David D. LevineScience Fiction Author

Up until a few days ago I considered the F&SF Slush Bomb of women writers proposed by Charlie Finlay for 8/18 (see here) to be of only academic interest to me. But late Wednesday I realized that the New Orleans story, which I was planning to revise and submit to F&SF as soon as I was done with the revisions on the novella, had a female co-author. Duh! So I took the train to work on Thursday, laptop in hand, and tackled the revisions during my commute.

I finished the revisions on Thursday night, then we joined my co-author Andrine de la Rocha and her housemates at their home on Friday for a previously-planned get-together. After a truly wonderful dinner, we looked at Andrine’s photos from her trip to New Orleans (it was weird to see actual photographs of scenes that until now I’d only visualized from Andrine’s diary — many of which made it into the story), after which I gave a reading of the story. I put it into an envelope that night, though it wasn’t picked up by my mail carrier until today.

I don’t know if this really counts as part of the Slush Bomb, both because I’m not of the designated gender and because it lacks the 8/18 postmark. But it is done and in the mail.

I feel pretty good about this one. I’ve never written anything so explicitly based on real people and incidents, and it makes me a little nervous, but since I have everyone’s permission I’m sure it’s okay.

Today we attended a delightful backyard party where various fans and geeks, many of whom I hadn’t seen in years, feasted on fresh roasted corn and burgers. In the evening we watched the intriguing and puzzling film Primer (I enjoyed it, which is not to say I understood it completely) and I added nearly a hundred words to the novella. And now to bed — tomorrow is my last day before the Worldcon with any free time and I have a lot to get done.

Oh, and Bento is back from the printer and looks fabulous. We’ll be handing out copies at the Worldcon, and mailing them shortly thereafter to people who aren’t there.

Spent most of the time since my last post producing another issue of Bento. Yes, each issue of our nearly-Hugo-nominated zine takes about one week to write, edit, lay out, and paste up. It’s at the printer now and we should have copies at the Worldcon.

No writing during that time, but I did get back into it after taking the zine to the printer on Monday. I’m grinding slowly through the edits on the novella… slowly because it’s hard to make the changes I’m trying to make, and because I don’t have a lot of time for it. Some days the word count goes up, some days it goes down, rarely more than 50 words plus or minus. One day I worked for forty-five minutes and achieved a net wordcount change of one word.

I did get a couple small bits of writing egoboo: a college professor asked permission to use my story “The Last McDougals” in a freshman seminar on science fiction (along with a lot of other stories by better-known writers) and someone on LiveJournal whom I don’t know recommended two of my stories (available online) as reading for English-as-a-second-language learners. Also, an excerpt from “Primates” has been posted at the Asimov’s website.

We leave for Anaheim in six days. I have tons of stuff that needs to be done before then. We’re waffling over whether or not to go to Disneyland again. And a voice in my head is trying to tell me that I might win the Hugo after all. I’m trying to slap it down. Not going to win no way nohow. I’d rather get myself in a frame of mind where a loss is expected and a win would be a pleasant surprise, rather than one where a win is expected and a loss would be a disappointment. But I don’t think it’s working.

My final Worldcon schedule:

• What I Do When I Should be Writing: Wednesday 2:30-4:00pm
• Mix & Match Writing Challenge: Wednesday 4:00-5:30pm
• Writers Workshop (closed session): Thursday 1:00-4:00pm
• Autographs at the Asimov’s table in the dealers’ room: Thursday 4:00-5:00pm
• Physics of Superheroes: Friday 11:30am-1:00pm
• Zen Scavenger Hunt: Friday 4:00-5:30pm
• Intermediate Writing: Friday 5:30-7:00pm
• Is SF Like a Shark?: Saturday 2:30-4:00pm
• Hugo Ceremony: Saturday 8:00-10:00pm
• Reading: Sunday 11:00am-12:00pm

(Not gonna win. No way nohow. Never gonna happen. Nuh uh.)

Since my last post the editing has been moving forward slowly. Most days I only add or subtract a few dozen words. I’ve been waffling over how much planetology is really needed to set up the ending, and trying to find a way to cram in an explanation of some backstory that most of my critiquers didn’t pick up on. The problem I have is that, the way I write, by the time a story is ready for critique it’s pretty much a hermetic whole. I find that there just isn’t any place to put in even a single extra sentence without breaking the rhythm of the scene, and taking information out generally leaves something hanging someplace else. So making even minor changes involves fairly severe restructuring. Which means a lot more thinking than typing, and quite often finds me putting it back the way it was in the first place. I just love my own deathless prose too much.

Also since my last post, I’ve gotten another rejection (that story, at least, is already back in the mail), and the August Locus, containing reviews of the September Asimov’s. Alas, Nick Gevers found my story “unconvincing” and Rich Horton didn’t see fit to mention it at all (though he did say he’d been unimpressed with the issue as a whole). Le sigh.

