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My Life (Synopsis)
February 15
Various writing-related tidbits:
I got e-mail from Sheila at Asimov's today to let me know that my poem "Incident" will appear in the June issue (which will, through the usual temporal strangeness, be available in May). And another related plug: My poem "Bacchanal" is coming out in the April issue of Asimov's, which will be available in March! I also received payment from them today, for both poems. I hope this marks the first of a long series of transactions in which that magazine will give me money for words.
My story "Plastic Scorpions" debuts at Jackhammer on February 20th. That's next Tuesday. Don't worry, I'll remind you again.
I sent three stories to the Harker House antho when the call for submissions first went out. The editor sent an e-mail today reminding everybody that he is now closed to submissions, and to say that during the next two weeks he's going to be making final decisions and reading last-minute subs. I've seen several rejections reported on the RM so far, but I haven't heard anything yet beyond an acknowledgement of receipt of my tales... so I'm tentatively optimistic. Maybe he'll buy one of those little horror stories. That'd be nice.
Marissa just sent me an e-mail telling me that Orb has reprinted Jonathan Carroll's Land of Laughs! I've been wanting to read this book forever, but it's been out of print, and none of my lurking in used book stores has helped me acquire it! Now, thanks to the wonder of reprints and the internet, I should have it in my hands by next week. I love this modern age.
I've been working on synopsizing Genius tonight-- it just sounds so dumb when break it down into summary. Most novels do, I guess, but... I hate how dumb it sounds. I didn't write a dumb book. I mean, Jeez, if I could even come close to saying what the book has to say in 3 pages, I wouldn't have written 300.
I know, I know, that's not what a synopsis is s'posed to do, it serves a different purpose. But I keep feeling the temptation to lapse into movie-trailer speak: "In a world gone mad, one woman must strive to maintain her sanity in the face of unspeakable odds, without losing her ability to love..."
Man. Synopses suck.
I went into this cooking frenzy when I got home, and used the last of my food in the house to make a big pasta-and-chicken thing, which I had for dinner and which I'll eat for lunch tomorrow. I made dark chocolate brownies, too-- only this time I added extra dark chocolate from my special Syrup Stash. Very yummy.
This was the night of failed attempts at contact. I tried to call Blah, and got her machine. I tried to call Amily, and got a busy signal. Meg's phone is broken. I didn't talk to anybody all day but co-workers and the girl at the office supply store. Sigh.
I finished "Carlos the Destroyer." I think it sucks. I can never be sure, and often my opinion of a story changes radically and frequently in the days after I finish it... but for now, yeah, I think it sucks. There's some nice lines, a neat idea or two, and the writing certainly came easily... but I don't think it hangs together, really.
I'm going to work mainly on synopsizing Genius for the next couple of days, then plunge into my "bloodiest love story you've ever heard" (hereafter referred to by its tentative title, "Romanticore"). I'm pretty excited about that one, have been since I first wrote the opening. I didn't want to write that story first thing, because I wanted to save some enthusiasm for later in the month, in case the Dare started to wear on me. I didn't want to be stuck with two weeks left and only the less-interesting openings to work with, so I saved Romanticore and Black Swan, since I knew I'd really dig writing them.
I honestly don't know if I had a good day or not.
More bleating and moaning tomorrow, lovelies.
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