12/30/06: Failure of discipline

[davidlevine]

Word count: 9205 | Since last entry: 1063

We have returned from Kennewick in one piece. Presents were exchanged, dogs and small children were played with, much good food was eaten. The weather was great, clear and cold the whole time, and on the drive back the Columbia River was mirror-smooth, so that the opposite shore appeared to be a floating island. We do live in a very pretty place.

In the last week I've been pretty down on myself for lack of discipline. I've been eating too much, exercising too little, and writing not at all. But, as Kate points out, this is expected -- nay, demanded -- at this time of year. Despite this, I still felt bad about it, and today I did something about it: I went to the gym, and I took advantage of my critique group meeting being canceled to sit down and write. I surprised myself by turning out over a thousand words, in a scene in which my main character is arguing for her life in a situation where she barely speaks the language (actually it's more complicated than that).

My mood was also greatly raised by an envelope that arrived in the last mail delivery of the year: Gardner Dozois is buying my Aeon Award shortlisted story "I Hold My Father's Paws" for his 24th annual Year's Best Science Fiction anthology. This is my first appearance in the Dozois Year's Best antho and I'm right chuffed about it.

Comments

[bearfuz.livejournal.com]

Yayyyy! Discipline shmiscipline. You're FAMOUS and PUBLISHED. So go celebrate! :-D

[chromatomancer.livejournal.com]

Yay Year's Best! Nice New Years mail.

[saycestsay.livejournal.com]

That is too cool; congrats!

[scarlettina.livejournal.com]

Congratulations, David! That's wonderful news!

[lmarley.livejournal.com]

And you SHOULD be chuffed! Wow--what a great accomplishment. Bravo!!

[sallytuppence.livejournal.com]

Sweet, David! Congratulations!

And happy new year to you and Kate.

[snippy]

Well done on doing what you want, and conga rats for the Year's Best appearance!

[apparentparadox]

Congrats!

Remember that when you do retire, the whole self-discipline stuff becomes more important. (Or, you could enlist some kate-discipline to help)

I hold My Father's Paws

[bjcooper.livejournal.com]

That's wonderful. I love that story. And congratulations on the sale to Gardener (one of my goals has always been to sell to Gardener, but I haven't exactly published a bunch of short fiction this year. Maybe next year!). Anyway - that's fabulous and the story deserves the notice.

[nancymcc.livejournal.com]

That's great! See, there are people Out There who are eager to read what you've written, what you are writing, and what you will write.