Sweet victory!

My first draft is officially complete. I can't wait to print it out tomorrow and see it in physical form. Yes, major revision now begins, but I am just so excited to have reached this milestone! Feeling really good about it. It's funny to re-read the beginning and realize that the characters have changed and grown in my mind since I first wrote it. And how I forgot about some of the decisions I had made in other parts. In any case, it's been an amazing January in terms of cranking it out, and I can't wait to dig back in!

Observing the medical cannabis user in his natural environment

Went to the Americans for Safe Access meeting tonight to keep my finger on the medical marijuana pulse and observe. It is interesting to see a meeting try to run when half the people in attendance are heavily medicated. A very diverse group: some gray hairs from Marin, lots of young tattooed guys, racially diverse (latino, black, white), and some real characters. Edmund sang us, "I want to smoke with you... all night," in honor of Michael Jackson with a red sequined cowboy hat on and cannabis garlands around his ankles. They mostly rehash the news stories that get sent out daily, so I don't think I need to go to more meetings. But I did appreciate the pizza and the t-shirt from the Green Cross. Angelique, the fourth-generation grower, will be offering free cultivation classes.

There were two people there, a brother and sister who couldn't be more than 22 years old, who apparently had just gotten released from jail for marijuana possession. Their dad, Brian Pierce, is still in jail and is going to be extradited to Nevada? Couldn't completely follow their story, but it was a sad example of how the legal system can really derail people who aren't causing harm to themselves or others. These kids were going to stay in a hotel tonight, didn't know what they would do tomorrow. The police had confiscated their money, laptop, and phones, so they didn't have much more than the clothes they were wearing. Touching to see the community at the meeting welcome and support them.

The crappy draft

So I'm supposed to be done with my "crappy draft" by the end of this week, and I think I'm on target to do it. My friend Arnie gave me the concept of the crappy draft, though it's actually the "shitty draft," and I'm not sure if I'm using profanity in this blog. It is a liberating concept that I've heard in other ways. Words on the paper. Bang it out. Accepting that it's not supposed to be good at this point has helped to quiet my stifling inner critic.

Printing out the appointment scenes and editing them on paper instead of on screen has also been great. I am just old enough that I learned to write on paper and not the computer. I am not comfortable doing everything on the laptop -- with paper, I feel like I can see the whole scene more easily, spread it out, draw arrows, instead of seeing only the amount that fits on the height of the screen and having to scroll and use the find function. I can't wait to print the entire thing out on Friday.

At Java Beach with Kristin on yet another rainy day. Cozy with my latte, even though I ordered a mate.

Genetic testing

I'm spending a lot of time today reading about the emotional and psychological considerations of undergoing Huntington's pre-symptomatic testing and trying to learn about the genetic counseling process. Luckily there are people at UCSF I can ask about this stuff too, but the Hereditary Disease Foundation has good information to start. I am going to write the rough draft of the scene where Declan gets his results, and I am thinking about how nervous I am simply to get the results of a medical school test, results that don't determine my fate but still can make my heart pound out of my chest. I am trying to imagine sitting across from a counselor and hearing the words that mean everything.

Broke the 100-page mark, meaning it looks like this is going to be a long draft. Ah well, I think it's easier to cut than to bulk something out. Too much material better than too little.