Valentine

Valentine, a character in Neil Gaiman's Mirrormask, makes me think about writing--imaginative writing where characters flow in and out of one another in a stream of unconsciousness. It's difficult to kick that left brained, editor out of the writing process and let anything go. Neil Gaiman does a terrific job at this. His stories remind me to write and let the unconscious sneak in and surprise you.

My revision of chapter one went this way. It was full of surprises. I was working at the coffeehouse and had just met Karen Meisner, fiction editor at Strange Horizons. We talked Doctor Who and I was so excited to know you can actually buy a sonic screwdriver, which I will order from Amazon as soon as I finish this post so I can finally open that secret portal I know hides behind our attic door. But when Karen left, I began revising chapter one--writing a scene I have had in my head for sometime--and discovered a wonderful gift Aunt Gloria gives the twins for their birthday. Something I never could have planned to come out in the way it did and something I only wish my Aunt could have given me .

My short story Theodore Lights has now become Garden Party, and I am much happier with a story following crazy characters who enjoy magical vegetables from Claude Leroy's garden. I finished the story by deadline, had it critiqued by my Advanced Fiction Writing class, and felt alright about the comments, but discouraged that so many readers felt confused. Karen Meisner offered to take a look at the story as well, before I turn it in for Clarion, and I am very excited to hear feedback from someone who actually reads fantasy. Then I'll start on the revisions.

Back to revising chapter two, which might end up as chapter three--if only the twins had a sonic screwdriver.

Bet You Thought I Was A Blog Slacker

Blog slacking- not such a bad thing. I've been arranging to meet with a Madison writer/editor friend of a friend, working hard on my schoolwork, and finishing up a new short story. The schoolwork deadline is an odd thing. I did my best writing the two hours before I had to leave for class.z How on earth can you trick yourself into believing you have a deadline daily, so that procrastination brilliance kicks in on a regular basis instead of just before you have an actual deadline?

So that means the first draft of the prologue is done, and like I said I was happiest with the end. Perhaps that means the story will take a new twist.

And the short story I'm working on is a rewrite for Theodore Lights, to be reviewed by my fiction writing classmates (about twelve of them), my professor, and the Tuesdays With Story clan. With all that, seeing as this is already the third draft and finally coming together, I'd say I'll have enough comments to finalize a piece worthy to submit to Clarion by March 1.

And I am having some fun. Mitchell Kim visited last week from Chicago and we took him sledding, for one of the first times in his life. We found a snow-covered stone staircase in Hoyt Park and made a run out of it. I even cleared a jump over Brian's legs.

Here's a video of the action: