Author Archives: Eugie Foster

Launch Pad: Day 0, Sunday

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In Laramie, WY, settled in my Launch Pad digs, piggybacking on some stranger’s WiFi. Each workshop participant has their own student apartment with their own kitchenettes, bedrooms, and living rooms. But I had to rethink my “hotel” expectations when packing, and change settings to “apartment.”

Jerry Weinberg arrived on Saturday and emailed the group with a “what to expect” and informed us that there are no hangers or paper towels. So I snagged some travel hangers; not enough as it turns out, but enough to make due. There’s also no television. Not a problem on the program-watching side, but a bit perplexing at bedtime. I’m accustomed to sleeping with the sound and light of a television playing, and I had a hard time getting to sleep without one. But, then I turned to my trusty laptop, set some Enya on repeat, and turned on the Windows Media Player visualizations. Voila, sleep.

The flight in was smooth. I was nestled between an elderly lady who was grumpy because she couldn’t get a pillow (they apparently don’t have those on AirTran) and a little girl flying alone, all three of us of different races (White, Asian, Black). Looking at the row of us, I had a moment’s thought of “crone matron maiden,” but I don’t like thinking of myself as “matron,” and the little girl was too young to be what I envision as “maiden.” Perhaps “grandma, grown-up, girl” would be more accurate.

We were stuck right behind business class, so there were only two tray tables for three of us, and I was curious to see how that would resolve itself. As it turns out, none of us used them. Neither grandma nor girl put theirs down when the complimentary drink service came around, and as they didn’t, I didn’t have to choose which one to use. Interesting that we all saw the peculiar little social puzzle and simply avoided it.

Caught a little bit of turbulence heading towards Denver, which I always enjoy (as long as it doesn’t go longer than a second or two), but it freaked the little girl, who gasped in dismay every time, and grandma didn’t seem thrilled either.

Met all my Launch Pad workshop mates and instructors. Finally got to meet folks who I’ve only known as online presences, like ktempest and samhenderson. Yay! We all went out for dinner at a brew pub, and I sat with Vonda McIntryre, Jerry Oltion, and Samantha Henderson. I felt rather wide-eyed at the company I was in, not only ’cause of their amazing writerly accomplishments (and yes, the first chance I got, despite my intentions not to gush and squee, I did indeed gush and squee at Vonda, who was very gracious and warm and didn’t go running in the other direction), but I just don’t have much opportunity to hang with other writers. And, y’know, I really lubs it. Like-minded folks, ooo. Can’t wait for the workshop to begin.

The syllabus lists a “pre-test” for this morning, which has me a bit anxious. Makes me twitchy about “should I have studied up”? I actually started to brush up on some Astronomy 101, but at around Venus, I figured I’d just let the woeful state of my astronomy knowledge flap free in all its shameful glory. After all, to help rectify that is the purpose of this workshop.

On headaches and packing

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Had a really terrible night due to a tension headache that’d been plaguing me for most of the day. At first, the pain wasn’t that bad, but it kept building and building. And I didn’t want to take anything because OTC analgesics inevitably make my wing stubs ache–I don’t know why–and if the headache will go away on its own, I’d rather not have to deal with backlash wing stub issues.

By bedtime, the pain had gotten so bad I was reduced to tears and couldn’t tolerate even dim light or muted sounds. So yah, at that point I gave in and popped pills. But by the time they kicked in enough so that I could sleep, it was pretty late.

Blah.

However, I’m getting pretty stoked about the Launch Pad workshop, although my sense of perplexed with regard to packing is ramping up exponentially. I’ve started checking weather.com, and the 10-day forecast for Laramie, WY, lists daily highs up to 84 (Fahrenheit) and lows down to 48. Obviously, I shall be packing layers. But the trick will be not to have to bring half a dozen suitcases to transport the equivalent of a week’s worth of two or three outfits a day. Um.

