Author Archives: Eugie Foster

As most folks know who’ve talked to me about writing, the Writers Workshop taught by Ann Crispin at Dragon*Con 2000 played a pivotal role in my becoming a published, professional writer. Ann conducts these two-day workshops every year at Dragon*Con, and I highly recommend them to aspiring writers looking to improve their craft and learn about the publishing industry. Also, I do a guest lecture at them on marketing short fiction.

This year, in addition to her workshop, Ann has proposed to the Dragon*Con Powers That Be* that she teach a “How to Get a Real Literary Agent” class on Saturday (9/5) or Sunday (9/6) . This free, two-hour mini-workshop will go over essential information about the agent acquisition process and provide an opportunity to have your agent query letters reviewed by Ann.

Space will be limited to ten students, and registration will be required, so if you want in, be sure to sign up.

[*”How to Get a Real Literary Agent” still needs to go through the official new programming channels, so please wait for it to be announced on the Dragon*Con website before calling or emailing the D*C office about signing up. Ann also said that she’ll drop me a line when she gets the official a-ok from the convention, and I’ll make a follow-up post at that time.]

400 words on “Mortal Clay, Stone Heart.” In the homestretch. I think.

New words: 200 on the WiP. 34-page bill to edit kyboshed the afternoon’s writing. The nerve, the day job wanting me to do work! ;p But I did come up with a new title, I think: “Mortal Clay, Stone Heart.”

Once upon a time, I fulfilled my assorted writing commitments before their deadlines. Now, it’s always an 11th-hour scramble. WHY??

The 2nd Dragon*Con 2009 all-staff meeting is today at the Marriott. (Directors at 3:00; all staff at 4:00.) Trying to remember what I need to bring.

New Words: 150 on “Mortal Clay.” Not sure if I’m happy with that as the new title, so I’m calling it a “working title” for now.

Spent most of yesterday researching Qin Dynasty ceramics (terracotta) technology and techniques and pottery/ceramics in general. Found I needed to replace all the metallurgy and metalworking facts and figures I’d acquired for this story with clayware details when I excised the steampunk element. And the Pygmalion influence is definitely getting more pronounced.

Hoping to get it to zero draft today. Can’t believe it’s taken me a month to (not yet) write a 6K story. Productivity fail!

I ought to have been able to crank this out in two weeks or less. *grumble* Feeling the suckitude.

New words: +500 and -600 on “Mortal Clay, Metal Heart.” And after my cursory editing pass, I saw lots of other trim-worthy passages. That’s sorta like progress.

Also, I think I need to rethink the title now.

Got a flier in the mail for a free 2GB USB thumb drive from Micro Center. Thumb drives are always useful, so we headed out to get it. While there, we got roped in by the sale prices and ended up buying a shiny, new Sony VAIO (VGC-LT35e) desktop to replace the hubby’s old system:

Going to move the old VAIO tower to my library office as my secondary writing machine. (We’re pretty stalwart fans of VAIO computers; my laptop’s also a VAIO.)

Also picked up a 320GB passport hard drive ’cause my laptop is nearly out of space.

Doing our part to revive the economy.

500 words on “Mortal Clay, Metal Heart.” Officially over the maximum length. Think I have to cut the “steampunk” element from my steampunk Asian fantasy. Hmf.