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Dialogue with my muse |
| I have been carrying on a dialogue for almost a year. During this time we have discussed the progress of my writing, editing, and publishing efforts. Join in to listen to our conversation about my daily writing life and add your comments if you think of anything Calliope and I miss. |
| JOE: Good morning Calliope. CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today? JOE: Excited about my CD. CALLIOPE: Has the demo arrived yet? JOE: No but I got notice that it was shipped. CALLIOPE: So all you can do is be excited for the moment? JOE: Not all. I can be working on how to market and distribute it and I also have my column to finish for Saturday. CALLIOPE: How's that coming? JOE: I had a chance to work on it in my travels yesterday and when I got back. It's close to finished. CALLIOPE: What's the topic? JOE: Saying Thanks by Sharing Part of Yourself. That is unless I think up something better. CALLIOPE: Sounds like paying it forward. JOE: Exactly. I even plan to add a quote from Sarah McLachlan's song Arms of an Angel. CALLIOPE: Sounds good. JOE: I think so. Although I need to polish it a bit. Talk with you tomorrow. |
| JOE: Good morning Calliope. CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. What are you up to this morning? JOE: Thinking about my column for Saturday. CALLIOPE: Do you have a topic? JOE: It's taking shape. I want to write something about Thanksgiving since this will be my last column before the turkey event. CALLIOPE: What will you say? JOE: I'm thinking of a theme of saying thanks by giving something of yourself. CALLIOPE: Where did that idea come from? JOE: I'm going today to discuss a new project I am considering about a free mental health center. CALLIOPE: What do you mean free? JOE: No fees. People with few or no resources can come for free counseling with mental health professionals who donate their time. CALLIOPE: Sounds unique. JOE: I think it is. I haven't heard of anything quite like this before. I am considering a book about them. CALLIOPE: Let me know how it turns out. JOE: You will be the first to know. Talk with you tomorrow. |
| JOE: Good morning Calliope. CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How is your CD coming? JOE:Thanks for asking. I completed it, sent in the tracks and jewel case info and am now waiting for my demo to arrive. CALLIOPE: Then what? JOE: If it sounds good, I'll set it up for distribution. CALLIOPE: Good. Time to relax now? JOE: I did that yesterday and also read more of Julia Cameron's book, The Write to Write. CALLIOPE: Did you discover anything profound? JOE: I found something I already knew but phrased better than I could have done. CALLIOPE: Please share. JOE: She quoted Arthur Kretchmer as saying, "Write for your ideal reader, the one who will get everything you say." CALLIOPE: So you don't waste time trying to reach people who are only vaguely interested in your work. JOE: Exactly. Anything I write will enthrall some people, raise some interest in others and bore the rest. CALLIOPE: So you concentrate on those who care. JOE: I have been trying to but will work harder at it. Talk with you tomorrow. |
| JOE: Good afternoon Calliope. CALLIOPE: Good afternoon Joe. Where have you been. JOE: I've been here but my computer has been busy uploading my CD for distribution for quite a while. CALLIOPE: You couldn't type around it? JOE: Not very easily. It seemed to take up most of my computer's attention for some reason. CALLIOPE: So is it finished uploading? JOE: Not yet. It's still chugging away but my other programs seem to be working again. CALLIOPE: Well, I'm glad you could finally make it. JOE: I have been excited for the past several days about completion of the project. Now it finally is. CALLIOPE: I thought you were done yesterday. JOE: I had a demo finished but then I had two listeners review it and made some more changes. CALLIOPE: Are you satisfied with it? JOE: I am. It is clear and well organized, even for me. CALLIOPE: Congratulations. JOE: I'll rest on my laurels until I know it's ready for distribution. Talk with you on Monday. |
| JOE: Good morning Calliope. CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How goes the fray? JOE: Making progress. I printed sample cover and insert designs for my CD and produced a trial Master CD as well. CALLIOPE: Are you ready to go public? JOE: Not quite yet. Although the quality of the CD is okay, it could be better. I think I will work on it a while longer to see if I can improve it. CALLIOPE: Sounds like you are learning some patience. JOE: I am. Maybe it comes with age. I have more now than I did last year and act less impulsively. CALLIOPE: That should produce a better result. What differences do you see between writing and recording? JOE: Excellent question. First the advantages and disadvantages of writing. Writing is visible. The whole piece can be seen at once. The context is more apparent. It's also easier to edit. Writing is also more familiar to me. However it's harder to show inflection and subtle meanings which would be more apparent speaking. People seem less inclined to read these days. CALLIOPE: And recording? JOE: I guess the opposite of writing. Subtle meanings are easier to convey in recording with tone of voice, inflection, accent and pace of speaking. However I am less practiced with recording and find editing more cumbersome than with writing. The whole context is harder to see and refer to with recording. CALLIOPE: So which one wins? JOE: Difficult to say. Both have their advantages and technology for both advances daily. Both are useful channels with their own pros and cons. CALLIOPE: Good answer. JOE: Why thank you. Talk with you tomorrow. |
