I'm home from Ling's wedding, but about to dash off again out of town. During the time I was gone, The Leading Edge got back to me with rewrite notes on a story, that I still hope to sell to them, and Niteblade sent their contract for a the story I did sell to them.
I also got a request for my manuscript from an agent while gone, so today I did a last spellcheck before sending it. Those are always nervewracking as you think to yourself, "This is it. It's got to be the best you can make it." I'm always paranoid that there's a typo right on the first page (there was on the first LDS novel I sold, and I went over that stupid thing so many times!!!)
After spellchecking, I went back to writing my next LDS novel - which I'd like to stay rolling on. It's easy to get knocked out of the groove, and I don't want that to happen. It's about half its word count, which means absolutely nothing because I rip out and rewrite and rearrange a lot, so sometimes after a good day's work, the word count will be less than it was when I began. This one is in three sections that I need to patch together, with big breaks in between. Working from beginning to end is just not my thing, I guess.
At this same time I'm blocking out a rewrite of the story for Leading Edge. It's a very short story, so editing these is a delicate business. One of my writer's group mates refers to it as trying to stuff a cat into a Coke bottle without breaking bones, an all to descriptive image.
Oh, and I also got the news that my story Coyote Discovers Mars, which appeared in Coyote Wild, received an honorable mention in the Year's Best Fantasy and Horror. Definitely good news! (Thanks YBF&H editors!)
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Ling's Wedding
I'll be gone again next week, and most likely not blogging, while I attend Samantha Ling's wedding. I will have my laptop with me and need to figure out what's best to work on. My current novel is at 30k words and my short story that I need done by November is only at a couple thousand.
Meanwhile, another Clarion West classmate of mine, Linda DeMuelemeester, has a good review up for her forthcoming book! I look forward to reading this one. I love her YA.
Meanwhile, another Clarion West classmate of mine, Linda DeMuelemeester, has a good review up for her forthcoming book! I look forward to reading this one. I love her YA.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Wrath of the Lich King
I don't post about my gaming very much, though I've been a gamer since high school. A few months ago I was playing World of Warcraft so rarely that I was ready to let my account lapse. I'd finally levelled a character all the way up to 70, did some raiding, saw how the endgame worked, and was bored.
My main problem with the game is that nothing in it is all that hard, it's just time consuming. In order to have the best items, all you need to do is devote your life to sitting in a chair and killing the same pixillated monsters over and over again. Really, this isn't interesting to me, unless I'm so exhausted by insomnia that I can't really do anything else. (Even then it isn't interesting, it's just the only thing I can do that involves some form of accomplishment.)
I was planning to move on to Spore next, only upon learning about their DRM, I decided to join the boycott against that game. I just believe that EA is going about trying to control piracy in the wrong way and hope they pick a different model for future projects.
So lately I've gone back Azeroth to tinker around. My old guild is starting up again and they're great people; they're my age, most of them married, some with kids, and like me are interested in seeing the raid content without wrecking their lives being hardcore raiders. While the game is still repetitive, the social aspect makes it fun. Killing the same old monsters is much more interesting if you're teamed up with friends. Wrath of the Lich King, the new expansion, is coming out in November at about the right time for me to ask for it from the hubby as a birthday present. The instances in this expansion (areas of the game where players must go in as a cooperative team to play - which is what I really like about MMORPGs) are supposed to be a lot shorter so that casual gamers can complete them during their play time. All of the raids can be done with teams of ten players, which my guild can manage, so it would be theoretically possible for a smaller group of us to raid all teh way through the endgame. I know it's a ploy by Blizzard to keep their subscribers subscribing, but for right now it's working on me. I think I'll stick around in the game a little longer.
My main problem with the game is that nothing in it is all that hard, it's just time consuming. In order to have the best items, all you need to do is devote your life to sitting in a chair and killing the same pixillated monsters over and over again. Really, this isn't interesting to me, unless I'm so exhausted by insomnia that I can't really do anything else. (Even then it isn't interesting, it's just the only thing I can do that involves some form of accomplishment.)
I was planning to move on to Spore next, only upon learning about their DRM, I decided to join the boycott against that game. I just believe that EA is going about trying to control piracy in the wrong way and hope they pick a different model for future projects.
