, I’ve been telling others what I want done. This is strenuous when it’s a matter of “a little bit bigger,” “no smaller,” “no, a bit to the right.” If only I could do it myself! It’s both expensive (very!) and trying. Which is why I’m this minute downloading a trial of DreamWeaver software.
I’m fussy about the appearance of my site … and lucky, too, to have had Karen Templer (now of Readerville.com fame) and her then-business-partner Mignon design the original. Their web design company was called Quiet Space: which gives you an idea of their aesthetic. They were literary—rare in the tech world—as well as artists.
But the world moves on, not always quietly, and changes must be made. And so … will I wade into the horrors of HTML? When I should be researching and paying bills and answering emails and … ? I doubt it!
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by Sandra Gulland | Nov 27, 2008 | Adventures of a Writing Life |
Happy Thanks giving to all my US friends and readers. As Canadians who have already celebrated the day with abundance aplenty, we nearly forgot. A stranger on the street here in San Miguel greeted me with “Happy Turkey Day!” as I set out for the post office. It’s a sunny, warm day and everyone is smiling.
I’ve been at work today on the biographical essay for an anthology. I think it’s coming along (I’m on draft 5), but I’m hoping to have my friend and memoir-writer Beverley Donofrio have a look at it before I send it off.
I also started an essay on Bone Magic and 17th century horsemanship—possibly to be used in the “P.S.” back section of the Canadian paperback edition of Mistress of the Sun, and a shortened version for Wonders and Marvels, a 17th century research blog I’m a big fan of. I’m not sure yet. I’ve begun by dumping everything that comes to mind into a Word file. Tomorrow I’ll print it out and see what I have.
“Bone Magic” was the working title for Mistress of the Sun, and in searching through my files for information on the ritual, I came upon an early draft subtitled:
A Romantic Tragedy with Several Changes of Scene
I still love that.
I don’t write romances, but I think it might be fair to say that I do write romantic tragedies. I don’t think that’s a popular genre, however. Tant pis!
by Sandra Gulland | Jun 30, 2008 | Adventures of a Writing Life |
I met with Dan Smetanka last night in LA, a brilliant editor who worked with me (along with my other editors) on Mistress of the Sun.
Dan is the type of editor who reaches into your bowels and yanks out your stuff. Sorry to be so graphic, but he’s not a polish type of guy (although he does that, too). He’s the big picture, the gritty picture, a guts-of-the-matter guy. Working with him has been like working with a master.
We talked about The Next Novel. I confessed I was at a loss. For both Mistress of the Sun and Josephine B., I felt I’d been hit by lightning: the message was clear. Now, I have interests, certainly, but I haven’t exactly been zapped. He advised me to give myself time, to rest, dream, hold up that lightening rod. Yes.
So this morning, Caroline Leavitte‘s blog post on her own Next Book spoke to me clearly: What’s that novel about again? She writes:
It’s hard to know what your new novel is about until after you’ve finished it, at least it is for me.
I feel like I’m treading water and there are sharks all around. And they’re hungry.
It’s possible to just wade in, but Mistress took eight years, and this time I’d like more of an idea of what the novel is about before I begin writing it. In the meantime, I’m treading water, holding up that lightening rod with a wary eye on the circling sharks.
by Sandra Gulland | Jun 29, 2008 | Adventures of a Writing Life |
I’m in L.A., in the swank Beverley Meridian at Rodeo and Wilshire Drives (“the center of glamour and grandeur in Beverly Hills”): everything costs … lots. I’m not paying, but it irks me to sign a $38.62 bill for a simple continental breakfast with stale croissants. It’s 5:00 in the morning, and there’s no coffee pot in the room. I’m a captive to expensive room service.
I’ve learned a few things on this trip:
The Denver airport is one of the largest in the U.S., the size of Manhattan. The line to get to the first stage of security was 600 steps.
The Hotel Monaco chains are great: ecologically sensitive, designed for comfort. In Seattle, there was wine plus a free Tarot card reading in the hotel lobby at 5:00: so west coast.
The Trump Tower hotel in Chicago was the best hotel I’ve ever stayed at in my life: it sets a new standard for comfort. (Not only Starbucks coffee makings, but a fully equipped kitchen.)
In La Jolla, north of San Diego, the La Valencia hotel was a treat. My room—#922—must have been one of the best in the hotel, a corner room overlooking ocean on both sides. A complimentary fruit basket and bottle of Merlot on arrival, lovely restaurants and shopping close-by (not to mention the ocean)—I could have stayed there a week. The most welcome thing was to be able to open the doors onto the balcony, hear ocean and gulls, feel fresh air. I’ve come to miss that, living in hotel rooms.
This was the view from my hotel room in La Jolla:
One nice thing about my suite here in L.A. is that it opens onto a roof terrace. (Should security concern me?) I’m going to stop complaining about the expensive coffee and stale croissants and simply enjoy it. I’ve the day off, and I intend to spend it creatively.
by Sandra Gulland | Jun 28, 2008 | Adventures of a Writing Life |
Saturday was a long and challenging day, but the excellent co-ordination of my escorts—Larry and Ken—made it effortless.
It began in La Jolla, checking out of my hotel in gown.
Then, to the La Jolla Arts Festival, where Warwick’s bookstore had a booth set up. They’d never tried this, and I was their first test case. As always, it only takes one ardent fan to make an event worthwhile for me. (Too, meeting a man who lovingly restores and then sells antique cars, and uses the money to take a family off the street —to save them—three families so far. So moving.)
I changed out of my gown in a Whole Foods washroom, and then my escort Larry and I headed north. After about an hour, at a Barnes and Noble between La Jolla and Thousand Oaks, I was “handed over” to escort Ken. Then began the long drive to Thousand Oaks, for an event at an extraordinary Borders, a bookstore and coffee shop/restaurant in a former bowling alley.
There—hugables!—sister Robin, Betsy and Betsy’s mom Alma.
And “Ladies of The Book Club” (Pam Clark, Shari Mark, and Brenda Alibrandi sitting, Barbara Schwartz and Dawn Drost standing):
It was a wonderful event, in large measure due to the vibrancy and energy of the wonderful staff and great food:
And then the drive to glamorous Beverley Wilshire hotel in the heart of LA, where they did not have a room, so I had to “make do” with a large and sunny suite. I’m in LA for three nights: time enough to have The Gown sent to the laundry and to recharge all the batteries, including my own.