   


Writing Stuff

I have convention envy. I wasn’t able to go to Readercon nor WisCon, and I won’t be going to WorldCon or World Fantasy neither. Don’t get me wrong, I lubs Dragon*Con, but I wish I could make it to more of the SF publishing industry conventions . I feel like I’m missing out on opportunities to meet and hang with fellow writers and editors. Problem is, I simply can’t afford to go, even with them being tax deductible and all. Sigh.

Maybe next year.

Published:
– “Living with a Shoulder Monster” in Aberrant Dreams. Free fiction, yo!

Friday spacegirl

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This weekend was for catching up on my sleep. I’ve been struggling with insomnia this whole week, and I don’t want to get sick before (or during) my trip to Wyoming.

Friday we did my Volunteer Vixens spacegirl photo shoot. The setting was the Fernbank Science Center, which I’d never been to before. It was a fantastic backdrop! Some sneak peeks:

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Weekend not so productive

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Slept pretty crappy last night. Don’t think I would’ve gotten to sleep at all, except fosteronfilm saw I was having a bad night and came over to cuddle me and rub my back. I lubs my hubby. Of course, then I had disturbing dreams (that I can’t remember now–which is probably just as well), and I’ve got a sinus headache. Blah. Not a good start to the week.

But, so this post isn’t just me whining, here’s a picture of Hobkin, who does not suffer from insomnia:

   


Writing Stuff

This weekend wasn’t as productive, writing-wise, as I thought it was going to be. fosteronfilm was planning on attending a director’s workshop, and I figured I’d spend the time he was gone writing. But his workshop was canceled at the last minute, and I spent my time catching up on Tangent and other outstanding writing-related tasks . . . but not actually writing. Sigh.

On an up note, my home office isn’t a safety hazard anymore, just an obstacle course. But at least all the books, magazines, and loose paper are now in tidy stacks rather than strewn in a perilous mess on the floor.

I need to get back on the words-on-the-page horse, or err, hamster.

Published:
– “Beauty’s Folly” in issue #5 of OSC’s InterGalactic Medicine Show. I’m sharing a ToC with Peter S. Beagle!
– “The Center of the Universe” in issue #5 of Helix
– “The Life and Times of Penguin” (reprint) in Part III, the Summer 2007 issue of Farrago’s Wainscot.

Received:
– Note from Aberrant Dreams that “Living with a Shoulder Monster” will be published in July. Yay!
– Email from mroctober with the preliminary cover art for the Magic in the Mirrorstone anthology. It’s puuuurty:

Jeff VanderMeer’s website, Paul Jessup’s online novel, and seeking a Korean translation

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First off, a couple shout outs:
– Jeff VanderMeer has recently overhauled his website and blog: Ecstatic Days. It’s the place to go for folks interested in Jeff’s work.
– Paul Jessup is working on an online serial novel, Dust, with daily updates at his website. Dust is a “surrealistic, dark fantasy, about a girl searching for freedom in a graveyard town built on the ruins of war.” He’s also penning a writing journal about it. So for readers interested in the novel-writing process, it promises to be interesting.

Next, anyone reading this know Korean? Specifically written Korean?

In a nutshell, I need “Please do not remove any mugs, cups, or glasses from this desk” translated into Korean.

Outside a nutshell: Minor, ongoing saga at work. Continue reading →

Single Malt Who and fresh veggies

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The stars finally aligned and fosteronfilm and I were able to make it to another of sfeley‘s Single Malt Who shindigs last night. We had dinner at Pizza Café and then hung out at/with the Eleys (sfeley and ) and a bunch of other cool folks. Watched a Doctor Who episode and gabbed. And there was some scotch drinking (although not by me). Much fun and excellent company.

And britzkrieg very kindly dropped off some fresh veggies from her garden: peppers and cherry tomatoes and a zucchini! I lubs fresh vegetables. They always taste so much better than the stuff at the grocery store.

   


Writing Stuff

I got a note from Ellen Datlow letting contributors know that she and Terri Windling have bought a lot of long (10Kish-word) stories for their anthology and to please keep future submissions short.

