Tuesday, May 2

Reading five stories for the workshop tonight wasn't as hard as I had expected. All five of them are short. Around 6800 words total. Some nights we've had one story longer than that to critique, so this wasn't bad at all. Of course I had planned on reading these stories over a period of days, but did it work that way? No. I read them all today, on my day off from work.

At any rate, I'm ready with my critiques.

As for my writing, I've lost momentum. I've spotted talk about momentum in a couple of other Web Rat journals and that's exactly what I've been working on achieving, but I had a set back. When this sort of thing happens (and it has happened more than once) I'll get indecisive about which story I should work on. You see, I lost the energy for this one, so maybe I should work on this other one, but . . .

I have two stories I have started in the last few months plus I have started rewrites on two other stories. Not to mention the few other stories sitting on my desk--a couple of those would be very easy to get back in the mail. I would like to write new words so that means avoiding the rewrites, but I really need to get that Christmas story rewritten for the Wordo anthology.

Argh. It shouldn't be this difficult. I go back to the fact that I should write for that one hour every day to build back momentum on one of the new stories. Then, when I have the one hour session done, I can work on the rewrite.

Sounds so easy on paper, doesn't it?

TRUST THE PROCESS. JUST DO IT.

The May Kate and Damon workshop is the weekend after next (second Saturday of each month). I sure would like to bring something.

More later.



Wednesday, May 3

Last night we critiqued four stories at the workshop. One person (who was suppose to be critiqued) couldn't make it, so we will do that story next week.

It wasn't a long workshop either. We talked about posting goals to our e-mail list. Daily, weekly, yearly, short term, long term, whatever. Just something to get the fire going underneath us. Already today, I've seen four e-mails from other workshop members posting their goals. The fires are burning here in Eugene. Man, I love this workshop, this writing community.

I haven't posted any goals to the list yet. I'm hesitant. I know posting my goals to this journal does a littlie something for me. Imagine posting to an e-mail list made up of other writers I see everyweek. Other writers that may ask me each week, "how's your progress?" That shouldn't be a bad thing.



Saturday, May 6

Finally! An update to my Storyboard. I sent "To Anna, From The Styx" to Fantastic (formerly Pirate Writings).

I feel more like a writer now. I'll feel even more like one after some more writing today.

More later.



Tuesday, May 9

The workshop tonight is at the Oltions' house. Seems there was some kind of mix up at the bookstore and something got scheduled for our Wordo-reserved Tuesday nights. This probably will never happen again. It was good of Jerry to offer his house for the workshop. Kathy will be there too if she's not working. I know the House Of Oltion well, my one and only housesitting gig whenever they go out of town for an extended period of time.

Mmmmm. I wonder. Maybe the one being critiqued (there will be three of them) should be the one in the hot tub. :)

I'm revising a little here, a little there. And I'm writing a little here, and a little there. I may bring a revised story to Damon and Kates this weekend. I'll see later on in the week.



Tuesday, May 16

After last Tuesday's workshop, where I learned there is such a sub-genre in science fiction of generation ships and where the people aboard those ships are not aware that they are on a space ship, I began to feel even less momentum and desire to work on my current story. In my story, it's a virtual island shooting through space. It has land and bodies of water and streaking stars above. The impetus of the story I wanted to write involved souls and soul containers, be it machines or humans. I don't know if I need a generation ship. Eric Witchey's story last week was a good generation ship story, even though I don't think I've ever read one. I heard one other critquer say it had something new to say in the arena of generation ships. I would like to think I could come up with something original to say as well if I keep the generation ship.

But let's just say, in short, I'm not working on that story right now. I'm working on getting those other four stories off my desk. So I've been revising, and within that revising there has been some new writing. It's been slow because I haven't been faithful every day to my writing. However, today I have done some. And after I'm done with this, I'll do some more.

In other news, the Nebula awards will be given out this Saturday. SciFi.com is having an open chat session during the awards and I'll be in front of the webtv for that. I'll also be housesitting for Jerry and Kathy since they'll be in New York for the awards.