I also got my preliminary Worldcon schedule, and I’m mighty happy with it. I got two readings, and I’m on panels with some very keen people. But I’m going to be a very busy boy:

• Wed 2:30pm: What I Do When I Should Be Writing with Fiona Avery, Phyllis Eisenstein, and Sarah Monette.
• Wed 4:00pm: Mix & Match Writing Challenge with John Barnes, Peter S. Beagle, K. A. Bedford, and Valerie Estelle Frankel. “Authors are presented with a character description for a well-known character, the setting of a (different) famous work, and a brief plot description of still another work. Without knowing their sources, they create and tell a story on the fly.” I’m moderator for this one, so I might be handing out the assignments rather than playing.
• Thu 5:30pm: Themed Reading: Weird Sex with Cecilia Tan and Sean Williams. Shall I read the ovipositor sex scene from Remembrance Day or the all-dialogue biotech sex toy implant short-short?
• Fri 4:00pm: Zen Scavenger Hunt with Pat Cadigan, John Pomeranz, Geri Sullivan, and Mary A. Turzillo. “Panelists each bring ten items. Audience members ask for a type of item, a la a standard scavenger hunt. The panelists will then have to show one of the items they’ve brought and try to convince the audience that their item is the best match for what was requested.” Should be fun.
• Fri 5:30pm: Intermediate Writing with Jay Lake, Mike Shepherd Moscoe, and Deborah J Ross.
• Sat 10:00am, Jay Lake Roast with Christopher J. Garcia, Dr. Lawrence M. Schoen, and (duh) Jay Lake. I’m moderator of this one, God help me. If anyone reading this has any Jay Lake anecdotes or wants to participate in the roast, drop me an email.
• Sat 2:30pm, Is SF Like a Shark? with Charles N. Brown, John-Henri Holmberg, Don Sakers, and Vernor Vinge.
• Sun 11:00am, Reading. Please do come. I’m told my readings are quite entertaining.

I will also have an autograph session at the Asimov’s table in the dealer’s room, not that I expect anyone to want my scrawl; I have a writers’ workshop section; and of course I will be at the Hugos. See (many of) you there!

Got a lot of chores done. Had a long talk with Sara from my critique group about the novella, which helped me understand that despite the logic and motivation problems, the story’s emotional core is in good shape and the problems are surmountable. Worked out a checklist of changes to make and began picking away at the edits. For breakfast this morning: blackberry pancakes. For dinner tonight: Chicken, Charred Tomato, and Broccoli Salad.

Life is good.

When I got home from work today, the first step in making dinner was to take out the compost. As I headed out to the compost bin I noticed three spectacular blackberry canes looping over the back fence, like the Martian’s fingers in the commercials for the War of the Worlds TV show from a few years back. I wanted to go out and hack at them right then, but Kate restrained me for the sake of getting dinner on the table. It was a good thing she did. When I got out back, limb-loppers in hand, I found that the three big canes (the largest of which rose about ten feet high and was thicker than my thumb) were only the vanguard of a massive invasion force, thorny and heavy with fruit. I whacked at them for about forty-five minutes, and would probably have been completely overwhelmed except that our neighbors (the best neighbors in the entire universe) came by just then. Pat, who’s much taller than I, was just barely able to cut the tallest cane with the loppers at their longest extension, while Michelle and five-year-old Rowan gamely helped denude the invading canes of their evil (and delicious) seed-bearing fruit. While I cut up the canes and gingerly transferred them to the yard debris bin, the neighbors picked about five pints of berries and left one of them for us. I’m more than happy with the deal. They’ll be back for more berries in a couple of days. Writing news: Four of my stories received Honorable Mentions in Gardner Dozois’ Year’s Best Science Fiction: “A Book is a Journey,” “Circle of Compassion,” “The Ecology of Faerie,” and “Tk’Tk’Tk.” Which is, um, everything I published in 2005 except for “The Curse of Beazoel.” I’m going to go edit the novella some more now. Blackberries and yogurt await for dessert.

Yesterday was a good writing day. I got my subscription copy of the September 2006 Asimov’s, including my story “Primates.” My name’s on the cover! Also, the issue has already been reviewed in Tangent Online, and I couldn’t ask for a better review: “Levine cleverly weaves a sense of humanity and empathy into the pages… [a] must-read.”

But when I finished up my evening chores, I found that the actual writing itself (I am editing the novella) was like pulling teeth. Even figuring out how to approach the task of writing down what I wanted to do in this editing pass was too much to contemplate. I gave myself a star for the day for sitting down and trying, but I think my total wordcount delta was about 3.

Today was better, but still nasty. The comments were fair, and consistent, but the problems they point out are deep-seated and difficult to resolve. I’m going to have to either change one of the main character’s most fundamental personality traits, or find a way to explain how he could wind up where he is despite it. And the other characters’ reaction to him makes them all unsympathetic. Not to mention some smaller, but still significant, problems of motivation and unexplained (in)action. If it weren’t that these comments were accompanied by statements like “some of the strongest work we’ve seen from you” I’d be despairing. As it is I just see it as a craft challenge. A big craft challenge.

