7/9/06: Have not dropped off face of earth, honest

[davidlevine]

Back from Los Angeles. Came home with a mild summer cold that is surprisingly persistent and enervating. Trip report coming eventually. No writing in over a week. Bad me. One piece of writing news: My Aeon Award shortlisted story "I Hold My Father's Paws" can now be read online, for free, at Infinity Plus: http://www.infinityplus.co.uk/stories/paws.htm. Enjoy.

Comments

[allanh.livejournal.com]

I finally had a chance to read "Paws".

Absolutely awesome. Once again, I bow in your general direction. It's only up for an Aeon? Nothing else?

[counslr-tragedy.livejournal.com]

Was up for the Aeon, last year - another of the finalists was picked by the judge. (http://homepage.eircom.net/~albedo1/html/aeon_award.html) (Scroll down to get past the info for submitting to this year's contest...)

[davidlevine]

Alas, yes. I workshopped this story about four years ago with a group that included Kristine Kathryn Rusch (former editor of F&SF) and she said it could be an award nominee. It came >that< close at many, many markets but collected nothing other than a bunch of really complimentary rejections. Finally I submitted it for the Aeon Award, where it came in second (no prize, no money, too bad so sad).

But all the Aeon finalists were published in Albedo Magazine. It's an obscure little Irish magazine, but publication is publication. Also, publication made it eligible for Infinity Plus, whose mission is to provide a home on the web for published stories deserving of greater attention. Infinity Plus accepted it quickly, and now it's available for everyone to read for free.

[counslr-tragedy.livejournal.com]

*hugs* and good vibes to you and kateyule - will work on finishing those comments today for the opus currently on my desktop.

[anysia.livejournal.com]

Opus on your desktop? Hmmmmm (cranes neck)

Anysia (the nosy)

[davidlevine]

counslr_tragedy is alpha-reading a story for me. I don't usually do this, but this particular story needs more attention than most.

[anysia.livejournal.com]

Ah, I have done that for a few people. No, not asking to do so here. (chuckle)

[counslr-tragedy.livejournal.com]

Oh, goodness, and here I was, thought I was beta-ing it. Would that be a good thing? (As our inimitable host has mentioned to me in e-mail, if I'm nit-picking the small stuff, the big stuff is likely to be well in place, hence my thought of being a beta reader... or have I got the process reversed? Alpha firstpass, beta second? Or is 'alpha' right before it goes out to be pubbed?)

(PS hang on, anysia - how have you gotten to know David?? I didn't quite expect to see you pop up here... *wan grin, trying to take the edge off of interrogation*)

You're gonna love this one

[anysia.livejournal.com]

how have you gotten to know David??

http://www.livejournal.com/interests.bml?int=coffee

He showed up on top of three of my 'search by interests'. So I lurked, and lurked.

Then, gopher like, poppped up. :)

Re: You're gonna love this one

[davidlevine]

Coffee? Yeah, me and 473 other people. How odd that you should pick me out of the horde.

Thanks for stopping by! I aim to entertain...

Re: You're gonna love this one

[anysia.livejournal.com]

I think you had just posted, so you were in the top 5 listed users.

Not to worry, I am mostly harmless.

[davidlevine]

Alpha comes before beta, which comes before public release. The line between "alpha" and "beta" is open to debate even within the software engineering community. I usually refer to the initial critique of my stories as "beta" (well, when I use this terminology at all, which is rarely) and go straight from there to submission, but for various reasons of timing and content this story seemed to need a first round of feedback before going to my critique group.

And how do you know anysia, who lives on the other side of the world from both of us?

[counslr-tragedy.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the explanation. For what it's worth, it didn't feel like an alpha critique to me, then. :)

And how do you know anysia, who lives on the other side of the world from both of us?

You first, charmer. *g* (See, I noticed your note hadn't included that info - sly devil, you! *wink*) AAAGH - proof that I should be allowed NOWHERE near a computer until after at least a half cup of coffee. ARGH! I only remembered her own comment after hitting the send button.

Sorry for the hit-and-run comment and delete.

So, Any and I "met" on the old IRC chats for Babylon 5, and also later the official club's online chat. (Ah, those were the days.) We continued our contacts after the chatroom was discontinued (long, sad story), also through a set of mutual friends who have managed to maintain contact (not a very active level of contact these days, but we still seem to bump into one another...)

[davidlevine]

Small world indeed!

[matociquala.livejournal.com]

And a lovely story it is.

[davidlevine]

Thanks! Love the icon.