You Win Some, You Lose Some

Posted by Bob Greenberger on September 14, 2006

The life of a freelancer is filled with times of feast or famine, or things dropping out of the clear blue with no warning whatsoever.

On Monday, I got contacted by an editor I had never worked with. He had a media license and all his initial pitches had been rejected by the licensee. Said licensee was looking for something that used fresh characters and stories, not sequels to what had already been seen by fans. The publisher was up against a hard deadline and needed something approved this week.

It just so happened that I had a half-baked notion for a story for that particular license rattling in the back of my head so it took no time at all to put together three paragraphs – about two paragraphs more than I was told was necessary to get a rush provisional approval.

If the licensee liked it, I’d have an assignment with work due by October 15. I really wanted this and figured I’d somehow find a way to fit it in with existing freelance commitments, my sub committee schedule and my day job.

Yesterday, though, I heard back. The licensee didn’t reject my story, but wound up picking something else. The editor liked the notion well enough to hang on to it for a subsequent publishing opportunity.

Oh well. Easy come, easy go.

Also this week, I heard back from the editor of the media tie-in comic book I had written over the summer. Turns out they liked the story but decided to turn it into more of a special so could I add six pages? That and address some story points that I admittedly rushed to fit the page count. No problem. Got that done and turned in today.

Michael A. Burstein and I have cleared our decks to begin working on ideas for the sequel to our forthcoming Analog story, “Things That Aren’t” and this time I’m looking forward to being in on this from the beginning.

It’s nice to have a manageable number of projects to work with. Certainly helps fill the time and keep the freelance muscles flexed.

More Government Work

Posted by Bob Greenberger on September 12, 2006

I never know who reads this regularly or who reads only about certain topics. As a result, I remain continually surprised to see reaction from some postings.

Followers know that I’ve been chairing an RTM Sub Committee that is considering recommendations for ordinances as recommended by a Blue Ribbon Task Force. I’ve written after each of the first three meetings, recapping what we discussed and offering an opinion or two along the way.

As a result, some readers have decided our group must be misguided and we need to hear from people other than the town officials we’ve invited to speak. Last night, after having zero members of the public turn up for the first three meetings, we had four.

Our new item of business was to consider whether or not road ordinances need to enact for sub-divisions in town. Joining us were the head of Town Planning & Zoning, Joe Devonshuk (who I worked with closely when I served on the Parking Authority) and Public Works director Rich White. I thought listening to them would take longer but we pretty much ran through their concerns (or lack thereof) in about 30 minutes which was swell.

By now it was becoming clear that as far as the town officials we have spoke with were concerned, either the Task Force was being over-zealous with their recommendations or they were comfortable with the way things were working and weren’t really looking for drastic changes (and/or more work).

Returning to old business, we welcomed our guests and invited them to speak their minds, although I asked that we segregate topics to avoid confusion. We started in on the need for some kind of tree ordinance. The passion came through clearly and early on, and it was helpful.

Harry Ackley heard some of the points, made some connections and suddenly realized some such ordinance could actually help preserve some of the older trees – and possibly even homes – in certain sections of town.

We had a tougher time wrapping our heads around the best approach to stone walls given the variety already in town and the subjective nature of stone walls in general. This one will be tougher to solve, I suspect.

On the Demolition Delay, we were already leaning towards some additional time and most of us were swayed by the convincing arguments made by several of the speakers.

Once they left, we shifted to executive session and spent maybe another hour hashing through what we had heard and how we wanted to act. After all, we’ve now spent three meetings talking about these three items so a consensus needs to be reached and draft ordinances need to be written. The conversation was spirited and I think we’re finally resolving the issues and can definitively get things done over the next few meetings.

Got home after 10:30 but it was a productive and enlightening night.

The Weekend Swarm

Posted by Bob Greenberger on September 11, 2006

The prospect of being in the “empty nest” has had a certain appeal to Deb: no more fighting to use our car, fewer grocery trips, a generally neater house, etc. The notion of our first weekend without kids, though, held no appeal.

