Author Archives: Eugie Foster

Session ’07, Final Day of the 2-week Recess

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Things are beginning to ramp up again at work as the legislature gets ready to re-convene on Monday. For a while there, I was actually making it home at a normal time and having evenings with the hubby. Although this two-week recess has pushed session through mid-April, I’ve kind of enjoyed having a mini-break. I was getting frazzled and stressed, and my pile of back-burnered things-to-do was on the verge of achieving sentience and eating my brain. My stress-o-meter is still nudging the red, but I’m pretty confident that a meltdown isn’t imminent.

fosteronfilm got passes from a movie publicity person for a screening of the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie on Sunday that will debut the trailer for the upcoming third movie. They’re encouraging folks to come dressed in pirate gear. He passed the word around to Dragon*Con folks, and it looks likely that there will be a strong D*C pirate contingency. Hope I’ll be able to attend, but I think there’s a decent chance I’ll have to work.

   


Writing Stuff

Managed to plow through a healthy swath of both Tangent and The Town Drunk items. Huzzah.

Received:
– Note from the editors of Aberrant Dreams that they’d like to do a signing for their forthcoming shiny new anthology at Dragon*Con, and would I be able to participate? (It also was an oblique reminder to submit my D*C guest application, which I have now done.) Of course I said yes, and hopefully I sent them in the right direction to get the ball rolling on the coordination thereof.
– Payment from paul_m_jessup for “The Goddess Queen’s Battlefield” forthcoming in issue #2 of GrendelSong.
– Payment from my Writing-world.com editor for my April Writing for Young Readers column, “An Interview with Judy Burke of Highlights for Children.”

New Words:
– 1300 new words on the story, which I’ve subsequently re-titled “Better a Heart of Fire.” I didn’t finish it last weekend. Actually, I barely worked on it last weekend. It felt too much like a holiday having the weekend off, and it felt too much like work adhering rump to chair and cranking out words. We’ll just call that a lapse in writerly discipline and consider me properly chagrined. Been swiping snippets of time–between editing bills, on the train, after dinner–to lay down words. It would behoove me to bring this to zero draft before the session re-convenes next week. Meep.

It’s looking like this is going to exceed my initial word count estimate of 3K, but not by much. I hope. Revising my estimate to 3.5K.

Zokutou word meterZokutou word meter
2,253 / 3,500
(64.4%)

Session ’07, Languishing in Recess

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Saturday night, fosteronfilm and I partook of the excellent hospitality of the Eleys (escapepodcast) in their ongoing “Single Malt Who” shindigs. We watched the season 2 finale of Doctor Who, ate veggie burgers, and sampled scotch. Well, other folks sampled the scotch. I stuck with soda. But I think I’m still zoned from session-related stimuli. My brain’s on perpetual low beam. Sigh.

As advertised, here are some of my favorite pix from the Girls of Dragon*Con charity calendar photo shoot we did at Grant Park:


(All photos by Dean Ansley)

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Session ’07, Still in Recess

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It’s been quieter here at the capitol this last week, and I’ve been getting home earlier. Ironically, fosteronfilm went to an IMAGE salon and an advance screening of The Host this week, and as a result, we haven’t seen much more of each other. Sigh.

   


Writing Stuff

This temporary lull has provided my muse with some slack in the choke hold rein I’ve had clamped on her. I figured that during session, I simply wouldn’t have the time (or energy) to crank out fiction, so I’ve been trying to table all the ideas and suppress the must-write compulsion until I had the leisure to write again.

Well, that didn’t work. A story has been hammering and hammering at me all week. I finally gave in and started it. Gah!

I expect I’ve got this weekend to finish it. Word around the office is that the legislators are scheduled for beaucoup meetings all next week, which probably means beaucoup work for us editors and no time for writing. And they reconvene the week after that, which throws us back into busy-busy-busy-die mode.

How stupid am I to have started a new story? Argh!

Received:
– Contract from Mirrorstone Books for “Princess Bufo marinus, I Call Her Amy.”
– A note from someone who’s read my chapbook vampire stories: “Ascendancy of Blood,” “Inspirations End,” and “Still My Beating Heart” and wanted to read “The Few, the Proud, the Leech Corps.” Yay! Except “Leech Corps” was published in an issue of Oceans of the Mind, which has ceased publication, and that story hasn’t been reprinted in anything (yet). So I said I’d email him a PDF of the story for $1. He agreed and paid, I sent him the PDF, and woohoo, everyone’s happy.

