Drollerie Things

Right now, I’m working on catching up with Drollerie–sending out contracts, getting some information to them. I hope to finish that tonight.

Other than tiredly relapsing and resting and trying to catch up at work, there’s not much else to report.

What would be lovely tonight is to get the website things I want done, to get the Drollerie things in hand, and to write a bit. Given that I’m still not running at top speeds, that’s probably ambitious, but we do what we can.

I hope you are all well. Just thought I should let you know I’m not dead yet.

Precise Language

Tonight’s writing became an exercise in sharpening. I was reading chapter 8 for continuity and suddenly the clouds opened. The rays of sharper words showed through, and I tightened.

So, a productive two hours on Substance.

Received my author pack from Drollerie. Looks like I don’t have to register the copyright after all. πŸ™‚ Well, it’s a short story, so we’re good. I have some reading to do!

Catherine

Getting Organized

Too much sleep today and I’m awake now. How ironic!

Thought I would use the time to read the Drollerie contract, which looks fine to me. I am going to have to register my first copyright, so more to learn. πŸ™‚

I also thought I’d get creatively organized and see what I have lined up. Let’s go!

Revise Substance and resubmit to Agent A: by February 15th
Revise Vince and Abby story for Apex and Abyss: by February 29th
Revise Mistoreth’s Eyesfor Strange Horizons: by March 15th
Crest of Stars Costumes: by March 30th

Finish comparative teaching English in Japan and US Paper: by April 18th
Write Feminism in The Master and Margarita Paper: Pending acceptance, by May 20th
Prepare multi-media reading for Wiscon: by May 20th
Write Neville Longbottom and the Heroic Journey: Pending acceptance, by June 15th
Prepare Costuming Panel: Pending acceptance, by June 15th
Beauxbatons Costume: by June 15th

Begin Hulk Hercules: Professional Wrestler: Pending signing of contract, by October

Continue to submit Substance to other agents: Ongoing
Website Tinkering and Repair: Ongoing
Working with editor on Sister Night, Sister Moon: Ongoing pending editor changes, suggestions, and communications.

Well, looks like I know kind of what’ll be going on through the end of March. My vision from April on is a little less definite, but these are pretty good predictions.

Thank goodness I only have one gall bladder they can take out! I really need my time, and I need to get crackin’!

Wish me luck. But remind me I can’t wear all these three creative hats at once.

Catherine

Success for Sister Night, Sister Moon

Pending signing of a contract, Sister Night, Sister Moon has found a home with Drollerie Press, of whom you can learn more here:

Drollerie Press

This will be my first sale, pending whether or not I get the Cats Curious contract for Hulk Hercules before the Drollerie contract. And remember folks, until the ink’s on the line, it’s another soap bubble that could fall through. That’s publishing–blowing bubbles. Sonya, I think the ending of Sister Night, Sister Moon is much better thanks to your comments.

I’ve been sort of healing today, so I’m not as excited about this as I should be, but let me add a smile and a little wee. πŸ™‚ But hey, two very likely projects. Not too shabby. And an agent wanting a second look. I feel a lot more real than I did just a few months ago.

I’ll go back to work now on Substance of Shadows. What a lovely pick me up for today!

Catherine

Chapter 9 Action

Did some blahblahblah whacking and some mind meld on chapter 9. Need to add a mystifyin’ clarifyin’ scene.

Long day yesterday. Cleared by the doctor to leave spaceport, but wore myself out by sitting too much. If you can believe it. Last night’s effort on the writing was certainly not all out.

This weekend, writing and checking papers will share the spotlight. We are getting closer to getting this rewrite sewn up, but considering the majority of the revision is happening in these pages, the light at the end of the tunnel is still a pinpoint.

More to come.

Catherine

Chapter 8 Revised and Proofread

Well, I was right. Chapter 8 held up pretty well. I cut about 3/4 of a page total.

Oh, the melodrama! Oh, the angst!

Chapter 9 on, though, will require me to be on, so to speak, so I’ll be giving it a miss tonight, because I broke down and took some pain medication. The worst that happens is a rash, so I’ll deal.

See you tomorrow, most likely after we’ve traversed the snowy roads to and from the surgeon’s office. I’m betting that we’ll have cancelled classes tomorrow…again.

Lucid

Feelin’ a powerful bit better today, although the tummy still looks pretty savage. I’m beginning to be bored though, and that’s a good sign.

Today I even cleaned a bit of house. Mind you, nothing substantial. I can’t lift anything over 10 pounds for a while.

So, after catching up here a bit, I’ll begin chapter 8. Awesome. At least we did something this week.

Catherine

Successful Surgery

I am now coherent enough to let everyone know that I’ve come through the surgery okay. I’m not coherent enough to write yet, alas. You would not believe the combing I’m doing for typos in this short entry.

The operation was successful. Slowly but steadily I have been getting my mobility and my alacrity back. The fly in the ointment is that I have had an allergic reaction to the medicine they spread on my belly after the operation, so when my spouse returns home, I’ll be on both pain pills and benadryl for a bit.

Oh yeah. That’ll be good for editing. Sure. πŸ™‚

But we’ll give it a try tomorrow and see how it goes. Today I think we’re just going to keep sleeping and relaxing and recuperating.

My stomach looks like a warzone. In spite of what they tell you, never take the bandages off.

Looking forward to getting back into some regular writing routine. At least there’s a finite end to this in site.

Hope you are all well.

Catherine

Paper Proposals

Students testing in front of me…so I must be back at work! But only for today!

And in preparation for Gall Bladder Liberation Day, it’s going to be pretty much school work and lesson plans, but here at Writer Tamago I wanted to add that I’ll be sending off an academic proposal to Wiscon about Margarita in Master and Margarita (deadline=Monday. Today, last really lucid day for a while) and another paper about either self sacrifice or about Neville Longbottom and the Hero’s Journey (because the last thing we need is another Harry Potter and the Hero’s Journey) for Portus.

Because part of the shell around the chick is an academic egg.

When I come out of the coma on Sunday, I’ll be trying to get back to a writing schedule. I have some papers to check next week, yeah, but if I can get comfortable and get my head together next week, I have a little enforced vacation of writing just waiting to happen.

However, I can be zen and heal if I have to. πŸ™‚ I’ve been making as much progress as possible, consider the demon in my belly.

Every time I say something like this, I am fated to post again, but even so, I’ll let you all know when I have crossed the River Styx, journeyed through Hades, and passed on through to the other side. Hope the spirits don’t want to drink too much of my blood, because I’m not too interested in talking to most of them. Except I might stay a while to pet Toby and Michael.

I hope your pens are fertile, and I’ll see you on the other side, emerging like a phoenix from the carnage ashes.

Catherine

Readings and Webbings

Thanks, Mark, again, for tweaking the site. It’s coming along, and I appreciate your help.

Last night’s activity was getting around with peeps from my writing group to plan out a group activity for reading at Wiscon. We’re going to do a great presentation with Julie Rose, Yolanda Joosten, Jenn Racek and myself reading, punctuated with a music track laid by Jools, and awesome artwork from Cat Horsfield for each story.

Then, to prove to myself what a crap proofreader I am, I applied spell check to the first seven chapters of Substance. Oh, never give me a job as an editor! I need proofreaders, I do!!!

Right. I’m teaching right now, gurgling gall bladder or no. I hope to do some writing tomorrow night while I’m waiting for a meeting, but there’s all that being gone for a week crap to do. I hope I feel like writing after the surgery some, because there wil be a lot of time.

Mata ashita ne!

Catherine