Author Archives: Eugie Foster

How can a single body produce so much phlegm? Ugh. Went into work today because it seemed the thing to do. Tried to avoid my co-workers so as not to be a Typhoid Mary. I figure it’s better to be anti-social than a plague-bearer. As it turns out, there was nothing so pressing that it could not have waited for another day, and I spent the morning waffling between calling it quits and sticking it out. I called it quits and spent the afternoon in a coma on the couch.

But, on an up note, I received my new ergo keyboard at work, so I no longer have to type on the painful flat one.

Writing Stuff:
Haven’t written any Critters critiques this week. Bad me. I did, however, start on my review of this week’s Sci-Fiction story for Tangent.

12-day form reject from Chronicle books. Zounds that was fast. I guess they really didn’t like my query.
25-day sort-of-reject from Flashing Swords on the rewrite they requested. A “sort-of” because the editor really liked the protag and his universe and is very interested in seeing other stories using the same protag and universe, and if he publishes them, he’d buy this one that he rejected. Except, um, I haven’t written any other stories with this particular character/universe. Now I’m pondering whether I ought to revisit this character. Hmm.

Words: 0. Too much mucus in my head to write. Blah.

The amount of mucus generated by my sinuses suggests to me that an alien has taken up residence in my lungs and is cultivating it so he may harvest it as fuel in some bizarre, mucus-consuming faster-than-light space vehicle.

Or, I’m sick.

Going back to bed.

Eep! dude_the is flying down today for Superbowl festivities and the house looks like a dozen skunks have been running amok through it. Must clean.

And I think I’m getting another cold. My sinuses feel baked, and my head is on the verge of little men hammering on the inside of it. Right now, I think they’re just hefting their pickaxes and stomping around in their hob-nailed boots, but there’s the impending threat of ruckus and pain hovering overhead.

Writing Stuff:
Found another nice review that spotlights “Running on Two Legs” in issue #40 of TTA at SF Crowsnest:

“Issue 40 has fiction from Steve Mohn, Paul Meloy, David J Schwartz, Darren Speegle, Melanie Fazi, Vandana Singh and Eugie Foster. My favourites were ‘Thirst’ by Singh and a curious tale of a gifted child, ‘Running On Two Legs’ by Foster.”
–Rod MacDonal

– Re-write of the huli jing tale almost done.
– Wrote a critters critique (for your story nmsunbear)
– Started on this week’s Sci-Fiction review for Tangent. Tangent is devouring my soul. But actually, I don’t mind. I kinda like it. Nice little soul devourer.

Club 100 for Writers
54

500/day
17

Happy Candlemas to one and all! Hope everyone had a fun and festive Imbolic.

Matthew regaled me with stories of his adventures in Utah. He got in to see Neil Gaimen’s Mirror Mask at SunDance, and then went up to talk to him and get his contact information. He got to rub elbows with celebrities; I got iced in with a skunk by a freak winter storm. Humph.

Writing Stuff:
Received an 11-day “nice writing here but . . . ” from JJA of F&SF. Sigh. Once upon a time I got alases from GVG.

Also received my corrected honorable mention certificate for “Gifts Not Asked For” from the WoTF folks.

Re-writing commences apace on the huli jing tale. Two passes. Good progress. Ready to send it out to mroctober in a couple days, I believe. And it made britzkrieg and aimeepoynter cry, woohoo! Actually, I’m gratified to hear that it elicited that response from several critters. Always love it when I wrench an emotional response from my readers.

Been doing a lot of Tangent stuff. I assume it’ll be less time intensive down the road, but right now it’s taking up most of my free waking hours.

Club 100 for Writers
53

500/day
17

Matthew’s home! Matthew’s home! Yippee!

Good thing too. I don’t think I could deal with another night like Sunday’s. Had a difficult time falling asleep, and then Hobkin woke me up at midnight-thirty for his snack. I dozed for twenty minutes while he snarfed it down, then woke up to find him running amok. He pried at the entertainment center doors, popping off the child lock holding them shut (I’m not impressed with that child lock), dug under the computer desk, and knocked everything he could reach–which fortunately was mostly junk mail–off the coffee table so he could investigate and shred choice pieces. He didn’t settle until I got up and did a half-dozen “skunk laps” around the living room with him. Then he crawled up beside me and we fell asleep . . . until 5AM, at which point he decided that it was the best time to bound about on me, and then pace in the kitchen impatiently awaiting his breakfast.

It was not the most restful of nights.

But Matthew’s home now. Yay!

Writing Stuff:
Did a pair of passes on the huli jing story. I’m logging progress on Club 100, but I’m not getting in my 500. Well, crap. I’ve been busy with Tangent stuff, and getting my groove back after the rejection from Wednesday. So, yeah.

Club 100 for Writers
52

500/day
17

“Through rain, sleet, and snow” my ass. No mail service yesterday. I put a Netflix DVD in the box and they never picked it up, much less delivered anything. Fooie.

When I went out to retrieve it, I did note that it’s remarkably beautiful outside. It always is after ice storms, but this is the first one I’ve seen in Georgia. The ornamental horticulture around our front walkway is encased in ice. It’s probably not good for it, but they look so magical, encased in a layer of crystalline translucence. The holly trees also look rather strained. The weight of the ice has bent all of their branches down so they look like “weeping” tress, but they’re really pretty. Not, however, pretty enough to entice me to stay outside for very long. ‘Though at least the air was relatively warm. It’s a-thawing out there.

The folks-in-law called to make sure I was okay. They’d heard on the news of major problems in the area because of the ice storm. Told them I was camped out on the couch with Hobkin and my laptop, and we were fine. They were worried that I might have lost power. Actually, the electricity did flicker several times in the AM yesterday (I need to reset all the clocks in the house . . . again), and I know there are people in the area who are without power. But after the last time, which was the longest and scariest–probably about five minutes although it felt like fifty–it came back and stayed that way.

Matthew also phoned. I reassured him that I was fine. I really miss that hubby of mine. He’ll be back tomorrow, hurray! They were going to try to get into a Sundance showing of Neil Gaimen’s Mirror Mask. I was amused that I’ve been reading about Gaimen’s adventures at Sundance on his officialgaiman blog.

I’ve now seen Eat Drink Man Woman, Mona Lisa Smile, and Rain Main. I’d forgotten that I’ve got very limited appetite for chick flicks. I need something with explosions or vampires in it now.

Writing Stuff:
Did much fiddling with the new Tangent site. The more I play with it, the more impressed I am.

Accomplished:
X – Review written of Scifiction story, “A Man of Light” by Jeffrey Ford, for Tangent
X – Wrote a Critters critiques (for your story, aimeepoynter).

Still to do:
– Write another Critters critique.
– Rewrite of my huli jing story. So far, the Critters commentary has been generally positive. I’m thinking the overhaul process shouldn’t be too onerous.