Category Archives: Blog

I’m feeling better, although still not 100%. But Hobkin is now officially sick. He keeps making these snuffly, snoggy noises with his nose, and he was pretty uncertain about his breakfast this morning. I think he couldn’t smell it and didn’t realize it was food. Once I got him started (I bribed him with a cookie), he fell to with enthusiasm, but until then, he kept giving me these dubious “I know what breakfast smells like, woman, and this ain’t it!” looks.

*snog*

What do small animals do when they have stuffy noses? They can’t take Sudafed or cough drops, and they can’t even blow their noses. Poor Hobkin!

Writing Stuff:
Received notice that a submission I sent them made it past the first round at Andromeda’s Spaceway’s Inflight Magazine. Also that a story I sent to the Razor-edged Arcanum anthology has been short-listed. Crossing fingers that both turn into juicy sales.

Finished the Critters critiques I started yesterday and completed another one on top of that. Still would like to get a couple more written before this batch clears.

Did a once over on the stories that were rejected yesterday and have boomeranged them both back out into the cold, cruel world.

Also managed several passes on the new SF story. End result: a cut of over 800 words. Tossed it up on Critters. Not sure if it’ll make it to this week’s batch or not.

Club 100 for Writers
33

500/day
1

Ugh. I probably shouldn’t have gone in to work today. Whatever plague bug that’s making the rounds down here seems to have latched its claws on me. I’m snoggy, feverish, sore throated, and dizzy. But I went in anyway because I had an afternoon meeting and I’ve been out of the office for the last week and a half. For all I knew, my place of work might have crumbled to rubble over the holidays.

The meeting was uneventful, my company is still chugging along, and I probably should have stayed in bed. I felt like I was sowing black death every time I wheezed out an exhalation.

I’m seriously worried that I may have given this ick bug to Hobkin, as he’s been sleeping a lot more (if that’s possible), and rubbing his nose a lot. And when he sleeps, his nose sometimes makes a sort of wet, snuffly noise. His appetite is fine, though. We’re increasing the amount of bell pepper in his diet to make sure he’s getting enough Vitamin C.

I feel utterly craptacular. *snog*

Writing Stuff:
I’m going to reset my 500 words/day counter so I can keep a tally of days for 2005 that I’ve managed to achieve my goal.

However, I’m still pinging away at my 100 words/day progress.

Did a pass over the flash piece I wrote for yack_yoniga‘s flash contest and posted it. Sorry folks, I want to keep my first publication rights if I don’t win, so I’m requesting that it remain screened. Started on a critique for Critters. Had a hard time focusing through the bleariness which is my brain. Will finish it up and send it out tomorrow. I’ve got several more that I want to do. We’ll see.

Received a 30-day “Both editors really enjoyed reading . . . but” from Aeon with a pretty detailed critique. As rejects go, this one was pretty spiffy.
And a 133-day “no, but try us again” from Paradox.

Did two rewrite passes on the Princess Fantasy, stuck a fork in and called it done. It’s now officially in my “hold for Cicada” queue.

Club 100 for Writers
32/100

HAPPY 2005!!

Rang in the new year quietly. Matthew and I went out to pick up a bottle of champagne and then curled up with Hobkin to watch Spider-Man 2 and Resident Evil: Apocalypse a la Netflix. I discovered that I can watch zombie flicks if they’re action instead of horror (I’ve got major squicks when it comes to shambling undead). And at 11:30 we turned on the Peach Drop coverage in Underground ATL, poured the bubbly, and clinked in the new year.

Spider-Man 2 was exceptionally uninspiring. The action bits were good, but anything involving character development got tedious fast. Resident Evil: Apocalypse was better, all shiny and shoot-em-up. Although it really felt like a video game. I drank far more champagne than I ought to–I’m a total lightweight; two glasses does me in. All in all, a good way to end 2004.

Writing Stuff:
Saw a review of The 3rd Alternative #40 at Emerald City which highlighted my story to praise. An auspicious beginning for 2005:

“My favorite story, however, was “Running on Two Legs” by Eugie Foster . . . it was interestingly cute, and it has a refreshingly sanguine view of serious illness.”
–Cheryl Morgan

Packing Hobkin up today for skunk camp. As is our tradition, the little guy is spending Christmas with his godmother, Debbie, and her ten skunks as we can’t take him with us to Illinois. I always get anxious and forlorn when we send him away. We totally trust Debbie with Hobkin, and he loves it there, but I’ll miss the little guy terribly. I’m not sure if I can sleep anymore without him cuddled in my arms.

