The Plague Documents

One away to Aeon.

In other news, I just finished listening to the audio version of Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach, which was both interesting and hilarious. She covers pretty much all optional fates for human remains including: organ transplant donor, anatomical dissection, rotting for study in a forensic experiment, cremation, composting, cannibalism, crash-test dummy, and so on. Brought back a lot of old memories of anatomy labs, as well as the time a lecturing professor stumbled into the cabinet holding the class skeleton, which proceeded to pop out on its sliding hanger like something from an amusement park haunted house. Except that said professor never missed a beat, just kept right on talking. Good times.

Subs out to Potter's Field 2 and Renard's Menagerie.

I forgot to include that I subbed a story to Asimov's on January 16. Haven't heard anything yet.

Also, I had a response already from my query to Neo-opsis, and my story there is still under consideration. Fingers crossed!

"The Oracle of Building 42" went off to Asimov's today. One of the pro reviewers from the Baycon workshop said he thought it was something Sheila Williams might like. So, I figure it's worth a try!

Now I have no more excuses for not either starting something new (out of one of the half-bakedformed ideas floating around in my head), or getting serious again about my NaNo novel.

Stories off to Clarkesworld Magazine and The Harrow this week.

Someone posted to The Rumor Mill about a sale to Neo-opsis. I've had one there since the beginning of August, and was notified some while back that it went into a 2d read pile...so maybe there's still reason to hope.

Also have one that's been in the queue at
IGMS since mid-October. The editor mentions on his blog that they're down to about 100 stories out of several several thousand. Hopefully mine is in that pile. Though of course maybe they've just lost it (which has happened to me all too often), and even more likely they'll reject in the end *sniff*. But heh, in the meantime, I have hope.

In fun news, I got a big box of goodies from Apex Digest: issue #8, my copy of Aegri Somnia, and (how could I resist?) a global domination mug. So, I'm all set.

Revisions to "The Oracle of Building 42" underway at long last.

Just sent "The Proust Effect" off to Intergalactic Medicine Show.

Fingers crossed.

Sent "The Resurrection Men" off to the Horror Library Volume 2 anthology.

"The Resurrection Men" came home from Dark Recesses and went right back out to Trabuco Road.

"The Proust Effect" was rejected by Strange Horizons, and has been subbed to Ideomancer.

Still pottering away on revisions to "The Oracle of Building 42." I'm hoping to be finished with it by the end of this week, and post it the oww for another round of comments (in case I've made horrible errors in the process of trying to fix it...).

"The Resurrection Men" went off to Dark Recesses.

As for me, I'm off to hunt for treasureto my Tai Chi class.

Story off to Aberrant Dreams.

Ten days until Devil's Slide reopens!

It's hot here, but not that hot--nothing like reports from the rest of the state. The worst part is everyone and their dog has decided the beach is the place to be. It looks like a scene from "Jaws" out there (minus the shark, although there *are* sharks around here and sometimes they bite people). Every square inch of sand is covered in sweaty bodies lying on over sized towels. Really doesn't look like fun to me.

Oh, and I'm getting a digital camera for my birthday! I bought my last camera when my oldest son was born (he'll be 17 in September), and it finally died dead.

Polite rejection (expressed interest in seeing more) of "The Stampeders" from FBS-ezine. So, today I shipped it off through the ether to Grendelsong. It has some fairy-tale elements, so we'll see...

As of Sunday I'm off to Tuscon for a scientific conference. I probably won't notice the heat due to spending all my time in over-air conditioned meeting rooms, but since it's probably going to be my only "vacation" this year, I hope to find some time to enjoy myself as well. It's being held in a fancy resort, so there's spa-stuff and swimming. Too bad I don't play golf. I'm also taking along some projects to work on in quiet moments. And hey, maybe I'll get some story ideas from the presentations ;->

So if I'm even quieter than usual for awhile, that's why.

Best news first: got my contract from Apex Digest on Saturday, so I signed and dropped it back in the mail today *rubs hands together with glee*

In other story news this month, I had a rejection from Abyss & Apex. That story has now gone out to a new market, FBS E-zine.