After all this, I sure as heck hope it sells.

Finally broke my nearly-month-long non-writing streak yesterday; I’m incorporating comments on the New Orleans story from my alpha readers, preparatory to sending it to my critique group. After I send that off I’ll work on editing the novella.

In other writing news, I got another rejection, this one from F&SF for the twice-rewritten Jupiter story. Gordon appreciated the effort I’d put in but he still isn’t connecting with the story, alas. Asimov’s is next on the list for that one, but I just sent another story there. Must ponder whether to send it elsewhere or hold onto it until Asimov’s opens up.

Also, my robot servants found a brief review of “I Hold My Father’s Paws” in a Portugese blog. Google’s translation: “In this story of David Levine, the irrigation ditch between father and son is closed through one bizarra mesclagem of biotechnology with the desire so human being to be free of all the concerns.” My thoughts exactly.

Tonight we saw Hedwig and the Angry Inch, with local phenomenon Wade McCollum in the title role. The plot didn’t exactly hang together — in fact, I’m not really sure what happened at the end — but McCollum was amazing. I can’t imagine anyone else pulling off the vocal, physical, and emotional demands of that role. The next time he appears in anything, we’ll be there.

Just back from a quick trip to Seattle, where we enjoyed the hospitality of Hal and Ulrika O’Brien (and their very enthusiastic dog Sarah and cat Tinka) and attended not just one, but two Clarion parties: one at the home of Kate Schaefer and Glenn Hackney and the other at the home of author Greg Bear. The second, a Clarion tradition was an unexpected bonus, where we were treated to a delicious dinner and the sights of the Bears’ lakefront home as well as fine company including authors Terry Brooks and Kathleen Alcala. Other people we conversed with at one party or the other included Nalo Hopkinson (this week’s Clarion instructor), Mark & Elizabeth Bourne, Dave Howell, Luke & Julie McGuff, Jane Hawkins, Jerry Kaufman & Suzle Tompkins, Nevenah Smith, Anita Rowland & Jack Bell, Mary Kay & Jordin Kare, Nisi Shawl, Cyn Ward, Vonda McIntyre, Eileen Gunn & John Berry, L. Timmel Duchamp, Andy Hooper & Carrie Root, Marci Malinowycz, Margaret Organ-Kean, and many others.

In addition to the parties, we joined in a delightful dim sum expedition at Jade Garden (where they had spoo!!) and visited a couple of yarn shops and the U. District Farmers’ Market (where we acquired a couple of different apple ciders and several cans of locally-caught tuna). On the way to the Bears’ we picked up a baker’s dozen donuts at Top Pot, home of some of the finest donuts on the planet, where I also got an Ovaltine latte (?!).

This morning started with a delicious breakfast with our hosts at the Brown Bag Cafe in Redmond (where a single plate from the “light” portion of the menu provided brunch for both of us, with enough left over for dinner for both of us) followed by a side trip to the Museum of Glass in Tacoma. The most interesting bit of the museum was “Jane’s Hot Shop”, where a team of glass artists were at work on a life-sized skeleton in black glass; another intriguing exhibit featured glass dresses, cast (indirectly) from life. Much of the rest was, unfortunately, disturbing and macabre. Tacoma itself was also a mixed bag, combining dramatic architecture and natural views with charmless industrial areas.

Once returned home, we put some of the tuna together with new potatoes and lettuces from our weekly basket-o-vegies to make a nice Salad Nicoise, then I put the three stories rejected last week back in the mail (go me) as well as doing some other writing-related paperwork. And now, to bed.

Well, after a long dry spell of no responses at all, I got three rejections in the mail today. Looks like Friday the 13th came on a Thursday this month.

To take a bit of the sting out, yesterday I received an email from someone with a slashed L in his name, offering to buy translation rights to “Tk’Tk’Tk” for Nowa Fantastyka, a respected Polish SF magazine. They also wanted electronic copies of two other stories for further consideration. Not too shabby.

Also, the Asimov’s rejection came with an invitation to autograph for an hour at their dealer’s table at the Worldcon. I’m pleased, and I’ll do it, though I doubt many people want my autograph.

I have written nothing in almost three weeks, and this doesn’t seem likely to change in the next few days. I finished up one story right before leaving for Anaheim, and the next thing on the plate was revisions on another story. Which, because my revision process involves spreading papers out around my writing chair, was exceedingly difficult to do on the plane. Then… well, I should stop even pretending I’m going to try to get any writing done at conventions. And when I got home I found I’d brought back a mild but exceptionally annoying cold, which I am only now getting over, and there was a pile of chores to do (about some of which, perhaps, more later) with what little energy I had left.

Tomorrow we’re heading to Seattle, to attend the Clarion party at the home of Kate and Glenn. We’ll be staying with Hal and Ulrika on Friday and possibly Saturday night, and would welcome an opportunity to get together with Seattleites while we’re there.

After I return I’ll put those three stories back in the mail and start in on the editing.

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.