Alan Roberts came to the “Strolling with the Stars” event that Stu Segal had arranged and offered me this photo.  It is my very favorite one.  Let me tell you what is happening here.  I’m standing between Jay Lake and John Scalzi, two men who are dear friends as well as being former Campbell winners.  I feel so very proud to share their company, not just because of our friendship but because I admire them both tremendously as writers.

On my left wrist, you see that corsage?  My friends Ken Scholes and Jen West gave me that.  Jen loaned her husband to me for the night as my escort.  See, I’d told Rob to stay home because I was so sure that I wouldn’t win but Ken volunteered to be my date.  Never did a girl feel so supported.  It was like going to the prom, but so much better.

Honestly, as much as the Campbell award means to me, the larger thing that it represents is embodied in these guys.  I am daunted by their talent, but at the same time, I know that I am supported by them.  And that support is why this is my favorite picture.

Jennifer Jackson is answering questions about agenting, on her LJ. And today she was talking about the role of net-working and conferences. It’s worth reading, but she basically says that all the net-working in the world won’t make a difference if the book isn’t good. Then she says:

On the other hand, Elizabeth Bear introduced me to Jay Lake, who in turn set up a meeting with Ken Scholes, and he recommended Mary Robinette Kowal, who became a new client of mine last month. (That makes it Mary’s turn….) So, it certainly has its advantages. They still all had to write really, really, really, really ridiculously good books.

Which set me thinking… See, the thing is, that Ken’s introduction let me jump the slush pile. BUT if I’d sent in my first novel, Jennifer would have rejected me. The novel I signed with is the fourth that I’ve written.

The evolution goes like this:

• Novel 0: Took ten years, starting from high school, to write. It is well and firmly trunked. (Shape-shifting cat/human aliens with wings anyone? Did I mention my D&D character has the same name? Yeah… trunk. TRUNK.)
• Novel 1: Middle-grade Fantasy - Six months. I think this has potential, but there’s a flaw in the first three chapters that I can’t seem to fix. I sent this out to publishers on my own for a while, and always got requests for partials but no requests for fulls. Now. This is book one in a series. Did I write the second book in the series next? No.
• Novel 2: Science Fiction/Murder Mystery - Four months. Better. It needed revisions, so I set it aside to think about before diving into it. Meanwhile, I wrote:
• Novel 3: Urban Fantasy/Chick Lit - Three months. Good. Needs revisions… Meanwhile:
• Novel 4: Regency romance/Fantasy - Three months. Good! This immediately felt stronger than the others and I had a clear view of what changes needed to happen. So I didn’t wait on the revisions. This is the one I signed with.

The point being, that it took a while for me to learn to write something salable and that if I’d sent in any of the others, I think I would still be without an agent because those books aren’t there yet. I do think they can be, but the course I chose to take — and mileage varies — was to write novels in several different genres to see which one stuck. I have sequel ideas for all of them, but until I knew that I had a book one that worked, it didn’t make sense to invest time in a string of books in the same world.

At the moment, I’m doing revisions on Novel 2 and continuing to work on short stories. Right now, I’m at a point in my career where I have the luxury of taking a year off from a novel before doing revisions. Since I’m a better writer now than I was a year ago, waiting to revise the novels is like earning interest on my skills. Seriously. I re-read Novel 2 and it was dead easy to see where it had gone astray. The revision process is like swimming downstream.

Now, let’s say that Ken offered to introduce me before I’d written Novel 4. I knew Novel 1 was flawed, so sending it in would have been wasting that opportunity. What’s more, it would have been embarrassing to Ken.

I’m sure that someday I’ll introduce a writer to Jennifer, but I can almost guarantee that it won’t be with their first novel.

Jennifer Jackson of Donald Maass Literary Agency has just offered me representation. Naturally, I said, “yes.”

And then I ran around in circles, weeping and giggling.

See, I don’t blog about everything but back in January, I made the very hard decision to leave to leave my agent. The details aren’t important, but it wasn’t easy to decide to jump back into the dating pool. It really did feel like I was breaking up with a boyfriend to be single again.

While I was moping, Ken Scholes told me that I should send my manuscript to his agent, which I had already wanted to do. She’s done wonderful things for him and I liked everything I heard about her. It was nice, though, to get Ken’s blessing before sending in that manuscript.

And today, oh man, today the acceptance email came in. I have to tell you that I looked at the subject line and thought, “this is going to be a rejection.” And then it wasn’t and I burst into tears. Yes, I can be very girly.

Really, when people tell you that an agent/author relationship is closer to a marriage than anything else, I think they know what they are talking about. After courting Jennifer Jackson, I do feel like I’ve just been proposed to.

