May 05 - Visit from OC Deputy Marshal

Friday, May 5, 1972 - Page 126
LOCATION: Newport Beach, California

12:30 PM
At about 10:30 Chunk called: Norton is sick (that's his bike we were going to take to Ensenada), so we aren't going, which is just fine since I've got a lotta stuff to get done here. I went back to sleep (I've been awful sleepy lately when trying to get up -- I could stay in bed all day if I let me. Pro'ly because I don't eat enough -- just one meal a day. I'm still fairly healthy though), and at 11:30 or so, the doorbell rang thrice, but I was asleep so couldn't answer it. I eventually got up to get the mail (another rejection from F&SF for M-Q, naturally), and on the door handle was the card above [actually, below]. I guess they haven't caught Mike yet.

2:00 PM
I called the # above, he wasn't there. A little while ago he returned the call, and I told him I had last heard he was in jail in Pomona 8 months ago. They're after him for a minor traffic violation. [Mike McEvers was a good friend and former schoolmate of Chuck's -- in 1971, he often stayed at our home and occasionally got into trouble with the law]

9:00 PM
I'm now on page 150 in Cat's Cradle, and 250 in Sirens of Titan... I've been sitting here for a minute trying to think of something else to write, but I can't think of anything, so instead I'll just write down my perplexity at my inability to come up with something to write, and enlarge on that theme until this page is finished, an endeavor which, ironically, is being accomplished by... never mind, I just thought of something: A PERSON WHO USES METAPHORS IS LIKE A PAINTER WITHOUT A BRUSH --- (that's original... think about it) -- 9:07:33 P.M. -- FINI

Apr 08 - "...plenty of stories gestating"

Saturday, April 8, 1972 - Page 99
LOCATION: Newport Beach, California

2:30 PM
F&SF showed me their rejection slip, for Demigod's Demise. They answered fairly soon. My collection is growing -- whoopee! I'm a writer.

Front of Rejection Letter

Back of Rejection Letter

8:00 PM
I'm reading "I Sing the Body Electric" by Bradbury to get the mood for a story I've thought of (Type Righter), and I'm sure I don't like his writing (I don't like my writing either).

Cover of the first edition, 1969

I'm going to make a valiant effort to clean up and organize my room tonight & tomorrow, then start writing. I've got plenty of stories gestating now: "B4 The Beginning," "The Blood Lust Biz," "Type Righter," "Time Fall," "Same Old Thing," "Morrison Epic," and "Tempus Fugitives." I've got a lot of plots to play with, I've just gotta write the damn things. The photo below is one taken from the Apr. 6 excursion -- 'nother example of back bay's wild life. On page 80 [March 20] is another shot, of a Shoal sign with a sea gull flying off it.

8:30 PM
(Incidentally, the three comic episodes that appeared on pages 42, 43, & 59 [February 11, 12 & 28] were put in a few moments ago. Just mentioned it to keep time unwarped.)

Apr 04 - Moira-Quest submissions**

Tuesday, April 4, 1972 - Page 95
LOCATION: Newport Beach, California

9:00 PM
Today I typed a fresh copy of Moira-Quest, after changing a few of the more awkward sentences. The original M-Q, sent to Galaxy, was probably lost in transit, considering the fact that they (the envelope & return envelope) had only 6¢ postage each. I'll send this one to F&SF, and when I get it back, I'll send it out again with the medieval illustration [Flammarion engraving] of the traveler poking his head out of the bubble of Earth's atmosphere to view the universal mechanics outside. F&SF doesn't accept illustrations, so I needn't bother them. It took me all day to type the thing, so I din't do anything else today.

Moira-Quest went thru many incarnations. Ultimately, I illustrated the story and
it was published in Star*Reach magazine as Out of Space ● Out of Time.
I carefully revised it later, adding color and Photoshop enhancements.

