Pretty Songs and Dresses

I had an experience yesterday that drew me back to high school. (Yep, one of those...) After opening night of the fall musical, during which I made a wrong dance move and twirled myself off stage, a friend rushed up to me and the rest of the cast. “Oh my god. You were awesome!” she said to a fellow cast member. “And, um, wow... You...looked cool in your costume,” she said to me. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve laughed about the experience, after the initial embarrassment wore off.

So yesterday, in response to reading my cookbook proposal, an editor said, “Well, I looked at your proposal and your website. You have a great singing voice.” (She was referencing my YouTube video featuring one of my songs.)

I nearly burst out laughing as I envisioned myself twirling again off stage in that ever-so-cool costume...

She went on to point out my strengths and the proposal's prominent flaws. Granted, it's but one person's opinion. And I sincerely I take no offense. To be honest, I was relieved that she wasn’t gung-ho, ‘let’s get started,’ seeing as my heart is in my fiction, as is, it seems, my agent’s.

On a positive note, the editor did compliment the short story I wrote, which serves as the cookbook’s preface. I suppose I can take that as an affirmation that I’m on the proper path.