The Plague Documents

Baycon is a commuter event for me, which is good, because I don’t have to spring for a hotel and can sleep in my own bed. It is also bad, because it allows me get away with not schmoozing, and I miss any and all evening events. This year was worse than usual, because I haven’t been entirely well (though nothing compared to the Wiscon plague!). Also my oldest son was home from college for the long weekend and I wanted to spend time with him. So, my attendance was pretty limited.

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...it's just that my home office tends to be full of noisy family during non-work hours, so I'm chased away from my internet-connected computer after 5 and on the weekends. Darn that pesky husband and kids!

Anyway, some progress to report:

"The Resurrection Men" will be appearing in Potter's Field 2. Woo Hoo!

Trabuco Road and Neo-Opsis are both holding stories for further consideration.

Other stories in the slush at Strange Horizons and Renard's Menagerie.

I am puttering away on something new, but sad to say it's not coming very fast.

Baycon is coming up over Memorial Day Weekend. I have bought my membership! My husband is dragging me off kayaking on the Saturday though, so my actual attendance is likely to be spotty.

And that's about it!

Started today, actually, but as I have to work, I won't be heading out until tomorrow. And since I'm in commute distance, I'm not planning to stay (although a friend has promised me crash space, so we'll see...) My writers' workshop session is tomorrow from 1-4pm. I've been through my assigned chapter and made some notes; today I need to go back over everything and organize some (hopefully) sensible comments for the author. Also better re-read my own story, so if specific questions are raised, I'll be able to do better than a blank look. I've never been to a lit con or participated in a face-to-face workshop before so...

In other news: "The Stampeders" came back from The Pedestal, so I've shipped it off to Abyss & Apex. Everything I have completed is out looking for a home. At least there haven't been any rejections lately *looks around nervously in fear of having tempted fate*.

Looks like I'm on for the Baycon Writers' Workshop. But...but...but...I thought there would be a panel, and then a bunch of us wannabees who would have comments prepared on each other's stories. Then the pros would make some pithy comments, and it could all be semi-anonymous.

No. There's only two of usvictims scheduled for the session I'm in (that is, me and one other). Plus four pros to skewer us publiclygently guide us toward the light.

This is going to be like a panel interview! Or a dissertation defense (I remember all too well how much fun that wasn't) :-/

The plus side is I only have one person's work to critique--and it looks interesting.

Sent "The Stampeders" off to Realms of Fantasy today. At the very least, I won't have to worry about it for awhile ;->.

In other news, I've recently been in contact with some old friends from college days, who I haven't seen in *coughs* [way too many] years. Had a great phone chat catching with one who (unrealized by me until recently) lives locally, and happens to be one of the organizers for Baycon. So I'm definitely going this year! In fact I'm aiming to have something finished by the end of this month to submit for the writers' workshop. With that goal in mind, I pulled out a partial story (with notes and outline) that I abandoned a while back, but always intended to return to. I still like the basics of it, but it needs serious reworking. Time's a great editor, and I've an idea now what I want to do with it...

So, novel will have to take the back burner once again.