From the Speakers: WASTING AWAY by Tonight Alive
Just Read: HOCUS POCUS by Kurt Vonnegut--Fantastic! Loved the voice, and it was really hilarious the whole time. A few times I cracked up alone in my living room, haha! Shout out to Blaise for the recommendation.
Reading Now: THE MANY ASPECTS OF MOBILE HOME LIVING by Martin Clark
Spent the past two weeks or so poring over a novelette I wrote almost a year ago. I mentioned it in a previous blog post--I had a few friends give me their opinion on it, then set to work editing it, mainly to cut it down. It was 18,600 words when they read it, and I wanted to get it below 17,000 for submission to a contest.
Talk about hard work! I think Michael Crichton said that stories aren't written--they're rewritten. How true!
After a once over, it was pretty straightforward to cut out about 800-1000 words. That left 600 to go before it met the submission requirements. Those 600 words took me SIX HOURS to find early one morning last week!
It's a stronger story for it, though.
But as far as my W1S1 requirements, it didn't count because all I did was edit it. So I had to hurry and put together a flash that I thought I would submit to DSF . . . but then I got a note from them saying the story they were already reviewing had passed the first round of slush piles! So that was a big lift after so much work, feeling like I wasn't getting anywhere. Just going to have to find another venue for this new one, I guess.
And, FINALLY, that novelette is submitted. Keep your fingers crossed for me--I'll need every bit of luck I can get.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Monday, September 3, 2012
Week 11's Story Published!
From the Speakers: ANOTHER SONG ABOUT THE WEEKEND by A Day to Remember
My story from week 11 this year, "Over the Fence," found a home at Fear and Trembling back in March, and came out in print this past weekend. You can read it for free by clicking the title.
I'd love to know what you think of it. Leave me a comment, either here or over at the mag.
Some brief background on the story: if you've read my blog or know me, you know I love baseball and played it all through my childhood. My dad suggested I write more stories about baseball, and this was what manifested. Not sure it's what he had in mind, exactly, but hey, I appreciate his inspiration nonetheless.
Hope you enjoy!
My story from week 11 this year, "Over the Fence," found a home at Fear and Trembling back in March, and came out in print this past weekend. You can read it for free by clicking the title.
I'd love to know what you think of it. Leave me a comment, either here or over at the mag.
Some brief background on the story: if you've read my blog or know me, you know I love baseball and played it all through my childhood. My dad suggested I write more stories about baseball, and this was what manifested. Not sure it's what he had in mind, exactly, but hey, I appreciate his inspiration nonetheless.
Hope you enjoy!
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Little Kicks
From the Speakers: WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH by A Loss For Words
Just Read: THE APOCALYPSE WATCH by Robert Ludlum--A bit goofy at points. Still fun action, but I prefer his more serious books.
Just Read: THE HAMMER OF GOD by Arthur C. Clarke--An interesting take on one possible future. It was kind of all over the place at first, but once I got used to it, it was easy to follow. Pretty cool book.
Editing an 18,600-word story this afternoon after writing a flash piece this morning. It's a day of opposites, I guess.
Trying to cut this monster down to 17,000 words for a specific submission. Might have a bit of a hard time doing it, since the people who read it and gave me feedback wanted more--more description, more tension, etc. Goes against the rule Final Draft = First Draft - 10%. Oh well.
The story's about a wandering warrior on a quest. When I started, that was pretty much all I had. This idea blossomed that I would write a series of novellas and compile them all into a novel, kind of like "THE GUNSLINGER" by Stephen King. (You should read that, and the rest of the series, if you haven't already.) I had put it on the back-burner, but then the other day I was running and had mad ideas for the next few novellas, so here I am getting back down to business.
Every now and then, your subconscious gives you a little kick in the rear end. I appreciate it for that. Helps me get a lot more done.
Just Read: THE APOCALYPSE WATCH by Robert Ludlum--A bit goofy at points. Still fun action, but I prefer his more serious books.
