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Michael Livingston’s short story, Catch of the Day, appears in the Winter 2007 issue of Shimmer. To learn more about Michael, visit his website.

QUESTIONS ABOUT THE STORY:

Where did the idea come from?
One afternoon, a few years ago, I wrote a vignette in which I tried to convey the thrill of fly-fishing. It was just a little thing — still visible if you look just at the experiential parts of the final narrative. I more or less forgot about it until recently, when I found myself stuck on another writing project. Wanting to work on something fresh to recharge my batteries, I pulled The Fishing Trip(as it was then titled) out of the archives and decided to give it a make-over.

How did the story change as you developed it?
The obvious change was to work my vignette into a “first contact” story. After that, I started submitting it.

You know the advice “Sometimes you have to kill your darlings.” Was there a scene or line that it really hurt to cut, but cutting it made the story stronger?
It’s rare that I end up cutting things — contrary to that old writing proverb. Some folks work on the -10% rule, cutting 10% out of a work once it’s finished to make it tight and neat. I’m more likely to work on the +10% rule, writing too subtle in my first pass.

In this case, Shimmer’s loving editors felt my first contact tale lacked conflict. So I sat down to put it through a third rewriting (rare for me) in an effort to add a bit more bing-bang-boom to it. It was my intention, first and foremost, to add the framing narrative of the interrogation. This was a vital alteration, I felt, as it allowed much more characterization of the narrator. Once that was established, I set about rewriting the conclusion of the piece, going for a bit more punch, a bit more payoff. My plan was to have the alien heal our dear Doctor Harris of his infertility — even if it meant the inclusion of some sort of joke about erectile dysfunction, though I hoped it would never come to such lengths. (bada-bing!)

Anyway, I found that this original plan of de-infertilization still lacked the ooomph I was looking for. It was okay, but something about it was a bit too happy la-la-land for me. I wanted more complication. Thankfully, I found that with a pinch and a tweak I could take the de-infertilization in a slightly different direction: the hydran impregnates the narrator.

It was at this point that I went back through the whole story, changing the narrator to a woman in order to make this impregnation gambit seem a bit more real. But, alas, the change in gender seemed to cause more problems than it solved since I had to grapple with too many other questions at that point — e.g., why is she the fisherperson, and not her husband? So back to a man, with his wife on the shore.

The end result? An additional 2000 words, if I recall rightly.

One other point in this regard is that in my resubmit I *did* try to kill a darling — the final 700 words of the tale. What I sent back to the editors ended at the man in black’s pronouncement to Doctor Harris that they would “both” be okay — and Harris’ wife, too. It seemed to me that everything after that (the extended ending) was just beating the reader down. Shimmer’s editors, however, disagreed. Finding out about the longer ending (and reading it) finally convinced them to buy the piece.

How is this story like your other work? How is it different?
Fewer gnomes, more fishes. (Duh.)
Seriously, if you want to get a feel for my work, check out my website.

QUESTIONS ABOUT WRITING:

How long had you been submitting before you made your first sale?
A year maybe. Probably less. I’m not sure, exactly.

Do you work with a critique or writers group?
I critiqued a few things with a writers’ group, but that was very much the exception rather than the rule. And I don’t really do it anymore.

What authors, if any, have had the most influence on your work?
Among current writers, Dan Simmons, Umberto Eco, and Parke Godwin come to mind.

Favorite short story you’ve read recently?
Hmmm… a toss-up: The Ninth of Av, by Dan Simmons (in the collection WORLDS ENOUGH AND TIME), or Blackberry Witch, by Scott Roberts (in WRITERS OF THE FUTURE XXI).

RANDOM QUESTIONS:

Do you believe in ghosts or the supernatural? Why?
I almost wrote “Yes, I believe in God,” but then I realized that nothing could be more natural than God. So … “No.”

Fast food: Yea or Nay?
Yea. With a guilt-driven jog later that night.

Name one place in your hometown that you love to go to and would recommend to others to visit.
It ain’t my hometown, but here in Charleston I’d recommend visiting The Battery. The depth of the history is astonishing, and it also happens to be extraordinarily beautiful.

