Submitted by acmfox on Mon, 09/12/2005 - 11:01pm

[anneliese] Hi CM!

[camidon] Howdy!!

[camidon] How's it going tonight? What's the topic?

[DaveK] Hi guys.

[anneliese] I believe it's your sub tonight???

[camidon] Hey Dave

[anneliese] I'm in Williamsburg VA at the moment :)

[anneliese] Hi Dave!

[DaveK] Hi Chris, Anneliese

[anneliese] (This hotel has internet access)

[DaveK] My wife is in Hickery NC today

[DaveK] Business or pleasure?

[camidon] Really? Couldn't remember what's going on. Haven't been paying as much attention to the group as usual.

[anneliese] Where abouts in NC is that?

[anneliese] Business for the past week. Today we played.

[camidon] That's kind of cool Anneliese. Work trip?

[DaveK] Far west in NC. a bit east of Ashville

[anneliese] We had our annual IANDS conference in VA beach this past weekend.

[DaveK] Just in time to miss Ophilia (sp)

[anneliese] Had a gorgeous hotel room with balcony overlooking the beach...but at $10/day for internet...not!

[camidon] That's what I was thinking, Dave

[anneliese] Yep. I can't believe that there have been so many named storms this year.

[camidon] How's your writing going, dave

[DaveK] Seen the movie "Cave" yet? We went to see Stelth in the $2 theater. Not sure it was worth that.

[camidon] Haven't seen any movies lately in the theater. too busy.

[DaveK] I'm trying to get my energy up. I found a book - A Writer's Time. It has a good quote, "Talent is not rare. Dedication is."

[anneliese] Haven't seen either.

[camidon] don't know Stealth

[anneliese] I like that quote!

[DaveK] Best to keep it that way Chris.

[DaveK] I'm working on my dedication. I'm trying to write a few hours each day. Hard though.

[camidon] funny, Dave. That is a good quote. But how long does it take bashing your head against a wall before 1) getting published or 2) squishiing your brains out your ears?

[DaveK] I'm thinking of taping it to my monitor.

[camidon] That's good, Dave

[DaveK] You asked for it. Another posting on my monitor is the number of times books were submitted before accepted.

[camidon] lol, dave. go ahead

[DaveK] Hunt for Red October 12 times, A Time to Kill 12 times, The Fountainhead 12 times.

[anneliese] Sounds like a magic number.

[DaveK] How many times have you submitted your story Chris?

[camidon] which story?

[DaveK] I think I'm up to 4 or 5 for some of mine.

[DaveK] The book, Elevator at the End of the World

[anneliese] I was talking to someone last night (over a very nice glass of cab) who suggested that you should not finish the novel before shopping your idea.

[anneliese] I thought that was true for non-fiction, but didn't know that it applies to fiction as well.

[camidon] 8 queries, 1 agent, 2 contests.

[DaveK] I would finish it, wspecially a first one.

[camidon] that makes 11. Hmmm...

[DaveK] One short Chris.

[anneliese] She suggested doing the query, synopsis, sample chapter(s) and taking it to a convention.

[DaveK] I think I'll write - Hunt for a Fountain to Kill. That should only take 3 submissions.

[camidon] Most of my short stories I've submitted 8-12 times too.

[anneliese] LOL

[camidon] I suppose that tactic depends on if you write for the sake of writing or write to simply be published.

[camidon] Lol, Dave

[anneliese] I got my first emails from the CT nano coordinator this week.

[camidon] THat can be your Nano project.

[anneliese] True, CM. I think it was a tactic for selling books, not writin.

[anneliese] writing.

[DaveK] Actually I'm thinking of expanding one of my shorts. It could be in the Clancey family.

[DaveK] It would start with my Out of the Box story, where Jack falls out of the plane with a computer that thinks he is the enemy.

[camidon] Meaning in the Clancy Style?

[anneliese] So, CM, did you want to say something about your sink hole sub?

[camidon] I could see you writing really well in that style.

[anneliese] I'd love to see more with your Out of the Box story.

[DaveK] Clancey in the sense of a tecno thriller. Set in the future a bit more though.

[DaveK] Last about me - I have written more and plan on typing it in soon. Then I'll send to the group. Now Chris your tome.

[Elizabeth] hello there!

[anneliese] Hi Elizabeth!

[DaveK] Hi Elizabeth.

[Elizabeth] sorry I'm late. Had a prior commitment.

[camidon] I think you should run with it. That's good stuff. NANO here you come (come on Anneliese, we'll drag Dave into by his virtual ear lobes! <scrape, drag, scrape, clatter--Dave now sprawled on the floor>

[camidon] Evening, Elizabeth.

