Word on the Street - Less Writing related
Topic: Writing Outings
3:25pm Sunday 24Sept06

I'm about ready for a nap! What else is new.

So I got some other stuff (free loot) that was above and beyond my pick up goals at the Word on the Street.

1- A Spiritual Guide to Happiness from the Institute for Research in Human Happiness. - No Website info. Also got three of their newsletters.
They also had a poster set up that you answer all these questions like using a flowchart and then at the end you find out who your guardian angel is. I did it, because it was free, and the info I received was pretty funny in how bang on it was.

2- Nalanda News - a newsletter from the Naranda College of Buddhist studies. It runs out of the university of Toronto.

3- Read Me a Story! - Folktales & Picture books from around the world. It's a special exhibition catalogue which gives a sampling of pieces around the world.

4- The Original Canadian City Dweller's Almanac - facts, rants, anecdotes and unsupported assertions for Urban residents. by Hal Niedzviecki and Darren Wershler-Henry.
The little bit I've read thus far is pretty funny. I got it as a gift for subscribing to the Broken Pencil.

5- a thin book of Simple vegetarian recipes.

6- a brochure for Raja yoga meditation.

and some other magazines that were free:
- SGI Quarterly - a Buddhist Forum for Peace, culture and Education
- Life Peak - feel young at the peak of life
- New Internationalist - the people, the ideas, the action in the fight for global justice.
- fuel
- vervegirl

Gotta make something for dinner then work on White Wishes.

EY

Word on the Street - Being There
Topic: Writing Outings
Sunday 2:05pm 24Sept06

Okay, so people are catching on to getting to the Word early. What's up with that? The place was packed when I got there at 11am. Brutal! Good for the Word of course.

I saw my buddy of Black Bastard comics. He thanked me profusely for seeking him out third year in a row. He only had one comic that I didn't have but the good thing is that it is 72 pages! So a big plus.

I subscribed to the Broken Pencil magazine (which I used to subscribe to). It is the magazine of zine culture & the independent arts. Link is here.

I also subscribed to Esteem magazine (embracing success). I've not read it before but thought I'd give it a whirl since the subscription was $10.

I got a free copy of Canadian Screenwriter and some brochures.

I bought the back issues of Shameless (For girls who get it). 6 issues for $5.00. It's another magazine that I've not read before. Link is here.

I bought a couple back issues of Humanist in Canada for $1 each. Also haven't read before.

I avoided most of the other magazines because I only had a limited amount of cash that I planned to spend plus I have back issues of them like: Geist, Maissoneuve, Lichen, Canadian Storyteller, Brick, This Magazine, and others...

Brochures that I picked up, in no particular order.:
1- Packaging Your Imagination organized through Canscaip - a day of workshops on writing, illustrating and performing for children. It's Saturday, November 4, 2006. Canscaip.org

2- World Horror Convention 2007
March 29th to April 1st.
I've never been, could be fun. World Horror Convention

3- Writers & Editors Network
Writers/editors

4- Working for Screenwriters from the Writers Guild of Canada
Writers Guild

5- 2006 CBC Literary Awards
Deadline 1Nov06
Categories
- Short Story (2000 - 2500 words)
- Creative nonfiction (2000 - 2500 words)
- Poetry (1000 - 2000 words)
Literary awards

6- PWAC - Professional Writers Association of Canada
- membership info
- seminar series 2006/2007
- Fall 2006 Workshops for Writers
PWAC
PWAC Toronto Chapter

7- The HSW Literary Agency at the Humber School for Writers
HSW Literary Agency

8- The Writers' Circle 2006/2007
Saturday workshops from 14 Oct06 to 31Mar07
Thought Humber School for Writers.

9- The Humber School for Writers - Correspondence program in Creative Writing.
a 30 week program where you get matched with a professional published writer. Great way to work through a novel that you have a full draft of.

10 - Canadian Storyteller Subscription Form and Submission Guidelines.
Storyteller magazine

11 - Solotext editorial Workshops
Solo text

12- The Writers' Union of Canada
- membership info
- Dear Writer newsletter which include information on Canadian literary agents, Canadian Writers' Organizations, Resources, Government Resources, competitions and more.
Writers Union

13 - The Word Guild
Connecting, developing and promoting Canadian writers & editors who are Christian.
The Word Guild

14- Canadian Authors Association
- Literary Awards
- Related Groups of Interest to Writers
- the Virtual Branch
- Writers helping writers
Canadian Authors Association
- CanWrite Annual National Conference 5July-8July07
in Ottawa.
Ottawa Branch

15- Broken Pencils Hotel Canzine
Ezine festival Sunday 29Oct06 1pm-7pm at the Gladstone hotel on Queen St West.

16 - Romance Writers of America
American based - RWA
You have to belong to the Romance Writers of America before you can join the Toronto Romance writers. They will be having a writer's conference in Toronto next year, I believe the woman said.
Toronto Romance Writers

17 - Horror Writers Association
Horror Writers Assoc

18- Bloody Words 2007
it's in Victoria, British Columbia 15Jun07 - 18Jun07
Bloody words conference

That's it!
I've got a few things to save up for and check out and keep me busy.
I'd like to check out some conferences of genres that I don't write. You never know who you can meet and what can inspire.

EY

Word on the Street
Topic: Writing Outings
Sunday 8:11pm 24Sept06

I forgot that today is Word on the Street. It's around Queen's Park now, it used to be on Queen Street. I'm going to swing by to see if I can get any brochures on writing conferences and festivals and the like. Same thing I did last year. That was how I found out about the Bloody words writing conference and the Canscaip writing conference. I need to get info on the comic book conference. And I need to catch up with my buddy that has his own comic book series called, Black Bastard. I bought some of his comics two years ago and loved them so much, I went back last year to buy more.