Although it felt a little weird selling my fiction directly to a reader rather than to an editor or publisher. But it got me thinking that I might want to make more of my out-of-print works available like this. I wouldn’t sell anything which is currently in print, as I sure as heck wouldn’t want to compete with the wonderful editors and publishers who’ve bought my stuff. But the out-of-print stuff is another matter, assuming there’s actually a market for it and this wasn’t a one-and-only occurrence–which it may very well be.

New Words:
– Got the interview answers back from the Highlights for Children editor for my Writing for Young Readers column, formatted it, and sent it off to ye olde editor. Huzzah!
– 900 words on the new story, tentatively titled, “Princess Fireheart.” I’m aiming for no more than 3K on this one, and I might be able to keep it at 2Kish. Assuming I have the time to finish it, that is. Stupid muse.

Session ’07, In Recess

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This Saturday was the first all-staff Dragon*Con 2007 meeting, whereupon I discovered that I’m losing from my Daily Dragon staff. Sigh. So now I need a new reporter.

I was so tired, the meeting was something of a blur, but it was good seeing folks like dire_epiphany, sara1221, arkhamrefugee, and bevlovesbooks. Of note, the Cruxshadows were having a concert at the Masquerade that night and offered to let D*C directors in gratis, but I was so logy, I just didn’t have it in me to go dancing. Sad, ain’t it? I’m feeling old.

   


Writing Stuff

Published:
– My March Writing for Young Readers column: “The ABCs of Writing for Kids: Active, Brief, and Cut Cut Cut”

Received:
– Fan mail, this time for “The devil and Mrs. Comstock’s Snickerdoodles” in RoF! Happy writer Eugie.
– Note with contract from paul_m_jessup for “The Goddess Queen’s Battlefield,” which will be the lead story in issue #2 of GrendelSong. Sweet!
– An invite to submit to a ghost story anthology which, ultimately, I turned down. I hate saying “no” to an editor asking to buy my work, but I didn’t have anything suitable on hand, and I simply don’t have the time crank out something new. Maybe next time.
– 6-day “no GUD” from GUD. I’m actually a bit chagrined about this one. I think I might’ve subbed this same story to them before. My spreadsheet burped when I was coming up with a new market, and I may have accidentally deleted my records from that submission. Urg. I’m getting scatterbrained.
– Invite from Rob J. Santa to submit to two anthologies he’s putting together. Rob and me are writing buddies through Critters.org. Exchanged crits turned to mutual appreciation and friendly back-and-forth. He’s starting up a new small press outfit, Ricasso Press, which I give him many snaps for. Going to try to come up with something appropriate for his anthos. Not sure if I’ll be able to, but not only do I hate saying “no” to an editor, but Rob’s an amigo.

Session ’07, Day 26

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Busy. Very.

Weekend: photo shoot at Grant Park to get some promo shots for the Girls of Dragon*Con Breast Cancer Charity Calendar. Fun, but cold. Very, very cold. Will post pix as I can.

Not enough sleep. Haven’t seen husband or skunk for more than a few minutes all week. Coffee habit resumed. And it appears that the General Assembly is indeed going to adjourn for two weeks in March to hammer out the PeachCare for Kids financial mess, meaning that the session will be extended through the middle of April.

Urg. I die now, please.

   


Writing Stuff

I saw the other day on Ralan that Cicada was glutted and closed to submissions. Urk. I sent them something about ten days ago. Hope it manages to slip under the wire.

Received Hurray:
– An email from the editor of Best New Romantic Fantasy (previously titled Best New Paranormal Romance) that she wants to reprint “The Wizard of Eternal Watch” for it. *Squee!*
– An email from Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine to inform me that “Body and Soul Art” has been shortlisted for reprinting in their ASIM Best of Horror anthology, and was it available? I think that means they want it . . . or at least they’re seriously thinking about wanting it. *Squee?* Um, I emailed the editor a “yes.”
– Note from jackzodiac letting me know that he’s found a publisher, Dragon Moon Press, for Writers for Relief 2, the sequel charity anthology to the first edition.
– Note from slushmaster letting me know that my current RoF submission was received safe and sound and will be en route to Shawna when the next batch gets exchanged.
– Email from jimhines to tell me that Heroes In Training is now available for preorder at Amazon. My very first appearance in a mass market paperback!
– Galley proofs from mroctober for “Year of the Fox” in So Fey and my check from Haworth Press.
– Contract and check from Strange Horizons for the interview I did with mroctober.
– Note from a listener in Australia who heard the Pseudopod podcast of “Oranges, Lemons, and Thou Beside Me,” loved it, and wanted to know whether she could get a print copy of it. I pointed her to the Best of Apex Digest anthology. I love getting fan mail. It makes me feel all warm and glowy.