[anneliese] You pull, I'll push!

[DaveK] It will be my first attempt at a novel length. I will have to outline.

[camidon] My Tome, maybe that's what I should name my first short story collection where each story is over 10k.

[camidon] It's a deal, Anneliese.

[Elizabeth] lol!

[anneliese] I think I've decide what I'm going to write about, but I have a lot of work to do to get things set up.

[DaveK] I hope to join in the nanowrmo (/) this time. Already told my wife not to talk to me in November.

[Elizabeth] What do you think? Should I go for NaNoWriMo this year and try for 0 out of 4? ;)

[camidon] From now on, all my submission over 10k will have a (T) in the title for; TOME

[anneliese] Yea, go for it!

[DaveK] Maybe we should do a forum or wiki support group for that.

[anneliese] LOL, CM!

[camidon] Absolutely, Elizabeth, keep up that record. Who knows? Maybe you'll break it!

[anneliese] If CM has anything to do with it, you'll break it for sure :)

[camidon] That's a good idea, Dave. or Both. Perhapa a chat in October specifically for NANO.

[DaveK] So Chris, what have you decided to cut.

[camidon] I can be very presistent with my demanding emails, Elizabeth (or is that annoying?)

[camidon] Dave, I like your idea about cutting the whole ChemLawn angle, chop out that subplot, chop out a lot of sections.

[anneliese] It might have been a Tome, but it was still a fast read...I'm not sure what you could cut.

[DaveK] As I said I was confused by the sulphric acid and canisters.

[camidon] Also, take one third of the complexity out of the "devices" which I do want to research and explain in a scietifically plausible and accurate way.

[camidon] That confusion, Dave, doesn't surprise.

[DaveK] Usually not a good idea unless you want a real "techy" story.

[anneliese] On the other hand...my environmental side just loved that ChemLawn was involved.

[camidon] Really, Anneliese? Did you skip every other paragraph or something ;)

[DaveK] Amazing how that creeps in. I have a review from my wife on one story which is a big question mark in one paragrapg.

[anneliese] (Wasn't too worried about the scientific plausibility and/or lack of explanation)

[DaveK] LOL Chris

[camidon] My environmental side did too, that's why it slippied into the story

[Elizabeth] I did like the ChemLawn angle.

[anneliese] I hope I didn't skip every other chapter...took a bit under an hour to read.

[anneliese] I mean paragraph.

[DaveK] We haven't got a single review for the three Sinkhole stories we put out.

[anneliese] (Still really exhausted from the conference)

[anneliese] Did you do a sinkhole chat last week?

[Elizabeth] I was wondering if those "fertilizer" spikes could be stuffed with explosives...but that's just my inner criminal coming out.

[camidon] That's good to know, Anneliesse, that you weren't too worried about the plausibility. IT's really NOT suppose to be that plausible.

[Elizabeth] Dave, I think I got a critique from Bob. Do you want me to forward it to you?

[DaveK] No. Just Elizabeth and I. We just gabbed.

[Elizabeth] What Dave said.

[camidon] Lol, Anneliese, thanks for spending that time. Actually, thank you all of you, as I know this was a, in Dave's words, a TOME.

[DaveK] Yes please send it E.

[DaveK] Maybe expand it to a novella

[camidon] It's on my list if things to do, Dave.

[camidon] I did read all of them, though I was rather obsessed with my own sinkhole creation at the time.

[anneliese] When you have the Africa angle, how much farther *out* is the ChemLawn angle anyway?

[Elizabeth] Just forwarded it to Dave and Anneliese.

[anneliese] Thanks.

[Elizabeth] I did like the idea of returning Florida to Morocco. It's so deranged.

[Elizabeth] Scientifically accurate, perhaps, but so deranged in every other aspect.

[camidon] Not that far out really, Anneliese. But I just got to cut something, don't I?

[DaveK] But if it is "out there" then you have to make it humorous or it doesn't work.

[anneliese] Seriously, I can see this story being a bit longer.

[camidon] Well said, Elizabeth. Oh, were you talking about my story? I though you might have meant me...

[anneliese] True, Elizabeth. I'm partial to *deranged*

[Elizabeth] the story, CM, of course. :)

[camidon] ;)

[Elizabeth] And Rene, obviously, has had a rather nasty divorce from reality.

[camidon] How so, longer?

[DaveK] I wouldn't use the word "serious" for any of these stories.

[anneliese] I think you could play up the threats, the suspense.

[camidon] Returning Florida to Africa just makes me laugh. Damn those geologic punchlines.

