Author Topic: To Tell You the Truth, I Had to Lie a Little (Read 91758 times)

DKT · **Reply #50 on:** January 25, 2010, 09:37:54 PM

Wow. Been a while since I updated here!

I'm definitely still writing...grabbing spare minutes wherever I can find them. Currently, I'm spending time working on two different stories right now: a nautical fantasy adventure and a derranged Bible story retelling of Samson and Delilah*. At some point after that, I'm going to write a new St. Darwin story. Oh, and I want to finish my novel before the summer. For reals this time.

I've got five different stories out right now and just had a story - "Trust and Travesty" - come out over at Hub this week! It's kind of a Jane Austen-esque Cyberpunk/Mannerpunk corporate espionage romantic comedy spectacle. So if sex, violence, and ballroom dancing sound like fun, it might be worth checking out.

*Not sure it's more messed up than the Bible story itself, but there you go!

DKT · **Reply #51 on:** February 11, 2010, 09:26:43 PM

Just found out my story "Heart of Clay" (a semi-sequel to "Saint Darwin's Spirituals") is up now at Variant Frequencies. Awesome cover art from Vincent Chong again (and if you want it in print form, along with the cover, you can order it from Murky Depths here.

Hope you all like it!

nevermore_66 · **Reply #52 on:** February 13, 2010, 12:17:28 AM

Just listened to the first "Saint Darwin's Spirituals" and really enjoyed it

Just downloaded the latest to my iPod for later listening.

I really enjoyed the world, particularly the image of a golem police force patrolling cobble stone streets. Very nice. It must be a trip to have Vincent Chong conjure up the things you made up in your head.

Swamp · **Reply #53 on:** February 13, 2010, 12:27:43 AM

If you liked the golems, then you will love "Heart of Clay"

DKT · **Reply #54 on:** February 13, 2010, 05:40:27 PM

Quote from: nevermore_66 on February 13, 2010, 12:17:28 AM

Just listened to the first "Saint Darwin's Spirituals" and really enjoyed it

Just downloaded the latest to my iPod for later listening.

I really enjoyed the world, particularly the image of a golem police force patrolling cobble stone streets. Very nice. It must be a trip to have Vincent Chong conjure up the things you made up in your head.

Thank you, sir! I'm really glad you enjoyed it

Vincent Chong has been so cool! And I was so happy to hear he was going to be doing "Heart of Clay" too. I've got some of his pictures hanging over my desk now

nevermore_66 · **Reply #55 on:** February 15, 2010, 09:40:18 PM

I listened to "Heart of Clay".

Even better than the first.

What a niffty world.

I'm not sure what it is about automaton characters that is so endearing (whether it's Wall*E or a golem beating some vampire ass).

DKT · **Reply #56 on:** February 15, 2010, 10:30:45 PM

Aw, man! Thanks so much!!! Really glad you enjoyed it

nevermore_66 · **Reply #57 on:** February 16, 2010, 01:47:16 PM

No problem.

What was the starting inspiration for the stories? Was it a character or the setting or some little detail (like the goggles)?

DKT · **Reply #58 on:** February 16, 2010, 05:04:42 PM

I...wow. It was a combination of things, IIRC. It began with Matt Wallace from VF (and at the time Murky Depths) asked me to write a story for them. So a big inspiration was the challenge of coming up with something new I thought would kick the ass of an editor and writer I really respected.

So, I started thinking about steampunk because I liked it and I was pretty sure VF hadn't really done any. But I tend to love steampunk that has lots of weird stuff in it, not just cool technology that was ahead of it's time. And then I thought about the goggles, and why someone would really need them. And also, what was the point of divergence. I didn't really have all this stuff figured out in my head - I'm not the best at outlining, although I like to think I'm getting better - but it was all swimming around up there so I just dove in and started writing it. After I figured out the first sentence of the first story, I started to have a pretty good idea of what I wanted to see in this world and story. And then I started sprinkling in more weird stuff (golem constables, grounders, vampires, monsters, etc.) as I went along.

When I wrote the second one, I knew I wanted it to focus on a golem constable because Lucy's attitude of being so willing to try and kill one if necessary felt like misguided prejudice. That and I've always been a fan of characters who can't actually speak, for some reason. And...I just wanted to see a golem fight a bunch of vampires.

Thanks for asking!

