The pro in my group at the Wiscon writing workshop, where "Star Anise, Paprika, Nutmeg, Rosemary" will be critiqued, is Kelly Link.

*excited flail*

Tags: sa-p-n-r

The problem with writing a story that you think has the potential to be the best short story you've ever written is that it requires a lot of work to fix it. However, the ever-awesome penchaft has provided some excellent critiques, and after I've done my best to fix things tonight in line with her critiques, I shall send the story in for the workshop at Wiscon, where it can be picked to pieces some more in May. And once I've fixed it again, maybe, just maybe, I can sell it to somewhere big and awesome, which I think it has the potential for more than anything else I've written.

Pushing myself is hard. But fun! But hard.

Tags: sa-p-n-r

4,570 / 4,570 (100.0%)

Draft 2 of "Star Anise, Paprika, Nutmeg, Rosemary" is done. One more prod, tomorrow or Monday, before I seek out some feedback.

Either this is one of the best stories I've written. Or it's going to fall flat on its face in the mud of fail.

I think this means I'm working my way up a skill level. It certainly feels like it. This story is probably more layered than anything else I've written so far (whether the layers work is an entirely different matter, of course). It was bloody hard, because I knew what I wanted it to do but wasn't sure how to do that. I really, really hoped it worked.

I'm only going to get better by being ambitious, and pushing, and inevitably messing up at some point, and learning from it.

But I hope this one worked. I like it a lot.

Tags: sa-p-n-r

This one is probably the roughest first draft I've ever completed, but there is goodness lurking behind the rough. Some stewing, some editing, some feedback, some more editing -- there will be a good story, in the end.

Progress Notes:

"Star Anise, Paprika, Nutmeg, Rosemary"

Words today: 2,259 (whoa, what?)
Words total: 3,833
Reason for stopping: draft
Mail: DeVotchKa ticket for their 9th April show in London! I have it on good faith that they are even more awesome live than on CD.

Darling:

Perhaps, I think, as the rumbles of my stomach join the conversation-noise, this Carrenei-world will have real meat and real soil for us to grow more flavourful foods in. The spice farm guards its soil-secrets closely--our location is a secret, our soil-stores are heavily guarded. We have had thieves try to steal from us. If only we had enough soil, we would gladly share it; but we do not, and we will not. Our flavours are important, my parents always say. Without them, we would surely go mad from bland foods.

I remember tasting meat from the last cow, a stunted, knee-high thing that died after only a few days out of the growing vat. A year later, the vat malfunctioned and we didn’t know how to fix it.

Mean things: Finding out that the themed issue I was writing this to submit to closed ahead of schedule. Alas, alack. Instead I will use this story, when it is edited, as part of my goal to have a pro sale by the end of the year.
Amusing things: Writing the phrase 'the last cow' and immediately imagining it said in the same way as the rhino-things in Ice Age say 'the last dandelion' and the dodos say 'the last melon.'
Research: Various spices, the plants they grow from.

---

Off to see Beowulf tonight, in 3D. I haven't read the epic poem, so I shall see how it holds up simply as a film.

Tags: sa-p-n-r