When she figured out one of her many crafts groups was gathering for their annual Swarm, it sounded like a great opportunity not to face an empty home. She decided we should celebrate our first weekend as empty nesters by going away, just the two of us – and two dozen other people.

The Swarm is a gaggle of quilters from around the country, usually descending on an unsuspecting locale, tied to an event such as a quilt show. Deb participated in one Swarm years ago, when it was in Connecticut and she could minimize being away from the family. This time, we were heading to Lancaster, PA where a huge quilt show was going to be. There were to be some 20+ women and 8 spouses. Deb assured me we’d have time together, that I’d enjoy doing “guy” things and that I’d have time for myself.

We left New York City on Thursday afternoon, skirting rush hour and zipping south with remarkable progress. There were delays for construction and congestion here and there once we made into Pennsylvania, but we got to the Lodge in under three hours. In fact, the gaggle had planned dinner for 6:30 and as we strolled in moments before 7, the appetizers were just being brought out and conveniently, two seats were available for us.

The people have come from all over: Massachusetts, Texas, Ohio, Louisiana, Virginia, etc. We were definitely at the young end of the scale but Deb was thrilled to see people she hadn’t seen in a while and meet others who had been just names on various e-mail groups.

The Lodge we were in was remarkably, something like 5 miles from where we stayed last summer, in Intercourse, and therefore all the landmarks were familiar. We were in one of the cottages that the married couples used. Single women were housed in a giant building that offered a large common room and kitchen set up, which became home base.

After the plain but filling (and cheap) dinner, the women gathered in the great room. I helped carry in a six-foot table we brought, got it set up so they had a work surface for their work and then followed the lead of the other men, and went back to my room. I spent the remainder of the night watching the Phillies-Marlins game and reading.

Friday morning was relaxed. Once we were up, we headed out in search for breakfast, clearly having turned right when we should have turned left. Finding nothing, we returned to the great room for coffee and Danish, not healthy but filling. By 9, several of the women had loaded up cars and headed out. Deb took the minivan with the last of the attendees and went to join them.

That left me with five of the other guys. Our plan was to head over to the Strasberg Railroad, which we did but no one managed to figure out the hours in advance. As a result, we wound up there 40 minutes before it opened. So, we strolled across the street to the Pennsylvania Rail Museum, paid our admission and wandered in. The place is huge, considering it was holding numerous train cars on six tracks along with walkways, displays, etc. And it’s expanding as construction worked all along the front of the building.

The museum displays do a nice job giving you the history of the train engines, their connection to Pennsylvania and individual notes about the specific rail cars. They certainly knew how to build things to last back in the day. Many of the engines were built throughout the nineteenth century but weren’t retired until well past the mi-twentieth century. Also, many of these cars had been refurbished and restored for the 1939 World’s Fair so keeping them neat and working didn’t seem to be a problem.

We visited for a while but headed back in time for the noon tour. Our guide did a good job mixing in history as well as detailing what each part of the work shop does. I felt as if I was dropping into yet another world with its own set of inhabitants and customs. It appears that this facility does a lot of custom repair and fabrication work for private individuals and other rail museums around the country. The tools were huge and heavy, the nuts and bolts the size of screwdrivers. He was honest about what was restored and what was augmented with modern steel as opposed to wood.

The 45 minute tour was running long but we had to abandon it to make the 1 p.m. train ride. It’s a 9 mile round trip back and forth on this one spur line, but it means riding in nineteenth-styled cars with a real steam engine and being taken through Amish farm land. Very tranquil and pleasant. We had just enough time to stop and buy box lunches and overpriced water bottles so dined with pleasure.

After the ride we decided to head back to the Museum and finish our visit. There was certainly plenty to see in addition to a few video loops on aspects of the trains’ impact on society plus a simulator to see what it was like to be a train engineer.

By 3 or so, we were done and tired so headed back to the room. I read and wrote and Deb returned, sated from her quilt show visiting but ready for fabric shopping Saturday.

