Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Story Sale to Liquid Imagination!

From the Speakers: BATMAN BEGINS SCORE by Hans Zimmer
Just Read: CITY OF ASHES by Cassandra Clare--Similar to the first book, the tone of the writing put me off in places, but overall it was a great plot. Not annoyed to stop reading her stuff so I guess she's doing something right!
Reading Now: CITY OF GLASS by Cassandra Clare

Week 9's story sold yesterday to Liquid Imagination! It's a flash fiction story about a man at the end of his life, and the strange things he remembers as his dying thoughts.

I work in a place where sick people sometimes come to die, and that can be a difficult thing to be around. Once in a while, I wonder how my coworkers, who don't have writing as a cathartic element, cope with being around so much death. I suppose you can become numb to anything. I'm not numb yet though, not even close, and most of me hopes never to be.

So what I do is write. And when my patient got to a point where there was little more we could do for him, I sat down with a pen and wrote this story in a flurry of ink and emotion. Twenty minutes later, I felt better; I had turned distress into something positive, something productive. That story meant something, you know? Not all do, but this one did.

And now, thanks to the fine people over at Liquid Imagination, you'll be able to read it soon! I'll post the link as soon as it's available.

Also, many thanks to my Write1Sub1 buddies like Milo James Fowler, who posted about this and other magazines that I previously didn't know existed. So far the 2012 count is 16 stories written, 10 rejections, 2 acceptances, many still out there waiting to hear back. I hope to keep the good news rolling in.

Fingers crossed, people, fingers crossed.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

My (Least) Favorite Things

From the Speakers: INTO THE MOUTH OF HELL WE MARCH by Trivium

To satiate your undeniable curiosity, here are some lists of things that I love and hate, writing and otherwise:

Things I Love:
1) Stories about people who were once great at something, and now must be again after much time away.
2) Reading, drinking a beer, and watching a baseball game on TV all at the same time.
3) Listening to music really loud while driving with the window down on a hot, sunny, summer day.
4) Having the vaguest idea for a story, sitting down, and pounding out the whole thing in one heated, 3000-word, inspired, creative play session.
5) Fairy Tales (usually that I knew as a kid) that are really based on dark stories.

Things I Hate:
1) Writing and editing a story with a magazine in mind, only to find that the story turned out to be longer than that magazine's word count limit.
2) Walking past a switch and flicking it on, but missing and having to stop you're walk mid-stride to reach back and get it.
3) Having a detailed idea for a story, and no energy to put it down on paper.
4) Reading a book with a great plot and story and characters, but terrible writing, so that you can't take the idea and do it right.
5) Coming up with a good idea for a story, running to tell your friend/brother/parent, and having them say, "Oh, yeah, that sounds a lot like (Insert story you've never heard of here)."

How about you?

PS--My newest publication can be read here: Ten Stories Up, Ten Years Later

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Story Published!

From the Speakers: CAN'T BE SAVED by Senses Fail
Just Read: CITY OF BONES by Cassandra Clare--Really enjoyed the plot, the story. The writing, though, was redundant at points, and even seemed a bit juvenile here and there. Didn't stop me from starting the sequel, though.
Reading Now: CITY OF ASHES by Cassandra Clare

My story "Ten Stories Up, Ten Years Later" came out in Misfit Magazine! Click on the link to check it out, and leave a comment if you feel so inclined. Always appreciated.

The story's about a car wreck. The county I'm from is notorious for having teenagers killed in car wrecks, and I don't know why. I have a few theories--more winding, country roads, for one, and a general boredom settled over the teenage population that makes everyone want to speed for fun--but whatever the reason, it sucks. There were like ten kids at my high school killed in wrecks when I was there. I'm lucky to have made it out unscathed.

Anyway, thinking about that got me writing this story. A bit of catharsis, yeah, a bit of taking some bad feelings and putting them down on paper so they don't stay up there infect anything. Just one more thing that makes writing great.

But hopefully, you, my Generous Reader, won't let that tidbit bring you down, and you'll be able to enjoy the story as an isolated slice of entertainment. Thanks for reading!

Monday, April 2, 2012

Week 11 is Number 1

From the Speakers: NJ LEGION ICED TEA by A Day to Remember

It's official--my first Write1Sub1 story of 2012 was accepted last week, Week 11!

It took 11 weeks of writing a story per week, 5 rejections, still waiting to hear back from 7 magazines, but I did it. The story is called "Over the Fence," and it will come out in May or June in Residential Aliens.

I started writing a story about baseball--I played every spring since I was five years old until I graduated high school, so this time of year always brings back memories of being on the field (see "Spring Cleaning" post). But somehow I ended up submitting it to a horror magazine. Go figure.

Can't keep the fantasy out of a fantasy author's stories, you know?

Anyway, the editor of Fear and Trembling magazine enjoyed the story and wants to publish it, but she said it might be a better fit in her sister magazine, Residential Aliens. Haven't heard the release date yet, but when I do, you'll be the first to know.

Also, some other good news: I've previously published two stories in Fear and Trembling (a few years back), and since then the magazine's undergone lots of changes, including management. But the new editor, the one who just accepted "Over the Fence," said she still has all the archived stories and will get them online one day. That means you'll be able to read more of my published fiction for free!

Stay tuned! Lots of exciting things going on these days. Keep your fingers crossed, and maybe Week 11 will only be the first of many, many acceptances this year.