BTW, it's about time you started up one of these threads yourself, man. What are you working on now?

nevermore_66 · **Reply #59 on:** February 16, 2010, 08:22:10 PM

Cool, cool.

Always interested on the origins of thoughts like that.

And right you are, I need to start a thread. Any help to beat back the tide of sloth and procrastination is a good thing.

Just leaving work now, but I'll put one up when I get home.

DKT · **Reply #60 on:** April 13, 2010, 07:47:26 PM

Good news! I sold my short story "Haole" to the Triangulation: End of the Rainbow anthology!

I'm thrilled about this, especially because it was workshopped a bit here back when I had time (a loooooooooooooooooong time ago) to participate in the crit group. It's considerably different now, but oh how the critiques helped. So, thanks everyone

Swamp · **Reply #61 on:** April 13, 2010, 08:13:07 PM

That is awesome. Again, a perfect, yet unexpected application of a Triangulation theme. I remember back when the editors were doing podcasts about the submissions that they hoped for more GLBT stories. You have the Trangulation mojo, my friend.

It will be interesting to see how you changed it. If I remember, it was a little over the top when I read it, but a very interesting post-apocalyptic tale.

DKT · **Reply #62 on:** April 13, 2010, 08:31:49 PM

Me? A little over the top? Sir, you do me an injustice. But I think it is...less over the top now. That said, this is coming from the guy who wrote about ghostgasms, so take that with a grain of salt

No more cannibals, though!

As for the anthology themes, I've been lucky. Originally, I thought this year's theme was going to be the color of silence, and I was like: PERFECT! I'll send them "Heart of Clay." But then it was announced as The End of the Rainbow.

For both this story and St. D, I did a bit of rewriting.

Anyway, thanks! And I hope you like the "final" version

DKT · **Reply #63 on:** August 12, 2010, 04:12:55 PM

I got my contributor's copies of Triangulation: End of the Rainbow (Amazon/B&N). In addition to "Haole" by yours truly, there's stories by Eugie Foster, Cat Rambo, and Peter S. Beagle (GAH).

So yay! I'm pretty well stoked.

Scattercat · **Reply #64 on:** August 12, 2010, 06:24:36 PM

Quote from: DKT on August 12, 2010, 04:12:55 PM

I got my contributor's copies of Triangulation: End of the Rainbow (Amazon/B&N). In addition to "Haole" by yours truly, there's stories by Eugie Foster, Cat Rambo, and Peter S. Beagle (GAH).

So yay! I'm pretty well stoked.

Now THAT is some company!

Anarkey · **Reply #65 on:** August 12, 2010, 06:31:53 PM

Way to go, my glorious co-editor! High five!

DKT · **Reply #66 on:** August 12, 2010, 07:25:27 PM

Thanks, people! High fives all around!!!

Swamp · **Reply #67 on:** August 12, 2010, 08:41:13 PM

Do they have a PDF version available this year? I need something good to read but I need it fir this weekend as I am "working" (sitting around as support for a new system that has been running without issues for a couple days already).

DKT · **Reply #68 on:** August 12, 2010, 09:20:04 PM

Good question! I'll see if I can't find out about that, Swamp.

DKT · **Reply #69 on:** August 12, 2010, 09:33:50 PM

Alright, after further investigation, it appears that an electronic will be available (hopefully) in 3-5 weeks time. Sorry, Swamp!

eytanz · **Reply #70 on:** August 12, 2010, 10:09:54 PM

This is really cool news! And it sounds like the electronic version is going to come out around the same time as my brand new Kindle is supposed to arrive

DKT · **Reply #71 on:** August 12, 2010, 10:33:49 PM

!!!!!!

Thanks, eytanz. That means a lot

DKT · **Reply #72 on:** November 01, 2010, 08:59:14 PM

wOOt!!! Sold a story to Bull Spec! Sold a story to Bull Spec! Sold a story to Bull Spec!

Ahem.

"The Gearaffe Who Didn't Tick" has sold to Bull Spec.

YAY!!!

Scattercat · **Reply #73 on:** November 01, 2010, 09:05:09 PM

Congrats!

Bull Spec has some really nice production values...

Listener · **Reply #74 on:** November 06, 2010, 03:59:43 PM

Congrats.

I thought Bull Spec was only open to Carolina-based writers or something? Or am I confusing it with something else?