Some things:

The annual Asimov's Reader's Poll is online, and I have a story, "Impossible Dreams", in the running. Just, y'know, FYI.

Toby Buckell is having a survey, asking how many novels you wrote before selling your first one. (I sold the fifth novel I wrote!) The more data he gets, the more delicious his statistics will be, so go weigh in if you have info to add.

Looks like a new Korean magazine launching in February '07, Fantastique, will be reprinting "Little Gods". It'll be my first story published into Korean, I think. Always nice to collect a new language.

Other things. Hmm. I have many ideas for short stories. One is a high-concept pirate story, which would be good, as there's a pirate anthology open to submissions for several more weeks. But it's all concept at this point -- no plot, no viewpoint characters determined, just an elevator pitch and a title. I'll have to gnaw it over in my mind some more, and research a little.

Another idea is much more ripe and ready to write. I've wanted to write a revenge thriller for years -- you know, those stories where a character with nothing left to lose kills his way up a ladder of criminals by way of taking revenge on those who destroyed his family, etc. I watched Man on Fire the other day, and it rekindled my desire to write such a story. But I didn't want to write it unless I had a good, fresh take on the (extremely well-worn) idea. I think I've found my angle, though. I could start writing it tonight, even. The first scenes are clear to me, and I sense a shape behind the veil.

The third idea is a high fantasy story, of all things. Like, dudes with swords, an invented world, all that stuff. Don't know if I'll write it. It's a neat idea, but it's just kind of sitting there inert in my head, not connecting with any other ideas. Maybe it just needs to gestate (or ferment, or compost, or whatever -- pick your metaphor) for a while longer.