Still waiting to hear from: Horrors Beyond II Anthology, The Late Late Show, Peridot Books, and Weird Tales.

Baycon was great. It was my first con (other than a handful of media cons), so I dipped my big toe in this year, and yes, now I have the bug. My lovely friend, Nora, who is on staff, took me under her wing and introduced me to a lot of people. I was commuting, and so didn't stay for parties, but next year...look out!

I survived the writers' workshop in one piece as well! This was my first experience of face-to-face critting, so I was apprehensive, but everyone was very nice--which isn't to say they weren't critical, they just knew how to do it with class. There was one other sacrificial victim, and a panel of four writers (Lori White, G. David Nordley, Kevin O-Donnell Jr, and Morgan Hua). I gather the format (a few minutes for each critter to say their piece, then questions and open discussion) was pretty standard, and everyone gave me written notes as well. Naturally some of the comments were contradictory, but, heh, I have a lot to think about, which was the purpose.

And last but not least! wistling tagged me for the "username explanation" meme. "Plaguedocs" was the name I came up with when I started my reading blog, You Are What You Read back in December of 2002. I always loved the image of the plague doctor: leather "beak" stuffed with sweet-smelling herbs, crystal "goggles", gauntlets and all. Plus I keep finding myself reading about infectious diseases, as well as incorporating those microscopic monsters into my stories. TB, polio, and rabies have all featured so far. Smallpox and Hansen's disease are currently incubating.

So that's it, really. And, btw, wistling is a very cool username, with an interesting story behind it.

As for June plans... With a big work project to finish, an 8th grader graduating next week, parents coming to stay for said graduation, and a trip to a professional conference at the end of the month, I don't expect to get much writing done. I'm planning to work on revisions to my Baycon story while I'm away. Other than that, it'll mostly be jotting notes for a couple of germinating ideas and bouncing any stories that come back to me right out the door again.

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*.

I'd gone ahead and resubbed my lost submission to Aeon, only to receive a swift and polite rejection. So, just today I've shipped it off to Periodot Books. I hope they like it. It's a good story dammit ;->. It's one that's gotten a lot of positive feedback but no takers so far, and I'd really like for it to find a good home.

Rejection from Aberrant Dreams today. Turned it right around and sent it out to the Horrors Beyond II Anthology, as it seemed to fit their guidelines.

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.

Unfortunately, at 5,800 words, "The Knife in the Mirror" is too long for a lot of markets, so that cuts down on potential markets. Still, it seemed to fit the guidelines pretty well for Weird Tales, so I've sent it off there with fingers crossed for luck.

Saddle came today!

One story off to Fantasy and another to Apex Digest today. Fingers crossed!

More research notes for novel. It's gelling, but it's kind of an alt history thing, so I have to feel confident with the background in a couple of different eras. Well, three, actually (Elizabethan, 1930s, and 1970s). The last one I *should* remember, but you know what they say...

Other than that, I was surfing scientific journals at work the other day and found a fun link in Nature. It's called "lablit". "LabLit.com is dedicated to real laboratory culture and to the portrayal and perceptions of that culture – science, scientists and labs – in fiction, the media and across popular culture."

Subbed "The Proust Effect" to Baen's Universe. I went for the regular submission route and not the webslush board.

I'm also taking notes from a book called "Drake's Fortune" about a long-running scam involving the selling of shares in an effort to identify the "rightful" heirs of Sir Francis Drake. It's for the NaNoNot novel I'm still picking away at ;->

Finally finished revisions on "The Resurrection Men," and subbed it out to Aberrant Dreams today. No word on anything else yet, including WoTF.

I noticed that Eggplant Literary Productions Library is not only closed, the website is gone. RIP. It was an entertaining and original publication, and I was thrilled to have my little fantastical excerpt appear there.

Also, does everyone know that Fictionwise is making Nebula nominated stories available for free?

That's pretty much it for the moment. My new icon is in honor of horse hunting (may have found one, yeah!). Up next: working on NaNo project, polishing a couple of stories that have been lying fallow, starting work on some alt hist...