It’s been quieter here at the capitol this last week, and I’ve been getting home earlier. Ironically, fosteronfilm went to an IMAGE salon and an advance screening of The Host this week, and as a result, we haven’t seen much more of each other. Sigh.
Writing Stuff
This temporary lull has provided my muse with some slack in the choke hold rein I’ve had clamped on her. I figured that during session, I simply wouldn’t have the time (or energy) to crank out fiction, so I’ve been trying to table all the ideas and suppress the must-write compulsion until I had the leisure to write again.
Well, that didn’t work. A story has been hammering and hammering at me all week. I finally gave in and started it. Gah!
I expect I’ve got this weekend to finish it. Word around the office is that the legislators are scheduled for beaucoup meetings all next week, which probably means beaucoup work for us editors and no time for writing. And they reconvene the week after that, which throws us back into busy-busy-busy-die mode.
How stupid am I to have started a new story? Argh! 
Received:
– Contract from Mirrorstone Books for “Princess Bufo marinus, I Call Her Amy.”
– A note from someone who’s read my chapbook vampire stories: “Ascendancy of Blood,” “Inspirations End,” and “Still My Beating Heart” and wanted to read “The Few, the Proud, the Leech Corps.” Yay! Except “Leech Corps” was published in an issue of Oceans of the Mind, which has ceased publication, and that story hasn’t been reprinted in anything (yet). So I said I’d email him a PDF of the story for $1. He agreed and paid, I sent him the PDF, and woohoo, everyone’s happy.
Although it felt a little weird selling my fiction directly to a reader rather than to an editor or publisher. But it got me thinking that I might want to make more of my out-of-print works available like this. I wouldn’t sell anything which is currently in print, as I sure as heck wouldn’t want to compete with the wonderful editors and publishers who’ve bought my stuff. But the out-of-print stuff is another matter, assuming there’s actually a market for it and this wasn’t a one-and-only occurrence–which it may very well be.
New Words:
– Got the interview answers back from the Highlights for Children editor for my Writing for Young Readers column, formatted it, and sent it off to ye olde editor. Huzzah!
– 900 words on the new story, tentatively titled, “Princess Fireheart.” I’m aiming for no more than 3K on this one, and I might be able to keep it at 2Kish. Assuming I have the time to finish it, that is. Stupid muse.
Granted I know nothing about the site, but have you tried putting your stories up on Fictionwise? Either way, gotta keep your fans happy! 🙂
It’s a thought, but Fictionwise asks for exclusive electronic rights for 5 years as well as at least 10 reprint stories (which they recommend be at least 5K words) before considering whether they’ll sign someone on. I’m not sure if I’ve got 10 out-of-print stories that qualify–a lot of my fairy tale stuff is in the 2K work length range–and while I’ve probably got enough if I toss in some still-in-print ones, I’m loathe to create competition with the wonderful publications that bought my stuff.
>How stupid am I to have started a new story? Argh!
Love the little “beating the head against the wall” emoticon. Please don’t try that at home, Eugie. Leave that to the trained professional. Finish the story instead. As that’s where your greatest talents lie. 🙂
But sometimes a bit of head truma can be good for the soul
.
Actually, doing $1 downloads for out-of-print stuff is an intriguing idea. Must ponder this. I have a couple of things that are out of print that might find a better home this way… Hmmm
Direct sale to readers certainly has its advantages . . .
Yes, yes it does. Your DC pictures were awesome, btw. Thanks for reminding me about the $1 downloads, I ended up ill over the weekend and thought of NOTHING.
Good supplemental income is where you find it. I’m paraphrasing RoboCop, but still. Lot of wisdom in that movie.
No kidding. On the supplemental income part, well, and the RoboCop part too. That movie certainly had its amusing bits . . .
W00t! for time with the muse! Take it where you can get it, right?
🙂
And steal it where you can’t! Or, err, something like that.
Glad to see you’re grabbing some time for writing. On the out-of-print stories, couldn’t you do a proposal to your agent for a one-author anthology? I personally buy those frequently.
My agent doesn’t handle my short fiction; we agreed to that in our initial discussions. But I’m not adverse to the idea of a single author collection if any publishers are so inclined. But so far, none are battering down my door, eager to publish an all-Eugie-short-stories, only-Eugie-short-stories tome. Alas.