This last week was hell, but I got my story done right at the last minute! It’s actually the first draft of a children’s book that I need to turn in soon. I’ll get started on revisions as soon as the Write-a-thon is over.
Sorry this report is a little late. Yesterday I had to get up very, very early to get on a plane to come to the LaunchPad workshop. Despite the fact that the plane was very uncomfortable and the flight long, I am so thrilled to be here! I’ve always had an interest in astronomy but only dabbled lightly in it because I was a bit intimidated by it. But when I learned about this workshop, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. Plus, it seems very non-intimidating.
There are many times that I wish I hadn’t gone to college right out of high school. I wish I had known a little better what I was interested in and wanted to do in life before going. Would have made all those years a little more productive. Maybe I would even have studied astronomy a little more seriously.
Since I’m at the workshop, this is the week I’ve chosen to do my second revision. I’m fixing Elan Vital up for prime time. I’m probably going to send it to Asimov’s when it’s done. I promise to take pictures and give a full report of the workshop at the end of the week. If you want more frequent updates, check my LJ. I may post more over there.
The Carl Brandon Society is taking nominations for the Paralax and Kindred awards until July 31st. See their website for details on the awards, but essentially one is for the best work written by an author of color and the other is for best work that addresses race (regardless of author color). They’re looking for works published in 2006. Anyone can nominate, and I encourage you to do so. I’m trying to put together a list of stories and novels available online that fit the criteria so that I can start making my choices.I had two stories published in 2006, one of which deals with race: The Seventh Reflection. I wrote this story about body issues, which includes skin color issues. I’m what folks would called “light-skinned” myself, but it still really bothers me that American media holds up light-skinned black women as closer to ideal beauty than dark-skinned women. One of the reasons I included skin color issues in the story was a response to that.
Anyway, the story was published in the Thou Shalt Not… anthology but I’ve put it up on the website here so that people interested in nominating for the awards can read it.
That’s all for this week. Next week is week 6! I can pretend I’m there in the classroom with Chip Delany, standing in the glow of a genius. Sigh! I miss Clarion.