Thursday, February 28, 2008

Some Good Things

Sometimes a person goes along for days in the usual routine -- fighting snow storms and losing at chess and arguing with the dog -- and then a bunch of stuff happens at once. Sometimes good stuff, sometimes bad. My grandmother used to say the good things come in threes, and I guess Grandma was right because three happened yesterday.

I found out I'm going to be attending LaunchPad at the beginning of August, just before Worldcon. This is a workshop for SF pros who want to learn more about astronomy. It's run by Mike Brotherton, astronomer and SF writer (Star Dragon, Tor), at Laramie, Wyoming, and its goal is to "teach writers...about modern science, specifically astronomy, and in turn to reach their audiences." I've loved astronomy since I was twelve, when I spent an entire summer copying star charts out of the encyclopedia and begging my mother to let me stay up past 9:30 so I could study constellations in the night sky. (She usually said no.) I'm very psyched about this workshop.

Second, Andy Duncan, who is unable to attend the Nebulas this year, asked me to accept for him if his story "Unique Chicken Goes In Reverse" wins for Best Short Story. I love that story, admire Andy as a writer, and am honored that he asked.

Finally, Sheila Williams is taking my very long novella, "The Erdmann Nexus," for ASIMOV'S.

Always listen to your grandmother.

3 comments:

TheOFloinn said...

Sometimes a person goes along for days in the usual routine -- fighting snow storms and losing at chess and arguing with the dog -- and then a bunch of stuff happens at once.

Like losing to your dog at chess in a snowstorm?

Congratulations on the sale. They never do quite lose that little shiver of delight, so they? It's the sale and not the payment, right? (One does get a shiver of delight on opening an envelope to find a check, but it's quite another sort of delight...)

Wealthedge said...

Congrats, Nancy!

Is it only me that feels like the poor kid on scholarship to the expensive university trying to mingle with the rich?

Horace: Hello, Muffy!
Muffy: Hello, Horace!
Horace: Did you sell the novel you wrote yesterday?
Muffy: Why, yes! Nine bidders for $75 million! Movie rights and the 'Best Crafted Novel in the Universe’ Award!
Horace: Smashing! (looks at student with ill-fitting tuxedo and dirty fingernails) What about you, my new friend? What did you write yesterday and how much did you sell it for? Were there three bidders? Four?
Me: Uh .. I rewrote my prologue. I made little cuts in my arms because I'm stuck in the middle. I like Stealer's Wheel.
Horace: (laughing) Positively fantastic! It’s so nice to know how the other half lives, eh, Muffy?
Muffy: Quite so, quite so! Answer me this: do the chickens on your farm really run around after you twist their heads off?

OK. It’s just me. I get it. I'll sell one someday! After I write something worth selling.

:)

Dale

José Iriarte said...

(((Dale)))

I know how you feel. In fact, stumbling across Nancy Kress's blog today inspired me to start my own blog about my attempts to write and get published. So you can come read mine and not feel the least bit inferior, because you've published as much as I have! ;)