So lately I've gone back Azeroth to tinker around. My old guild is starting up again and they're great people; they're my age, most of them married, some with kids, and like me are interested in seeing the raid content without wrecking their lives being hardcore raiders. While the game is still repetitive, the social aspect makes it fun. Killing the same old monsters is much more interesting if you're teamed up with friends. Wrath of the Lich King, the new expansion, is coming out in November at about the right time for me to ask for it from the hubby as a birthday present. The instances in this expansion (areas of the game where players must go in as a cooperative team to play - which is what I really like about MMORPGs) are supposed to be a lot shorter so that casual gamers can complete them during their play time. All of the raids can be done with teams of ten players, which my guild can manage, so it would be theoretically possible for a smaller group of us to raid all teh way through the endgame. I know it's a ploy by Blizzard to keep their subscribers subscribing, but for right now it's working on me. I think I'll stick around in the game a little longer.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Pacing myself
So, the last novel I wrote I did in three months. (It was, I should point out, a rewrite.) I think I burned myself out some with that one. This time I'm not pushing for as many words a day. It's somewhat frustrating for me because I need to rewrite so much. I usually write about 2k words and then delete 1.5k of them. In the past I've met my 2k limit by making sure that at the end of my writing session that I have 2k more words than I started with.
Yesterday, while trying to do this I got really tired and slept a lot. Part of it is no doubt pregnancy exhaustion, but I'm also afraid of burning myself out again.
For the next week or so, though, I just plan to stick to writing 2k, even if I have to delete most of them. Progress will be slow, but I'm hoping I don't hit any brick walls!
Yesterday, while trying to do this I got really tired and slept a lot. Part of it is no doubt pregnancy exhaustion, but I'm also afraid of burning myself out again.
For the next week or so, though, I just plan to stick to writing 2k, even if I have to delete most of them. Progress will be slow, but I'm hoping I don't hit any brick walls!
Friday, September 12, 2008
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Talebones
I first met Patrick Swenson, the editor of Talebones, when I was at Clarion West. He himself is a graduate from another year. Over the years he's given me a lot of supportive rejection letters, which I'm always grateful for. Editors rarely have the time to jot personal notes, but he nearly always does to me, and this last time was no exception.
hismarket is truly wonderful. Patrick's got a good eye for quirky stories that get overlooked by the other mags, and among my writer friends, Talebones is known as a place to send the stories you love but just cannot sell.
hismarket is truly wonderful. Patrick's got a good eye for quirky stories that get overlooked by the other mags, and among my writer friends, Talebones is known as a place to send the stories you love but just cannot sell.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Another LDS novel and getting more agent subs out
I'm 16,000 words into the next LDS novel. I'm making faster progress than usual, I find, because of my outline. I'd sort of given up on outlining a few years ago because it never seemed to work all that well, but I guess I've gotten much better at it. I'll make it my practice from here on out, I think.
The novel will probably differ in some material ways from the outline. Sometimes you have to see the story played out to get the proportions of the plot right, but still, it's good to have the framework.
Meanwhile, I love my writer's group. I need to put together an outline of my SF book for an agent - which is to say I need to identify which synopsis type document I've created is closest and then adapt it. I did some research online and emailed Critical Mass. An hour later I've got the outline pitches for three Walter Jon Williams novels. He's rather good, if you've never read him ;-)
The novel will probably differ in some material ways from the outline. Sometimes you have to see the story played out to get the proportions of the plot right, but still, it's good to have the framework.
Meanwhile, I love my writer's group. I need to put together an outline of my SF book for an agent - which is to say I need to identify which synopsis type document I've created is closest and then adapt it. I did some research online and emailed Critical Mass. An hour later I've got the outline pitches for three Walter Jon Williams novels. He's rather good, if you've never read him ;-)
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Big news
I've not posted for the last couple of days as I try to fill friends and family in on the news. I've no doubt missed people, for which I'm sorry, but it isn't an intentional slight.
In March, Trevor and I are expecting a baby. For this we thank the Center for Reproductive Medicine of New Mexico, who helped us beat the odds after four years of infertility. We've made it through the first trimester and had the ultrasound. So far, so good. The technician thinks it's a boy, though it's not possible to be definitive right now. Neither Trevor nor I have the slightest preference.
To answer all of the usual questions:
Yes, we're excited and happy.
We feel about as ready as we'll ever be.
Yes, our parents/siblings/insert whomever you're asking about are happy too. Or if they're not, they wouldn't tell us, now would they?
No, we don't have names picked out yet.
I'm exhausted. I've been off my insomnia medication for about four months now, and have six left to go. What's slightly amusing to me is that the medical professionals I'm dealing with now are appalled at how little sleep I get and keep asking me if I want to go on various sleep aids. For fifteen years I had doctors smiling at me condescendingly when I explained that I couldn't sleep and they didn't help at all. Now they care? For this, I'm more than willing to endure some exhaustion.
Otherwise I'm feeling fine. No morning sickness. No real symptoms at all. Thank goodness for ultrasounds so that I can see that I really am pregnant.
Go ahead and tell whomever you like. Really, I'm okay with not having yet another phone call to make in which I answer all of these questions. I love you guys, but note, I'm really, really tired these days.
Do not pat my stomach!
