Status update for fall 2018

[breakinglight11]

Just want to quickly put down where I am at this transition into fall 2018, so I have a record and people will know.

Because I wanted to focus on making the Hawking proof of concept film— easily the most challenging project I've ever helmed — and because I've been going so hard pretty constantly for a year and a half, I decided to keep the summer otherwise low-commitment. I did some private tutoring for cash but otherwise kept myself free. It was not great for me financially, but I think my mental health and possibly even my physical health needed that three-month break.

Now I am transitioning back into my usual life. The new school semester has started, and I finally have the four-class schedule that I'd been working to get— two at Lesley like usual, and two at North Shore Community College, a place I used to teach at a few years ago and contacted me out of the blue at the last moment. It was a scramble to get syllabi together at the last minute, but it's reassuring to know where the four classes will put me financially, especially since Evil Overlord is dormant right now. I miss that job so much I can't say, and I'd love to go back if it ever continues, but for now I'm glad to have the classes to rely on.

Tentatively I am continuing with my tutoring job. I like the woman who runs the company and I don't want to leave her in the lurch if possible. But I really don't like private tutoring, and she has canceled a lot on me at the last minute, which meant I couldn't necessarily count on the work. So if the scheduling commitments I make continue to not be honored, I think I will discontinue my work there if I need to.

The film is in the process of being rough cut, which I'm enjoying. I prefer the shooting process objectively, but it's certainly easier to organize than a fifteen-person film crew on location, so it's lower stress. We've got it a little over half roughly assembled.

I also finished the draft of Mrs. Frost, got amazing feedback from smart lovely friends who read it, and have begun the edit. I find this part of the development to be harder than drafting, as I am always a little held back from getting going by the fear that I won't know how to implement the changes I need to make. But I got some very actionable suggestions at the reading, so I need to be brave and dive in. We have to get into rehearsals in October, so I need to have a solid drafter sooner rather than later.

So that's the big stuff for me! Work, writing, film, theater. And about to be swallowed up by executing it all shortly!