Back on track

I just submitted an application for the new Amtrak residency. Thank you, Jessica Gross and Alexander Chee, for getting the ball rolling on this exciting new writing opportunity. Spending two to five days riding on a train across country with nothing to do but write? Count me in. Amtrak is accepting applications on a rolling basis (get it, 'rolling'?) and will pick 24 writers through March 31. All aboard.

Map quest

More editing today. Disappearing some characters and watching others grow and develop and shape the story. Sometimes they end up taking things in another direction, which is exciting and mildly irritating, like a favorite child that's just caused you more work, but at the same time you think what they just did was precocious and funny so you don't care all that much.

Been scrabbling for pieces of time to work on edits, and it helps to have a playlist to help me get into the right frame of mind. Here's one from my list (The Pines).

Song writer?

Love this project by author Alison Kent -- she created a writing desk out of a refurbished piano (top). My parents have a 100-year-old piano that nobody plays (below)....I see potential for reincarnation.