Friday Four or Five

1)    Submissions Update: For those of you who are interested, so far still NOTHING. That’s right, no response from any of the six editors who currently have Clockwise.  I’ve been assured by Agent Awesome that, had any of the editors read it and wanted to pass, they wouldn’t hesitate to tell her, especially after a nudge, so her conclusion is they probably still haven’t read it. This pass of subs went out around Easter—not a super long time, but long enough to lose a few fingernails and a couple nights sleep.  Still, that’s six editors who haven’t had time to read it in two months, or maybe they all lost it in the shuffle? What are the chances of six editors all losing the same manuscript?

I know editors are busy people, but I had to wonder, is this normal? I spoke with another author friend of mine who went out on submission around the same time I did and she’s heard back from several editors since then.

I’m telling you this so you know that, like everything else when it comes to writing, no two experiences are the same.  You never know what you’re going to get, and you have to learn to just go with the flow.

2)    CONTEST:  I’m closing in on 150 Blogger followers! (Thanks everyone who has visited my blog.) Time for a contest in the near future. 

3)    Unplugging:  I’ll be unplugging next week—need the extra time to really get at my wip and I’m hoping for good weather and a chance to get outside more, so, back to #2—I’ll post contest details when I return.

4)    For you ipad buffs, here are some great ideas you can do with your ipad and VELCRO! Check it out.

iPad + Velcro from Jesse Rosten on Vimeo.

5)    And finally, I’m going to take the liberty to claim bragging rights. Turns out I may not be the only writer in my family.  Here is a blog post from my son who recently left for his European Travel study program with his university.

Reliving Europe

May 24, 2010 – 7:07 am

By Joel S. | Posted in Europe 2010

For me, Europe is a place once experienced as a child, and now, 11 years later, I will relive it as an adult.  Europe to me is a memory, filled with mystique and allure, with the experience of having been fluent in a language with which I could interact with other kids my age in Neunkirchen, Germany (the language itself can only be recollected now in abstract terms).  Back then, my brothers and I used the Deutsche Mark to buy snacks from the local corner store.  We traveled across the continent with our family, and there are pictures in my mind of castles, monuments, gorgeous villas and marketplaces.

In less than a week, I will approach this great place, where can I expect to have both the sense of familiarity and newness, as an adult.  The nostalgia will inevitably be mixed with novelty, and as an adult who has studied Europe in depth through the SSU curriculum, and as an artist who has now studied the history and the progression of art, my experience in Europe will surely be valuable beyond measure.

Chaim Potok’s insight into what it means to be an artist (as lived through the character Asher Lev) has been especially influential in how I will choose to absorb what I see around me.  As Asher chooses to digest ‘new worlds’ and open up his mind so that he can integrate it into his art, the same philosophy will apply to me as an artist as I broaden my worldview, become exposed to dynamic aspects of culture, and view majestic pieces of art that have changed and refined this world.

 Have a great weekend, everyone! See you in a week.

PS: (I may lurk and linger, so don’t be surprise if you see me pop up once in a while.)