Last year in the spring, my writing group was low on manuscripts to critique.  So, we used the extra time to read through all the short stories nominated that year for the Nebula and Hugo.  We followed our usual process for critiquing, but instead of focusing on ways to improve the stories, we tried to address three questions:

One, what works in this story?  Two, why would an editor choose to buy it?  And, three, why would people feel it was worthy of being nominated for an award?

Overall, it was a fascinating and instructive process.  I learned a lot more about writing great stories by hearing the entire table critique all those award nominees than I would have by simply reading them myself.  Even more exciting, I saw changes in the stories being brought to the table after that.  It felt like the process stepped up our whole game as writers and a critique group.

The Nebula nominees have been announced for this year, and, time allowing, I think that we'll be reading through and discussing the short stories again.  So, I'm going to put the links here:

“Robot” by Helena Bell (Clarkesworld 9/12)
“Immersion” by Aliette de Bodard (Clarkesworld 6/12)
“Fragmentation, or Ten Thousand Goodbyes” by Tom Crosshill (Clarkesworld 4/12)
“Nanny’s Day” by Leah Cypess (Asimov’s 3/12)
“Give Her Honey When You Hear Her Scream” by Maria Dahvana Headley (Lightspeed 7/12)
“The Bookmaking Habits of Select Species” by Ken Liu (Lightspeed 8/12)
“Five Ways to Fall in Love on Planet Porcelain”by Cat Rambo (Near + Far)

Just collecting the links, I found myself hooked strongly enough by "Nanny's Day" that I read the whole story right away without planning on it.  That doesn't happen very often for me -- I think the last time was a Daily Science Fiction story by Nina Kiriki Hoffman called "Boy Seeds."  In this case, as in that one, I thoroughly enjoyed the story.  It should be interesting to discuss it in my group when we get to it.

On a side note, the idea of reading through all the Nebula nominated shorts is particularly exciting this year, because this is the first time I'm a full member of SFWA, eligible to vote on the Nebulas.

When I went to tuck Elaine into bed tonight, she was reading one of the picture books from the little bookcase of kids' books we keep in the hall outside her room.  She kept reading to herself as I tucked her in.  She kept reading as I turned out the light.  "Hey!  I wasn't finished!" she exclaimed from the dark.  I explained that she was free to wake up and keep reading in the morning, but, right then, she needed her sleep.  She thought about that and seemed to accept it, which wasn't surprising, as I've heard her reading aloud to herself every morning this week.  As I turned to leave, Elaine exclaimed, "Reading is my favorite thing to do now!"  I told her that I'd take her to the library soon, and she looked really excited.

Elaine can read.

Furry Stories in 2012

The Ursa Major Awards season is upon us, and I have several stories that are eligible for nomination.  Most of them were originally published online and are easy to access there.  Two of them, though, were originally published in print anthologies.  So, for a limited time, I'm making those two stories available as free e-books.

St. Kalwain and the Lady Uta originally published in ROAR 4

One Night in Nocturnia originally published in Tails of a Clockwork World

Magtwilla and the Mouse

Hot Chocolate for the Unicorn

The Most Complicated Avatar

Shreddy and the Christmas Ghost

Looking back at all those stories that came out last year...  it's really kind of hard to believe.  It was an amazing year.  At any rate, whether you feel like nominating any of these stories or not, I hope that you enjoy some of them, and -- if you have an interest in furry fiction -- then I hope that you'll take a minute to nominate any stories from last year that you do feel are worthy.  The Ursa Majors are a people's award, and that works best when the people participate.

I turned thirty this summer.  I have one novel out, and another that will come out soon.  A third is finished and under review by a publisher.  I've written fifty short stories, and more than thirty of them have been published.  One won an award.  I think that's pretty good for thirty years.

My life has been very busy and very much in the present lately.  However, I recently ran into someone from my past, and I was amazed by how ten years of who I am was able to crumble away simply at the sight of someone who I've been out of touch with for a decade.  It was the kind of experience that causes one to feel even more reflective about the past than an abstract thing like turning thirty.

I am naturally a very analytical and reflective person.  However, I don't put that energy into writing a journal.  I put that energy into writing fiction.

When it comes to journaling, I don't keep a record with the written word.  I like to keep my journal more abstract -- for eight years, from the time I left for college until my daughter was born -- I translated my life into a playlist of songs that represented the experiences I went through.  After Elaine was born, I directed that energy into the pages and pages of photo albums that I keep of her.  Between that playlist and those photo albums, I have an extremely detailed record of the last thirteen years of my life.  The songs and pictures don't tell the whole story -- but I don't need them to; I just need them to help me remember it.

I'll continue to post anecdotes about Elaine that don't fit as picture captions here, and I'll try to show up with a comment or two about my own life sometimes.  But, when it really comes down to it, I'll be putting most of that writing energy into my fiction.

So, if you want to read words by me or learn about what's been going on in my life, what I've been thinking about, or who I am -- read my fiction.  It won't come with date stamps, and it won't be directly representational.  But writing my fiction is what I've been doing, what I've been thinking about, and -- the person you see represented in my stories? -- that's who I am.

A few quotes from the child playing underneath the Japanese maple tree, outside my open window:

"Okay.  I'll turn myself into a slug while I wait."

"No fear.  I will pretend today is my birthday."

"This is my little brother, but he's a rock.  And he just goes all the time jumping on the very top of trees," -- said while holding up a small rock she found under the Japanese maple.

"And this is his horse," -- said moments later, holding up another small rock.

She then proceeded to wobble dangerously between the small tree and the window screen while describing the adventures of her brother and his horse over the rainbow, illustrating all the while with the two rocks.

There's a line in the movie As Good As It Gets... Jack Nicholson is supposed to give Helen Hunt a compliment.  He's aiming for one that's good enough to keep her from leaving the restaurant, but he overshoots and gives her a compliment that she claims is the best one she's ever received:  "You make me want to be a better man."

Well, the Beach Boys' put out a new album.  The last time they put out a new album...  Let's just say, I hadn't noticed that the Beach Boys existed yet.  I was in fifth grade.

I don't think anyone expected them to put out another new album ever again.  I know I didn't.  In fact, when I heard about the single, it didn't even occur to me that it was the harbinger of a whole Beach Boys' album.  The idea was that unthinkable.

But, nonetheless, a new Beach Boys' album came out yesterday.  It's their thirtieth studio album, the first new one in two decades, and... it's good.  It may be their best album since Pet Sounds.  It's...  so good that...  it makes me want to write.  It fills my head with stars and stories and life filling a whole other universe.

"I'm pretending I'm a pogo stick." -- Elaine, jumping on one foot

"I'm all gone!  I'm all gone!" -- Elaine, with her hood pulled down over her head

"My brother is a skipping fairy, so all he eats is flowers, grass, mint, and chocolate.  That's all he eats!" -- Elaine, introducing her latest imaginary sibling

"I wish we lived in an igloo where it's very cold, and slippery, and wet, and soggy." -- Elaine, with no further explanation