Break Out the Champagne
April 3
What a nice evening. First, I found out that I've got four stories on the shortlist for the Fresh Blood anthology (one original, three reprints); still no guarantee that I'll get in the book, but the editor says there's a very very very good chance I'll have at least one story there. Nice, hmm? And Joe R. Lansdale, one of my literary heroes, is doing the intro to the antho. Coolness abounds.
I also got my fastest acceptance ever, about 1 hour from Champagne Shivers for my story "Dancing Shoes". The editor says, in part:
I suppose the highest compliment I can give you is to say that after reading the 51 stories I received over the past two days, "Dancing Shoes" is the only highly imaginative and entertaining, simply wonderful tale I've found in the ever-growing slushpile. "Dancing Shoes" is a nasty little fairytale, one I'll be proud to showcase in the July 1, 2002 online issue of "Champagne Shivers."
So lovely. And she's right; it is a nasty little fairytale. Those are precisely the words I would use to describe it. A very image-based story, compressed, vicious. I like it. Glad it sold.
Otherwise... work is work, going pretty well. Heather, poor dear, is sick and sore and not sleeping well. I didn't do a very good job taking care of her tonight... I rented Jeepers Creepers (which started quite well, but degenerated into laughability, alas), and she watched it with me. She's reading Threshold, too, which makes for scary night-thoughts when sleep won't come, I imagine...
Last night we rented How To Kill Your Neighbor's Dog, and it was really very good. Far more intelligent and funny and interesting than I'd expected, and not actually about the things the trailers and the box copy make it seem to be about (I consider this a huge flaw on the part of the ad campaign). Good for writers and would-be parents to watch, I think.
Wrote a poem, yesterday? the day before? Called "Neither Eat Nor Drink There", which I think I'll submit to Erin Donahoe's anthology, after I revise it a touch... I have another one to send her, too, also after a bit of polish. Probably send those this weekend.
How is it already Wednesday (and coming up close on Thursday)? The days are swooshing by of late...
Mike Jasper gave me some great comments on "Romanticore". I might be able to pare it down a bit, turn it into a real lethal go-for-the-heart-and-throat sort of story. I have high hopes for that one.
Still reading Fox Woman. Thinking about movies and poetry, mostly. Wondering what I'm going to review this month. Worrying about taxes looming over me (don't know why; I always worry, I always do them in an afternoon, it's never a problem, knock wood). Have to get Heather to look over my galleys for "The Witch's Bicycle", since every time I look at the words set in type I cringe. I'll force myself to line-edit (have caught a couple of things already; my errors, not theirs), but all my wincing will make me miss things, and having Heather as a back-up will help.
Oh! Yesterday we got the June issue of Realms at work, and I sat down and read Hilary's brilliant "Run of the Fiery Horse". I'd read the first draft at Clarion, and thought it was pretty damned amazing, and it's so great in finished form! So polished and smart and cool, and it moves well and there's a big snake and twists and great characters. Very nice. Good illustration, too.
Look at me. I'm effusive. Woo woo woo.
Words written since February 1, 2002: 45,650
Words written since last entry: 300
Send me a copy of Edith Hamilton's Mythology, 'cause I'll be damned if I can find mine lately.
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