Urk. “Fire Rabbit” clocks in at 9.3K works.

So, after much agonizing, I emailed her asking whether the length essentially knocked me out of a chance for an anthology slot, and, as I feared, the answer was “yes.” But she was kind enough to look at it anyway before confirming that it was indeed a no go. However, she very graciously said I could take another shot at it, which I am (ye verily) gladdened about.

So another write-a-thon is imminent. Except, currently, I’ve got little time to write during the day. The page proofs of the updated O.C.G.A. from the 2007 session came in, and until we finish editing all 45 volumes/supplements, there’s much less downtime at work.

My hamsters keep breeding, the lil buggers.

Published/Received:
– Contrib. copies of the newly published reprint of “The Wizard of Eternal Watch” in Best New Romantic Fantasy 2. Hurray! It’s a gorgeous book, although I was a little chagrined to see that the title was listed as “Wizard of the Eternal Watch” in the ToC. Fortunately, it’s correct for the story itself.

Elder God minions and Permanent Account

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So this morning I was awakened before my alarm by what sounded like minions of the Elder Gods in our backyard announcing the imminent destruction of the universe.

As it turns out, it was only a couple of cats–a yellow striped kitty who I’ve never seen before and a spotted tawny and cream plumpy who is a regular visitor–either mating or fighting. I’m not sure which activity I’d feel better about, actually. If mating, then they’re ferals making more ferals and increasing the homeless feline population. Whereas fighting cats often inflict grievous wounds upon each other, and I don’t want either of the Elder God minions/kitties to be hurt.

Zounds, but they were loud.

But, in a wondrous turnaround of my morning, since I was awake, I booted my laptop. Figured I would check my email since I wasn’t getting back to sleep. And I discovered that teflaime, in what can only be described as a munificent and bountiful act, has gifted me with a Permanent LiveJournal account! *Squee!*

I knew that the LJ folks were having another Permanent Account sale, and I’d pressed my nose wistfully against the window of the “buy” page, but didn’t dream I’d get one. Huge *smooches* to teflaime!

I foresee that this weekend will herald much new icon making . . .

   


Writing Stuff

This week, I had three “author’s notes” pieces to write:
– “Beauty’s Folly” in the forthcoming issue of OSC’s Intergalactic Medicine Show. The editor, Edmund Schubert, does an ongoing series of author essays on his blog. This, incidentally, is the only one I managed to finish.
– “Li T’ien and the Dragon Nian” for the forthcoming Black Dragon, White Dragon anthology.
– “Honor is a Game Mortals Play” in Heroes In Training for a promo that jimhines is doing.

While I enjoy writing these sorts of mini-essays and think they’re great publicity, I also never know what to say. I get the same deer-in-headlights feel when folks ask me “where do you get your inspiration?” at conventions. I keep thinking I ought to having something erudite and/or droll to say, and instead, I feel like what I come up with is along the lines of, “well, I was staring at the blank screen of my computer, and it occurred to me that I should write something . . . ”

On a tangential segue, once, Ann Crispin suggested to me (after I hemmed and stuttered out a dull and rambling summary of the novel I was working on at the time) that I come up with an “elevator pitch” for major projects. Sort of a one or two sentence synopsis that I could blurt out in a seemingly off-the-cuff manner should I get the unforeseen opportunity to pitch a project in person to a publisher/editor. That led me to speculate whether I ought to come up with a series of quippy sound byte answers to the most common writerly questions I get like the aforementioned “inspiration, where?” one. ‘Course, the problem there is that my mind fuzzes out when I’m in a spotlight speaking situation. I’d undoubtedly never remember them.

Yup. When it comes to speaking, I verily suck. Wish I could carry around one of those portable scrolling marquees with the multiple programmable phrases. I could just flash my pre-composed witty repartee in blinking red lights.

