Eric James Stone

After Palin’s somewhat shaky performances in recent TV interviews, I was worried that she might perform poorly in tonight’s debate.  My worry was needless.  She did very well.  In fact, I think she did more than hold her own with Biden–I think she won the debate because I think what she said and the way she said it will connect with the American people more than Biden.

Of course, I could be wrong about that.  But I scored last week’s debate for Obama, so I’m not someone who automatically says my preferred candidate wins.

One of my oldest writing friends (in terms of length of time I’ve know her, not age) is Becca Fitzpatrick.  We met in an online writing class in early 2003, and then we were both in the same in-person writing group for a while until she and her husband moved out of state.

In that online writing class, I was working on my epic fantasy novel Heir of the Line, and she was working on a young adult novel.  Becca has a great YA writing voice that showed up clearly even back then, and I still remember details from the first draft.  After a lot of hard work in improving her craft and rewriting (and rewriting and rewriting and rewriting) that novel, she got an agent, and now she has a two-book deal with Simon and Schuster.

I have a feeling that Hush, Hush is going to hit the bestseller lists when it comes out, so maybe when I finally sell a novel, I can get Becca to give me a cover quote.

This was certainly the most debate-like Presidential debate I can recall.

Overall, though I agree with McCain more than I agree with Obama, I think Obama won the debate because he did what he had to do: present himself as serious and knowledgeable about foreign policy, so people worried about his inexperience would feel more comfortable voting for him.

I’m not voting for him, and I think he’s wrong on many things, but having watched the debate I feel more comfortable with the possibility of him being our next President than I did back in March.

Author Jay Lake has some excellent advice for my writing friends.  OK, it’s also applicable to my writing enemies, in addition to those writers who maintain neutrality toward me.

Fortunately, I heard the advice to start at the top very early in my writing career, so I did.

The first of what I hope will be many InterGalactic Medicine Show anthologies is came out today.  I picked up a copy at my local Borders. 

Here’s the table of contents:

• Forward - Orson Scott Card
• Introduction - Edmund R. Schubert
• In the Eyes of the Empress’s Cat - Bradley P. Beaulieu
• Mazer in Prison - Orson Scott Card
• Tabloid Reporter to the Stars - Eric James Stone
• Audience - Ty Franck
• The Mooncalfe - David Farland
• Cheater - Orson Scott Card
• Dream Engine - Tim Pratt
• Hats Off - David Lubar
• Eviction Notice - Scott M. Roberts
• To Know All Things That Are in the Earth - James Maxey
• Beats of Seven - Peter Orullian
• Pretty Boy - Orson Scott Card
• Respite - Rachel Ann Dryden
• Fat Farm (comic) by Aaron Johnston, based on short story by Orson Scott Card
• The Box of Beautiful Things - Brian Dolton
• Taint of Treason - Eric James Stone
• Call Me Mr. Positive - Tom Barlow
• A Young Man with Prospects - Orson Scott Card
• Credits for the Illustrations

Each of the short stories has an afterword by the author, telling a little about how the story came to be written.

The discerning reader will have noticed that a certain three-named author has more than one story in there.  That’s right: I’m flattered that two of my stories were selected for the anthology.

Scott M. Roberts, who is also in the anthology, wrote a poem in honor of the occasion of the anthology’s release.  Scott was at Orson Scott Card’s workshop with me, and then he won Writers of the Future the same year I did, so he went to that workshop with me and was published in that anthology with me, too.  Quit following me around, Scott!

Ad the Odyssey workshop last year, I wrote what I said was a "…short story that I consider one of my best."  After revising based on critiques at Odyssey and from my local writing groups, I decided it was my best short story (so far).

I sold it to InterGalactic Medicine Show today.  It may appear before the end of the year.

I have a new nephew.  He came a little earlier than expected, but we’re glad he’s here nonetheless.

James Maxey wrote the first book I reviewed on my blog.  He’s also one of my favorite writers of short fiction (despite the fact that if he’s participating in a Codex contest, I have no chance of winning.)  I highly recommend his stories "To Know All Things That Are in the Earth" and "Silent as Dust," available at Orson Scott Card’s InterGalactic Medicine Show.

Last year, his second novel, Bitterwood, came out.  In this post last year, I mentioned in passing that it was a great novel, but I never gave it a full review.  And I’m not going to now — I’ll just sum up.  Basic premise: to avenge his family, Bant Bitterwood uses his uncannily accurate archery to kill dragons.  After he kills the heir to the dragon throne, the dragon king comes up with a plan to exterminate humans.  The dragon wizard Vendevorex and his human apprentice Jandra have to stop him.

You can read a short story prequel online, "Tornado of  Sparks," to get a taste of the world Maxey has created.

Bitterwood also has one of the coolest book covers I’ve seen:

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The first draft of Unforgettable is done.  I already know a bunch of things I need to add or change, but the story arc is complete.

I wrote the first words of this novel on January 1, but at that point I didn’t know it was going to be a novel.  It was just a character sketch.

On May 13, I started the push to finish the novel by WorldCon.  Since May 15, I wrote at least 500 words every day.  My average daily word count (since the push) was 835.  My biggest day was May 26: 2073 words.

There were some long periods during which I absolutely had to force myself to write.  If not for the Codex Novel Contest, I probably would have skipped a day during that time, and then one day would have become two, then three, then more.  What kept me going was badges I could earn in the contest.  (Yes, I do need stinkin’ badges.)

So, what’s next?  I’ll set the novel aside for a few days and focus on a short story.  Then I’ll go back and add a few missing scenes from early in the novel.

I just finished the climax of Unforgettable.  It’s a little talky, but I think it works.

I should be able to wrap up the first draft this weekend.