Author Archives: Eugie Foster

I was going to write this AM. My tea is brewing in its pot, and my writing area is all set up and ready to go. But while I was checking my email, Hobkin came wandering out from under the hutch, asked to be picked up, and is now crashed out on my lap. The most current version of the story I’m working on isn’t on the computer we do email at, so I’m stuck. Sigh. Ergo, I’m updating LJ instead. Maybe by the time I’m done with this entry I’ll have the heart to move him . . . probably not.

Friday: Groundpig Day
Anyone who knows us knows we don’t celebrate Valentines Day. Instead we do “Groundpig Day” (which is not at all the same thing as Groundhog Day). It’s a floating holiday, usually occurring around Februaryish. We decided it was Friday. Matthew made stuffed mushrooms and his delectable eggplant Parmesan. There was wine and cherry cobbler for dessert, with candlelight and soothing music, much soaking in the hot tub, and we watched Chicago. Very relaxing and tres romantique!

Saturday: All about the writing
Hit flow. A lot. Between doing research for the Japanese horror story I’m writing and actually putting words on the page, I think I wrote for nearly ten straight hours. 4000 new words. Getting near the climax of the story. Unsure if I’ll be able to keep it under 6K, but that’s what rewriting is all about.

Also made a last minute decision not to go to the Fantasm Staff thingy as I was too deep in the writing. Gotta court the muse when she visits.

When I finally had to stop writing ’cause the words were blurring on the screen, we watched Men in Black II and the remake of Bedazzled with Brendan Frasier. Light, amusing fare, nothing too deep.

Today: more writing
As soon as I can get unpinned from under Hobkin, I want to pick up the Japanese horror story where I left off. I’m thinking I might be able to bring it to zero draft by the end of today. Unless I get derailed, which happens all too frequently. But still, good weekend overall, regardless.

Okay, must awaken skunk. But . . . but, he’s just so cute! Dammit.

Okay, I’m not a fan of snow and ice. The Midwest winters are one of the things I’m grateful not to have to experience anymore. But this morning driving to work was lovely. The air was warm and soft, yet there was a layer of beautiful white and crystalline ice over all the trees. It had that pristine, untouched look that only freshly fallen snow has.

I left Hobkin curled up under the covers when my alarm went off. Usually he wakes up when I’m in the shower and realizes that I’ve abandoned him then trots off in a huff under his hutch. But by the time I was putting on my coat and getting ready to leave, he was still soundly asleep. I left him and Matthew all tucked in under the covers. Awww.

Writing stats:

Back in the groove, more or less. Another 200 words on the fairy tale, and I’m at zero draft with it. Going to have Matthew first reader it, then decide whether or not I want to send it up to Critters, or wait until I’ve got another fairly short tale and bundle it together for review. It’s a bit on the short side.

Also started a Japanese horror story: 1000 words. When I first started, it was a fairly simple tale. But as I’m getting into it, it’s beginning to take on some deeper dimension. Hoping to keep it under 6K. We’ll see. Going to try to write a big chunk of it this weekend.

Also received the edits for “Razi and the Sunbird” from Cricket. Rah!

Realized I was getting thoroughly bogged down by the prospect of novel writing, to the jeopardy of doing any writing. So I brushed off my “projects” folder and pulled out something I’ve been thinking about writing, something light and easy, and started in.

It’s another fairy tale. My inventory of stuff waiting to go to the Carus group is now back to empty, so the damper holding back my “fairy tales!” muse-inklings has been lifted.

1500 words and very close to zero draft. Another day of writing should bring me to “the end.”

Yesterday was a wash on the writing front. I took myself off the Diclofenac. That whole throat closing, swelling digits thing was screaming “allergic reaction” to me. And already, my joints are beginning to ache again. My Rheumatologist agreed that I should stop taking the Diclofenac, but to replace it? “Take Tylenol,” he said. Sigh.

Also, in order to cleanse my system faster, I went off the caffeine cold turkey yesterday. Big mistake. I was doing okay, hurting but okay, until I got into the car to go home. But between going off the NSAID and the caffeine and the brief exposure to the outdoors, my head decided to explode. During the drive, if someone had suggested “Hey, I got this small plush bear, how ’bout I replace your brain with it?” I would have lunged at the chance. Pain was almost bad enough to reduce me to tears.

Soon as I got home, I downed two Excedrin, and then after dinner took a third. Since one of the main ingredients in Excedrin is caffeine, I started feeling much better right quick. Also noticed an interesting phenomenon: Hobkin is a source of endorphins for me. Not a big enough one to seriously combat a killer caffeine withdrawal headache, but noticeable. While I was whimpering on the couch, trying to hold my skull together, Hobkin hopped up to see what the matter was. I hugged him, and suddenly felt an ebbing of pain. Huh. I assume it’s due to the XX maternal instinct kicking in. Mothers defend and aid their young ones in the face of daunting disability and all that. But still, huh.

