Christmas and all that...

Two rejections in my mailbox. Quite pleased about them too. I've been sending off regular subs to Glimmer Train (yes that's called being stubborn) and for the first time I got something back that was more than your automatic response saying "sorry we can't use your story at this time". Yes, I'm grinning ear to ear, and loving it.

After biting my nails for several weeks, I finally got back a response from Clarkesworld Magazine. After reading Orson Scott Card's, How to Write Fantasy and Science Fiction, I understood why the editor writes about the story not being magical enough, or if it was intended to be magical, it didn't come across as magical enough but more of something that took place inside the psyche of the main character. Overall, I thought it was quite a good rejection, listing the positive point of the story which was that it works as is, and telling me why the story wouldn't work for the publication ( too sentimental and not magical enough ). So, I'm going to do a rewrite of that one and try sending it off to Glimmer Train. In other words, I will try to make this story more mainstream as it seems to work as a mainstream story. I can't wait till January.

Finally got around to subbing another column to the list. I have been so tardy with writing, but the computer is up in the attic and for me to get up here is pretty much like the little train who tries to puff up a giant hill. Well, I did make it up here and am making time to catch up on lots of stuff which have been gathering dust in the meantime.

And I finally got my contract from Route They want to pay me thirty pounds for my story, My Skin, Us. Yay! I've printed out the contracts and will mail them off later today.

Philippine Speculative Fiction volume two has been launched. Sad to say I wasn't able to make it to the launching. Ah, it's one of those times when the distance really pinches. I am looking forward to reading all the stories in this volume.

Needless to say, it's this book that finally convince my Mom that I am a writer, and she's thinking about writing her own memoirs to pass on to her grandchildren. Yes! I am so pleased about her deciding to do that. I've been pleading with members of my family to please write about what they remember. It has to do with this inner desire I have to be able to pass on this sense of roots to my own kids when they grow up. There is so much to tell and so much to share and my memories seem so meager.

I suppose I'm feeling this more now that I'm going to have my second child. Getting bigger and bigger, and according to the doctor the baby might just arrive a few weeks earlier than expected. We are in a feverish rush to lay down new floorings in our bedroom, and to prepare a place for the baby.

Seeing it's the christmas season, my husband made a joke about if the baby gets born on Christmas Eve, we could also just re-enact the manger scene . Ha, ha.

I've missed blogging and forum surfing, but time seems to be running away from me these days. Merry Christmas everyone and if I don't get to blog before the year ends, here's me wishing everyone a wonderful New Year filled with lots of blessings and prosperous writing.