Published:
– “The Tanuki-Kettle” in the July issue of Cricket. I just love what the Cricket folks do with my stories. The illustrations are by Taeeun Yoo, and I squeed out loud when I saw how she’d imagined the tanuki-kettle:

New Words:
– 700 on my Writing for Young Readers column. Hoping to double-check my references and have that formatted and to ye olde editor this weekend.

The Fiction Machine: The Workshop and the hacks

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One of my writers group peeps forwarded a link to this article: “The Fiction Machine: The Workshop and the hacks.” In it, Sam Sacks purports that writing workshops and creative writing programs, due to fundamental flaws in how they’re structured and effected, are cranking out formulaic and lackluster writers:

“Large, impersonal, ever-shuffling workshops are led by writers of, on average, mediocre ability who throw only part of their energy into helping their students. The result of all this is as predictable as it was inevitable: Writing is taught by rote. Limited in time and care and needing to satisfy at once a wide range of very different would-be writers, professors must rely on the crutches of formula.”

Sacks is particularly dismissive of the Best New American Voices 2006 anthology as illustrative of this phenomenon, which I haven’t read. So I can’t comment as to whether I agree with his taste in short fiction or his evaluation of what constitutes literary merit. But he does make a compelling argument that a proliferation of these writing programs is, in effect, perpetuating a recipe for formulaic writing as well as a proclivity for formulaic and conservative perceptions on what constitutes “good” writing.

Obviously, when talking about any group of things, there’s generalization happening; it’s incontrovertible that some writing programs are better than others. And I’m inclined to believe that the basic craft of writing is something that can be taught and learned. But when the fundamental mechanics–grammar, punctuation, spelling–are disparaged as suitable subject matter and aren’t included in the curriculum, I kinda have to raise an eyebrow.

As a caveat, I haven’t attended a creative writing program or workshop so have no firsthand experience with them. And also, this article seems primarily focused on non-genre writing and doesn’t seem to take into account such workshops as Clarion and Odyssey, which are taught by luminaries in the field.

But I’ve often lamented that I never had more formal training in creative writing, wondering if perhaps the experience might have sparked something deeper, finer, or more insightful in my writing. Or even if it might have gotten me past some of the early foibles and flaws in my writing faster and with greater ease than my own blundering trial-and-error. I’ve even speculated in the past about going back and getting an MFA. But maybe it’s just as well. I also didn’t have to overcome academic indoctrination against risk taking and experimentation.

Photo shoot and setting down some hamsters

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The Volunteer Vixens photo shoot on Saturday went well. The swimsuit/bikini shot was done at a private residence. Our wonderful hostesses had a backyard pool/spa/waterfall–a gorgeous, decadently lush setting. Absolutely perfect. I did, however, get nailed by a couple bitey bugs within minutes of stepping outside and experienced a mild allergic reaction to an abrasion on my leg from the sand or rocks around the spa. Typical. The outdoors hates me. But, I am assured that the red welts can be PhotoShopped out.

After we broke for lunch, we met up for the cover shot, which was at the MMI warehouse. The theme, to match the charity, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure breast cancer foundation, was pink and black. Now pink is not a color found in my wardrobe, and I was at something of a loss–not wanting to buy a pink dress or somesuch that I’d never wear again. Thanks to my fellow Volunteer Vixen, Ariel, I had a fallback–a pink off-the-shoulder top, but I didn’t know what to wear with it. So on Friday, I went tearing around the house, trying to put together an outfit.

And, serendipity. I found a unitard I’d forgotten about–part of a costume for a modern dance show lo these many years ago when I was still in shape–shoved away in a drawer. The original costume was a white unitard dyed for the performances in streaks of (supposedly) purple and red, but the dye ended up mostly . . . pink. It’d also had dark, wing-like streamers of cloth sewed to shoulders, leg, and side which had been summarily removed at some point before I stored it away. But yes, there it was: a pink unitard.