Is there anything that you would “sell your soul” for?
Not to be boring, but hell no.

Do you have a secret skill that you never get to show off? (i.e. ambidextrous writing, blood-curdling screams, double-jointed, badminton champion…)
Not that I can tell anyone about, no.

Quiz: How many writers does it take to change a lightbulb? Please explain your answer:
As a writer, I refuse to rewrite my previous answer to this question. I was clear before, damnit. I owe the reader nothing! Nothing!

We are proud to announce the contents of our Winter 2007 issue. Please click on any of the thumbnails below for a quick peek at a select choice of first pages.

Juana and the Dancing Bear by n. a. bourke We were at the court of Queen Isabella in Castile, Just-Simon and I. He played the part of a jester and I the dancing bear. Each evening, while dinner was still being cleared from the lower tables, he led me into the hall. There, on a floor littered with food scraps, I danced for the ladies and lords while Just-Simon played the wild music the Cossacks had taught him. It pleased the queen to listen to the music of snow and ice while the court swooned in the heat of a thousand candles. I danced in my blue silk harness with its hundred bells as if my blood were beating to the remembrance of starless nights on the open steppes.

Duets, by Philip J. Lees I heard her before I saw her. Her voice, raised in anger, bounced off the wall of the saddler’s across the street and down the alley where I was walking, having just left the apothecary’s shop by the rear entrance. I hitched the guitar strap higher on my shoulder and quickened my pace, certain that adventure was at hand.

Tom Cofferwillow Comes Undone by Stephen L. Moss ‘Twas half-past Criventide and getting toward dark on the road to Torkson’s Manor where I kept my crackling hearth. I glanced up from my studies and reached for a nail, but my hand found the scutter empty. Who’s been smoking in my drawers? I wondered. And with the shops closed for the night? Ah, well. Perhaps a cranny-search on hand and knee would yield a prize or two.

Catch of the Day by Michael Livingston “We have some questions to ask you, Mister Harris,” the man in the black suit said. “Doctor,” Will said, trying to play it confident even as he squinted into the light, trying to separate the other people in the room from the shadows. There were three or four of them, he figured. And all of them, aside from the man in black, probably as nervous as he was. “Pardon?” The man in the black suit spoke deep and smooth, like how Will imagined an old poolhall hustler would talk. A veteran of many a summer blockbuster, Will wondered for a moment if the man was an alien disguising himself as a human. Then again, Will of all people knew what aliens looked like now, didn’t he?

Eagle-haunted Lake Sammamish by Cat Rambo “You’re nuts,” my husband told me. “Land is always a good investment,” I said. “Here, I’ll send you the link.” I mailed it to him and there was silence while he clicked through the pages on his laptop. “This is in Utah,” he finally said. “It’ll be swarming with Mormons. Or there’ll be some sort of religious cult just down the road.” “By purchasing this land for a mere 350 dollars,” I said, “I have doubled our property in the world. We are landed gentry now. I think that means we can be knighted.”

Interview with Cherie Priest

Lucy, by Chrissy Ellsworth

Night Milling, by Mike Driver

Lights out. Night milling.

Empty console room, bathed in flickering blue light from the VDU’s. Last delivery came in at 11pm, full load; lifters took the contents from the lorry bearing the blue Adams Grain logo into silo forty-three. Driver signed himself in, signed himself out. Security man checked the manifest and waved him through. Now the load makes its way from the silo into the tubes that lead to the grinding floor. Twenty-two grinders, some single, some double, speed into life; no one is there and the bright yellow ear defenders hang unused on their hook on the wall. Grind wheels grind, air pumps cycle silently to increase the flow, the mill wheels sift the finer grains, the remainder is recycled; more grist to get those sharp serrated teeth chattering excitedly. More to tonight’s delivery than usual.

Dwell on Her Graciousness, by Dario Ciriello

Yvène felt the pressure against her soul the moment she woke. She barely made it to the tiny cabin sink before she threw up. Gasping, she released the cabin’s foldout seat and settled before the little shrine she’d arranged in the study nook. She closed her eyes and breathed.

