Letters from Marilyn - Update 21

I made my December 1 deadline. Barely.

Normally I would have followed up here as well on December 1, but surprise, surprise, I was busy. Weak excuse, I know, but that does not make it any less true. Let us take it one month at a time, starting with this one. December's goal is to work on Letters from Marilyn.

January's goal is the musical. I will be one step short of living at the theater (it's basically my second home. I love it there!). There are only 3 days in the entire month I am not scheduled to be at the theater, and let's face it: I will likely be there anyway. So, friends and family, if you need to see me, you will have to come find me! And please, if you bring me coffee I will love you forever. This director seriously needs her java during performance month.

As such, I will try to post a couple more updates during December, since it is improbable you will get any in January. Which brings us to today. Here are a few updates: 

1. As per my contract with the literary agency, I cannot post the chapter samples I submitted to them, nor can I post any of the other chapters I am going to send to other agencies.
2. I am choosing not to share the names of the agencies I am considering, for a variety of reasons. 
3. I do not have a timeline of publication goals yet (I am working on some soft deadlines, but beyond that this has been very loosely structured because again, I am very busy).

I know what you are thinking: so what can Olivia post here? 

I will be honest: not much at this stage in the process. We all knew this day would come! See it as a good thing, dear readers! It means the end goal - a complete novel - is in sight. The purpose of today's update is a bit strange, I know: it is basically to tell you that I cannot tell you anything. So why even write anything then, you ask? Because you knew about my December 1 deadline, readers, and many of you have written to inquire how that went and what is next. 

For the rest of this post then (so you're not all fuming with disdain at my total inability to keep you in the loop), let us "talk of many things - of shoes, and ships, and sealing wax, and cabbages and kings!" In other words, general life nonsense:

1. Today was an early dismissal from school at 2PM (thanks, snow!). I was in dept. meetings for the day at the district office. Having had no prep time as a result, I had big plans to go home and be productive. I took a nap. That, my friends, is productivity at its finest.
2. I finished a book - Traveling Light by Lynne Branard - in two days. The last time I did that was July. Yes, I am feeling very proud of myself. Small victory, considering how busy I have been. It was an excellent read too. If you need a book, I definitely recommend it.
3. While I will not recount all the boring details, I have been a terrible klutz recently. That is what sleep deprivation does to me. I have many strengths, but grace is not one of them. And because my mind works in strange ways when I am sleep deprived, I have come to the conclusion that if I were a bird I'd be like that albatross from The Rescuers. Definitely not a swan. Start it at 2:43 - this is how I have felt all. week. long. 
4. Fact: the above quotation is from Lewis Carroll's "The Walrus and the Carpenter." It is a poem that occurs in his novel Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There (the sequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland). You should read it. Better yet: read both of the books.

That's enough nonsense for today. Hopefully the next update will be from a well-rested writer and not that of a frazzled educator who needs 30 hours in a day. Love always this holiday season, readers. Despite my busy-ness, I am grateful to have had you all checking in on me. Much love.