A year ago, on Apr. 4, 1971 (Sunday), we were in Huron, Kansas in an ancient house with ancient people. We arrived there on the 3rd, at 5:30 p.m. The place was about a century old, like some place a president would be born in, and Aunt Ellie is not much younger [this was the hometown of my Great Grandmother Brazzel]. Now, I think I heard they put the old fossil away some place -- the house was too dangerous for her to be living in alone. She had been Jack Perdue's responsibility, and he finally got her put away. Also on the 4th, we drove to Kansas City, Missouri to see old relatives of Dot's -- Annie Brazzel, Mary Brazzel, Gladys, Elizabeth, a whole flock of hicks. Twas an interesting experience I could have done without. 9:13:57 P.M. Fini

( INCIDENTALLY -- LARRY'S MOTHER DIED LAST TUESDAY --------- )

[For another entry about this story, go to Feb 15 - "The grate science-friction righter"]

Mar 26 - Random writing chores

Sunday, March 26, 1972 - Page 86
LOCATION: Newport Beach, California

(12:00:35 AM 3/27/72)
Goddup at 'bout 1:30. There wasn't anything worthwhile on the gradio (seldom is on early Sunday afternoon), so I couldn't waste my time typing. I finished reading "Space Lash," a 206 pg. Clement anthology from which I have obtained some technical terms for later stories. I've been reading it for the past month or so. Some decent radio programs were coming on, so I started typing. Got envelope & return envelope typed so I can send "Demigod's Demise" out to Fantasy & S.F. tomorrow.

Continued typing up market filing cards. Now I've got 36 finished and 3 to go. Then I'll figure out who to send "my" poetry to, and type that and send it. I've got a story idea for some mag that combines S.F., horror, supernatural, sex, action, humor, dialog, computer logic, and surprise twist ending. -- it's gotta sell somewhere. Will get to work on that eventually, and continue big TEMPUS FUGIT harbinger to be shot for Analog. At 11:00 P.M. I went out for milk, but the Liquor Store was closed at 9:00, but the guy (nice fellow) let me in to get the milk -- he had stayed to finish some work, lucky me. Onward. 12:11:45 A.M. Fini. 

Feb 15 - "The grate science-friction righter"**

Tuesday, February 15, 1972 - Page 46
LOCATION: Newport Beach, California

3:24 AM
☺→ MEASURED OPTIMISM (1 inch) -- 2.54 centimeters, actually
Okay folks -- I've convinced myself my story (when I finish it) will sell. Such flowing prose is fit for nothing else but print. I've read the first two sessions in the correspondence course thing, and succeeded in generating enthusiasm. I think I can keep it up, and I'm CERTAIN that Moira-Quest is destined for Analog, or Galaxy, or F&SF [Fantasy & Science Fiction] in the next few months. A great writer is born, despite the turbulent gestation. Did I say turbulent? ...drab may be more apropos, methinks. Not much longer, lad, not long.

9:30 AM
THERE HE SITS, A MAGNIFICENT SITE, THE GRATE SCIENCE-FRICTION RIGHTER. HUNCHED OVER HIS ELECTRONIC TYPEWRITER, FINGER POISED DRAMATICALLY OVER THE KEY, COGITATING OVER A PARTICULARLY FORMIDABLE PLOT COMPLICATION, HIS MANLY MUSTACHE TWITCHING IMPRESSIVELY, A THREE-DAY STUBBLE MARRING HIS FIRM CHIN AS HE DEDICATES HIMSELF THOROUGHLY TO HIS ADMIRABLE ART -- ANOTHER IMMORTAL CLASSIC UNFOLDS. Now is that writing or is that writing, I askew? 'Nuff sayed. I'm goin' to sleep. zzzzzzzzzzzz

[From Star*Reach 6, here is page 2 of Out of Space ● Out of Time,

which is the published version of my illustrated epic space adventure,

previously referred to here as Moira-Quest and Enter-Stellar.]

Out of Space ● Out of Time
"... the Moira-Quest began the first small step of a journey that would span decades."

9:30 PM
After I wrote that I went outside to tan my hide for an hour (from 10:15 to 11:15). Slept from noon to three -- got up and typed the first page & a half of Moira-Quest. I'm re-reading Ellison's "The Region Between" to instill the mood of awesomeness, and I saw The Search for the Nile again (Part III) and then a special called "China - Lost and Found," concerning Emperor Nixon's trip to China (pardon the irreverence -- I really don't have any convictions about it). They sure are playing it up -- his trip to China is getting as much publicity as Armstrong's trip to the Moon. The reporter said, 'smatter of fact, that we know more about the moon than what we'll see in China next Monday, Feb. 21. We shall see, shan't we?

DUE TO AN UNFORESEEN DIFFICULTY, THE ANNUAL CLAIRVOYANT MEETING WILL BE CANCELLED

[For another entry about this story, go to Apr 04 - Moira-Quest submissions]