Two of the women were running late returning from the show and by the time they returned we would have not been able to eat at the selected buffet restaurant before it closed so we wound up at Plain & Fancy, a family-style buffet that Deb and I had enjoyed last summer. Fortunately, every one this summer enjoyed it, too.

That night the women had the pleasure of accepting door prizes that one had collected from manufacturers and retailers. Some of the women were not there that night, so I was collecting things on behalf of Gigi, which led to a weekend-long new nickname. Afterwards came the show and tell while Howard and I held up the larger pieces for the oohing and aahing. Some very impressive craftsmanship was on display.

Saturday, we were up and moving early. Deb and I decided to try the diner a quarter-mile up the road a-piece. The fresh food was pretty tasty. Once everyone was awake enough, we reviewed the plans, confirmed the sun meant the barbecue for dinner was on and then lined up to fill cars to begin swarming through the vicinity.

Our first, and furthest stop, was way out of the way to a large, clean, and well-stocked fabric shop. I found another piece for Deb’s baseball stash, which will some day become a quilt for me. Meantime, she found plenty of stuff from her shopping list, enabling her to complete projects.

At the second stop, smaller, more cramped and feeling kind of old, there was a wide variety of bulk foods for sale. Finally, something I could shop for. While I doubt I needed 3-pound bags of pineapple gelatin, I did find some spices, dried fruits, treats, nuts and the like at very reasonable prices.

Our group leaders, Karen and Bill, then directed us to a fabulous 50’s style diner in the area. I wandered in first and the hostess asked if I was 2 and said, no, 13. Her eyes bulged. As she was setting up, I corrected it to 15 but by then she was cheerfully into the swing of things. The food was quite good and everyone had a good time.

Some women had stayed behind to sew, others headed first back to the quilt show and others quietly returned home, having exhausted their disposable income. As a result, our numbers rose and fell throughout the day at each stop which gave it a lively feel.

Our final stop was back in Intercourse, which I knew well from last summer. As Deb and the women wandered their shops, John and I checked out the Intercourse Pretzel Factory and a cannery. I have now made sure our larder at home is stocked with goodies for just us adults.

After dropping our passengers off, Deb and I quickly checked out a local farmer’s market but since it was minutes before closing, they were pretty well picked over. We got some peaches and headed back to the lodge. By then, three grills were up and running with burgers, chicken and sausage already cooking. We gathered tables, chairs and other necessities and fairly quickly, we all convened for a pleasant evening of food and conversation.

As it got dark, we policed the area and settled back into the lodge’s great room, where a few final door prizes were handed out and more conversation ensured.

Sunday morning it was time to pack and get ready to roll. We were up ahead of the alarm and decided to help eat the massive amounts of food still left (everyone seemed to buy, bake or bring wonderful stuff) for breakfast. As the room reached critical mass, Karen tried to get everyone focused on next year’s event. Sounds like it’ll be a sewing-intensive retreat in Texas so this one will be just for the women. Given the heavy concentration of members in the New England area, there is a possibility I’ll be brought along for a mini-swarm when a member makes it here from Australia.

We packed the car, said our goodbyes and were on the road earlier than expected. Our drive was pleasant and uneventful until we reached Stamford. A quick trip to J. Jill for Deb to take advantage of a sale and then home. We reached the house around 3, unpacked, petted the dogs, sorted newspapers and mail, checked phone message and three days’ worth of e-mail and so on. By 5:30 we were tired and worn from a busy but happy weekend, so it was one final trip out for some food and then settled in for the evening with some television, some food and some peace and quiet.

Writer’s Block – Fact or Fiction?

Posted by Bob Greenberger on September 6, 2006

I was talking with a writer pal of mine and he lamented he had just gone through a bout of writer’s block. I scoffed at the notion, having never experienced it myself. A little later, I mentioned it to Kate, who argued that yes, it was a real phenomenon. To her, there has been more than one instance of staring at a blank page, uncertain how to write a class assignment.

I’ve also heard of writers who haven’t published for year’s claiming they have been horribly blocked.