The only other story I have read in the Novella category (were Jerry's and Adam-Troy Castro's story is nominated) is Ted Chiang's "Story Of Your Life." I enjoyed Chiang's story, but I think "Astronaut" has more of the human factor, so in my humble opnion, I think Jerry and Adam have a stonger story. But do SFWA members side with hard science more than the human factor? I'm not so sure. There is Fantasy, the other F, in SFWA. Ideally, I suppose it should be a pleasing balance beween the science and the human factor. "The Astronaut From Wyoming" had a better balance than "Story Of Your Life." For me. My opinion. I haven't read the other nominees and I don't think I'll be able to by awards night.

Bruce Holland Rogers and Leslie What are both in the short story category. Leslie isn't going to the awards, but Bruce is. And he's going to accept for her if she should win.

Should be an exciting night . . .



Saturday, May 20

The Nebulas have been announced!

Eugene's own Leslie What won for Best Short Story--"The Cost Of Doing Business." Great for Leslie! Bruce Holland Rogers accepted for her. He read her prepared speech and it included a P.S.--"Bruce was robbed." As you may or may not know, both of them were nominated in the same category.

Jerry Oltion's collaboration with Adam-Troy Castro, "The Astronaut From Wyoming," in the Novella category did not win. Alas. Ted Chiang's "The Story Of Your Life" took it.

Well I was hoping Jerry and Adam would get one, but I'm very happy for Leslie. This must be a thrill for her. Hopefully also a career booster. Jerry and Bruce have Nebula lucite from past years to cherish.

Since I'm here housesitting for the Oltions, I'm going out on the deck to use the hot tub. I'll have a microbrew and toast the stars.



Tuesday, May 23

Should be an interesting night at the workshop tonight. Bruce will be giving Leslie her Nebula award. In fact, there has been e-mail posted to our listserver from Leslie wanting to see her award early, and by Bruce who teases her and refuses to do that. They're talking lawyers, cops, and mad terriers. If I didn't know them better I would actually believe they are fighting, but they're not. They're just being funny. For all I know, they probably got together yesterday to look at the award. And tonight it will only seem like Leslie will be seeing her award tonight for the first time.

Anyway, it's nice that the rest of the group will see the award. A little show and tell. Bruce and Jerry had done that when they won. Maybe I'll be able to get some pictures to put on the Wordos page.

Bruce has said, "One Nebula for a Eugene writer every year. That's all we ask." We as a group now have more Nebulas than Connie Willis (one individual) in Greeley Colorado. The count:
Eugene: 7
Greeley: 6

Kate Wilhelm has three, Bruce has two, Jerry has one, and now Leslie has one.

In another interesting developement, workshop member, Marshall Mosley, will be bringing a guest tonight. Ted Chiang, the Nebula winner that won in the novella category Jerry Oltion was in. I've never met the man, but I guess he lives in Washington. He didn't make it to the Nebulas (someone excepted for him) so I wonder if he has his award yet. Well, I'll find out tonight. I look forward to meeting him. I first heard about him at Clarion in '93--few years previously Ellen Datlow had bought his first story at Clarion and then it won the Nebula. I don't think Jerry has met him yet either and he won't be there. He's still in New York.

#########################
And welcome, Harold, to the Web Rats!





Wednesday, May 24

Leslie got her Nebula at the workshop last night. Bruce made a show of removing fake awards from a large suitcase, prolonging Leslie's eagerness to get her hands on the award. When she finally did get the award, I do believe she was stunned. Speechless, at the very least. I think that was the moment when it all became real to her, a tangible award to prove the reality.

I also found out that Kate Wilhelm has 3 Nebulas, not two. Damon Knight does have the Grand Master Nebula, but nobody was counting that one. I made the change to yesterday's entry.

Ted Chiang had not received his award yet. Leslie asked if he wanted to touch her's, but Ted said no because she needed some time alone with it. :)

It was nice to meet Ted Chiang. He even critqued the two stories we had last night. Fifty percent of his published stories have won the Nebula award. He's had four published.

Four years in a row now a Eugene writer has won a Nebula. Will there be one next year? Excuse me and my shameful expression of community pride :) I know, I know, it's about the writing and I can't forget that I have my own writing to deal with.



Wednesday, May 31

Thought for the day. Did you know, for Ray Bradbury's entire writing career, he's been sending every manuscript to The New Yorker? And they have never bought a story from Mr. Bradbury. I'm surprised. The New Yorker has published two Stephen King stories now, so they do want writers that sell magazines. Why not Ray?