Friday, January 16, 2009
Actually, I'm Still Alive
But I look like this. Again. I’m sorry to have fallen off the map. It was Christmas. It was New Year’s. I had a 570 page manuscript that needed to become 480 or my publisher would freak. Mind Plague is at 495 right now in third draft. The fire is out. Life is good. I plan to hit it again next week and get that baby slim and mean. This is going to be the best Plague novel yet — bigger, scarier, with planes chases, gunfights, sex, betrayals, freaky new nanotech, politics, and worse — sometimes all in the same scene at once! Whoa, Nelly.In the meantime, it’s been a good week. I wrote “The End,” which always gratifying. I also found out that Plague War has been shortlisted for the Philip K. Dick Award. That’s rare for a sequel and so doubly exciting. More on this soon.
In the meantime, I only had two New Year’s resolutions. One is to get more exercise. The other is semi-retire this blog. I hear thousands of people screaming “Nooooo!” Uh, do I? No. Unless a surprisingly large crowd suddenly delurks and hollers for more Deep Thoughts With Jeff, I’m not sure I see the point. I appreciate the banter with you guys who’ve been hanging around. My original intent was to put six months into Ketchup and then reassess the matter. Clearly, I just don’t have time for it.
Having said that, I’ll also post more on this subject asap. For the moment, I just wanted to establish that, yes, I still live!!!!
Labels: Philip K. Dick Award finalist, Plague War, the writing life
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First off, congrats on being nominated for the PKD, in some ways twice over (as FF2's also on the ballot).
Second, want the third book now. Don't make me wait until December! ;)
Third, I'd be sad if you gave up the blog altogether, but if you semi-occasionally post to it so I know when you're coming to Roseville/Sactown again, or you find you've been nominated for a rocket then this blog's as good a place as any. I have you in my feed reader, so I know when you post, and if you're a bit more infrequent, oh well, so be it. I don't know if that counts as "Noooo!" or not.
That said, your blog is my most frequent commenting zone, so there's an accomplishment to write home about. *grin*
Speaking of Hugos, I know War's eligible in the novel category, but if there's any short fiction for this year, inquiring nominators want to know so they can, y'know, nominate it. ;)
Other than that, nice to see your font again, and may 2009 be awesome for you. :)
Second, want the third book now. Don't make me wait until December! ;)
Third, I'd be sad if you gave up the blog altogether, but if you semi-occasionally post to it so I know when you're coming to Roseville/Sactown again, or you find you've been nominated for a rocket then this blog's as good a place as any. I have you in my feed reader, so I know when you post, and if you're a bit more infrequent, oh well, so be it. I don't know if that counts as "Noooo!" or not.
That said, your blog is my most frequent commenting zone, so there's an accomplishment to write home about. *grin*
Speaking of Hugos, I know War's eligible in the novel category, but if there's any short fiction for this year, inquiring nominators want to know so they can, y'know, nominate it. ;)
Other than that, nice to see your font again, and may 2009 be awesome for you. :)
# posted by 
: January 17, 2009 at 1:48 AM
: January 17, 2009 at 1:48 AM
Thank you, Kat!!!
1) Yes, I'm actually on the PKD ballot 1.14 times (there being 14 stories in Fast Forward 2) which must surely be an unusual achievement.
2) My hands are tied. And I have to confess that I'm excited about being slotted for the Christmas shopping season. Whew, that *does* seem like a long time from now, though, doesn't it? I'll post the first two chapters on my site some time in the summer?!?
3) I enjoy the heck out of blabbing about my writing and odd encounters and so forth, I've just realized that even thrice a week is hard for me to maintain. For example, I wanted to write more about the PKD this morning right now while I'm having coffee... but the boys need attention and, well, they're the most important thing in my life. Gotta run! More this afternoon?
1) Yes, I'm actually on the PKD ballot 1.14 times (there being 14 stories in Fast Forward 2) which must surely be an unusual achievement.
2) My hands are tied. And I have to confess that I'm excited about being slotted for the Christmas shopping season. Whew, that *does* seem like a long time from now, though, doesn't it? I'll post the first two chapters on my site some time in the summer?!?
3) I enjoy the heck out of blabbing about my writing and odd encounters and so forth, I've just realized that even thrice a week is hard for me to maintain. For example, I wanted to write more about the PKD this morning right now while I'm having coffee... but the boys need attention and, well, they're the most important thing in my life. Gotta run! More this afternoon?
Noooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!
Okay, so life will go on if you abandon us fans here at the blog. Somehow I managed to survive the holidays without hearing from you.
I came close many times this past week to dropping a line to see where you'd been (after all, you did the same for me when you hadn't heard from me in a while), but I suspected it was because you were looking like you do in the photo, so I left you be.
As long as we can still e-mail you when we're feeling lonely.
Afghan Joe
Okay, so life will go on if you abandon us fans here at the blog. Somehow I managed to survive the holidays without hearing from you.
I came close many times this past week to dropping a line to see where you'd been (after all, you did the same for me when you hadn't heard from me in a while), but I suspected it was because you were looking like you do in the photo, so I left you be.
As long as we can still e-mail you when we're feeling lonely.
Afghan Joe
# posted by : January 17, 2009 at 9:39 AM
: January 17, 2009 at 9:39 AM
Oh. Wait.
4) "Long Eyes" was my only piece of short fiction pubbed in 2008, though it's quickly becoming one of my most successful with translations now into Hebrew, Romanian, and Portugese, plus a podcast upcoming from Starship Sofa next month.
Thank you again!!!! I hope 2009 knocks your socks off, dudette.
4) "Long Eyes" was my only piece of short fiction pubbed in 2008, though it's quickly becoming one of my most successful with translations now into Hebrew, Romanian, and Portugese, plus a podcast upcoming from Starship Sofa next month.
Thank you again!!!! I hope 2009 knocks your socks off, dudette.
What's up, Joe! I'm trying to get back on the computer but now it's lunch/nap time... Thank you as always for the encouragement. I didn't say I was going to *kill* this blog, just that I was thinking of slowing things down here, right? More soon. I have a profound post I want to write about blogging itself, but I'm only halfway through banging it out. Family. Chores. I should just sell everyone and move to a deserted mountaintop! Think how much more work I'd accomplish!
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