Anyone who asks any of the above questions more than once will be referred to this URL. I suppose I'm just not all that sentimental, but I really don't understand why people even ask the first few. I suppose it's perceived as polite, but really, I wouldn't be at all offended at just a smile and a nod at the news. A lot of people have babies all the time, I get that. And I'm always tempted to come up with obnoxious answers for my own entertainment :-)
In March, Trevor and I are expecting a baby. For this we thank the Center for Reproductive Medicine of New Mexico, who helped us beat the odds after four years of infertility. We've made it through the first trimester and had the ultrasound. So far, so good. The technician thinks it's a boy, though it's not possible to be definitive right now. Neither Trevor nor I have the slightest preference.
To answer all of the usual questions:
Yes, we're excited and happy.
We feel about as ready as we'll ever be.
Yes, our parents/siblings/insert whomever you're asking about are happy too. Or if they're not, they wouldn't tell us, now would they?
No, we don't have names picked out yet.
I'm exhausted. I've been off my insomnia medication for about four months now, and have six left to go. What's slightly amusing to me is that the medical professionals I'm dealing with now are appalled at how little sleep I get and keep asking me if I want to go on various sleep aids. For fifteen years I had doctors smiling at me condescendingly when I explained that I couldn't sleep and they didn't help at all. Now they care? For this, I'm more than willing to endure some exhaustion.
Otherwise I'm feeling fine. No morning sickness. No real symptoms at all. Thank goodness for ultrasounds so that I can see that I really am pregnant.
Go ahead and tell whomever you like. Really, I'm okay with not having yet another phone call to make in which I answer all of these questions. I love you guys, but note, I'm really, really tired these days.
Do not pat my stomach!
Anyone who asks any of the above questions more than once will be referred to this URL. I suppose I'm just not all that sentimental, but I really don't understand why people even ask the first few. I suppose it's perceived as polite, but really, I wouldn't be at all offended at just a smile and a nod at the news. A lot of people have babies all the time, I get that. And I'm always tempted to come up with obnoxious answers for my own entertainment :-)
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Beneath Ceaseless Skies and Lone Star Stories
Beneath Ceaseless Skies is a new pro market that just started up, and I know they've got excellent taste because they just bought something from Stephanie Burgis, my Clarion West classmate. My story wasn't up to snuff for them, but they were kind enough to give me a personalized rejection.
Lone Star Stories is a rather impressive market with an editor who'll reply within a matter of days, if not hours. That's one dedicated editor!
Lone Star Stories is a rather impressive market with an editor who'll reply within a matter of days, if not hours. That's one dedicated editor!
Monday, September 1, 2008
Three trips to Colorado in one month
Finished our third and last trip to Colorado for the month of August this weekend. We won't be back until October. Last month I had Denvention, then a visit to my sister, then a trip to take Trevor to an appointment. Good thing we like the mountains, and driving through them.
Just before I left, Walter Jon Williams was kind enough to put in a good word for me with the editor of a YA SF anthology, which resulted in permission for me to submit. Given the caliber of the other authors invited, my getting permission is a very nice gesture on the part of the editor, though my odds of getting in are still quite low. I'm up against Hugo and Nebula winners who have space already set aside for them, so mine will be considered only if one of them doesn't deliver and my story is good enough, or if my story is just so amazing it can't be left out. I'll try for the latter, but can only realistically hope for the former. Walter himself had been invited, but had to decline.
Trevor and I broke the plot for the story on our long car drive, and I took a crack at the first thousand words today. It'll take me a while to get a good feel for the hard SF components, and I'll probably need to brush up on some basic chemistry. This is the problem with writing SF when you haven't done science since you were 19, but it drives me nuts how many hard SF stories don't get the science right. The due date isn't for quite a while, so I've got some time to polish this up (and I intend to use a good chunk of it, then turn the story in early in the hopes that it can be included.)
Just before I left, Walter Jon Williams was kind enough to put in a good word for me with the editor of a YA SF anthology, which resulted in permission for me to submit. Given the caliber of the other authors invited, my getting permission is a very nice gesture on the part of the editor, though my odds of getting in are still quite low. I'm up against Hugo and Nebula winners who have space already set aside for them, so mine will be considered only if one of them doesn't deliver and my story is good enough, or if my story is just so amazing it can't be left out. I'll try for the latter, but can only realistically hope for the former. Walter himself had been invited, but had to decline.
Trevor and I broke the plot for the story on our long car drive, and I took a crack at the first thousand words today. It'll take me a while to get a good feel for the hard SF components, and I'll probably need to brush up on some basic chemistry. This is the problem with writing SF when you haven't done science since you were 19, but it drives me nuts how many hard SF stories don't get the science right. The due date isn't for quite a while, so I've got some time to polish this up (and I intend to use a good chunk of it, then turn the story in early in the hopes that it can be included.)
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