26 May 1998

Butterflies

Only way to do it is to start.

You know, I thought Caius was one of Cambridge's colleges, not Oxford's. (When I was in high school, I had the ambition to go to Cambridge and I actually tried to apply--my Anglophilia was in full-swing, I guess.) But since Darin has read way more British novels recently than I have--John Mortimer, anyone?--I figured he knew.

I have been officially corrected: Caius is at Cambridge.

Career Notes

I called a few agents today and left messages. Short and sweet: my name and phone number. We'll see how effective that strategy is.

Despite getting answering machines and receptionists, I still have a bucket of butterflies in my stomach. Come on, Diane, get over it already, would you? What's the worst thing that these people can say to you?

I guess the worst thing that could happen is they ignore me altogether.

What I really want (she says in a confessatorial whisper) is for the universe to work its magic, so that I don't have to. Of course, everyone wants this and it just doesn't happen. At least, not the way you want it to. And there's a truism that "the harder you work, the luckier you get." You have to work to put yourself in the space where magic starts to happen.

So, in that vein, I also did a few more pages on my new script. Since I already have the Thesis Script and the Rewrite Script, this will be the High School Script. I think I've done enough pages now that I should go back and write an outline--a letter to myself on why I think this is a good idea and what, more or less, the good idea is.

Whenever you start a project of any length, write a letter to yourself telling yourself why you've gotten involved, because you will reach a point where you say, "This is the stupidest idea I've ever had in my entire life!" And you'll want to remind yourself why you involved yourself in this.

Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics

4.2 miles. I started to cramp up midway, so I cut my run short. Tomorrow is another day.