After a quick skim of The Last Track yesterday and today, I emailed the manuscript to the agent. Very strange feeling watching 3 years of my life shoot down the pipes towards a unknown mail server in NYC.

While it might have been an odd sensation letting go, knowing that the pages were in the pocket and required no last minute intervention was a huge relief. Usually when requests for material arrive, I have to talk myself out of tinkering. There is the tendency to doubt the project. And even where I overcome the urge, I still feel like there are more fine tunings that can be done.

Not this time. Oh no, not for this agent. Part of this ease draws from the thorough deliberateness of which Oriana scoured the manuscript; she really neutralized the minute oversights that though relatively innocuous in trace amounts, when they persist and gather over the span of a narrative, greatly undermine the writing.

Though I had a few expletive laden mental conversations with her to get to that point when implementing the fixes, it was worth the piece of mind.

The Nicholl’s screenwriting contest began notifying semi-finalists in the last 24-48 hours and a conclusive response will land shortly. For now, I have some interesting news. At 5:43 PM on Sunday, this email arrived from an agent–the very one who requested a substantial partial of the manuscript a mere 6 business days ago:

Hi -

This is a close call. It came down to a “no” from my reader but I’m still intrigued. Why don’t you send me the complete manuscript and I’ll get back to you once I’m done. Please send it via email once again.

Just so you know, I’m off on vacation this week and won’t be back until August 14th, so please be patient.

Many thanks.

* Agent name redacted by Sam *

So no idea where I am on the screen writing contest, but someone of great note is reading my novel with interest.

Sweetness.

Thursday I’m off for a few days and when I return it’s full bore ahead, though I will update a few times before leaving. Speaking of the day job, the real business of work resumes around August 20th–which is good in the sense there’s free food on tap, bad in the sense there are long days and nights until the students settle in–and I expect the normal emotional roller coaster and stress through early October. Oh yes, there will be whining from students. As I’ve said before, the job would be perfect if it wasn’t for the students.

The new screenplay is going well. In terms of a project, it’s a little unusual process wise because I’m actively researching while writing, so there’s a hearty dose of observer-participant at play. Usually I finish my homework before I begin the lifting; this time I’m letting the writing determine what gaps to fill with field work.

It’s a full moon tonight. Thought I sensed a severe disturbance in the universe.

I just wanted to congratulate two friends.

First, Ian and his gorgeous wife Kathryn, bought a new home, the one they wanted, in a neighborhood they can grow with.

And secondly, props to my buddy Jaysen who will be dad in January. A son.

Good work, guys.

Began work on the collaborative screenplay, and very glad I started writing again. The last three weeks I shorted myself writing time, driving my creative efforts into either work or socializing, cutting back to such degree that I became one of those people I avoid: frustrated, tense and irritable. For good measure, I slept infrequently.
Anyway, back on the wagon and excited to see where it takes me.

When it rains, it pours. I’m off for a few days on walkabout. Will return on Tuesday the 24th with pictures and tales.

And remember, tis better not to be robbed by a gang of 9 year old thugs.

After 20 hours of intensive instruction and hands on training exercises, I passed the motorcycle road test. Riding a motorcycle is even more fun than I expected. There was a lot to learn, and I have a lot more still to learn before becoming a novice rider. It will take time before I feel proficient.

Now that I know more about the physics of motorcycles, I have reversed my stance on toting passengers. Before the course, I had hoped that after a year of real riding I might take a passenger on a short ride. OK, that someone would be a cute girl. After talking with four instructors with collectively fifty years of experience and only one accident among them, though, the choice is clear: Avoid taking passengers on a motorcycle, unless they have training to be one.

Extra weight on board can drastically affect the balance of the bike. Oh, that passenger may be gorgeous, but if they lean the wrong way, or at a bad spot, it’s possible the bike goes toppling. A sweet nothing whispered in the rider’s ear might just be the last thing either of them hear.

And that means no more riding.