You may have heard that Amtrak is giving out writer's residencies. I thought this was a completely, utterly entrancing idea and obviously meant for me in particular. I applied. But then I thought...what if they don't pick me? I NEED THIS.
So, I decided to do it myself, via Kickstarter. My plan was...and is...to ride on the Southern Crescent from Atlanta to New Orleans and back, working on a short story. (And maybe some other things, but mostly short story). I chose that because I have half a dozen short stories lying around that need finishing. And a novel, but I am pretty sure I can't finish that in two days. And I am notionally a fiction writer, after all, even though I habitually commit poetry and other indiscretions.
My project was funded in about eight hours (Yay Internet!) and I received enough to also pay for a hotel room (important, as the train coming back to Atlanta doesn't leave until the next morning). So then...I will be leaving from Atlanta early tomorrow morning, writing all the way to New Orleans, spending the night in the French Quarter (aka the most awesome and delightful place in North America, possibly the world), then writing all the way back.
I won't have Internet for most of that (probably for the best) but will post frequent updates via Facebook and Twitter. I may do some v-blogging, at the behest of a friend, but upload times will be slow.
Here's where to find me:
https://twitter.com/GollyMollyB
Sara Amis on Facebook
Sara Amis on Google+
My YouTube channel
Many thanks to the people who made this project possible:
Mark in New Orleans :)
Christine Kraemer
Eric Cooper
Lyn Bilodeau
Jonathan Chaffin
Brendan Myers
Andrew Flenniken
Miranda Harrell
Roger Beckett
Joshua Graham
Shawn Crawford
George Felis
Lee Sittler
If you are late to the party but would like to help out (a girl's gotta eat beignets and étouffée, y'all), you can still donate to this project via PayPal:
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Writing ON THE TRAIN!!!! I am so excited about this, and I'm not even going! Enjoy :-)
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