It normally took her less than a minute to uplink via her Dea implant, but she felt instead as if she were trying to work free of a wet blanket tied around her.

She ran a diagnostic on her uplink soulware. Nothing. She tried a second time. Still nothing.

Sparrow and Egg, by Amal El-Mohtar

A sparrow lies within an egg that lies beneath a sparrow.

“Egg,” says the hidden sparrow, dreamily, “I love you.”

“I love you too, sparrow,” says the egg.

“But egg, I love you more.”

“That may be, though I doubt it,” says the egg, “but I will love you longer.”

n. a. bourke’s story “Juana and the Dancing Bear” is the cover story of our Winter 2007 issue of Shimmer. You can reach her at alicebabette@hotmail.com.

Questions About The Story:

Where did the idea come from?
It’s really a combination of ideas. One of my favorite nursery rhymes as a child was “The Little Nut Tree.” One version, which you might know, is:

I had a little nut tree, nothing would it bear
But a silver nutmeg and a golden pear.
The King of Spain’s daughter came to visit me
And all for the sake of my little nut tree
I skipped over water, I danced over sea,
And all the birds in the air couldn’t catch me.

According to some sources, this was based on the visit of Jauana, the Princess of Castile, to King Henry’s court in 1507. Other sources credit the rhyme as being linked to the wedding gift given to her by her husband, Philip “the Handsome.” According to historical records, her journey to the Low Countries to meet her husband was a monumental caravan including an entourage of 22,000 people. Juana has become known as Juana la Loca (Juana the Mad). Rumours that her passion for Philip led to madness swirled around her both during and after her lifetime–it is said, for example (very untruly), that after he died she had his coffin opened every night so that she could embrace him.

I wanted to write a story that brought these elements together with a pair of characters I was developing for a novel–Just-Simon and the Bear. I also wanted to change Juana’s fate–releasing her from the rumours of madness and an unhappy marriage.

The other seed of the story was a visit to my home by a very wonderful young girl–Georgia Duncan. Georgia has cerebral palsy and she’s one of the most wonderful young girls you could ever hope to meet. She came to visit us with her mum, dad, and sister, and I was just so impressed by her strength of spirit, her charm and smile and beauty, that I wanted to write a story for her –a story where someone truly magical recognized the power and potential of a girl with a body that isn’t like everyone else’s.

How did the story change as you wrote it?
The earliest notes I have on the story in my writing journal say:
Handless maiden + little nut tree: handless maiden as metonymic myth for cerebral palsy? Juvenile arthritis; her hands cursed by a rival for her lover’s affection–slowly turning to silver. OR the prince (Philip and Juana?) is deathly ill. He dreams that the only thing that will cure him is a compote made from an apple and a pear from the same trea. Juana journeys with Bear to Estubal in Portugal to find the “little nut tree”–in order to buy the fruit she gives up her sanit (?) or her hands/–they stiffen and curve and die as she journeys back to him.

You know the advice “Sometimes you have to kill your darlings”? Was there a scene or a line that it really hurt to cut, but cutting it made the story stronger?
Ack! A whole old version (I burn those with much glee). The story was written while I was at Clarion South (in Australia)–and the tutor that week (Michael Swanwick) gave me some great ideas about the ending, which was quite unresolved in that early draft.

How is the story like your other work? How is it different?
I guess I write a lot of pseudo fairy tales, because I loved reading them as a child. Bear and Just-Simon are characters I’ve been hanging out with for a while, so in that sense they’re similar. The books I’ve had published have been contemporary realist (non-speculative) fiction so far, but the novel I’m working on now–the two novels–are both riddled with magic and wild science.

Questions About Writing:

When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
I guess I knew when I was very young, though not in a concrete sense. Even as a young child I wrote lots of poems and stories and such for my sisters. I told stories in the dark while we went off to sleep and acted them out in the bush with my best friend in the whole world–Cavell Altman. As I got older I think I lost the sense that it was something I had any talent for–it took a long time to regain confidence enough to write and submit work for publication.