Received Wah:
– 35-day “really intriguing and refreshing” but . . . from Strange Horizons. Sigh. Despairing that my fiction will ever break in there.
– 73-day form “no” from InterGalactic Medicine Show, something of an especial ouch after selling “Beauty’s Folly” to them.
– 4-day thanks-but-no from Heliotrope.
– Note from lynnejamneck letting me know that they’ve decided to cancel the Supernatural Sleuth anthology due to an insufficient number of strong enough submissions. That’s another story orphaned, my second this year.

Session ’07 Day 22 and Campbell Award

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This is my second and last year to be eligible for the Campbell Award. I suspect it’s a long shot, but herein my plug:

If you’re going to WorldCon this year, Nippon 2007, or went to L.A.con IV and are a supporting member, Nominate me? Pleeeease?

Okay, now I flop. Was at work past 10PM last night. My eyes are having trouble focusing. And the General Assembly is back in session today after their recess. Oog.

Session ’07 Recess and Aegril Somnia on the Final Ballot for a Stoker!

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So President’s Day is one of the few governmental holidays we don’t get off. I suspect mostly because it falls right smack dab in the middle of session. But also because we do get Washington’s Birthday, Robert E. Lee’s Birthday, and Confederate Memorial Day off–although the first two are floating holidays that pad out Christmas and Thanksgiving, respectively. But it meant the traffic coming in today was beautiful. Wish every day was like that. I was tempted to eschew MARTA and drive in, but I wasn’t sure what traffic would be like in-town. I probably could’ve driven.

It was a working weekend. I spent most of Saturday trying to get caught up on outstanding Tangent and The Town Drunk matters. And I came into work yesterday. I did have a little time on Saturday to hang with the hubby, and we made parsnip and apple soup and beer bread. Snippets of relaxation masquerading as a weekend.

I’ve become accustomed to this being par for session, but I slept like crap last night, leaving me bleary-eyed this morning. Not a good way to start the week. Well, there’s always Adderall and caffeine. Lots and lots of caffeine. The Java Monkey has, once again, become my constant companion.

   


Writing Stuff

Tangent moved servers on Friday, so it was down for a bit. The move itself should’ve only taken a couple hours, but it may have taken a bit longer for the DNS information to propagate throughout the Interweb.

Received:
– Email from jasonbsizemore that the Aegri Somnia anthology is on the final ballot of the Bram Stoker award! *Squee! Squee! Squee!*

Session ’07 Day 21

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Happy belated Valentine’s Day to everyone. Yesterday was . . . insane at work. Got slammed with one rush bill after another, and when I had a chance to look up and catch my breath, most of the day was over.

Oof.

I did manage to get home in time to have dinner with husband and skunk. First time this week. And I saw sunlight this morning, again first time this week.

Had problems sleeping last night even though I was dog tired. I’d shut my eyes, but they’d pop open again, and my mind wouldn’t quit churning. It wasn’t churning on anything, it just kept flitting from one disjointed thought to another. Finally, Hobkin came trundling up and crawled under the covers to snuggle, and then I could finally fall asleep. There’s a very soothing and soporific effect to hugging his soft, warm fuzziness. Not so great when I’m trying to get work done, but most welcome when I’m fighting insomnia. Skunk sleep aid. Yup.

I can’t seem to stop editing. When I close my eyes, I see words scrolling along my eyelids. Legalese words. And while I had the urge to fix egregious typos and insert missing serial commas before, now my compulsion has gone into overdrive.

While taking my shoes off in the mudroom yesterday, my eyes fell upon the bleach bottle: “Kroger’s Ultra Regular Bleach.” I was twitching to get out my red pen and draw a transpose line between “Ultra” and “Regular” to make it “Kroger’s Regular Ultra Bleach.”

fosteronfilm rightly mocked me.

