Visibility

October 26

First, the good news for the day-- I sold my story "The Invisible Musicians" to Elysian Fiction, a cool online magazine that publishes fantasy of all sorts. The story should come out in early or mid-November. "Musicians" is a contemporary fantasy (I know, you're shocked) set in the Appalachian mountains. I wrote it in the summer of 1997, on a trip to Missouri with my family. I wrote it all afternoon and evening as we rode in the van, wrote until the light failed, and finished it the next day. That was quite a summer... I wrote 6 stories that week in Missouri, one a day, not to mention a couple of poems. I was working on a novel that summer, so the short stories just sort of built-up, and came out in a flood while I was on vacation...

Now for backfill.

Wednesday, I went out for Thai food with Heather and Susan. I had the Dancing Prawns (which did not actually dance; they were on sticks, with the sticks stuck into half an orange; this is not even a reasonable facsimile of dancing). We had ice cream and chat, then Heather and I came home and didn't see much of each other for the rest of the night. I was working.

I had this big surge Wednesday, this overwhelming desire to write, to be writing, to be doing the writer-thing. Everything sounded fun and interesting; revising, submitting, writing synopses, rough drafts, poetry... such a good feeling! Whatever's been going on lately-- psychic distress, my creative wells refilling, mental miasma-- is gone. I was sitting in the basement at work and BAM!-- I was an energetic writer again.

So Wednesday night I got five postal submissions ready to go and sent out half-a-dozen e-subs. I've got another seven to send out... Yeah, that's right, I had 18 stories just sitting around. Over half my finished stories, just languishing on my desk. I've been in a real writing-pit lately, I'm telling you. It's good to be out of there. One of those e-subs has already been rejected, a one-day bounce from Jack Fisher at Flesh and Blood.

Yesterday, at lunch, I wrote another 700 words on the Marla story. I did another 700 or so today. Only one scene to go, I think; maybe two. It's a good story, y'all, very possibly one of my best. Everything is yummy and grand, writing-wise. I have to read slush this week... Hallowe'en slush party, whoo!

Hmm. Yesterday I picked up the last tape of Queer as Folk, and Heather and I watched it. Badass. Good show. Really enjoyed it. And unlike most television shows, it actually had resolution! I also picked up the new Exorcist with the additional scenes... I haven't seen that version yet. We're going to watch it tonight, I think. It seemed appropriate, for Hallowe'en weekend, to get one of the few films that's actually scary... at least, it scared me when I was younger, so we'll see if it holds up.

Heather told me I have to stay in her presence all night after we watch the movie, though. Which isn't a bad thing; I like her presence. But she also said I'm not allowed to pretend like I'm possessed by a demon. Pout.

She picked up a couple of pumpkins for us to carve, and we're going to a Hallowe'en party on Saturday... should be a fun weekend.