La! So for the cover shot, I wore this:

   


Writing Stuff

I’ve come to the realization that I’m still juggling too many hamsters. The lil squeakers are beginning to get nippy when I drop ’em, and I feeling more and more guilty when I can’t keep them all in the air. Therefore, sadly and with reluctance, I’ve resigned from my position as The Town Drunk‘s assistant managing editor. I enjoyed seeing that side of the publishing biz and sampling its wares (slush diving!), but there are only a finite number of hours in my week, and all my hamsters are eating into my writing time.

I’m very grateful to britzkrieg for the opportunity and experience.

I’ve also gone on hiatus at Critters. I haven’t done a crit. there in ages, and I feel too guilty to post my stuff without giving back in return. Plus, I’ve been wanting to focus more on my DC2K and Critter Litter writers group.

Received:
– Contract from Tekno Books for the electronic rights for six more stories: “The Tiger Fortune Princess,” “The Storyteller’s Wife,” “Returning My Sister’s Face,” “The Bunny of Vengeance and the Bear of Death,” “The Wizard of Eternal Watch,” and “All in My Mind.” This is for the for the project they’re doing with Sony to put together an electronic short fiction website to promote Sony’s new e-reader device. Hurray.
– Email from editor Jetse de Vries letting me know that my last submission to Interzone made the first cut and he’s holding it for a second read. Crossing my fingers.
– Payment for “Body and Soul Art” from the ASIM Best of Horror anthology.
– Payment for “The Wizard of Eternal Watch” from the Best New Romantic Fantasy 2 anthology.

Published:
– “Body and Soul Art” in the Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine Best of Horror.

Photo shoot and Launch Pad squeeage

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Got a photo shoot this Saturday for the Dragon*Con breast cancer research charity calendar. We’ll be doing the group bikini/swimsuit shot and the cover shot. Have to admit to being rather anxious about the bikini one. Under most circumstances, I’m pretty comfy in front of a camera, but I’ve gained a few pounds (and a few years) since the last time I’ve shown quite so much skin on film, and I have to admit being somewhat insecure about it.

Yes, I’m vain. Glargh.

Okay, moving right along. Our marvelous photographer, Dean Ansley, has been scouting for locations for my August, “Pulp SF Space Girl,” shoot. Think we might be able to use the Fernbank Science Center/Planetarium. I hope so. From the sample shots he showed me, it looks like it’ll be perfect. So I got out my space girl costume last night and tried it on. I’m thinking I’d like to put a few stitches here and there to make the lay of it smoother in a couple places. And I wish I had silver go-go boots now; I think they’d look better than black ones. But then, when would I ever wear silver boots again?

And finally, the calendar now has a website, although there’s nothing on it currently except for a flash slide show of some of the promo shots:

   


Writing Stuff

The organizers of the Launch Pad workshop put together an email list so all the attendees can communicate and introduce each other beforehand. I was delighted to learn that Josepha Sherman, who I’ve met and been on panels with at Dragon*Con, will be one of my workshop-mates. I lubs Josepha and am looking forward to getting to hang with her in Wyoming. And I had a major fangirl moment when I discovered that Vonda N. McIntyre will also be a fellow Launchpadee. I’m debating whether I should bring my copy of Dreamsnake to Wyoming and ask her to sign it, or if that would just be too squeeing fangirl. Hee!

Received:
– 126-day SALE of “The Music Company” to Hub. I subbed the story to them when they were still a print ‘zine and still paying £25/1K words. With the greatly decreased pay, I waffled a bit before giving them the go ahead. But, I figure they did right by me with “Wanting to Want” in issue #1, not to mention it feels unnatural to turn down a sale.
– 3-day reprint SALE of my article, “When the Guidelines Say ‘7-12′”, to Absolute Write. I think it’ll be in their June 20 issue.
– Contract for “Li T’ien and the Dragon Nian” for the Black Dragon, White Dragon anthology. And a sneak peek of the cover art. It’s puuurty:

Published:
– My Absolute Write interview is now up.

New Words:
– 1400 on my July Writing for Young Readers column. Still working on the title, but it’s about writing humor, with highlights from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.


Club 100 for Writers: 19