The Writing Life Too

A marine layer of clouds has settled over the city and I’m sitting here in the quietest of dawns except for a few geese honking past. Is it just me, or are geese rarely quiet? Last night I went to the Aladdin Theater with a friend to hear the Portland Cello Project. I don’t know about you, but cellos are my favorite instruments—so haunting and rich and when 5 or 10 or 15 cellists pick up their bows the music seems to slip straight into your blood stream. It was their CD release party and on the recording they play with a number of Portland music acts. Now I know that Austin has a reputation as being the music town, but Portland has one of the most vibrant and eclectic music scenes in the country. Sometimes it just blows me away how many talented and creative people live here, particularly the number of songwriters.

Yesterday The Oregonian ran a great piece about me and my new book Bullies, Bastards, & Bitches, How to Write the Bad Guys in Fiction. I wasn’t expecting the coverage so it’s always nice when a surprise turns out to be a good one, as opposed to someone crashing into your car, let’s say. In the article the reporter wrote about how busy I was with my new book out. Truth is, I had nine medical appointments this week, which I guess qualifies me for ‘busy’. So the article and the various performers and gorgeous cello notes filling the old theater helped me focus on the future, not my current body problems.

Last night when the second song of the evening was sung by Adam Shearer of Weinland, God Here I Come, I felt tears welling in my eyes. It was as if all the emotions of the past weeks were brought to the surface and I felt so much, as if all my sorrows were being transformed into music. To hear the song go to www.last.frm/music/weinland.

Meanwhile, on Monday, August 11 I’ll be speaking about taking risks when you create fictional characters at Powells on Hawthorne . Stop by and say hello.

Happy writing to all.