From my experience, it may be true that you’re blocked on the one topic or assignment but not blocked from writing. I trained, as it were, as a journalist, always on deadline. Writer’s block was not acceptable and you had to put words on paper, editing as you go or rewriting afterwards. As a result, I have become a strong first draft writer, never hesitating to get started. Also, I tend to think about what I intend to write before actually committing words to screen. Once I start, it tends to flow.

I also have several things going on at once, so if I can’t think of a good hook or opening for Project A, I can easily turn to Project B and something will come. To my way of thinking, people blocked tend to be blocked only on the one project, not on writing. So, yes, students like Kate may experience trouble with the specific assignment and its attendant deadline.

Writer’s Block can also be a crutch, and an easy out when stumped. There are some who torture themselves unable to write Project A and only willing to write Project A. Until they write Project A, all other works stops. Therefore, they let themselves be blocked.

Now, as it turns out, my pal used Block as an excuse for laziness and a little crisis of confidence as some of his more recent works have not sold as yet (they will, they’re good) and public recognition has been limited at best. Still, he has ideas aplenty, all clamoring for attention so I know he’s not really blocked. Sometimes, that’s where a swift kick in the ášš from editor, agent, spouse or friend is required.

Robbie’s Great Adventure Begins

Posted by Bob Greenberger on September 4, 2006

Robbie is off to college today. This marks a turning point for him – and for us.

Ever since Kate left, Robbie has felt the day looming larger. He had become the focus of our attention as we made certain he had everything he needed, which seemed to translate into a series of shopping trips. He felt the heaviness of the transition as one friend, then another, then another left for their own journey. Brooke and Maryann, who have been friends with Robbie since we moved in nearly 14 years ago, had a final sleepover before Maryann headed north. Robbie awoke at 4:30 a.m. and trooped around the block to see her off, sharing the moment with Brooke. When Brooke left, a few days later, he was there to see her off.

Fortunately, Naomi was setting the schedule at Cold Stone so he got extra shifts, filling the emptier hours. She also saw to it, all the veterans from Cold Stone would work together on the 1st, their final day together. They were allowed to stay after-hours, partying. Robbie and Naomi braved the Saturday storm and headed up a dinner party for a different circle of friends.

Along the way, he was cleaning his room, the basement, the computer nook; organizing his belongings and tossing out a ton of stuff. His text books began to arrive in the mail and it was all starting to feel very, very real to him.

He’s letting himself getting wound up, uncertain of his ability to survive college. Deb and I would have shared that feeling a few years ago when he was struggling with school and life. Then came Aquaculture, some self-assuredness and maturity. Now, neither one of us doubts he is up to the task of handling life on his own from keeping his dorm neat to doing his homework. We’re both very proud of the accomplishments and the road he’s traveled and are confident these next four years will be challenging but ultimately successful ones for him.

On Saturday, as the winds blew and the branches broke from trees, Deb and Robbie finished the organizing and the packing. He had whipped himself up with anxiety over the amount of time this would take so Deb and I carefully downplayed any anxiousness we felt. They were done in something like two hours. We ran out for a three-hour series of stops that finished (we hoped) the shopping for school.

Sunday was clear and sunny, which made us happy. After church, we loaded the mini-van and then drove up to school. Being just 65 miles away, the trip flew by and we were unpacking the car before we knew it. Coincidentally, also unpacking was a mother and daughter, who have a cousin that went to high school with Robbie so an instant connection was made.

His room is small. Smaller than Kate’s dorm at GWU and smaller than any room Deb or I had at Binghamton. Still, once we were done putting things away, there was a surprising amount of leftover storage space. The furniture is sturdy and should survive him. The building needs more outlets and lord knows where they will find room for the mini-fridge but that’s a Tuesday conundrum when his roommate, Alexander, arrives.

Yesterday was move in day for students who asked for an exemption from Tuesday. Since Deb nor I felt like taking a day off from work, or stressing Rob by asking him to move in, acclimate himself to a roommate, find his way around campus and then begin classes 24 hours later, we thought this would work.

