Whew. We just got 4-5 inches of snow dumped on us last night and most of this morning. Needless to say, the city of Raleigh and surrounding areas have been shut down.

Elizabeth and I had a really nice morning, sitting next to a roaring fire (thanks to my folks for dropping off a pile of wood for us last weekend -- nice timing!). She was working on one of her many projects for her last semester of grad school classes, and I was knee-deep in research.

I didn't do any writing today, but read/skimmed two books I'd bought in Ocracoke last October about the island and its neighbor, Portsmouth Island. Pulled some nifty details from those books, and also flipped through my research on pirates (yeehaw! Pirates!) and created a sort of "alternate-history" for my evil pirate ghostie, Stede Bonnet. Much fun all around. I feel quite ready to dive into the next wave of drafting on the Blackbeard novel, now, as a result.

I also spent some time this afternoon going over my research for the Shadow Wolf story I'm working on with Derek, and again pulled some good stuff together. Looking forward to writing my next scene in there as well. So I consider it a day well spent.

Tonight I plan on reading some Stephen King (I gave up on de Lint, sorry -- wasn't holding my attention after 100 pages, and Too. Many. Characters! I'll give it a try someday, when I'm not so scattered). I'm diving into From a Buick 8, and hope to read it before Sunday so I can get it back to my brother-in-law (I hate having books from other people -- makes me paranoid I'll spill on it or muss it up... though I've had a Gene Wolfe novel from my buddy Chris for going on 2 years now...).

And finally, I got yet another rejection today, and I'm stumped again as to where to send it! This is what I get for writing SF. Seems there are many, many more fantasy/horror markets out there. This one is a Wannoshay story, "Skin and Blood." The editor liked the setting but the story didn't grab him, alas. It's already been to Analog, Sci Fiction, Strange Horizons, Asimov's, and F&SF.

Sheesh. This is become a bad, bad pattern here. I may have to pick up rejectomancy after all...

Have a good one, and stay warm! Oh yeah -- REM's "(Don't Go Back to) Rockville" is one of my Top Ten All-Time, Desert Island Favorite Songs. I've just decided it. Later!

Now Playing:
"Eponymous", REM

Now Reading:
From a Buick 8, King

Stories out to Publishers:
18

Today's Words:
0. And that's okay.