Conversations with Calliope:
A Year With My Muse
About Conversations with Calliope: A Year With My Muse
Have you ever wondered what daily life is like for a writer? If you are a writer, do you know what life is like for other writers? For several years, I have written a blog consisting of conversations with my muse Calliope. We talk about the writing life, its joys, challenges and tribulations. This book documents a year in the life of one writer and his muse. Listen to our attempts to stay focused, keep characters honest, find inspiration and guidance in writing books, newsletters and newspaper columns.
As an experiment, I am offering this book free in PDF format. I would like to know who downloads it and for this reason require a password to access the book. Your information will not be shared with anyone else. In addition to the book, I will send a trial subscription (also free) to my newsletter, Sliding Otter News. There is no charge for the newsletter, now or later, and you can discontinue at any time.
In case you need more help deciding, consider the following:
Ten Reasons to Read Conversations with Calliope: A Year with My Muse
- Find out where writers get their ideas.
- Hear what a writer does all day.
- Listen to what writers say about being a writer.
- I want my muse to be more helpful.
- See how to get unstuck when you write.
- Learn how to talk with a muse.
- Explore what else writers need to know besides how to write.
- Discover what keeps a writer going page after page.
- Determine who supports a writer’s efforts.
- Unearth the sources of writers’ inspiration.
Ten Reasons Not to Read Conversations with Calliope: A Year with My Muse
- Who needs a muse? Writing is the writer’s responsibility.
- I don’t care how things get written. I just want to enjoy what I read.
- I can write a book if I want to. Maybe some day I will. I’ll do it my way.
- There’s nothing magic about writing. It’s just hard work.
- I don’t think I’ll ever be able to write anything good.
- Writing’s old fashioned. Everybody watches TV these days.
- I don’t have time to read, much less write.
- Most writers are just crusty alcoholics.
- Writers are like teachers. They can't do anything useful so they just talk about it.
- No one will tell me how or what to write.
A Selection from the First Chapter of Conversations with Calliope: A Year With My Muse
Chapter 1: January
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
~Robert Frost, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
January 02 Context for the New Year
JOE: Good morning, Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning, Joe. Ready for a new year?
JOE: I believe I am.
CALLIOPE: What did you do yesterday?
JOE: Not much of anything. I remember reading about crop rotation. Sometimes a field lies fallow for a growing season to restore itself.
CALLIOPE: You're not going into hibernation for several months?
JOE: No. Just yesterday I thought I would let my mind rest and not tax it.
CALLIOPE: I guess I can live with that. What are your plans for today?
JOE: First I have a column to write about a context for my life.
CALLIOPE: Where did that idea come from?
JOE: A talk by Steve D’Annunzio on Sunday. The more I thought about it, the more it made sense. If I have a sense of where I am headed and why I am doing what I am doing, I will be much more focused. I guess you could say I just spent yesterday thinking about this and today I will write a column about it.
CALLIOPE: Sounds good. Anything else planned?
JOE: I finished another chapter of Marital Property after we chatted on Monday. I plan to finish another today about my two main characters in a counseling session.
CALLIOPE: Do you expect fireworks in the session?
JOE: I don't expect them, but you never know. I guess I had better get on with it and see what happens.January 03 Publishing Persistence
JOE: Good morning, Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning, Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Good. But I scurried around yesterday.
CALLIOPE: Doing what?
JOE: I had planned to get to work on my writing. However, I got waylaid by negotiations about health insurance and flight arrangements for February to get back from San Juan after my cruise.
CALLIOPE: Is everything settled?
JOE: I hope so.
CALLIOPE: Did you settle down for any writing?
JOE: I wrote a blog for Saturday which I need to post this morning. I also did some editing on Young Man of the Cloth and have only one more chapter to do.
CALLIOPE: Any progress on permissions for The Pastor's Inferno?
JOE: No. I sent the publisher an email but so far no reply. I think I will call them today.
CALLIOPE: Frustrating isn't it?
JOE: Yes. I think people are still in their year end slump, but I hope they get back to work soon. I am anxious to get my book in print.
CALLIOPE: Sometimes you have to be a pest.
JOE: You're right. I think I'll get at it right now.
January 05 Copyright Permission
JOE: Good afternoon, Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good afternoon, Joe. I thought you might be away.
JOE: No. I'm still here. Yesterday and today have been quite busy.
CALLIOPE: How so?
JOE: I encountered some communication problems about my Medicare Advantage program. It took me a while to get them straightened out, but I think it is finally settled.
CALLIOPE: Anything else going on?
JOE: Yes. I called Norton about my request for permission to use quotes from Dante's Inferno.
CALLIOPE: What did you discover?
JOE: They sent out a contract on Thursday. When I asked the nature of the contract, I learned that they wanted a fee of $200 to use 163 lines.
CALLIOPE: What do you make of that?
JOE: Not much. I think it's rather steep although I have not dealt with such permissions before. I decided to delete the quotes and publish the book without them. My only regret is that I wasted a month waiting to hear from them.
CALLIOPE: Where do things stand now?
