I look at the stories already in the bin and decide that the first draft of my
story needs some drastic rewriting.
A note arrives from Phil Farmer. He had sent me a letter months ago, which
apparently never arrived, withdrawing from the project. (It hadn’t!) Realizing
that withdrawing at this late date would leave me in a bad spot, he is now
rearranging his writing schedule in order to send me ‘something’. Of course, it
will be a little late. I am grateful, but panicky.
Lynn finishes her story and starts to gloat. I threaten to beat her head in with
my Selectric.
Ace calls again. They want additional information for the cover copy. They also
want a word count. I explain the situation as calmly as I can. Half-way through
my explanation, the phone melts.
Ma Bell fixes my phone in record time (I am rapidly becoming their favourite
customer), and I hurriedly call Marion to ask for a rough word-count on her
unsubmitted story. She tells me she sent me a letter which must not have
arrived. (It didn’t.) She tells me she’ll have to withdraw from the project
because of time pressures in her other writing commitments. She tells me to stop
gibbering and say something. I calm myself and explain I’d really like to have a
story from her. I explain I really need her story. I mention that her character
is on the cover of the book. She observes that the water gushing from the phone
is threatening to flood her living room and agrees to try to squeeze the story
into her writing schedule … before she flies to London in two weeks.