First off, I  apologize for the lack of updates. I, the semi-fearless leader of Dragon’s Lair, have had more then a little bit of life-changing experiences lately.

Where to begin, where to begin …?

Well, I suppose the best place to begin is with my grand escape back in May. Yep, I have official joined the ranks of other college educated Americans worldwide. With my BA in English from UC Berkeley under my belt,  I dived head first into both graduate school and job applications. In truth, I had already applied for graduate school during my last year of college, but the waiting part, oh the waiting … the anticipation … how it is both thrilling and torturous … well that might as well be included in the application process (for logistical and sanity-related reasons). In a strange twist of fate, I’ve succeed in both endeavors: I now work a full-time job in SF while going to school for my MA part-time at SFSU.

Normally this leads to fan-fare, congratulatory hugs and kisses, and champagne flowing like water from the Russian River. However, this being my life, no such celebratory actions (beyond a close intimate dinner with friends and then with family) took place. Instead the past months have been a whirlwind of moving (found a temporary room in SF), job acclimation (Berkeley is nothing compared to a 40 hour work day), and graduate school work (the training wheels are off). Add my desire to keep my social life in tact (friends) and to do what is right by the ones I love the most (family), I have had little time to update as regularly as I should.

Does this mean the end of Dragon’s Lair? Will the dream end here just to be turned into yet another half-started day dream of an inspiring writer?

Please, if you have to ask that you don’t know this bibliophile/workaholic.

What it means is that for a while the postings will be infrequent at best, but they will happen. All I ask if for your patience.

New poetry, stories, photos and the like will be posted in the (hopefully) near future. Most postings will be about local artistic events, lectures, nonprofits, and such. Notification of these will depend on how soon I learn of them through the grapevine. If you have an event and wish for it to be announced here, please feel free to drop me a line at rtabooker@gmail.com.

Speaking of events, boy is San Francisco chock-full of them! With particular interest to Dragon’s Lair is APE 2010.

APE, the Alternative Press Expo, happens this Saturday and Sunday at the Concourse Exhibition Center. This is a great opportunity to connect with other visual artists, writers, independent publishers, and distributors. There is so much to learn and do during the 2 day event. More info can be found on the APE website: http://www.comic-con.org/ape/

Of course, I will be there but not as one of the tables (just another patron). But with any luck, Dragon’s Lair will be there next year.

In other news, October is half-way through which brings us closer to the all-encompassing month of November. Or as those who sacrifice sleep would know,  NATIONAL NOVEL WRITING MONTH! **cue mandatory lightening bolts**

November is National Novel Writing Month, a month where, for some bizarre and unfathomable reason, writers everywhere, from all walks of life, attempt to write one first draft of a full-length novel in one month. It is grueling 4 weeks and 3 days of non-stop writing. I will not lie, last year was a total failure. I barely made it to 2, 000 words. But this year is the year!

Why you may ask? How will you, who now works 40 hours a week, has two night classes and commutes home every weekend have time to write a full-length novel in 30 days?

One word: Blogging.

Starting November 1st, I will post the unedited 1st draft as it is being written. Grammar mistakes, spelling errors and a shamble of a plot-line will cover the front pages of Dragon’s Lair for 30 days.

Why demonstrate a terrible first draft to the world?

Why not?

Dragon’s Lair is about art and nothing but art! However, something that most people don’t want to admit is that to create art, you have to get messy. Clay is found in the ground along with feces, death and decay, yet we still use it to create fine china. Proof in point, look at your dishes, and try to find one that is worth something but didn’t come from dirt. Try it. Go on. I’ll wait.

…

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Giants are doing well this year.

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Back?

Okay.

No one usually wants to see someone digging out the clay, because it is hard, dirty work (I say usually because of the show Dirty Jobs … for some reason when Mike Rowe is involved everyone wants to watch a man put male turkey semen into a female turkey… go figure).

So, to demonstrate the creative process, encourage younger writers to get off their facebook pages and create, and to foster a sense of community among other NaNoWriMO travelers, I will post my “shame.”

With any luck, some porcelain can be found under all the rubble.

To recap:

updates will happen more often, but still be sporadic

ATTEND APE!

And let the preparations for NaNoWriMo begin!

Peace, love and pancakes

-Rose