I’m looking forward to what the future holds. It feels very, very bright right now.

Swing by Shimmer and enjoy the .pdf of our 2007 Holiday Bonus Story, “What Child is This I Asked the Midnight Clear” by Ken Scholes.

Still looking for that perfect Christmas gift? Look no further!

Subscribe to Shimmer by January 10, and you’ll get 4 issues of terrific new speculative fiction and art for only $17.00 (plus postage). We’re going to raise our rates then, so this is your last chance to subscribe at this price.

Bonus: We asked Shimmer favorite Ken Scholes to write a special holiday story for us - and he came through with “What Child Is This I Ask the Midnight Clear,” a post-apocalyptic Christmas tale. We’ll be posting the story on our site soon; but as a special thank-you, anyone who subscribes (or renews!) by January 10 will get a lovely signed chapbook of the story.

Last night’s build of the dog went much faster because Ken Scholes was in town and visited me in the studio. He is one of my favorite people and getting a chance to just yak away unto the wee hours was great. Plus he had brandy. He’s got his view of yesterday up on his site.

Me? I’m printing up stage money and putting blood on the dog.

We always talk about villains getting their just deserts, but would about the good guys? I mean, when a friend has worked hard, has talent and then gets what he deserves, shouldn’t he be allowed just desserts? I like desserts¹ ; why should the bad guys get them all?

So let me point out a good guy fellow who has just gotten what he deserves. Ken Scholes, one of the hardest working and most talented writers I know, has just sold his first novel to Tor. That’s sweet. But what makes it sweeter is that they want his entire five book series. If you ask me, that’s just dessert.

1. Yes, I know it uses the other spelling, but “just deserts” gets this pronunciation. [↩]

SFFreader » This Week’s New Short Fiction

ON MY SHELF
Prime Codex, edited by Lawrence Schoen and Michael Livingston:
I picked this up at CONduit last weekend at a reading by Eric James Stone, who has published multiple stories in places like Analog SF and IGMS. He’s a member of the Codex Writers Group, and stories by members of that group comprise this anthology. Eric’s remarkable and moving story, “Salt of Judas” joins stories by new and exciting writers like Mary Robinette Kowal, Ken Scholes, and Tobias Buckell. So if you want to read what the best of the new writers are writing, the Prime Codex anthology is a must-buy. Get your copy here.

If you are curious, you can listen to the audio version of my story here, before you pick up the anthology.

Listen to “Rampion”

Today was one of those odd days where I did a lot, but felt like my wheels were just spinning. I did novel revisions, had lunch with Ken Scholes, ran errands, went to the coffee shop and actually wrote, and cleaned the basement. Yet somehow, I feel like I got nothing accomplished. Why is that?

I spent most of today running errands, although I did take time out to have lunch with Ken Scholes. Such a sweetheart. Today was really gorgeous, so I did all of my errands via bike. Lovely day.

We also recorded the last of the pickup lines for Subterranean Press. I’m uploading the audio book now, but it’s giant so I’ll go to bed before it finishes.

Prime Codex is for sale! And you have multiple reasons to want a copy.

I’ve sort of kept mum about one of them, I realize. You already know that my story, “Rampion” appears in the anthology. But there’s this other thing I forgot to mention.

After I sold them “Rampion,” I had one of those conversations with the editors, Lawrence Schoen and Michael Livingston, where I foolishly said, “Who’s your art director?”

I need to learn to stop asking this question. This is how I started working with Shimmer , too. Not that I mind, you understand, but it does seem to be a dangerous question because after a little bit of conversation the answer turned out to be, me.

Lawrence and Michael picked out David Ho’s fantastic art, before I came on board as art director, so all I designed was the cover and interior. It just felt a little awkward to mention since I have a story actually in the anthology and all. But, it does give you another reason to want the anthology, right?

Plus! Look at the table of contents:

