Diary of a Girl-Next-Door Heavy Metal Novelist

DIARY OF A GIRL-NEXT-DOOR HEAVY METAL NOVELIST

January 23 , 2005
Tomorrow is a big day for Won't Get Fooled Again. I'm meeting with my attorney in hopes of presenting a sound argument that I'm safe to submit my manuscript to my publisher. I think she'll ask me about three things:

• Copyright law (cleared)
• Trademark law (ready for action)
• Right of publicity (the courts don't have a clear precedent, so I've done my best to honor the big guys while trusting the First Amendment.)

Hey, while you're reading this, why don't you click the banner above and subscribe to the KISS magazine? It's really really good. Unlike this website and my novel, it's officially authorized by KISS.

January 24, 2005
It's cold. My car is stuck. My contact lenses are scratchy.

Forget about my stupid car and the icy conditions and the fact that my 2005 Valentine isn't even close to written. I have the greatest life in the world.

January 26, 2005
The day job is keeping me busy, but I have folks keeping the Won't Get Fooled Again machine running. Photog Terri Cooke sent me her proofs from the photoshoot we did. Here is one of my favorites.

In less superficial life, I saw Julian Bond speak tonight. He was honest and provocative, and I had to stop myself from yelling "Amen!" about a hundred times. He has 21 honorary doctorates and I write rock-inspired novels. I used to write articles about systemic racism, and someday I will again - perhaps to a much wider audience. Sometimes it's difficult living up north again. It's not often I hear speakers who inspire me to my soul. Down south, you can frequently hear people say, "When I marched in the civil rights movement, I..." Up north it's, "When I watched the civil rights movement on television, I..." What does any of this have to do with KISSfiction? To me, it's all the same: Purpose. To the poor readers of this blog, maybe nothing. But I hope not.

January 27, 2005
Tomorrow is Friday. I can't wait for the weekend so I can hunker down and finish what I started three years ago. I will soon see the birth of a book. I'm not sure if it's like a baby, completely dependent but with a life of its own, or like a, um, book. No doubt, I will learn a whole lot about books and life this year.

January 28, 2005
All of my writing talent and sweat is being devoted to my '05 Valentine tonight. I had a great concept in mind this year, but it's a designer's nightmare. I hope readers will appreciate my devotion, or at least do something good for the earth by recycling it. Using my Valentine to line your kitty litter box is perfectly acceptable as long as you rationalize that you're being eco-conscious.

January 29, 2005
My email has been down for two days. The company that provides KISSfiction dot com is doing an upgrade. I suppose it's made me more productive with my Valentine work, but I've always had a fondness for procrastinating.

I did a training workshop for a group of student leaders today. I called it "Being Steve Kerr." I really like Steve Kerr. If you know who he is, I'm your fan, too.

January 30, 2005
I delivered my Valentine to the printer tonight. I have a nagging feeling it's full of typos, but I had to get it done. In between book and Valentine work, I've been watching the entire DVD collection of "Freaks & Geeks." It is perhaps the story of my life, and I love every single episode. Today, I saw the last one in the set. If my email were working, I'd send a letter to the producer and director to tell them that they're geniuses.

Now, I have to finish my damn book and submit it.

January 31, 2005
Book done.
Next step: disclaimers. (continue)