(Until the other shoe drops) I'm staying in LA

I haven't posted in a while because I've been making plans and trying to get all this to work out, but now that I have an idea of what's going on myself I can write a little about what's happening. I have made arrangements to remain in Los Angeles through the winter. Some of you may recall that I have attempted this feat before and ran back to NYC after only a month (I was screaming a little while running it's true, but that was 10 years ago).

Then I had wanted to try one last-ditch effort to make it as an actor (actually I wanted to be a movie star). The town was so full of people who were so full of shit I went back to NYC where when people don't like you they tell you so (unlike LA where they smile if they like you, smile if they don't - to them it's all the same).

Now the difference is that I am here to write my second novel (missed the first one? That's because it's not published yet, but I've got an agent who is very interested in representing it so I'm hoping to see that book hit the shelves sometime before I turn 50). And writing a novel in LA is great because no one cares, and no one here can do anything for me, so they make no promises, and they have no reason to lie to me, and even if they do, it doesn't matter because I don't need them for anything anyway.

This second book is set in Los Angeles, and so given the choice of riding back to NYC for the winter or staying in warm, sunny LA and writing my next book - well which would you choose? Exactly.

So I get to live out yet another dream I've had for years, living in LA (actually, this is more about having the courage to leave NYC and find out just who I am without the comforts of the city I grew up in, my family, my friends, all the things I've come to know and depend on to feel secure).

I was briefly in NYC last week. I saw some of you and not others, I'm sorry I didn't have more time or I would have seen everyone. I plan on flying back to NYC at least once before the end of 2006, so I'll let people know about that trip ahead of time and will try to see more people when I'm in town again.

The plan now is to write the initial draft of this second novel and ride back to NYC in the spring. As always the plan changes regularly, so for now, I'm here in LA writing and enjoying myself greatly - the rest will unfold with time.

Sorry I haven't taken any photos so there's none to post (I know they've been a big hit).

Last thing - I'm thinking about writing another blog (I think this one should go on hold until I'm on the road again as the idea here was to write about my road trip and though I'm on a trip, it no longer involves the road). I don't know if it would be of interest to people to read a blog about writing a book (though I know other writers do it). And also, I'm fairly guarded about my writing when it's in the early draft stages - I don't want to be influenced or anything by stray comments on the work. Perhaps I could blog about the process itself, but would anyone care to read that? Let me know.

If nothing else this blog has been fun and I'm sure another would be a blast as well (I just think these things can be a bit self-indulgent - and I'm already self-indulgent enough these days, don't'cha think?).

Till then ...