Frogwise

March 12

Welcome to my long week. It's issue crunch-time again, that-time-of-the-month, and things are revving into high gear at work. It's better than last month, though, since there's a new person taking over some of kest's duties (though who can possibly replace her in our hearts?). I've been working my proverbial ass off (while my literal ass mostly sits in a chair at a computer all day). But enough of these vapors; on to more interesting things.

Like Heather, updating her journal a lot. She recapped last weekend admirably, so I have little to add. Flytrap is shaping up to kick ass. We should have our final selections made by, oh, the end of April, at which point we'll post the Table of Contents and figure out pre-orders and suchlike... V. excited about our 'zine.

Also excited about Mike's antho! Wonder if I can write something he'll like... It'll come out around the same time as Flytrap, so save your pennies, kids.

Speaking of other writers -- go Nick! He got a good agent for his marvelous novel Move Under Ground, and he's set up a new site to chronicle the long journey from agent-getting to whatever comes next (one hopes publication, acclaim, riches, etc.).

If you're a fan of the Very Secret Diaries, or Arthurian stuff, check out Camelot: The Very Secret Diaries! I'm writing Excalibur (I almost wrote I'm "doing" Excalibur, but, in truth, that can be said more accurately about some of the other characters. Pervy sword fanciers), Mary Anne (who is hosting the whole shebang) is Arthur & Kay, fair sweet Heather is the (lecherous) Lady of the Lake, Karen is Excalibur's Scabbard (and various others), Mike is the Questing Beast, Vera is the Lady of Shallot and the Holy Grail... still lots of juicy roles open. If I had more copious free time, I'd take Castle Joyous Gard, too, but I gotta set myself some limits. Mordred, who has many obvious possibilities, is also available. I'm not normally into Arthuriana, but there's some damn funny stuff in those diaries, and the promise of more to come.

So Heather and I have started this new thing, this getting up early thing. We used to crawl out of bed around 8:30. For the past two days, we've been up at 6:30, so Heather can go to the gym, and so I can write. I've never been a morning writer, but I've been feeling artistically constipated lately, and thought a change in my habits might shake something up. It seems to have worked. Yesterday morning I wrote 1,000 words, and this morning I did another 1,000. I've started my new novel. Very action-oriented, fast-moving plot, lots of eyeball kicks, big monsters, fights, witty repartee -- just a big fun book, you know? I'm having fun already. And the novel is already starting to monopolize my mental processing time, which is a good sign. This is the part where I start talking to myself and giggling and pacing a lot for the next 6 or 8 or 52 weeks. The good part. I love writing novels.

Otherwise... been reading magazines, the Furies comic, bits of Polyphony, re-reading bits of A Short History of San Francisco (research, sort of...). We had a nice dinner with dear kind Susan on Sunday, fish and garlic mashed potatoes, mmm. Niceness abounds, even though, due to car complications, I have to ride the bus tomorrow... maybe I'll get a story idea about Oakland buses. Or something.

Tired now. Gotta get up early tomorrow, after all.

Words written since February 1, 2003: 12,600

Words written since last entry:
3,000.

Go buy mine and Erin Donahoe's new chapbook, Love!

Buy Floodwater via PayPal! $5, includes shipping. Or send a check payable to Heather Shaw to the PO Box below.