Today, I learned my lesson and had coffee with my breakfast. Time to wean myself off the caffeine teat again–wean being the key word, as cold turkey might just kill me if I try that one more time.

Writing status: I was in agony and then dazed from the aftereffects of pain. So, 0 new words. But I did watch the last episodes of The Littlest Groom and My Big, Fat, Annoying Fiancé. If my brain cells weren’t already sludge last night, they would have shrieked in protest.

Maybe someone did replace my brain with a stuffed toy after all . . .

But something I can do with a liquefied brain (and really tawdry reality shows on in the background) is research. So I clicked about online to learn about how children’s book publishing works. Up until now, I’ve only been looking at magazines as homes for my children’s works. The whole children’s book publishing world is an unexplored vista for my humble submissions. Theoretically.

Created by (and swiped from) the fantabulous cantstopthedawn

Waiting for this week to be over. Waiting waiting waiting. Yesterday was not as suck-worthy as earlier days in the week, but there’s a false-lull-of-safety feeling to it. Not to mention the hammer-hanging-of-doom which I’m trying not to think overmuch about.

Been using Hobkin as a stuffed toy at night for comfort as he’s very soft, warm, and cuddly. This morning, when my alarm went off, I tried to get up without disturbing him. He stayed asleep in the blankets until I got out of the bathroom, and then he hopped down, groggy and sleepy, with his fur all mussed and chaotic. Morning fur. Absolutely adorable. Gave me a much-needed giggle.

Loved last night’s Angel episode. Angel as a grumpy muppet! And when he turned all fangy! *squee* How can they cancel that, I ask you?

Also, Matthew’s birthday present to me, the new Tanith Lee book Piratica came in the mail from amazon.uk. Will be engaged in desperately needed escapist reading over the weekend.

Finished the rewrite on the Urban Fantasy, packaged it up, and out it went. My writing ego has taken a walloping these last couple weeks. I could really use a juicy sale.

Also managed 800-words on the paranormal romance thingy. Finished chapter 1, starting in on chapter 2.

Still feel like crap. If yesterday had happened in just about any other week aside from this one, it would count as a pretty decent day. But, while I no longer feel like building a fort out of our couch cushions and hiding there until next year, this week is still bad.

Bad week. No biscuit.

Okay, I’m having a very, very bad week. The worst of it I’m trying not to dwell on ’cause I can’t deal with it properly except in very small doses, but there’s still plenty of other bad to write about.

First of all, I feel like crap. The new NSAID my Rheumatologist prescribed, Diclofenac, hurts my GI system even when I take it with food (as they recommend). For several hours after a dose, I’m in massive tummy discomfort. And I have to take it twice a day.

I’ve also got some sort of cold or bug or my immune system is having a mild freak out. I’ve stopped taking the Methotrexate and am on hold until my blood test results come in, letting me know if I’m one of the 1 out of 10 that would experience life-threatening side effects on Imuran. So my immunosuppressant meds are reduced to a very low dose of prednisone–prime time for a flare-up. My throat’s sore, my fingers feel swollen, and I’ve got a lingering headache. Plus I can’t take anything for my various aches and pains except Tylenol, because they interact with the Diclofenac. And Tylenol does piddly squat.

Then, On Spec finally sent me word about the story they’ve been sitting on. 333 days. That’s nearly a whole year, and the answer is “no.” They said it was charming, but in the end decided it wasn’t for them. Wah! I’m very disheartened by this rejection. I really was hoping to have found a home for this story. Damn.

Also, received a your “work was on our short list for publication consideration but . . . ” from Flashquake on (duh) a flash piece they’ve been sitting on since November.

And Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine told me via form letter to snog off.

Sending everything back out again, of course, but paired with the lack of winning news from Phobos, I’m having a very dejected time of it.

Writing progress:

Working on the Urban Fantasy rewrite. Ended up with something like forty-four crits of it. Should have it done and the story out the door before the weekend. That’s the plan, at least.

In a fit of angst, fury, and despair, I started another novel. 3500 words into a paranormal romance. Yes, a romance. Why? Because I’ve never written a romance before. Glah.

This week totally blows goat chunks. And it’s not anywhere near over yet.

Shiny shiny shiny!

We bought a new computer from an outfit in Duluth called Micro Center. They’re a big computer/electronics store, rivaling Best Buy’s and Circuit City’s niche. Bought the Sony VAIO we’ve been looking at for several hundred dollars cheaper than we’ve seen it.

Spent last night getting it set up. Still need to transfer the slave 80GB drive from the old system to the new system, and get all the software loaded, but it’s shiny and fast, and has a DVD burner.

We’re thinking about networking the old and new computers together so we can both access high-speed broadband goodness at the same time. But that will require some furniture shifting . . . or purchasing. And maybe buying a flat-panel LCD monitor for space-saving.

But very pleased.

And also I fixed the old scanner. How? I shook it a couple times. Sometimes low-tech solutions are the way to go. . .