Trouble is, it’s just so much easier to work on Leaf articles — they take a lot of research, but they’re straightforward stuff — or on Sexist Myths/Undead Sexist Cliches. The book is at the point where the structure of each chapter feels kind of self evident. It still takes a lot of work rearranging and tidying up the writing to fit the structure, but much less creative thought than rewriting my short stories.
However Leaf is wrapped up until October so for the next couple of weeks I can devote mornings to fiction, afternoons to writing about sexism. That will be less profitable but it should be much more productive for fiction (and my personal nonfiction too).
I did check up on one story I’d submitted; it had gotten lost in the email pile but they said they’d get back to me by next week. Another market had problems opening the document so I re-sent it in the body of the email. Getting more submissions out will be another activity I catch up in the next couple of weeks.
McFarland also responded to my Space Invaders proposal suggesting my plans were ambitious — they’d need a much larger book than I proposed — and would I be interested in scaling them down? I think that’s doable but I’m going to go over the specifics of their suggestions before saying yes.
Work on Sexist Myths went well. I redrafted the two chapters on rape into a solid shape, but didn’t finish adding all the footnotes. I added so many examples and moved so much stuff around it would have been pointless. I also had the dubious thrill of reminding myself of how ugly rape apologists can get, like Warren Farrell claiming that for men, paying for dinner and getting turned down for sex is as traumatic as date rape. (short answer: no it isn’t). And that if a woman says no to sex while she’s kissing the guy, well you can’t blame him for trying to turn “no” into “yes” just like heroes in romance novels do (“He might just be trying to become her fantasy.”). Yes, actually you can. Even if he really thinks her no means yes, the guy is still committing rape. And Farrell is signing off on it.
Next week will hopefully be a productive one, despite a dentist appointment on Tuesday (tooth hurts. Might be nothing, but my gut says it’s something). Even if that takes me down for the whole day (it won’t. If nothing else, I have some research reading I can do), next week will be awesome! You heard it here first!
For eye candy, here’s a striking cover by Gervasio Gallardo. #SFWapro, all rights to image remain with current holder.
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