Who do you write for? Yourself or someone else?
Someone else–always, though rarely the same person or group of people twice. I have this feeling that, for me at least, the best work comes of writing as a gift–writing when I’m conscious that the pleasure is less for me than for the reader.

Who’s your favorite living author?
Just one? I’ve been reading Aimee Bender’s collection, Wilfull Creatures, which I just adore–and Hanna Tinit’s Animal Crackers. Also piled up on my bedside table, spine cracked and well thumbed, are Barbara Kingsolver, Anne Carson, and Margo Lanagan.

Favorite book read when you were a child?
Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are and Dr. Seuss’s Green Eggs and Ham.

Random Questions:

Do you believe in ghosts or the supernatural? Why?
Sure–my partner is a ghost.

Favorite restaurant?
Hmmm, have to be Mondo Organics in West End.

Do you have a secret skill that you never get to show off?
I like to draw and paint a little–but showing it off would require there being some redeeming features in the end results.

Do you check your horoscope?
Nope. Though I did once date someone who checked it for me on a regular basis so they could stay in tune with me. Didn’t work so great.

Clifford Royal Johns’s short story, Dog Thinks Ahead, appears in the Spring 2006 issue of Shimmer. Contact Clifford at royal@sff.net

Questions About the Story

Where did the idea come from?
The story derived from a first sentence, which popped into my head one day when I was drinking a Mountain Dew. That first sentence defined who the character was and what his trouble was.

Editorial Note: Unfortunately, we had to change the first line! It really was terrific, but as the story developed, it didn’t quite work.

You know the advice “Sometimes you have to kill your darlings.” Was there a scene or line that it really hurt to cut, but cutting it made the story stronger?
Yes, the first sentence. I’d rather you didn’t print that first sentence, because I might be able to get four or five more stories out of it before it makes it into print. Once a darling, always a darling. It’s a pretty good sentence.

How is this story like your other work? How is it different?
Several of my stories are about slackers and often from a first person point of view. I’m not a slacker myself. Really, I’m not. Not most of the time anyway. But the personality type intrigues me. I am not a slacker. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.

Questions About Writing

How did you celebrate your first sale?
My first sale was to Fine Woodworking. I celebrated by saying, “Well I’ll be darned. They bought it.”

Favorite book you’ve read recently?
Bingo Night at the Fire Hall by Barbara Holland

Random Questions

If you have a day job, what is it? What do you like about it?
Integrated circuit design, and writing computer aided design software for doing this. It’s actually my ideal job. I like building things, and I like solving puzzles, and I get to work with a great bunch of people. They even pay me to do it. How cool is that?

Favorite food?
Fried Spam and cheese on toast. OK, actually I prefer oatmeal with broccoli florets. Well really, it’s Mountain Dew and Cheetos.

What are some of your hobbies?
Woodworking, volleyball, dog rescue, tractors, blues harmonica and studying the peculiar.

What do you want to be when you grow up?
A gentleman farmer, or at least a farmer.

Quiz: How many writers does it take to change a light bulb? Please explain your answer:
All depends on your point of view.

At Shimmer, we’ve been collecting interesting interviews with our authors and sharing them with our subscribers. We’ve decided to start sharing them with the larger community. These will go up once a week both here and at Shimmer’s Live Journal site . What’s more, we’ll periodically throw in some audio fiction. So, without further ado, we have an interview with Paul Abbamondi who first appeared in our Spring 2006 issue.

Paul Abbamondi’s short story, The Dealer’s Hands, appears in the Spring 2006 issue of Shimmer. Read his blog or send him e-mail

Questions About the Story

Where did the idea come from?
It all started with the character of the Dealer. This eerie image of him standing next to some rickety barn popped into my head, and from there on I had to figure out why he existed. Once I knew why that was, the rest just sort of fell into place.

How did the story change as you developed it?
The story went through three different endings, each one completely unlike the other. Spencer’s outcome was the same, but how he met his fate happened in different ways. In the original ending the Dealer had used the pinch marks on his stomach to “tag” him for death. The remainder of the story remained unchanged.

