An empowering thought to take into my weekend. Have a good one, y’all!
The word is very much the thing - 2023 edition
Happy New Year, one and all!
As you may remember from prior blog posts, I often enjoy sharing “word of the year” selections with y’all. (Oxford picked “goblin mode” for 2022, which delighted many people.) But as we move into 2023, I want to share a word of the year that has a bit more personal meaning.
When I was out with friends for NYE, I was in line to get a drink when someone in the group behind me challenged his friends to name a band they wanted to embody 2023. I decided to answer the challenge as well, picking Fleetwood Mac; in part due to their very hopeful “Don’t Stop,” but also because, even in spite of their various troubles and disagreements, they kept coming back together to make incredible, memorable music. (RIP Christine McVie.) So, not only a hope that we “don’t stop thinking about tomorrow,” but also that we all can endeavor to put aside some of our differences and come together to make that better future.
But when I returned to my table, one of the group had an even better question for us: what word would you pick to represent 2023. OooOOOOoooo…challenge accepted!
We all had good picks, but for me, that word was momentum. This was not only because I wanted what successes I had in 2022 to only keep getting better, but mainly because I wanted my professional endeavors to gain and give said momentum. For my own writing, I want to see both current projects gain more notice and traction, and for more of the ideas in my head to get down on paper. And for my clients, that my guidance and editorial assistance can help them gain momentum in their own creative pursuits.
But speaking to that first kind of momentum — what I want for my personal projects — it will mean my availability will be a bit more limited. (In fact, tomorrow I start the ISA’s 30-Day Screenwriting Challenge, in an effort to jump-start my next script. Wish me luck!) So thanks in advance to those emerging authors who want to work with me for their patience, as well as their understanding if I’m not able to fit them in this year.
Most important, though, I encourage you to build your own momentum and hit those goals you once thought out of reach. And, in the words of Fleetwood Mac, “Don’t Stop.”
So I've done a thing...
After much resistance on my part (I’m careful about what potential distractions I add to my life), I’ve joined the Twitter-verse! There was a specific motivation by this expansion to my social media presence (you’ll have to follow me to see, but it’s pretty dang cool), but it’ll certainly be easier for me to share the little bits of random I’ve been meaning to post here. Any longer ramblings, when I have the time, will still land here in the blog.
In the meantime, feel free to follow me on Twitter. And be nice, ’kay? I’m still kinda new at this…
Happy Holidays + New Things for a New Year
Yoiks! It certainly has been a while since I’ve posted anything here. But to be fair, it’s been unprecedented times—in more ways than one.
2019 was one of the busiest years in the relatively short history of Working Vacation Studios—and one of my best years earning-wise in, like, ever. So, yay me!
And as the icing to that particular cake, I got to edit some truly amazing books, such as The Nothing Within by Andy Giesler, Folie à Deux by Mary Widdicks, Corporate Gunslinger by Doug Engstrom, and Dead Pelican by Lisa Haneberg.
But also, it was not without its challenges (i.e., work-life balance—um…whazzat?—becoming something I have to look up on Wikipedia ) and its hardships. Specifically, we lost my father to Pulmonary Fibrosis just after Thanksgiving. (Thanks in advance for your condolences; if you’re so moved, please donate to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation.)
My dad, James L. “Pat” Spivey, during one of our salt water fishing expeditions in Mexico.
And then came…2020. The year I think all of us would rather forget.
However, 2020 was not without its highlights. Specifically, my clients stuck by me and kept me busy, and that is quite a blessing. (That, along with already being used to the whole working-from-home schtick.) So my thanks to them all, particularly Vendome Press and Yen Press, not to mention all the awesome indie authors who came to me via the Reedsy platform, including regulars such as Adam Bender and Lisa Haneberg.
But perhaps the biggest highlight is…I bought a house! My first one ever, no less!
The view from the new offices of Working Vacation Studios.
I’m still in the Portland, Oregon, metro area, just in a different suburb about nine miles from my former home base. But lots more space, a deck off the great room upstairs AND a patio below it off the garage, and I get to paint the walls whatever color I want (Alchemy was selected for the office).
Of course, 2020 had to f*** with the process, so my closing took about forty-five days to complete and I didn’t get my washer and dryer until about a month after I’d moved in.
Don’t worry… It never got quite this bad.
But still…new house!!
And speaking of the new, starting in 2021, Working Vacation Studios will be offering a new service: virtual pitch practice. Look for details after the holidays.
And on that note, I’m off to enjoy an extended break (I’ll be back at my desk on January 4). A very happy (and safe) holiday season to you all and my hopes that 2021 is…well, a whole lot less sucky.
'Nuff Said
Again, it’s been a while since my last blog post (as I’ve said, it’s been a busy year…oh, to have such problems, right?). I just wish what was inspiring me to post was something more upbeat.
Stan “The Man” Lee has passed.