Just Read: THE HAMMER OF GOD by Arthur C. Clarke--An interesting take on one possible future. It was kind of all over the place at first, but once I got used to it, it was easy to follow. Pretty cool book.
Editing an 18,600-word story this afternoon after writing a flash piece this morning. It's a day of opposites, I guess.
Trying to cut this monster down to 17,000 words for a specific submission. Might have a bit of a hard time doing it, since the people who read it and gave me feedback wanted more--more description, more tension, etc. Goes against the rule Final Draft = First Draft - 10%. Oh well.
The story's about a wandering warrior on a quest. When I started, that was pretty much all I had. This idea blossomed that I would write a series of novellas and compile them all into a novel, kind of like "THE GUNSLINGER" by Stephen King. (You should read that, and the rest of the series, if you haven't already.) I had put it on the back-burner, but then the other day I was running and had mad ideas for the next few novellas, so here I am getting back down to business.
Every now and then, your subconscious gives you a little kick in the rear end. I appreciate it for that. Helps me get a lot more done.
Friday, August 10, 2012
Bright Future
From the Speakers: WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW IS LOVE by Dionne Warwick
My favorite Stephen King book is actually his nonfiction piece "On Writing." It was the first of his I ever read--I might have been fourteen, but I knew I was a writer--and it's been a road map for me throughout my early career.
In it, he describes the phenomenon of receiving rejections as part of a writer's course, and often they come in progressive, sequential steps: First, a form rejection. A certain amount of time goes by, and you get better, and the rejections change form. They become "good but not great" comments, occasionally suggesting that you try them again in the future. Next, you get "this is good, but not for us" letters. And finally, after poking your head into some smaller magazines (and continuing to get better), you might get some professional acceptances.
Well, looking back on my career and this year so far, I can see the steps. I did a project in high school that involved collecting my rejection letters and writing journal entries on them, and man were those stories bad! Well, not BAD, but they read like a fourteen-year-old wrote them and submitted them to Fantasy and Science Fiction. It makes me laugh now a bit, with pride, perhaps a bit like a father thinking back to his toddler trying to field a ground ball ten, fifteen years ago.
Those were the form rejections. Then I got better and submitted to smaller venues, and got some "good but not great" rejections. This was the norm for years, and maybe the W1S1 challenge has me getting better at short stories faster. I got a few acceptances (14 to be exact) at some small venues, but I kept submitting to the pros, and I can clearly see a step up in the rejections.
I've gotten "this is good but not for us" rejection letters from Leading Edge (about the story from my last blog post, which also receiving a personal note from F&SF), Penumbra Magazine (twice), Allegory, and Flash Fiction Online.
Next step in the sequence is acceptance!
PS--I had to blog about this to put the positive spin on getting two crushing rejections this week. It's been a disappointing two weeks! All part of the journey, right? Years from now, I'll look back like a dad remembering his clumsy toddler, and I'll laugh.
My favorite Stephen King book is actually his nonfiction piece "On Writing." It was the first of his I ever read--I might have been fourteen, but I knew I was a writer--and it's been a road map for me throughout my early career.
In it, he describes the phenomenon of receiving rejections as part of a writer's course, and often they come in progressive, sequential steps: First, a form rejection. A certain amount of time goes by, and you get better, and the rejections change form. They become "good but not great" comments, occasionally suggesting that you try them again in the future. Next, you get "this is good, but not for us" letters. And finally, after poking your head into some smaller magazines (and continuing to get better), you might get some professional acceptances.
Well, looking back on my career and this year so far, I can see the steps. I did a project in high school that involved collecting my rejection letters and writing journal entries on them, and man were those stories bad! Well, not BAD, but they read like a fourteen-year-old wrote them and submitted them to Fantasy and Science Fiction. It makes me laugh now a bit, with pride, perhaps a bit like a father thinking back to his toddler trying to field a ground ball ten, fifteen years ago.
