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A couple of writers I know have recently been published.

Dryad by Julie K. Rose is now available for your reading pleasure at Serendipity, the online journal of Magical Realism. Julie is a vivid writer, full of deep description.

And one of my fellow Broads from Broad Universe, Phoebe Wray has her new book, Jemma 7729 available for purchase from EDGE. Phoebe was a delight to hang out with last Wiscon.

Best of luck to both of these women with their new publications!

My friend Mark lent me John Scalzi’s book of writing essays some time ago, and I just started reading it on the exercise bike this morning. It’s tongue-in-cheek, and it’s sarcastic, but it’s also a solid piece of perspective.

Let me tell you why, if you’re a writer, you should read this.

Many of us base our writing in insecurity. We are, after all, artistic butterflies. Much of what we produce is beautiful, gossamer, and not worldly. Even if you have to work on your craft yet, this may well be how you view your work. We also, as artistic sorts often tend to do, look to find our work in other’s acceptance of us, and compare our success to the success of others.

Scalzi iterates as plainly as any writer I’ve ever seen what I consider to be the core of writing–stop worrying about others. You have your own writing to worry about.

Continue reading “Scalzi on Writing”

…you’d think I’d be all zen, but my body just hurts. Remember kids, if it doesn’t burn, it’s not zen. 😉

Seriously, I had a very worthwhile retreat. I learned a lot about the form, met a lot of nice people, had the best spinach lasagna I’ve ever had in my life, and I’ve learned Dominican sisters are fierce! I undertook my first labyrinth walk, and that was something.

Upon checking my email, Nancy Gallt let me know she was swamped, so no read there.

Tomorrow, alas, it’s back into the office to see to a few things that have popped up in my email box and to take care of the Portus YA series, as well as some plotting for a game and a presentation for some of Bryon’s kids. That could well be a full day at the office. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but it’s all gotta get done.

Then, I’ll keep my head low at the library for the rest of the break.

Catherine

Next week is spring break. I intend to either be behind a sewing machine or in the University of Iowa library, so I figured I’d best get next week’s queries off.

Without further adieu then, the next 4:

David Dunton of Harvey Klinger
Diane Dreher of Rights Unlimited
Jonathan Lazear of The Lazear Agency
Nancy Gallt of Nancy Gallt

I still have papers and the YA series to do over break, but that’s not too bad…

Catherine

Good news here. I’ve been awarded an Endowed Faculty Chair for the Fall of 2008. What this means is that I’ll get six credits of release time and the resultant financial support from the college. Instead of teaching and/or administrating during that time, I will be working on Hulk Hercules: Professional Wrestler and a curriculum guide about classical Greek gods to go with it.

This means that next fall, I get to flirt with the idea of what it’d be like to write full time. Allison, my dean, and I have to hammer out all the particulars, but essentially I’ll be teaching and preparing for two less classes, and my coordinator duties will be somewhat reduced as I will be away from campus.

Sometimes the doctorate has bennies. Nice bennies.

Catherine

Today’s rejection comes from Catherine Drayton of InkWell. Nothing special to add there.

Wiscon chocolate has arrived at my house! All of you coming to Wiscon to hear Julie Rose, Yolanda Joosten, Jenn Racek and myself read will get treated to 72 percent organic vegan chocolate that has been bought to benefit endangered animals. At the event, we will also feature art work by artist Cat Horsfield. Oh yeah.

I don’t think you can get any more Wiscon than that.

Catherine

It’s been a grim week at Chez Stump for a variety of reasons. At least the snow is melting into dirty masses, which at night, can become all sorts of gremlins if you let them.

I needed to do something for myself today. After today’s weigh in, I discovered that that can’t be eating anymore (oh dear! Like I said, grim…), so I decided to get started on next week’s submissions.

Well, just the one.

When I was investigating agents to send to back in November, the Prospect Agency captured my attention. I love the look and feel of their website. It’s a gorgeous aesthetic. For me, it’s like being back at Iowa State, gazing misty-eyed at Carrie Chapman Catt Hall. The English offices used to be there, you see, and I spent a lot of time in its environs happily, getting educated about great books.

I loved my time at Iowa State. I had the best friends of my life there, including the man I married. I spent time being creative, getting a great liberal arts education (even though it was a state school, yes.) Sometimes I miss that time of my life keenly.

I get the same feel from the Prospect Agency. They seem a friendly bunch, and they seem to love books. One of them graduated from Carleton, as many of my good Minnesota friends have. Another is a Grinnell graduate, a stone’s throw from my home, and that’s a great liberal arts college. I like the sound of them, their philosophies, and just the general vibe. They sound like people I’d want to know in my professorial persona. Interesting people who read interesting books. English majors. Yeah. The English major vibe. God bless liberal arts!

Win, lose, or draw for me, I wanted you to see their site, because I appreciated it a lot. I would love to fit there. It would be like being back in college in some ways. Sure, I’m imagining and romanticizing, but I’m an author. If I can’t, who can?

Okay. Enough romance. Writing is a business, right? Not some vine covered brick buildings, where professors dressed in tweed and sweaters can slouch over laptops with a bunch of lattes in reach. But one can certainly dream…

Catherine

Sisyphus is officially looking for brand new rocks.

Agent B was Shana Cohen of Stuart Krichevsky Literary Agency. She kept my partial for a while. Here’s what she had to say.

“…your (manuscript) had been set aside after an initial favorable reading. Unfortunately, despite the strength of your work, I’m afraid I didn’t respond strongly enough to be able to offer you representation.”

Again, we’re number 2!! We’re number 2!!! 🙂 I do like the despite the strength of my work line.

***

BUT in super positive news, Drollerie Press updated their schedule.

Sister Night/Sister Moon, Catherine Schaff-Stump
E-book review copies July 5th
E-Book release August 5th

After Wiscon planning, I’ll start figuring out who to send review copies to in July, and so forth. Anybody who has any ideas of good reviewers, feel free. Drollerie has a resource list that helps us out, but I’ll take any good suggestions.

By the way, it’s a steamy tale of a man, three muses, and betrayal. Yup, very YA. 🙂 So, if you’re a romance or fantasy reader, it might be good for you.

And if you want a copy, and are willing to say things about it somewhere…

Right. Duty calls. I have 14 portfolios with an earnest need to be checked, grades to configure, and then I have to start on the Portus YA Author Reading Series.

I haven’t talked about this yet? I’m such a tease, I know. This will get its own entry VERY soon.

Catherine

I set the story Hulk Hercules: Professional Wrestler, the first of the MYTHtery Kids books in Chicago. As I’m sitting here, waiting for the rest of my students to show with their portfolios, I started doing a little research.

I’ve hit the jackpot. I just wanted a gym in Chicago where Uncle Leo could train, but instead I found

THE WINDY CITY PRO WRESTLING TRAINING CENTERS

Sweet. That smacks of research field trip.

Received today’s (very polite) rejection from Michael Bourret.

And that’s about it.

Catherine