ita, excellent - received, fervent thanks mouthed, and backflung, with a couple of details about why the fight is beyond standard. These guys aren't after the guy she's protecting - they're professional racists, and they're after her. Fight gets very nasty, very quick. We get to watch a couple of National Front skinhead types get their asses thoroughly kicked.

Yay! They should film that story and show it every Christmas.

Allyson, great article. I will be buying your book. Absolutly. I also sent the url to a friend of mine who writes for a BIG computer magazine. He can refer it on.

I just made a longish list of agents and a shorter list of publishing houses. I intend to submit to them, in order (agents first, 3-4 at a time, except in cases where I make direct contact with an editor at a conference or by other means), until I either find myself agented or contracted or have made it to the end of the list. Only then am I allowed to give up and consign Jack and Anna's story to a box under my bed.

I need to do this, because otherwise the submission jitters are going to slay me. Obviously if it becomes obvious there's some problem with the story I haven't noticed yet, I'll stop querying long enough to fix it, and I'll add and subtract from the list if industry buzz warrants, but I'm not allowing myself to give up after the first 5-10 no's.

Allyson, the excerpt is fantastic! I'm so looking forward to reading the whole book.

Wait, did Allyson find a publisher?! (Sorry -- been teaching)

That's FANTASTIC! So cool!!

Go, you!

I made the masthead, here. [link] (click on staff) (I don't know why my name is spelled incorrectly, I e-mail it to them at least once a week. Grr. You're fricking writers, people. Look alive! Look...up.) It's not as impressive as it looks...they have the mother of all slush piles so my biggest accomplishments will never be seen, ie, keeping the crap OUT more than the good stuff in. But I stuck up for something last week. Although I'm Shroedinger's staff because I do not get paid for that. But I will be able to claim editorial experience from here on, so yay.

It's not as impressive as it looks...

Bullshit. Don't minimize it. It's pretty damn cool.

(Though I *do* know what you mean, in general. When I tell people I'm an editor, they react as if I just told them I split the atom. And I just want to laugh.)

drabble

Shadows sway, hiding the target. With a deep breath, I reach in slowly, not sure what I'll find. Something cool slides against the back of my hand, leaving the illusion of dampness. I jerk, but my fingers catch in a hard net. I freeze, and slowly the net falls away.

I reach again. A cold shaft slides into my grip. I pull too eagerly, and grasping claws clutch my prize. I tug desperately, unable to think clearly enough to slow down, let the trap loosen itself.

Finally the restraints give, and I lurch backwards, swearing in relief.

This is far too much trouble to go to just to vacuum the carpet.

That's so cool, Erika! And Teppy is right, don't minimize,. 90% of all editing is knowing how to find the good stuff in the pile of crap, doesn't matter whether you work at a small journal or at the New Yorker.