Those were the form rejections. Then I got better and submitted to smaller venues, and got some "good but not great" rejections. This was the norm for years, and maybe the W1S1 challenge has me getting better at short stories faster. I got a few acceptances (14 to be exact) at some small venues, but I kept submitting to the pros, and I can clearly see a step up in the rejections.
I've gotten "this is good but not for us" rejection letters from Leading Edge (about the story from my last blog post, which also receiving a personal note from F&SF), Penumbra Magazine (twice), Allegory, and Flash Fiction Online.
Next step in the sequence is acceptance!
PS--I had to blog about this to put the positive spin on getting two crushing rejections this week. It's been a disappointing two weeks! All part of the journey, right? Years from now, I'll look back like a dad remembering his clumsy toddler, and I'll laugh.
Sunday, July 22, 2012
GAH!
From the Speakers: TALK OF THE TOWN by Jack Johnson
Just Read: PIRATE LATITUDES by Michael Crichton--Pretty fun adventure story, but I didn't like the twist at the end. I won't give it away, but that character was one of my favorites!
Just Read: A CLASH OF KINGS by George R.R. Martin--Really incredible. These stories are so intricate and awesome in their cultures and conspiracies . . . not to mention all the badass stuff you know is coming just around the corner. Time to watch Game of Thrones Season 2!
Some rejections mean just a little bit more than others.
Got one when I got back from the beach on Saturday--rude welcome home from vacation, I know. Worst way to return to the real world.
The thing is, most rejections give me the same feeling: a mild bummed out disappointment that I get over quickly and replace with the excitement of searching for new, more appropriate magazines for that story.
But I sent this story to Leading Edge magazine in MARCH OF 2011!! They always take a long time to reply because they give you feedback when they reject you, but SIXTEEN MONTHS?! They've taken a long time before (their website says expect 4-6 months), and when I didn't hear back for so long, I figured, "Well, they must be taking so long because they like it and are preparing it for publication."
Nope.
Pretty much everything the four pages of critique said was positive. One reader went so far as to thank me for letting him or her read it and say it was "definitely publishable." So I mean all in all it was a positive rejection . . . but after so long, and hoping fervently to get into this magazine, it really brought me down. That publication would have been a huge boost! Instead, the opposite.
Oh well. Maybe now that I've vented, the excitement of submission will return, I can tweak it, and find a potential home for it.
But gah!
GAH!
GAHHHHHH!
Just Read: PIRATE LATITUDES by Michael Crichton--Pretty fun adventure story, but I didn't like the twist at the end. I won't give it away, but that character was one of my favorites!
Just Read: A CLASH OF KINGS by George R.R. Martin--Really incredible. These stories are so intricate and awesome in their cultures and conspiracies . . . not to mention all the badass stuff you know is coming just around the corner. Time to watch Game of Thrones Season 2!
Some rejections mean just a little bit more than others.
Got one when I got back from the beach on Saturday--rude welcome home from vacation, I know. Worst way to return to the real world.
The thing is, most rejections give me the same feeling: a mild bummed out disappointment that I get over quickly and replace with the excitement of searching for new, more appropriate magazines for that story.
But I sent this story to Leading Edge magazine in MARCH OF 2011!! They always take a long time to reply because they give you feedback when they reject you, but SIXTEEN MONTHS?! They've taken a long time before (their website says expect 4-6 months), and when I didn't hear back for so long, I figured, "Well, they must be taking so long because they like it and are preparing it for publication."
Nope.
Pretty much everything the four pages of critique said was positive. One reader went so far as to thank me for letting him or her read it and say it was "definitely publishable." So I mean all in all it was a positive rejection . . . but after so long, and hoping fervently to get into this magazine, it really brought me down. That publication would have been a huge boost! Instead, the opposite.
Oh well. Maybe now that I've vented, the excitement of submission will return, I can tweak it, and find a potential home for it.