[Elizabeth] Maybe if we had more of Rene's backstory. What on earth made him decide to sink the whole state of Florida?

[DaveK] Are there any stories in the que? Terri or Juanita?

[camidon] Hmm.. That's a good questions, Elizabeth. Being deranged comes to mind, but that doesn't really explain anything.

[Elizabeth] I have a chapter each from Terri and Juanita...Anneliese, who's next in the queue?

[anneliese] I wanted to see Rene and Rosevelt doing more...or at least worrying and plotting...as they realize the cavers are on to them.

[Elizabeth] Yeah, the whole relationship between Rene and Roosevelt could be amplified.

[camidon] I definitely could envision a scene with Rene experiencing some weird trauma that causes this derangement. What that scene would be, I don't yet have an idea. So, any ideas?

[Elizabeth] And their anxiety over bringing their scheme to fruition.

[DaveK] OK Chris, it's your nanowrimo idea

[anneliese] Sorry. Until I get back home, I'm not sure who is in the queue right now.

[Elizabeth] If you could let me know tomorrow, Anneliese, I'd appreciate it. Lately my short-term memory is shot.

[anneliese] He could have an epiphiny when pumping is *natural spring water* causes a sinkhole.

[camidon] <tangent> oh, and Anneliese, do add my name for another. I've got a honest to goodness GenE story coming out, and by golly this one is serious and killer to write.

[anneliese] I probably won't get back before Wednesday...let me see what's in my email archives.

[camidon] Huh, Dave? What's my nanowrimo idea?

[DaveK] Expanding Sinkhole to a novel.

[Elizabeth] Perhaps a traumatic Disney or Universal Studios experience. :::evil grin:::

[anneliese] All I can remember right now, is that Juanita has been getting one spot/month, usually the 3rd or 4th week.

[anneliese] LOL Elizabeth!

[camidon] Nooooo... I don't think I have the stomach for expanding this into a novel. It's just too damn silly and absurd.

[anneliese] I think 12-15K might be a good length.

[camidon] That's interesting, Elizabeth. I suppose I can take another potshot at a big corporation! :)

[DaveK] By my records Terri had 8-15 and Juanita had 8-22

[Elizabeth] There are all sorts of things not to like about Florida...

[Elizabeth] which one would set Rene off?

[camidon] I suppose I could try a couple versions of this, one longer, on drastically cut. That might be an interesting idea.

[camidon] Just thought of a better mechanism for sinkhole creation

[camidon] ...drain down the undergound aquifers with Rene's bottle water industry. As groundwater levels lower, rocks lose their bouyancy support and come crashing down. Hmmm. That would cut out all the capsule crap... though insert something else.

[anneliese] Well????

[anneliese] It sort of makes more sense. Otherwise, I'd make Rene a lawn care mogul.

[anneliese] Who hates grass.

[camidon] Lol

[Elizabeth] or a lover of native, uh, weeds.

[anneliese] I like the capsules...gives everyone a reason to go caving.

[camidon] I bet Rene likes African Violets, maybe I should put some in his bottled water plant.

[anneliese] I KNOW he does :D

[DaveK] I sugested nanotechnology or bioengineered rock living bacteria.

[Elizabeth] I like the bottled water idea too...he's trying to do something profitable and "natural", and causes even more damage.

[camidon] Mmmm. Caving.

[Elizabeth] or what if he and Roosevelt are trying to create more "lakes" for, say, real estate development?

[camidon] Yeah, i thought about that, Dave. I just can't decide how far, or whether I should, take this more scifi.

[Elizabeth] Turn boring marshes and aquifers into more tourist attractions?

[Elizabeth] Or react against the people who do such things?

[camidon] Rock eating bacteria certainly exists.

[DaveK] Gene engineer the bacteria to create the bottled water sources

[camidon] ...and probably could be bioengineered for actually rock destruction. Hmmm.

[camidon] Lots to think about.

[camidon] One more question for y'all. Characters: Too many? Were some of them funny?

[DaveK] A bit too many for a standard short.

[camidon] Were the caver scenes funny? (okay, two questions)

[anneliese] The Rene/Rosevelt relationship was my favorite, but I mostly enjoyed Julie's *sizing* everyone up.

[camidon] because by golly most of that strangeness really exists.

[camidon] Good to know, Anneliese.

[Elizabeth] I loved the caver scenes. Some very funny stuff, but for a short you might have to lose a character or two.

[anneliese] The caver scenes felt very realistic to me.

[camidon] Okay, good thoughts, good thoughts.

[camidon] Thanks again for reading this beast. I enjoyed the feedback, especially since I hadn't remembered this was my chat.