1. James Maxey, “To The East, A Bright Star”
— from Asimov’s (December 2005)
2. Cat Rambo, “Ticktock Girl”
— from CyberAge Adventures (September 2005)
3. Ken Scholes, “The Man With Great Despair Behind His Eyes”
— from Talebones (Winter 2005)
4. Geoffrey Girard, “Wizards’ Encore”
— from Beyond Centauri (April 2005)
5. Elaine Isaak, “The Disenchantment of Kivron Ox-master”
— from The Worlds of Fantasy (2001)
6. Jim C. Hines, “Sister of the Hedge”
— from Realms of Fantasy (June 2006)
7. Mary Robinette Kowal, “Rampion”
— from The First Line (Spring 2005)
8. Eric James Stone, “Salt of Judas”
— from Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show (March 2006)
9. E. Catherine Tobler, “Button by Button”
— from Would That It Were (April/June 2001)
10. Matthew S. Rotundo, “Black Boxes”
— from Absolute Magnitude (Spring 2001)
11. Tobias Buckell, “Tides”
— from Ideomancer Unbound (December 2002)
12. Tom Pendergrass, “Urban Renewal”
— from Shimmer (Summer 2006)
13. Mike Shultz, “As the Stars of the Sky”
— from Leading Edge (April 2004)
14. Ruth Nestvold, “Rainmakers”
— from Asimov’s (June 2005)
15. David W. Goldman, “Radical Acceptance”
— from Analog (January/February 2007)

You can order your copy of Prime Codex at the Paper Golem website.

So, Iceland is back on the table again. Potentially, Rob would be going there on May 1, I would be moving to NYC on the 7th, arriving about the 17th, partially unpacking and then joining him in Iceland for six months.

Or not. It’s also possible that we won’t go to Iceland at all.

Or that he’ll go and I will stay in NYC the whole time.

Or that we’ll both go on the May 1 and someone else will move us into the apartment.

Then there’s the question of where to put our cats if Iceland happens.

The short form of this is that although I’ve got plenty of material to write about, it almost all makes me feel stressed and reminds me that I should be packing instead of writing about packing. Sigh.

I did have a lovely, lovely time at Norwescon. I loved hanging out with Stephen Segal, Lisa Mantchev, Cat Rambo, Jennifer, Gordon Gross, Spencer and Chrissy Ellsworth, Patrick Swenson, Cherie Priest, M.K. Hobson, John Pitts, Ken and Jen Scholes (though not enough), Jay Lake…. the list goes on and on. I’d link to you all, but I should be packing.

Highlights of the convention: the Sesame Street monsters, meeting Kathy Watts, the Liars’ Panel, breakfast with Cherie Priest, Talebones Live, seeing the Earthling mockup, everyday at the Ellsworths’ and Easter dinner at the Pitts’ residence.

If you are filling out your Hugo nomination form at the last minute, here’s a reminder that Shimmer is eligible for a semipro magazine nomination.

I am eligible for a Campbell, but I’m in my first year of eligibility, so I’d like to put a plug in for a few folks who are in their second, and thus final, year. Ken Scholes, Nancy Fulda, Cherie Priest, Cat Rambo and Eugie Foster.

(My apologies that I’m not listing everyone in their second year; these are the folks that I can vouch for and know that they are in year two.)

For some reason, writers can’t seem to get together without calling it a con. I guess so we can write it off. Tonight, Ken Scholes invited a slew of writers down to the Barley Mill Pub to meet Aimee Amodio, who is every bit as funny and delightful as Ken promised. So nice when a gentleman keeps his word like that.

Also paying court to Miss Amodio were Jay Lake, Damian Kilby, Kai Jones, Cat, Benjamin and… here is where my facility for names falls apart, because I can’t remember the name of the last lovely gentleman. Ken will correct me, I’m sure.

It’s so nice to shoot the breeze with other writers without the pressure of an actual convention. I think we were all in the same time zone, except Aimee. Poor sleep-deprived east coaster.

I’d seen this floating around, but it hadn’t tempted me because Ken Scholes had already given my super-hero name in his story “Action Team-Ups Number Thirty Seven.” (Which you can listen to here.) But then a friend sent this quiz to me, and what’s a girl to do? I’m just hoping it’s not truly some trap by my arch-nemesis.

Your results:
You are Spider-Man

Spider-Man 85% Green Lantern 80% Superman 80% Wonder Woman 80% Iron Man 70% Supergirl 65% Hulk 65% Robin 55% The Flash 55% Batman 40% Catwoman 25%

You are intelligent, witty, a bit geeky and have great power and responsibility.

Click here to take the Superhero Personality Test

My biggest question is… When did Catwoman become a superhero?

Anyway, this is probably more to the point anyway. What supervillain am I?

Your results:
You are Mystique

Mystique 68% Apocalypse 63% Poison Ivy 57% Dr. Doom 55% The Joker 53% Venom 51% Mr. Freeze 47% Magneto 46% Lex Luthor 45% Dark Phoenix 41% Riddler 40% Juggernaut 40% Catwoman 29% Kingpin 26% Green Goblin 20% Two-Face 4%

Sometimes motherly, sometimes a beautiful companion, but most of the time a deceiving vixen.

Click here to take the “Which Super Villain am I?” quiz…