But gah!
GAH!
GAHHHHHH!
Monday, July 9, 2012
Fuel for the Journey
From the Speakers: LOVE THE WAY YOU LIE by A Skylit Drive
Just Read: ANANSI BOYS by Neil Gaiman--Really great. I'm growing to love Gaiman's voice and stories. I liked the Island magic feel, and I think I might try to incorporate that into a coming week's story . . .
Reading Now: PIRATE LATITUDES by Michael Crichton
Reading Now: A CLASH OF KINGS by George R.R. Martin
You know why I love reading? Not only is it entertaining, an escape from mundane everyday life, and a great way to get some sun by the pool, but as a writer, it's great fuel for future stories.
Stephen King's number one rule is to read a lot and write a lot. The two are synergistic, I'm discovering more and more. It's stunning to me how writers can experience writer's block if they follow this rule. Every story I've read this year, it seems, has planted the seed for my own story.
Maybe being a part of Write1Sub1 plays a role in this, since I'm forced to dig up deeper and deeper fossils of stories to keep the challenge going, but I swear it seems the more I read the more convinced I am that I'm going to write stories for the rest of my life.
Here's a few examples. I spent a week reading some of Poe's most popular stories, and wrote a story in their vein that's now made it to the final considerations at Penumbra magazine. I'm reading PIRATE LATITUDES by Michael Crichton, and this week's story is going to take place on an English galleon. And the more GAME OF THRONES I read (and watch), the more encouraged I am to write stories set in fantasy worlds . . . and submit them to F&SF or Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
The journey continues, halfway through the W1S1 year, being fueled along the way by greater and greater stories. Hopefully my own works in progress are likewise improving. Only time (and acceptances) will tell.
To everyone who's been reading my stuff so far along the way: my greatest and most heartfelt thanks! Hope to see you (and your friends?) the rest of the way.
Just Read: ANANSI BOYS by Neil Gaiman--Really great. I'm growing to love Gaiman's voice and stories. I liked the Island magic feel, and I think I might try to incorporate that into a coming week's story . . .
Reading Now: PIRATE LATITUDES by Michael Crichton
Reading Now: A CLASH OF KINGS by George R.R. Martin
You know why I love reading? Not only is it entertaining, an escape from mundane everyday life, and a great way to get some sun by the pool, but as a writer, it's great fuel for future stories.
Stephen King's number one rule is to read a lot and write a lot. The two are synergistic, I'm discovering more and more. It's stunning to me how writers can experience writer's block if they follow this rule. Every story I've read this year, it seems, has planted the seed for my own story.
Maybe being a part of Write1Sub1 plays a role in this, since I'm forced to dig up deeper and deeper fossils of stories to keep the challenge going, but I swear it seems the more I read the more convinced I am that I'm going to write stories for the rest of my life.
Here's a few examples. I spent a week reading some of Poe's most popular stories, and wrote a story in their vein that's now made it to the final considerations at Penumbra magazine. I'm reading PIRATE LATITUDES by Michael Crichton, and this week's story is going to take place on an English galleon. And the more GAME OF THRONES I read (and watch), the more encouraged I am to write stories set in fantasy worlds . . . and submit them to F&SF or Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
The journey continues, halfway through the W1S1 year, being fueled along the way by greater and greater stories. Hopefully my own works in progress are likewise improving. Only time (and acceptances) will tell.
To everyone who's been reading my stuff so far along the way: my greatest and most heartfelt thanks! Hope to see you (and your friends?) the rest of the way.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
The Big Apple
From the Speakers: I STAND ALONE by Godsmack
Just Read: THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET'S NEST by Stieg Larsson--I think I liked the first one the best, but this one was good. All the revenge involved was VERY satisfying, though.
