Auditions

So I thought I’d take a break from writing. My agent at Vader and Co. is reading the manuscript I just finished. My current title for it is ‘A Sensation of Shadow.’ This waiting period is maybe the most uncomfortable step in the whole process, at least for me, and this time around I really don’t have anything in mind that I want to do next. So, a break should be just the thing, no? Give me a chance to catch up on the giant TBR pile in my office. And for a week or so it did seem that I was able to put the whole thing behind me, other than checking my email every day for a message from the Dark Lord…

So there’s this guy I run into the The Bronx every now and then. I’ve been trying hard not to hate on the guy, but I’m finding it very difficult, for a variety of reasons. A lot of reasons, not relevant here. Anyway, we happened to be thrown together the other day, he and I, while in pursuit of our separate goals, and he stops right in the middle, says, ‘I gotta make a call.’

So I wait. Probably was not the image of grace and good humor.

‘Babe,’ he says to the phone. ‘It’s time to get up. You gotta get outa bed.’

Pause.

‘Why?’ He looks at me like I might have an answer. ‘Because. You gotta. Go on into the kitchen now, okay? Open the fridge. See them pills? Top shelf. Says ‘brain’ on the bottle. Yeah, ‘brain.’ Take two of ’em. Two pills. I’ma wait while you do it. Shit.’ He looks at me. ‘Fuck, man, she put the phone down.’ Makes like he wants to throw his cell at the wall, but goes back to talking into it instead. ‘Yo, babe. BABE! Sorry, okay okay, sorry. You took the pills? You took ’em? Good. Now don’t go back to bed. Because you can’t stay up in bed alla time, it ain’t no good for you. I’ma be home soon. Yeah. Yeah. Love.’ Makes kissy noises, ends the call, sticks the cell back in his pocket. ‘Sorry, man. Let’s do this thing.’

Run with that.

Where’s that take you, what do you see?

I guess what I’ve been doing, instead of really taking a break, I’ve been holding auditions. Looking for sparks. The NY Daily News is one good place to look, and The Bronx, despite its considerable drawbacks, is another.