Lucas Pralle

Phew! I sent off two grant applications for the PCVI Summer Writing Seminar. They were surprisingly different in format and focus. The first application was for the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA). They are very much focused on paying artists. So the grant app was more about the “Artistic” work being done. This ended up being primarily class prep time and hours to teach the class. The second grant application went out to the Rhode Island Office of Veterans Service (RIVETS). This application was focused more on the materials and website. I learned a lot about budgeting …

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Mark and I are meeting with Todd Trebour from RISCA this afternoon for a final check on our RISCA application before we submit it. I think we’re in good shape, but I guess I’m biased as well! It feels good to have all the boxes filled and necessary documents linked. Completing the grant application also means further grant applications will not be nearly as scary. Yes, it can be a bit daunting, but really it’s a piece-by-piece process that requires a good plan, diligence, and good communication. We have one more grant application to send off to the Rhode Island …

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Well then. Here we are at the beginning of April 2020. The world has been completely upended by COVID-19. I have a feeling we’re in store for more. I’ve had to make some decisions regarding the PCVI Summer Writing Series. I’m switching it to an online program. Unfortunately, I’m cutting out the co-working at What Cheer and the Frequency Writers workshop in this proposal. There is just too much uncertainty as to what will be feasible in the coming months due to quarantines and whatnot. I’ll pursue the objectives of integrating vets into the broader RI writing scene later on …

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It’s grant writing time! This isn’t my favorite part. I can plan programs and instruction all day. I actually really enjoy that stuff. Chunking away at a grant proposal doesn’t feel as natural to me. I’ve had decent success at it in the past with Endless Beautiful. Carolyn and I put together a few proposals two years ago and we were awarded grants for both of those. There’s an added layer of complexity (several actually) for the PCVI Summer Writing Series grant. Everything was in-house for EB. This grant involves fiscal sponsors, radio campaigns, space arrangements, and a bunch of …

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I met with the director of the Providence Clemente Veterans’ Initiative, Mark Santow, yesterday to discuss details for a summer writing course that I’m planning. Mark is a connection-making and planning machine! It’s such a great opportunity to work with the instructors and planners of PCVI. I’m applying what I’ve learned so far in the URI Master’s of Adult Education program in so many ways already. And well, let’s just say this PCVI business is personal. Writing about my experiences in Iraq was a critical watershed moment for me, but I also did it largely on my own, outside the …

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Our week-long vacation in Florida ended up being very productive in terms of writing. I was able to generate drafts for 2 stories. I finished up another one the weekend we came back. I hit the first story relatively hard because I want to use it as an example for my Providence Clemente Veterans’ Initiative students this spring. My finished manuscript for the story “Egmont Key Ferry” ended up being a little under 1700 words. It’s told in the simple present tense, which I haven’t used an awful lot in the past, but I found the pacing to be wonderful. …

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