| JOE: Good morning Calliope. CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. What's on your mind this morning? JOE: Just thinking about knowledge and wisdom. CALLIOPE: What about them? JOE: As I see it, knowledge is a collection of facts and procedures. CALLIOPE: And wisdom? JOE: A much larger question. I think it means knowing what knowledge is important, knowing what to do with what you know and acting in a well informed way for the benefit of all of us. CALLIOPE: I can't say I've ever heard it put that way, but it makes sense. JOE: Thanks. Since I'm working on a project related to wisdom, it seemed like a natural train of thought. CALLIOPE: Speaking of which, how's the project coming? JOE: I finished my editing yesterday and created a demo CD. I decided to let it rest and listen to it today to see if it's ready for distribution. CALLIOPE: Sounds exciting. How about the technology? JOE: All seems under control. I was able to see what the CD would look and sound like. I'm impressed. CALLIOPE: Don't let it go to your head. JOE: I think I will always stay humble no matter what happens. Talk with you tomorrow. |
| JOE: Good morning Calliope. CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. Did you crank up your Spiritual Wisdom Project? JOE: Glad you asked. I experimented with ways to record a sample selection. CALLIOPE: With any success? JOE: Yes, I'm glad to report. I was satisfied with the results. CALLIOPE: Did you share it with anyone? JOE: I asked Carol to listen to it. CALLIOPE: How did she react? JOE: Favorably. She thought it came out well. CALLIOPE: Good. What's next? JOE: Continue reviewing the selections to see if anything needs to be fixed. CALLIOPE: Is that it for today? JOE: It depends how far I get with the editing. My next project will be to start assembling the master CD. CALLIOPE: Don't get carried away. Take your time and do it right. JOE: Good advice. I tend to get a little ahead of myself at times. Talk with you tomorrow. |
| JOE: Good morning Calliope. CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. I liked your thoughts yesterday on passion. Are you following yours? JOE: Touché . As a matter of fact I am. Other than one trip out for extended errands, I focused on my Spiritual Wisdom CD. CALLIOPE: Good. Tell me about it. JOE: I finished the recordings yesterday. I now have enough for the CD. CALLIOPE: What's next? JOE: Today I will review them to see if I think the quality is good enough. If not I will record any which don't meet my standards. CALLIOPE: Then what? JOE: Then I need to assemble them with a little music and create a demo CD. CALLIOPE: What will you do with it? JOE: Share it with a few people whose opinion I value to see if it seems ready for production. CALLIOPE: And you have resources ready for that step? JOE: In theory I do but haven't tried them yet. CALLIOPE: Sounds like you are quite organized. JOE: For a change, yes. Talk with you tomorrow. |
| JOE: Good morning Calliope. CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How was your weekend? JOE: Eventful and quiet. CALLIOPE: Both? JOE: Yes. Saturday Carol and I attended a simulcast of Metropolitan Opera's Turandot in which her son Mike performed and on Sunday I continued reading and reflecting on Joan Chittister' book, Welcome to the Wisdom of the World. CALLIOPE: Tell me about the opera. JOE: In addition to seeing Mike on stage I appreciated the passion of singers, actors and musicians putting their all into the production CALLIOPE: Was reading the book a separate experience? JOE: No. Joan wrote about the immediate distractions which interfere with our doing what matters most in our lives, such as the passion we saw on the stage Saturday. CALLIOPE: Do you mean minutia blocking what's important ? JOE: Exactly. The noise of living keeps us from hearing what's in our hearts. CALLIOPE: How does this apply to you? JOE: I attend to what is important but find myself frequently sidetracked by things which are not that important. CALLIOPE: What does Joan suggest. JOE: Being aware of what is important and what isn't and doing what you are meant to do rather than everything you can do. Talk with you tomorrow. |
JOE: Good morning Calliope. CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. What's new? JOE: I just received Joan Chittister's new book, Welcome to the Wisdom of the World. CALLIOPE: It sounds similar to the theme of your writing. JOE: Very observant. That's why I bought it. CALLIOPE: Have you started reading it? JOE: Yes. Last night. CALLIOPE: Any revelations so far? JOE: She starts with the problem of immediacy about which I have also written. CALLIOPE: What's the problem? JOE: The world moves now with a pace that seems impossible to keep up with. You have to act without thinking to keep pace. If not the world moves on without you. CALLIOPE: What does she suggest? JOE: I haven't gotten that far yet. CALLIOPE: Sounds like a good book. JOE: I have found her other writings well reasoned, thoughtful and helpful. I am sure this book will continue the tradition. Talk with you on Monday. |
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Hope they like snow! 
I just tell them to go get a life...
It's a sunshiny 24 here at the moment; 19 in Buffalo.