Still, the bookstore closed early so we missed picking up his final books. Finished in the room, we made a list of missing items and drove home. We had our typical Sunday dinner and relaxed.

Today, we’ve gone out, gotten the last of the items (all small stuff), and will drive him back – for good – in the later afternoon. We’ll finish moving him in, help with some wiring and decorating and then feed him a fine dinner. Then, we’ll head home and begin our own new chapter.

Tonight we’ll sleep in the house, just the two of us and the dogs. The Empty Nest prologue of our life begins, counting down until both kids are graduated and permanently moved out of the house. We’ve had plenty of time to adjust and get used to it as the kids were out more nights than not throughout the summer. Still, this has a bit more sense of permanence and we’re both kind of looking forward to it.

The Fall Season Begins

Posted by Bob Greenberger on September 3, 2006

You can tell fall has rapidly descended on us. The temperatures have moderated, the kids are back in school and the new prime time series have begun to debut.

Deb and I have sampled the two new Fox entries, Vanished and Justice and so far the, ahem, jury is still out on them.

Two episodes in, Vanished seems to be a nest of mysteries in search of compelling characters. While filled with attractive and familiar performers, including Ming-Na, Esai Morales, and Rebecca Gayheart, to them, it’s all about the work. We really don’t have anything more than a surface feel for the characters they play thus depriving us from getting to feel for them. Without that appeal, all we’re left is the mystery.

Or mysteries. The pilot was packed with so many threads it felt overdone. Every single character, it seemed, had a mystery of their own, making you wonder if anyone led an honest life. And from the teasers we know there remains one more big mystery, the red-cloaked men who seem to be behind some major political conspiracy.

Our protagonist is Agent Graham Kelton, put on a high profile case six months after blowing a high profile case. So of course he’s filled with doubts and anxieties and in the real world would never have been given this case. But the plotters of the crime seem to know he was going to get the case since some of the clues seem personal, which is yet another mystery to be solved.

From what we can tell, this will be a season-long mystery, which is the storyline du jour. After being pioneered more or less by 24, so many series are using it that it has rapidly become cliché. It will all come down to execution.

Same with Justice, from Jerry Bruckheimer. I was first attracted to it since the series stars Victor Garber, whose work I enjoy. But it sounded like an intriguing premise so we tried the first episode this week. We have the four lawyers, all of whom have their assigned roles, the defendant, and the search for the truth. Or at least the search for the case to be presented, truth optional. The nice touch here is that we’ll see the actual reality of the crime in question at the end of each episode so we, not the jury, will know how effective the lawyers at Trott, Nicholson, Tuller & Graves truly are.

But it also seems like a straight-jacket of a premise so every week we’ll see Victor Garber spin before the media, Kerr Smith earnestly address the jury, Rebecca Mader look attractive while coaching witnesses and Eamonn Walker oversee the associates who do the real digging. Thus it falls to the crime of the week and the guest cast to make us come back time and again, which is a burden for the writing staff.

The first case seemed interesting enough and the story moved along at a lightning pace (too jumpy if you ask Deb). Still, we didn’t fall instantly in love with the show or its characters.

In both cases, as the end credits rolled, we agreed we’ll give both a chance until the schedule fills and we have to make choices. We’re both savvy enough viewers to know the first episodes are a shakedown period it’s not until the fourth or fifth shows you get a real feel for what the series will be long time. There are rare instances you fall in love with a show from the outset – it’s more likely you come to hate a first episode and never come back than it is to instantly fall in love with a series.

Now on Sale

Posted by Bob Greenberger on September 2, 2006

Star Trek: Constellations is now in bookstores from coast to coast and the early comments have been encouraging. Hopefully, people will enjoy the experience. I read the entire book a week back and am pleased to be in such good company.

Following a growing trend among Trek authors, an annotations page has been compiled by Allyn Gibson, who wrote the most moving story in the collection. Most but not all of the writers have contributed to this including yours truly so, once you’ve finished the book, check it out.

For those who’ve read “The Landing Party”, I’d love to hear what you think.