Though some critics choose to bash Stan over what he did or didn’t create, his influence on comics and genuine love and enthusiasm for comics fans is the reason there even is a comics industry as we know it today, not to mention all the associated media that comes from it. So as someone who had always dreamed of working in comics—and who eventually fulfilled that dream—I owe a debt to Stan that I can never fully repay, particularly since my first job in comics was as an intern for Marvel.
Included with many of the various remembrances of Stan are a sampling of his “Stan’s Soapbox” pieces, several of which reminded us that he lived by the same creed he coined for Spider-Man—”With great power comes great responsibility”—and did what he could to help shape the morals of his readers, all of whom he made to feel as though they were part of a special club. I’m including one here that I think is still as relevant today as it was when Stan wrote it.
Rest well, Stan the Man. You’ve earned it. EXCELSIOR!! #RIPStanLee
Insulting with Authority
Greetings, all... Long time no talk. A consequence of being über-busy these past few months. Certainly a good thing, but it does mean that blogging can fall a bit by the wayside.
However, today, as I was looking up a word for a proofread I'm working on (Wolf & Parchment, vol. 3, for Yen Press), I found this article on Merriam-Webster's website: Some Notes On 'Asshat': A serious look at where it came from.
So I thought I'd take a moment to share I choose to take pleasure in the fact that not only did "asshat" make its way into the Merriam-Webster dictionary, but also it comes complete with an origin story. So now when I call someone an asshat, I can both cite chapter and verse on why I've correctly identified them as an asshat, as well as prove it's not a word I...well, pulled out of my ass.
It's one, dear. (Thank you, Merriam-Webster.)
And on that (hopefully) amusing thought, I return you to your regularly scheduled Friday. May your work-life balance tip decisively to the "life" side, and may the margaritas (the official adult beverage of Working Vacation Studios) be plentiful.
The Power of Punctuation
Not sure if y'all saw this news when it broke, but a major contract dispute erupted between the Oakhurst Dairy in Portland, Maine, and their drivers over overtime pay. Just today, the dispute was finally settled. The ultimate culprit in all of this: the serial comma.
Yes, because the guy writing the contract opted not to use the serial, or Oxford, comma, the Oakhurst Dairy lost a major contract claim. While you can read the article to get all the details on the dispute, as well as a glimpse into the whole Oxford comma debate, I thought I'd provide this simple infographic primer on why this bit of punctuation can be very important:
(from The Gloss)
On a separate, but semi-related note, I was once introduced to an attractive woman whose opening words to me were, "So, what are your feelings on the Oxford comma?" Suffice to say, I was then putty in her hands and bought her at least two very expensive drinks. Just an early Valentine's Day tip for the future Mrs. Working Vacation Studios, wherever she may be.
Tools of the Trade
A couple of weeks ago, the New York Times Magazine ran a neat article on one of the last pencil factories in America. Though much of the editing I do these days is done electronically, proofreads for the major publishers are still mostly done with paper proofs and a red pencil. So, for me at least, it was pretty interesting to see how this important tool of my trade is made.
Of perhaps equal importance, today is the anniversary of when the first canned beer went on sale. And much as I enjoy what I do, there are many (many) days when I really (really) need an ice-cold beer at the end of the day.
So, tonight, I'll raise my beer in celebration of two of the editor's most important tools of the trade: the red pencil and the after-work can of beer.
Rising Star
Happy New Year, one and all!
As you may or may not know, there is a bit of a hierarchy when it comes to book reviews. Now I'm not talking about whether one source is more reputable than another (as that can be argued), I'm instead looking at one important thing: a star. Unlike most other types of reviews, all an author needs to earn is just one star, as "starred reviews" are doled out very sparingly and mean that the author's book is most certainly a cut above the rest.
I'm very proud to report that one of the authors I worked with in 2017, Adam Bender, has earned this particular distinction and has been awarded a starred review by Kirkus Reviews, one of the most noted book review agencies out there.
Adam's book, The Wanderer and the New West, was one I definitely enjoyed reading (and not just because it was a Western mashup, which is a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine), so I'm glad to see that it's gotten the attention it deserves.
The book is currently available on Amazon as well as other outlets, so go get yerself a copy, y'hear? And congrats, Adam! I look forward to our next collaboration...
The word is still the thing
Merry Christmas Eve!!
As y'all likely already know, words are my stock in trade. So, it wasn't surprising that last year at about this time, I was a bit obsessed with Merriam-Webster's Word of the Year. While I was certainly curious what they selected this year (it's feminism, BTW...another good call), I was more intrigued and amused by what was voted "Most Annoying Word or Phrase Used in Casual Conversation."
According to MaristPoll, "whatever..." has narrowly secured that particular top spot for the ninth year in a row, with newcomer "fake news" coming in second, followed by "no offense, but..." "Literally" comes in a respectable fourth, likely fueled by those who want to literally kill their friends who correct them on the use of literally versus figuratively.
And it's on that note that I close up the shop for the year. Best wishes to y'all for a very merry, happy, and jolly holiday season, and here's hoping that 2018 isn't another year some of us may want to figuratively tar and feather before showing it the door...
