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jazzfish1 June: Curse apparent inability to write/revise on train. Think "Oh well, plenty of time, Viable Paradise deadline's not until 30 June."
7 June: Run across post on Making Light mentioning that this year VP applications are only open until 15 June. Swear.
10 June: Buckle down and spend evening pounding %&$ space story into submittable shape. Become vividly aware of just how much story would benefit from top-to-bottom rewrite, including removal of superfluous viewpoint character. Twist story trying to remove said character, fail. Observe that after all that stress, final story is basically identical to previously-critiqued draft, with light edits and improved opening scene. Swear. Give touilos to read, get encouraging response. Do not drink heavily, as there is no alcohol available. (On balance, probably a good thing.)
11 June, AM: Export story into RTF format. Print story, hand touilos for "quick proofread." Notice strange RTF corruption. Swear. Spend two hours reformatting RTF manuscript and correcting handful of typos and previous-draft errors. Try to force RTF to underline consecutive paragraphs. Fail. Swear. Edit so that underlining of consecutive paragraphs is not required. Reprint.
11 June, PM: Finish cover letter. Hold breath, cross fingers, hit Send on email submission. Take printed story, cover letter, and application fee to FedEx. Learn that FedEx does not deliver to PO boxes. Swear. Find post office, mail story via ExpressMail which claims it will arrive on the application deadline of 15 June. Laugh nervously.
13 June: Check Canada Post tracking information for package. Note that package has not moved since being "accepted for delivery" at 4 PM on 11 June. Grow mildly concerned.
15 June: Check CBC.ca, note that Canada Post officials have shut down Canada Post entirely in response to rolling strikes. Swear. Email VP in a panic, receive reassuring response of the "whenever it gets here is fine" variety.
19 June: Receive email stating that VP applications are now officially closed, and applicants will hear back on/around 30 June.
19-29 June: Talk self down from getting hopeful/excited about prospects. Note that actual published authors have been declined in the past. Remind self that if "early submission increases chance of acceptance" the converse is almost certainly true. Dwell on general crappiness of submitted story due to not having taken time to completely rewrite it and shore up blatant weak points. Ponder what to do with large sum of money that will be "saved" by getting declined. Start rolling ideas around for next story.
22 June: Tracking status of package changes from "LOCATION: Vancouver. STATUS: Item accepted for delivery" to "LOCATION: Canada. STATUS: Labour disruption affecting this location; item delayed."
28 June: Package leaves Canada.
29 June: Set alarm for 6:20 AM for work-related call to disgruntled UK customer at 7 AM. Sleep.
30 June: Wake up to light-alarm before beeping-alarm. Turn off beeping-alarm. Think "VP email is here," with unshakeable certitude. Ponder whether to check email and deal with rejection before disgruntled-customer call, vs going through call Not Knowing. Check mail. See message with subject "Your Application to Viable Paradise 15." Think "No 'congratulations' in subject. Must be thin envelope, as expected." Open email anyway and read. Blink. Reread email. Wakeuilos and make her read email.
So, um, yeah. That happened.
(And now I'm having vague notions of stopping off in Boston for a day or two before or after October 9-15, because, hey, people.)
7 June: Run across post on Making Light mentioning that this year VP applications are only open until 15 June. Swear.
10 June: Buckle down and spend evening pounding %&$ space story into submittable shape. Become vividly aware of just how much story would benefit from top-to-bottom rewrite, including removal of superfluous viewpoint character. Twist story trying to remove said character, fail. Observe that after all that stress, final story is basically identical to previously-critiqued draft, with light edits and improved opening scene. Swear. Give to
uilos to read, get encouraging response. Do not drink heavily, as there is no alcohol available. (On balance, probably a good thing.)11 June, AM: Export story into RTF format. Print story, hand to
uilos for "quick proofread." Notice strange RTF corruption. Swear. Spend two hours reformatting RTF manuscript and correcting handful of typos and previous-draft errors. Try to force RTF to underline consecutive paragraphs. Fail. Swear. Edit so that underlining of consecutive paragraphs is not required. Reprint.11 June, PM: Finish cover letter. Hold breath, cross fingers, hit Send on email submission. Take printed story, cover letter, and application fee to FedEx. Learn that FedEx does not deliver to PO boxes. Swear. Find post office, mail story via ExpressMail which claims it will arrive on the application deadline of 15 June. Laugh nervously.
13 June: Check Canada Post tracking information for package. Note that package has not moved since being "accepted for delivery" at 4 PM on 11 June. Grow mildly concerned.
15 June: Check CBC.ca, note that Canada Post officials have shut down Canada Post entirely in response to rolling strikes. Swear. Email VP in a panic, receive reassuring response of the "whenever it gets here is fine" variety.
19 June: Receive email stating that VP applications are now officially closed, and applicants will hear back on/around 30 June.
19-29 June: Talk self down from getting hopeful/excited about prospects. Note that actual published authors have been declined in the past. Remind self that if "early submission increases chance of acceptance" the converse is almost certainly true. Dwell on general crappiness of submitted story due to not having taken time to completely rewrite it and shore up blatant weak points. Ponder what to do with large sum of money that will be "saved" by getting declined. Start rolling ideas around for next story.
22 June: Tracking status of package changes from "LOCATION: Vancouver. STATUS: Item accepted for delivery" to "LOCATION: Canada. STATUS: Labour disruption affecting this location; item delayed."
28 June: Package leaves Canada.
29 June: Set alarm for 6:20 AM for work-related call to disgruntled UK customer at 7 AM. Sleep.
30 June: Wake up to light-alarm before beeping-alarm. Turn off beeping-alarm. Think "VP email is here," with unshakeable certitude. Ponder whether to check email and deal with rejection before disgruntled-customer call, vs going through call Not Knowing. Check mail. See message with subject "Your Application to Viable Paradise 15." Think "No 'congratulations' in subject. Must be thin envelope, as expected." Open email anyway and read. Blink. Reread email. Wake
uilos and make her read email.So, um, yeah. That happened.
(And now I'm having vague notions of stopping off in Boston for a day or two before or after October 9-15, because, hey, people.)
no subject
Date: 2011-07-01 06:59 pm (UTC)