I just spent the morning riffling through my stuff to find out where I put them so that I don't duplicate my purchases. Good fun politically incorrect. Just love them.

What I used to go looking for, in previous years, were French Harlequin romances. Something to read when I finally get into studying French. I was going to start with French children's books but then realized that the romances would be a more interesting read and cheaper. I have a stack of them now that I have yet to get into. Hmm, seems like a Christmas goal. Something to do during my Christmas break. Read my French romances, pull out my French English dictionary. Possibly try to translate a book or two into English. It's a thought.

So got my goal for Word on the Street. I've got to make sure I don't buy any books, just the Black Bastard comics. Pretend I have some book will power, it will be tested during the Festival of Author's in October as it is. sigh! Mind you, if I come across another Jasper Fforde who excites me, I'll probably buy his or her series.

Off to meet my breakfast buddy for 9am.

EY

A Few of them
Mood:  chillin'
Topic: WC - Upper A Riffing
7:55pm Saturday 23Sept06

Been sitting writing for several hours. Cracking myself up with some of the words that I wrote on the ticket stubs for my Upper A Riffing. I wrote some phrases when I ran out of words.

Anyway, part of the hours of writing include a few riffs:

The words: snitch; it's so big; slouched; pause; love

The piece:
my heart, the big snitch
exposes my emotions
my love of what you give me
cause for pause
slow myself down
sit slouched in a corner
it's so big, this need to hide

***

The words: picture; reach heights; trip; poetry; bench

The piece:
you are the clear picture in my mind
an image causing my heart to trip
my passion to reach heights
bench this so called poetry gig
and get tangible for a change

***
The words: light; name; never; cuddle; beliefs

The Piece:
never whisper my name like that
in mid-cuddle with that look in your eyes
flickering that husky light
leading me to beliefs about our next step

***
The words: swatted; winds; lover; animosity; group

The Piece:
my lover has swatted at the winds of animosity flying through my life
"We are a group of two," he says, "fighting this battle together.
Today, you're not alone."

***
The words: original, squeak, bronzed, single, observe

The Piece:
Are you the original
a bronzed God
here to observe my every squeak and cry
forcing away every single fear

***
The words: win, sister, brother, angst, ice

The Piece:
Did I win the angst award
my sister lives a sensible life
my brother has disappeared
and I sit indecisive with my goals on ice

EY

Surprise Date
Now Playing: Outkast - Idlewild
Topic: WC - Daily Practice
Saturday 12:57pm 23Sept06

Had a surprise date last night and ended up having dinner at the Keg Mansion. Forget about blowing calories! Steak and Lobster, garlic mashed potatoes, mushrooms and asparagus. Couldn't even contemplate dessert.

Lots of relationship drama swirling around and we've barely hit Libra. Should prove interesting. It's funny and I now see, so me, that when given the choice last night to be given care or to be the caregiver I was the caregiver. And then I got a little mad about it. I see where I set myself up into this game of taking care of others and then punish them for thinking that it's okay to turn to me all the time. Interesting!

I stood at the phone looking at it, calculating quickly how I could push back my troubles (tell the person that was going to help me that I'd call tomorrow) and be there for his troubles now. If I need anything relationship wise, I need someone that will stop me from doing that shit to myself before I do it. Big long tearful sigh!

I wrote in my note book last night, Think Pisces sponge and the exhaustion in filling up beyond saturation.

I feel so worn out by it all right now. It feels time consuming and I'm not seeing God's point or plan. So I ask myself what next?

I've got to give up smoking (again) because I've gone back to smoking as if I'd never quit.
I need the daily practice of meditation, deep breathing and chanting. My energy calms and I receive so many answers.
Write, write, write, write, write. Obviously!
Confront each issue, one at a time. I started on my work situation with the CEO of the world. I've received some sound guidance on my options. Monday, I take action steps toward setting clear boundaries with this person. Discuss with my boss all the annoyances that I've mentioned to him in the past but hoped would go away so he can help me to get organized in what may turn out to be a fight. That's a start. More rational given my current emotions.

And it's sunny today! What happened with that? I was prepared for the cocooning causing cold rain. sigh! Now I have to get outside too. This could be a good opportunity to rollerblade out to the Beaches and back. Burn off that extra 8000 calories I consumed at the Keg.

I still have two more Keg dates! One with Ant and one with 2nd thoughts man. What's with men and meat? Ha Ha! I could go down so many paths with that. Even my guys at work. They always comment when I don't have meat in my lunch.
"You don't have meat!"
"Yes I know."
"You should have some meat. You need meat."
"Really? If You don't stop bugging me about eating meat, you're going to feel the meat of my foot up your ass in a minute."
Big grins!

Our longstanding joke is me finding ways to tell them I'm going to kick their ass. They love my creativity in using what they've just said.
Their latest joke is to park this bright yellow bin (emergency spill kit) in front of my bathroom whenever I'm in the bathroom. I come out and have to wrestle with the bin as I yell, "Bastards!" and I hear some snickers.

I'm trying to find the joke in my current situation. If I look at it with half closed eyes or something, I could really find things to laugh at. The people that latch on to me bordering on harassment (actually it's past that). I thought I had this great cover that kept those people at arms length. I work with all these men and you'd think I'd be harassed by a man. That is the joke.

EY