You know the advice “Sometimes you have to kill your darlings.” Was there a scene or line that it really hurt to cut, but cutting it made the story stronger?
No, anything that was cut only made the story stronger. Killing my darlings allowed “The Dealer’s Hands” to be much more alive.

How is this story like your other work? How is it different?
I write more fantasy (urban, high, and sword & sorcery) than I do horror, so it’s pretty drastic in the amount of gore and creepiness that I produce. I generally have a couple stock characters in my stories, such as the obvious bad guy.

Questions About Writing

How did you celebrate your first sale?
I had trouble sleeping that night from all the excitement if you want to call that celebrating. I went out later for dinner and allowed myself to have a fancy drink. I kept it pretty low-key.

Does your work tend to explore any particular themes?
Not that I know yet. Some might say death, but to me, it’s only a part of my stories and not the central theme.

What people have helped you the most with your writing?
I’m part of Critters and have a couple of first readers that offer wonderful comments on what gets an approving thumb and what doesn’t. But other than that, I’m writing solo. “The Dealer’s Hands” was seen by no one before I submitted it.

Favorite book you’ve read recently?
I recently, as in a few months ago, read The Scar by China Mieville and was completely blown away by it. Simply amazing, and it goes beyond the borders of creativity. I’ve bought his other two books based in the same world, but haven’t had any time to start them yet.

Random Questions

If you have a day job, what is it? What do you like about it?
I’m an assistant editor for a market and research firm in chilly New Jersey. It’s nice because it allows me to write at night and on the weekends, and I’m actually interested in editing copy. It’s fun finding mistakes, circling them, and having them fixed! It’s kind of like doing a word search for misspelled words from eight to five.

Favourite food?
I’m a sushi fanatic. California rolls, shrimp tempura, any kind of nigiri or maki. I love it all. If a reality show was ever created on the basis of eating sushi, I’d either be on it or religiously attached to its airings.

What are some of your hobbies?
I enjoy reading lots of science fiction and fantasy novels. I also play guitar in my free time and attempt to record music in my apartment. I watch a decent amount of movies, but generally never get to see the new ones in theaters. Just don’t have the time to see them all.

All-time favourite movie?
I will forever be a fan of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings, and of all three of them, Return of the King is the one I can watch over and over. Extended edition, of course.

What do you want to be when you grow up?
A bestselling author with Tor or DAW. That, or an editor for a publishing house. As long as I’m still involved with the publishing industry I’ll be happy.

Quiz: How many writers does it take to change a light bulb? Please explain your answer:
Two: one to write how it is done, and the other to critique his work.

If you are filling out your Hugo nomination form at the last minute, here’s a reminder that Shimmer is eligible for a semipro magazine nomination.

Cap’n Adams decided to give the lot o’ scurvy dogs a wee bit more time ta be submittin’ yer stories. Ye’ve got until February 28th and not a minute longer. Arrr!

Woo-hoo! From our first issue of Shimmer, “Nobody’s Fool,” by Ed Cox, got an honorable mention in the 2005 Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror! This is the first story we picked for the first issue. We are very, very proud.

We also got shout-outs in the Summary section. Ellen Datlow says we’re “worthwhile” and Kelly Link and Gavin Grant say we’re a “good-looking new zine with strong ambitions.”

If you’d like to help us promote Shimmer, would you place a copy of this text on your blog or website?

The Summer 2006 issue of Shimmer: Available August 1.

Heat makes the air shimmer. It’s too damn hot to write marketing text. Buy a copy of the Summer 2006 Shimmer. Read it.

Why? 8 new stories, art, and an interview with writing team Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta.

Angela Slatter, Tom Pendergrass, Paul Abbamondi, and Marina T. Stern return with stories of books, bureaucracy, blood, and heartbreak. Amal El-Mohtar and Stephen Moss make their fiction debuts. Beverly Jackson tells a fish tale, and Michael Livingston talks about gnomes. (Check out our Featured Author page to hear Michael read the story.)

Bonus: after reading, the print version works as a fan! Our pdf readers are on their own.

Go buy the magazine. Better yet, subscribe.

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