But yes, I do continue to love working here, even in the midst and madness of session. Yesterday, we editors all came in to find little Valentine’s Day gift bags on our desks from one of the attorneys. Mine had in it a flashlight/LED pointer combo pen, one of those magnetic desk sculpture thingies, a purple mechanical pencil with squishy grip, and a four-color ballpoint pen along with a card. Another attorney came by with chocolate, and one of the secretaries/computer operators brought me a candy bar along with the rush job she handed me. And finally, there were two cakes to celebrate Valentine’s Day and Session Midpoint–a tradition here. Working in this kind of environment makes even the most grueling days a little easier, it do.

The rest of this week promises to be more laid back. The legislators will be gone for most of today for the Charlie Norwood funeral, and then they’re adjourned until next Tuesday.

Maybe I can get some other editing and *gasp* writing work done.

   


Writing Stuff

Received:
– A 260+ day “no” from Farthing which is actually a 100-or-so-day “no.”

I’d gotten a note from the editor back in September letting me know this story was in her final consideration pile, and she’d get back to me in a week or so. After not hearing anything for a couple months, I queried, and upon receiving no response a couple months after that, I queried again. And finally, I queried one last time earlier this week. But this time, I used a different email address, wondering if previous communications–coming or going–were getting lost in an Internet black hole.

And yes, they were. I received a perplexed (but polite) email to my new address from the editor letting me know she’d sent a note several times now, both way back as a follow-up and in response to my queries.

Gah! I thought my email troubles had been resolved. Apparently not.

The editor was most patient and understanding about my repeated queries, a consummate professional. And I’m so glad that I was never tempted to get miffed or surly with her in my queries either. Definitely validates my conviction that a courteous demeanor and tone is both the mark of a professional and prudent.

Still something of a bummer that the story languished for so long only to be rejected. Poor lil story.

Session ’07 Day 19. And baby skunk pix!

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Stumbled through the door a bit after 9:30 last night. Got out of the office earlier than everyone else, slightly after 8:30, but the travel time tacks on another hour. These commutes are murder during session. I didn’t mind them so much during off-session, but at 9ish on the train, my brain’s too slagged to get anything done, so I end up staring blankly at my laptop screen, tabulating all the hamsters I should be juggling, but without enough energy to so much as lob one in the air. It’s disheartening it is.

On the heartening cuteness front, wordswoman forwarded this Cute Overload link to me yesterday which totally made me squee. Baby skunk being fostered by a mama cat!

Thanks again, Jaye. Adorable skunk baby pictures make even the longest Monday better.

   


Writing Stuff

So I saw on Ralan.com that Here & Now is well and truly dead, as declared by the editor. No surprise there, what with their interminable delays and erratic publication schedule, but it does orphan a story I sold them in . . . 2003. Agh. Yah, I should’ve pulled that one a loooong time ago. But they published two of my other stories in ’05, which kept me hoping. It’s awfully hard pulling a story from a sale.

New Words:
Not so much new words as compiling an outline for my “Worldbuilding” workshop. Also, the organizers encouraged me to come up with a catchy title. “Worldbuilding for Writers” probably doesn’t qualify as “catchy.” Grmpf.

Received:
– A personal invite from the editors of the new YA ‘zine, Shiny, to submit something. I pored over my logs, but couldn’t find something that was suitable and that wasn’t currently out at a “no simsubs!” market. But, hmm, now I’ve got a story freed up from H&N‘s folding. Gonna read it over and see if I think it’s got enough of a YA tone . . .

Session ’07 Day 18

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Spent most of yesterday trying to get caught up on Tangent work. There is no such thing as “caught up.”

There’s an irony that the midpoint of session, Day 20, is slated to fall on Valentine’s Day this year.

   


Writing Stuff

New Words/Editing:
– Did a final edit and read-through of my March Writing for Young Readers column, “The ABCs of Writing for Kids: Active, Brief, and Cut Cut Cut,” and sent it to ye olde editor.
– Compiled my interview with Andrea Kail for Fantasy Magazine and sent it off. Under the deadline, even. Rah!

Received:
– Payment for both February and March’s Writing for Young Readers column. Huzzah.