The Mississippi River Writers Conference on Oct. 3 was time well spent. As a presenter, I was able to give some information and encouragement to the small group of attendees. The only drawback was that my message--on rejections--would have been more appropriate for a younger audience. The attendees this year were middle-aged or older, some were repeat offenders [:-)] and many of them had already self-published something.
On the other hand, with that much experience in the audience, I was able to learn a few things myself. The presentation by Dan Harstad was entertaining, funny, and very informative.
The MRWC used up all of Saturday. It's a three-hour drive home and about half of it was done after sundown. Some of the route was on little county roads. I was glad I was able to have my brights on for some of the trip because I probably would have hit a deer without them. As it was, I had time to stop. I was able to fill up the truck at ten cents/gal. less than what it costs at home...and they hiked it another ten cents this week so I'll be driving for the next two weeks on gas that's twenty cents cheaper than everyone else. Ha-ha!
Then Sunday I got to spend too much of the afternoon putting in a new kitchen sink faucet. As usual, there's always one of the fixtures that just won't cooperate. Either you can't get a tool on it because of the crowded conditions underneath, or something is so corroded that it just won't budge, or something even worse. This time it was mostly the first one. Unfortunately, last weekend we tried to put a new flush valve on the toilet. Couldn't get the tank off--corrosion on the one bolt that's hardest to get at. We'll try it again this weekend. I bought a hack saw.
But that combination of tasks left me no time to write the weekly episode of the Mascot Serial. Apologies. There's a short addition this week.
As for writing, I'm putting Saving Atlantis on hold for a time while I edit, edit, edit. I want to do a final edit on Witchery before submitting it to Double Dragon. Medallion Books declined to pursue it. I also plan on submitting an anthology to a contest and I want to edit all the stories before submission. I've got till December for that one. Plus, I'm doing a pre-pub edit on Anthony Wedgeworth's sixth and final book in his Altered Creatures series. And I still have to do my review column for Page and Spine and have it done by the 23rd at the latest.
If I didn't have to work or sleep I'd have plenty of time. That reminds me: I also submitted my application for a two-week stay at the ISLAND Hill House residency. Anthony Wedgeworth, N.K. Wagner, publisher/editor of Page and Spine magazine, and author Mary Rosenblum all agreed to be references for me. Wish me luck!
On the other hand, with that much experience in the audience, I was able to learn a few things myself. The presentation by Dan Harstad was entertaining, funny, and very informative.
The MRWC used up all of Saturday. It's a three-hour drive home and about half of it was done after sundown. Some of the route was on little county roads. I was glad I was able to have my brights on for some of the trip because I probably would have hit a deer without them. As it was, I had time to stop. I was able to fill up the truck at ten cents/gal. less than what it costs at home...and they hiked it another ten cents this week so I'll be driving for the next two weeks on gas that's twenty cents cheaper than everyone else. Ha-ha!
Then Sunday I got to spend too much of the afternoon putting in a new kitchen sink faucet. As usual, there's always one of the fixtures that just won't cooperate. Either you can't get a tool on it because of the crowded conditions underneath, or something is so corroded that it just won't budge, or something even worse. This time it was mostly the first one. Unfortunately, last weekend we tried to put a new flush valve on the toilet. Couldn't get the tank off--corrosion on the one bolt that's hardest to get at. We'll try it again this weekend. I bought a hack saw.
But that combination of tasks left me no time to write the weekly episode of the Mascot Serial. Apologies. There's a short addition this week.
As for writing, I'm putting Saving Atlantis on hold for a time while I edit, edit, edit. I want to do a final edit on Witchery before submitting it to Double Dragon. Medallion Books declined to pursue it. I also plan on submitting an anthology to a contest and I want to edit all the stories before submission. I've got till December for that one. Plus, I'm doing a pre-pub edit on Anthony Wedgeworth's sixth and final book in his Altered Creatures series. And I still have to do my review column for Page and Spine and have it done by the 23rd at the latest.
If I didn't have to work or sleep I'd have plenty of time. That reminds me: I also submitted my application for a two-week stay at the ISLAND Hill House residency. Anthony Wedgeworth, N.K. Wagner, publisher/editor of Page and Spine magazine, and author Mary Rosenblum all agreed to be references for me. Wish me luck!
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