JOE: I submitted my text just now to BookLocker. I am expecting a cover template so I can fill in my own cover material. It's exciting to be finally getting on with it.
CALLIOPE: Good luck. I hope the process goes smoothly.
JOE: So do I. Now I have to send out a post to remind my writing group of our meeting on Tuesday night. Talk with you on Monday.January 07 Reviewers’ Comments
JOE: Good morning, Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning, Joe. A little late this morning, aren't you?
JOE: Maybe later than you expected. However, I had to go to Rochester this morning for a visit related to a study at the University of Rochester on the relationship between rheumatoid arthritis and the flu shot.
CALLIOPE: I see. Commendable of you. What's new in the writing department?
JOE: Glad you asked. I followed through on my decision to eliminate the quotes from Dante's Inferno.
CALLIOPE: So references to the Inferno are just gone? Do you think that's a loss to your book?
JOE: Hold on. They aren't entirely gone. I put in several references in the text without using direct quotes. Two of my reviewers of The Pastor's Inferno were enthusiastic about the quotes and two found them distracting. So it seemed like a toss up and I am happy with my decision.
CALLIOPE: Then what?
JOE: I spent most of Saturday working on the manuscript, formatting it appropriately with my changes. I managed to send it in by email Saturday afternoon.
CALLIOPE: Congratulations. What's the next step?
JOE: I am waiting for them to review it and send me a template for the book cover which is pretty well completed as well.
CALLIOPE: So now it's just a matter of waiting and completing the final steps?
JOE: That's about it. Now that it's finished, I will get back to working on Marital Property and getting serious about marketing and publicity.
CALLIOPE: Good luck.
JOE: Thanks. I think I might need it. It seems like a whole new adventure.
CALLIOPE: Do you have some place to start?
JOE: I have two books and some Internet information. I'm ready to start. Talk with you tomorrow.January 08 Staying Balanced
JOE: Good morning, Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning, Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Good. I think I am making progress with my publication of The Pastor's Inferno.
CALLIOPE: What's happening there?
JOE: I received word that my text has been received. There were a few minor formatting errors which I think have been corrected. I am waiting to hear about that as well as getting a template for my cover.
CALLIOPE: Sounds exciting?
JOE: It is. In my haste, I deleted the references to Dante's Inferno. Then I received information from people in a publishing forum about how to find material not requiring permission due to being published a long time ago.
CALLIOPE: Now what?
JOE: Nothing. I told you I received mixed reviews from my readers on including the quotes in the first place and have decided to leave them out.
CALLIOPE: Sounds settled. What's up for today?
JOE: I am having lunch with my daughter for my birthday which was a couple days ago. I also have a writers' meeting tonight. This morning I will get to work on Internet marketing for The Pastor's Inferno. I plan to work in a chapter of Marital Property this afternoon. I have been a bit sidetracked with publishing concerns.
CALLIOPE: It seems you are trying to do a lot at once.
JOE: True, I suppose I could have waited until The Pastor's Inferno was in print before starting work on Marital Property. However I have produced 175 pages of Marital Property which would not be written if I had waited.
CALLIOPE: Do you find the juggling a problem?
JOE: Not usually. Sometimes it takes me a bit to reorient myself, but I think I tend to thrive on having several projects in the works at once.
CALLIOPE: But only writing one at a time?JOE: Correct. I don't think I could concentrate on writing two books at once. At least one would suffer. Well, back to work.January 10 Structure and Communication
JOE: Good morning, Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning, Joe. I missed you yesterday.
JOE: I'm glad you noticed. I was quite busy with two psychological evaluations, one in Batavia and one in Williamsville, as well as finalizing my book cover.
CALLIOPE: Great progress. What else is going on?
JOE: A surprise in the medical department. I don't think I told you that I went to my recorder group on Sunday. I have been unable to play recorder for the past six years due to my rheumatoid arthritis and concentrated on percussion. On Sunday, while driving over, I noticed that my hands felt particularly loose and I ended up playing for three hours straight.
CALLIOPE: To what do you attribute this remarkable turnaround?
JOE: I'm not sure. I know there are flare-ups but I have not had this level of flexibility since I started having difficulty. Not even Enbrel helped, at least with flexibility. I started taking red yeast rice for cholesterol a couple weeks ago. I don't know if it is just a coincidence, but I am dramatically improved. I am also much more flexible typing and can work much faster than I could before. I guess that's the big news.
CALLIOPE: Good. I hope it keeps up. What's planned for today?
JOE: My daughter, Sue, is taking me out for breakfast for my birthday what was on Sunday. Then I will work a little more on the cover and possibly get it sent in later today.
CALLIOPE: Anything planned for Marital Property?
JOE: Yes. I started a chapter on Tuesday but there were too many distractions. I plan to finish it today.
CALLIOPE: What's it about?
JOE: Strange you should ask. It involves a structured communication process called Vesuvius, after the volcano. It is designed to prevent eruptions or at least minimize them.
CALLIOPE: Does it work for your couple?
JOE: It's a little soon to say. They are still in the middle of the conversation. I guess I better get back to work so I have time to find out how they do....Order a free PDF copy of Conversations with Calliope: A Year with My Muse.