Reading Now: A CLASH OF KINGS by George R.R. Martin
I spent a good amount of June on vacation in New York. My girlfriend's family lives on Long Island so we spent some time there, and then took the train into the city for the weekend. I had been there once before in high school with a group, but this was the first time I really got to walk around and do what I wanted to do.
And boy, did we do a lot! The first day we hopped on a ferry tour that took us down the Hudson and around the tip of Manhattan, up the East River under the beautiful bridges (pictures, pictures, pictures!), then down south again to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Our tour guide pointed out all kinds of cool things, such as where various actors' penthouses are and where the Titanic was supposed to dock, had it sailed through an iceberg-free sea.
We met up with some friends and ate in Hell's kitchen and checked out some awesome bars and a cool park called the Highline. The next day we spent hours in the Museum of Natural History and still only saw about 1/4 of the stuff there. My inner science fiction and fantasy fan had a great time in the planetarium and dinosaur/evolution sections, though!
And the last day we jumped onto a hop-on/hop-off tour bus and gallivanted all over Lower Manhattan. We saw the 9/11 Memorial (humbling) and the new World Trade Center (awe-inspiring), walked through Chinatown (busy!) and ate pizza in Little Italy (delicious). It was the day of the Puerto Rican parade, so we crossed over 5th avenue (dense) and made our way to Time Square (fun).
We also ran all over every square inch of Long Island, from Queens to Montauk, from Jones Beach to the Long Island Sound. It's a beautiful place, but I'm a southern boy, and I know my girlfriend took me there in the summer so I wouldn't see the feet of snow they get every winter. I wouldn't mind living in NYC for a bit, but I don't think it's a permanent place for me.
Needless to say, not a lot of writing got done that week--500 words. But one of the coolest things I saw was a gigantic poster of Patricia Cornwell and her newest book hanging down a building's face in Times Square. I had to do a double-take. An author and her book? In Times Square?
Oh yeah. That's going to be me one day.
Just Read: THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET'S NEST by Stieg Larsson--I think I liked the first one the best, but this one was good. All the revenge involved was VERY satisfying, though.
Reading Now: A CLASH OF KINGS by George R.R. Martin
I spent a good amount of June on vacation in New York. My girlfriend's family lives on Long Island so we spent some time there, and then took the train into the city for the weekend. I had been there once before in high school with a group, but this was the first time I really got to walk around and do what I wanted to do.
And boy, did we do a lot! The first day we hopped on a ferry tour that took us down the Hudson and around the tip of Manhattan, up the East River under the beautiful bridges (pictures, pictures, pictures!), then down south again to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Our tour guide pointed out all kinds of cool things, such as where various actors' penthouses are and where the Titanic was supposed to dock, had it sailed through an iceberg-free sea.
We met up with some friends and ate in Hell's kitchen and checked out some awesome bars and a cool park called the Highline. The next day we spent hours in the Museum of Natural History and still only saw about 1/4 of the stuff there. My inner science fiction and fantasy fan had a great time in the planetarium and dinosaur/evolution sections, though!
And the last day we jumped onto a hop-on/hop-off tour bus and gallivanted all over Lower Manhattan. We saw the 9/11 Memorial (humbling) and the new World Trade Center (awe-inspiring), walked through Chinatown (busy!) and ate pizza in Little Italy (delicious). It was the day of the Puerto Rican parade, so we crossed over 5th avenue (dense) and made our way to Time Square (fun).
We also ran all over every square inch of Long Island, from Queens to Montauk, from Jones Beach to the Long Island Sound. It's a beautiful place, but I'm a southern boy, and I know my girlfriend took me there in the summer so I wouldn't see the feet of snow they get every winter. I wouldn't mind living in NYC for a bit, but I don't think it's a permanent place for me.
Needless to say, not a lot of writing got done that week--500 words. But one of the coolest things I saw was a gigantic poster of Patricia Cornwell and her newest book hanging down a building's face in Times Square. I had to do a double-take. An author and her book? In Times Square?
Oh yeah. That's going to be me one day.
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