Writing Stuff:
My Cyberpunk article is now up at the Internet Review of Science Fiction. Hurray! And the acting editor-in-chief assures me my check is in the mail.

The Critters critiques continue to roll in. I think I’m up to twenty-two. Matthew really liked the SF story I had him first-reader. He said it “has the potential to be one of your best.” Huh. Sometimes I just can’t figure my hubby. He also made some excellent suggestions, which I’ll implement before sending the thing up to Critters.

I’m not going to try for word count over the holidays, although I will continue to be on the lookout for my muse, should she decide to make an appearance.

Accomplished:
– Updated my eugiefoster.com website to include an “Appearances” page to list the conventions I’ll be attending next year.
– Word count: Completed one of the flash stories I started for jack_yoniga‘s and dys7topia‘s contests. Going to sit on it for a day or so to let it stew, then send it out. Still working on the other one. Did an editing pass on the SF story. Also picked up a discarded fantasy story (“Rue and Ruin”) and wrenched forth a couple hundred words. Close ’nuff to 500.

Club 100 for Writers
30/100

500/day
18

Watched While You Were Sleeping yesterday, a very sweet holiday romantic comedy and one of our annual favorites. Although I don’t think Sandra Bullock lived up to the potential from that early hit of hers.

Christmas shopping: now 100% done.
Wrapping: 97% done.

Writing Stuff:
Woohoo! This was a very good mail day. Not only did I get norilana‘s Dreams of the Compass Rose, but my contributor’s copies of the February 2005 issue Realms of Fantasy came in the mail as did the Winter 2004 issue of The Third Alternative! Only “Returning My Sister’s Face” is in the Feb ’05 Realms, which means I can look forward to another issue to run “The Storyteller’s Wife.”

And what has me jumping even higher with glee is that “Returning My Sister’s Face” is the FIRST story in Realms and “Running on Two Legs” is the LAST story in TTA–both honored spots. My name’s also on the cover of TTA!

Continue reading →

Christmas shopping 2004 is officially complete! Oh, wait, almost officially complete. One more item to buy, but I know exactly what that prezzie is, and it’s just a matter of going to the store and getting it.

Braved the totally insane crowds yesterday. My God! Every single shopping center in the Metro Atlanta area was a teeming, foaming-at-the-mouth mob of holiday shoppers. Madness and insanity galore. But reasonably jolly insanity, as far as these things go. Didn’t see any egregious acts of outrage or temper. We did, however, end up standing in many, many lines.

Prezzie wrapping is 90% done, too.

Watched The Long Kiss Goodnight, a very under-appreciated Christmas action flick starring Geena Davis, while polishing off a bag of moose munch. Then had an extended soak in the hot tub. These nippy temperatures are perfect hot tubbing weather.

Ho ho ho. And the holiday season progresseth.

Writing Stuff:
Up to twelve critiques on the current Critters offering. I’ve been with this workshop for so long that the majority of the crits I receive are from folks I know–either I’ve read and critiqued their stuff, or they’ve critiqued me before, or both. There are a few critters who I keep wondering if it would be better for everyone concerned if I just write them a polite note telling them not to bother critiquing me anymore. It’s not that I don’t like them or are offended by their comments; it’s that they, well, suck as critiquers. For me at least. Maybe they’re a font of wisdom for other writers, but the comments they give me (I use too many big words, they don’t understand my similes, my sentences are longer than six words, etc.) are utterly worthless.

There’s especially this one guy who’s copiously published in semi-pro markets (the pays $1 or $5/story, no-circulation-and-no-one’s-heard-of-them variety), but in the years that he’s been with Critters (longer than me, even), his writing hasn’t improved an iota. And from the comments I get from him, it’s obvious why. He’s just not a good judge of writing–either of his own work or anyone else’s. I barely even bother reading his critiques when I get them. Would it be more honest of me to tell him he’s wasting his time, or to just sigh and keep getting his useless critiques? I’ve stopped reading his stories in the queue, because I think it unlikely that he will progress beyond the level he’s been hovering at for the last several years. It’s a waste of my time. It’s not that he’s a bad writer; it’s that I don’t think he’ll ever become a good one and any feedback I give appears to be utterly futile.

I dunno.