A small accomplishment...for now

Last night, I finished what I’m calling the ‘final’ (for now) draft of my second novel, Inventing Vazquez. It’s the fifth rewrite, I think, and the draft I feel is strong, tight, and cohesive enough to merit publishing consideration. Yeah, I know every writer says that about his or her own work, but at some point, we need to be able to say, “It’s done!” Even if we all agree that every book is always a work in progress.

But, for the sake of argument and an abstract sense of accomplishment, let me just declare…Inventing Vazquez is DONE…for now. I’m sure there will be more changes to it. Hopefully that’s after I have an agent read the thing and suggest ways of making it more publishable.

That’s the next step, obviously: stepping up my agent search once more. I haven’t sent out any new queries in the past few weeks, but will probably send some out before the week is over. Who knows, maybe the universe will let me score a lucky hit this time around.

Now that I consider Inventing Vazquez a completed work (for now), I’m returning to its sequel, Electing Choi. I have so many crazy, zany ideas for that story, I can’t wait to get to them. It’s already proving as zany a story as Inventing Vazquez (my motto is ‘all zany, all the time’ after all), and I’m particularly looking forward to working with the two characters who have the biggest twists this time around. I’m past page 100 of that novel, so I’m well past the point of “I have an idea” and firmly in the “I’m writing a new novel” camp.

Writing and music are the things keeping me afloat these days. It’s basically only through my writing and my music (my band is coming along nicely, even though we’re now without a drummer) that I’m feeling any real sense of accomplishment these days. I’ve given up hope of ever have anything resembling a career path at work (I work at a company where ambition and drive seem to be liabilities if you’re not talking golf with some exec every day), and conceded that all my best efforts and work will always be rewarded with indifference. My job is to help others get promoted, even though I’m at the second and last step of my so-called career ladder and easy to overlook despite my contributions. Oh well. I consider myself a writer, first and foremost. I can still dream that, some day, I’ll be able to make a decent living out of being one full-time.

I might be taking a trip out to Chicago soon, just to do a little soul-searching and maybe find some new direction and/or inspiration. I’ve felt a little adrift these past few months, and a big, painful transition on the horizon is sure to worsen things.

But I’m grateful for what I have. I thank the universe and my lucky stars that I have the ability to put thoughts down on paper and share stories with people. I thank the universe that I was able to write Inventing Vazquez, and I hope it’ll give me a hand in finding the right agent to help me get this story out.

Turning 15 Again

So I get to blog about something other than writing again. Hmmm, the last time I did so, it was to write about a Polysics show I went to here in Detroit. And now, it’s to write…about the Polysics show I went to this last Saturday ^_^

For those of you who don’t know, Polysics is a four-piece band from Tokyo, Japan who can best be described as Devo with a distinct infusion of Japanese quirkiness. Their music is catchy, wild, and all over the place, with synthesized blips and beeps complementing mad guitar riffs and crunching bass lines while the singer, Hayashi, sings about everything from peach pies on the beach to digital coffee.

Well, they played here in Detroit on Saturday, and I was reminded of why I fell in love with them in the first place. They are, simply put, the best live band I’ve ever seen. It’s inspiring to see musicians throw themselves so completely into their performance. Hayashi is a madman on stage, jumping all over the place, screaming his lungs out, playing his guitar like his life depends on it. Fumi, the bassist, jams along with grit and bounce, plucking away at her red Yamaha and seemingly loving every minute of it. Kayo, the keyboardist extraordinaire, is the stoic, quiet, comic one in the back, the one who never cracks a smile, not even as she’s jumping up and down waving pompoms at us during “Peach Pie On The Beach.” It’s an awesome ensemble of musicians playing a brand of music that’s infectious, powerful, and outright quirky.

So why am I gushing over Polysics like a 15-year-old after his first rock concert? Maybe because I got to meet the band this time around! ^_^ As my friend James and I sat through the opening bands, I noticed Hayashi and Kayo at their merchandise stand. After much deliberation, I finally worked up the nerve to go up and say hello, and ask if they’d take their picture with me. What cool, friendly people they were! Not only did they agree, Hayashi actually puts me in between him and Kayo. How’s that for treating your fans with respect? About all I could think to do in my star-struckness was smile like a dolt and do the peace sign. As evidenced below…


But the biggest treat was meeting Fumi, their bassist. Anyone who knows me knows that I consider her my bass-playing muse. It was watching her onstage in 2005 that made me want to pick up the bass again. It was thanks to her that I wanted to try again to join a band and gig, even though I was already 32 years old. Just over a year after that show, I joined my first band. And our first show just happened to be at the same club where I first saw Fumi and Polysics. So I’ve wanted to meet Fumi ever since then, to thank her for inspiring and re-awakening my musical ambitions, and for being my bass-playing ‘sensei’.

And, oh…I have a Michigan-sized crush on her ^___^;

So imagine my delight (and high-school-boy-like nerves) when I finally saw Fumi walking around the club, and then go over to the merchandise stand. Once again, after much, much, much deliberation, I worked up the courage, went over, and reverted to my 15-year-old persona. And once again, I wasn’t disappointed. Fumi proved to be a very friendly, very warm person, and very eager to meet another of her fans. I got a chance to thank her for inspiring me. I got her autograph. I got to shake her hand. And, oh, I got our picture taken ^_____^

Sure, I stopped just short of telling her that I think she’s pretty as hell, but hey, there was no need to. Being able to meet her and the rest of Polysics was such a treat, and it went about as perfect as I could have ever imagined. There was no need to make things weird by telling her, “Duh, I think your really perty! Yuh-huh!”

I was also reminded on Sunday and Monday that I’m no longer 21 years old. I lost myself in the moment at the show, and thrashed, danced, moshed, and headbanged throughout. On Sunday and Monday, my sore body was saying, “Yeah, nice try, moron. You’re 35, and I’m going to make sure you remember that with a good dose of pain, soreness, and old-man-like ailments.” Ouch. I don’t remember hurting so much after a show. I don’t remember ever waking up in the middle of the night and feeling like my neck would snap if I so much as sneezed. Hell, it wasn’t even soreness; it was excruciating pain. Will that stop me from headbanging and moshing the next time? Of course…not ^_^

Anyway, that’s my annual “I love Polysics” gushing. While I’m at it, I just want to mention this. Um, Jaguar Love? The second band on that night? You know, your music was actually quite good. But guys, seriously, do yourselves a favor: get another singer. Their singer doesn’t sing, but rather screeches unintelligibly. Even between songs. If Donald Duck, Courtney Love, and Axel Rose had a child, and they fed this child nothing but sugar, caffeine, and crack, it’d result in Jaguar Love’s singer. I’m sorry, guys, I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but you need a singer that isn’t so damn painful!

Oh, and a special shout-out to Colleen, a wonderfully friendly woman I met at the show! Colleen, I’ll see you at the next Polysics show so we can dance and mosh once again!

Okay, let me go back to being 35 again… Going to Chicago next week to do the last bit of Inventing Vazquez related research, and to hopefully finish up the next rewrite. After that, it’s off to finding an agent. Oh boy…