Listener's Writing Adventures

[Scattercat]

Got another very nice rejection, this time from Abyss & Apex, who said they considered it, and that it was well-received. So that's a start.

Not to completely burst your bubble, but that's one of their form rejections.  It's just the nice form, the "We won't throw your stuff in the garbage automatically if you send something else" form, rather than the "Please go away and never touch a keyboard again" form.  I've got a handful of "well-received" stories myself.  ;-)

[Listener]

Got another very nice rejection, this time from Abyss & Apex, who said they considered it, and that it was well-received. So that's a start.

Not to completely burst your bubble, but that's one of their form rejections.  It's just the nice form, the "We won't throw your stuff in the garbage automatically if you send something else" form, rather than the "Please go away and never touch a keyboard again" form.  I've got a handful of "well-received" stories myself.  ;-)

Ah. Thanks for the information. It's stuff like that that we need more of -- what do each of these form rejections mean? Someone posted something (perhaps here, I don't recall) about the different rejections a writer might get from F/SF.

*shrug* I got something accepted by Drabblecast on the same day as I posted that, so that's something. I'll be sure to shout it loudly when the official show date for it is announced.

[Listener]

Three of my last four rejections have been personal ones, including specific reasons as to why they passed on the story and specific reasons as to why they liked it. The fourth was from Clarkesworld, and they have an automated system.

I've got to think that means the stories are at least making it out of the slush pile and into the hands of the decision-making editors. Now I just need to take that final step forward, to them actually saying yes.

[Scattercat]

Welcome to Limbo.  Good luck.   

(Hopefully better luck than I, thus far.)

[Listener]

Now published by the Drabblecast: "The Birthday Party"

http://tinyurl.com/birthdayparty42

Enjoy!

[Listener]

Two Drabblecasts in a row... in Episode 152 I'm performing "Monkeys Imitating Humans Imitating Monkeys".

www.drabblecast.org

[Listener]

Picked up two rejections this week -- Strange Weird and Wonderful, Drabblecast -- and have five more stories out. Hoping I hear about "113 Feet" before 3/31 because if it's rejected I want to send it in for the Hoffer award.

Just wrote a 1350-word story -- the shortest thing I've written that wasn't intentionally flash -- about lawyers, and my friend who's a lawyer for the state of Florida has approved its content. I might post it in the crit group. Not sure yet.

DESPERATELY need to revise some stories, including the storm one, the man who evacuated the planet, two horror stories, and I need to edit the last 15 chapters of the novel -- and soon, because I actually have someone who'll recommend it to an editor for me.

[Listener]

11 total stories out at various markets -- will try to send a 12th on my lunch break today. Someone's got to like ONE of them...

[Scattercat]

11 total stories out at various markets -- will try to send a 12th on my lunch break today. Someone's got to like ONE of them...

One would think that, wouldn't one...?  :-P

[Listener]

11 total stories out at various markets -- will try to send a 12th on my lunch break today. Someone's got to like ONE of them...

One would think that, wouldn't one...?  :-P

Well I've grabbed two rejections already... now have a total of 13 out though...

[Listener]

I'd like to think it's encouraging that the slush reader for Lightspeed Magazine decided this morning to follow me on Twitter. She didn't with the last story I sent them, which I hope means she liked my current submission enough to (a) take at least a minor interest in what I'm doing and (b) pass the story up to the editor himself.

[Listener]

Hmm, so much for that. But at least I got a personal rejection this time.

[Listener]

11 stories out. It'll be 12 on Saturday, when it's been 7 days since my last rejection from Lightspeed. Still no more acceptances.

[Listener]

13 stories out. So far my best chance is at ASIM, but the slush reader for Lightspeed did pass my two most recent ones up to JJA, so at least she likes my writing. Now if only she was the editor...

Also, last night I wrote the first draft of one of my PC flash entries. It came out to EXACTLY 500 words when I finished the first draft. Serendipitous.

[Listener]

I've been editing my (non-SF) novel "Shell Game" this week, and have gotten through six chapters this week (20 total edited). Six more to go. Then I e-mail my British novelist friend who said she'll try to get it in front of her editor.

Also, I just found out a short (1300-word) satire I wrote has been accepted for publication (online zine). Once I get the contract signed I'll have more information. So that was good news.

[Listener]

My steampunk/airship murder story, "Amid the Steep Sky's Commotion", will be published in July. Just found out today. More information after I sign the contract.

It's been a good week.   

[Listener]

Also, I just found out a short (1300-word) satire I wrote has been accepted for publication (online zine). Once I get the contract signed I'll have more information. So that was good news.

The story, "Section 3A", will be published in October in Big Pulp. Good for magazines, bad for my OJ.

The magazine doesn't have an RSS feed but they do have a Twitter (@bigpulp) where they post links to their new stories, so that's a plus.

[Listener]

My steampunk/airship murder story, "Amid the Steep Sky's Commotion", will be published in July. Just found out today. More information after I sign the contract.

It will be in the summer (July/August) issue of Khimairal Ink.

In other news:

* Only two more chapters of Shell Game to edit (but I'm waiting for my local PIO to finish reading the police station scene).
* Wrote my Dunesteef BMSE story in three days. I was one of the winners last year, so hopefully I can repeat. It's almost exactly the same length, too, but this time it's fantasy instead of sci-fi.
* Listening to EP242 I got an idea that will either be one of my two EP flash stories, or a full story in and of itself.

[CryptoMe]

Hey Listener, Congrats!!

But let me get this straight, you've got 2 stories about to be published, right?
For a while there, I wasn't paying close enough attention and thought they were the same story you were talking about.

That is really fantastic!!!

[Listener]

Hey Listener, Congrats!!

But let me get this straight, you've got 2 stories about to be published, right?
For a while there, I wasn't paying close enough attention and thought they were the same story you were talking about.

That is really fantastic!!!

Yep, two different stories.

Thank you.

[Scattercat]

* Wrote my Dunesteef BMSE story in three days. I was one of the winners last year, so hopefully I can repeat. It's almost exactly the same length, too, but this time it's fantasy instead of sci-fi

So... you, uh, gonna put that up in the Crit Group?  *cracks knuckles, grins savagely (revealing faint bloodstains)*

[Listener]

* Wrote my Dunesteef BMSE story in three days. I was one of the winners last year, so hopefully I can repeat. It's almost exactly the same length, too, but this time it's fantasy instead of sci-fi

So... you, uh, gonna put that up in the Crit Group?  *cracks knuckles, grins savagely (revealing faint bloodstains)*

Honestly, probably not this one. I'm pretty sure you'll find the same flaws in it that I've found already. But I will put the next Yermomanems stories in there -- turns out the band really liked them, and they're going to put them up on the band site and possibly do some animated versions (since everyone in the band is an artist or programmer -- we all work at the same place). I have 3.5 more of them ready in my head -- the werewolf one, an alternate-universe one, the return of Steve McEvil, and a new villain called The Tank.

[Scattercat]

I always like confirmation that I'm right about the parts that suck, personally.  On the other hand, I have no one else to beta-read for me.  (Except for my wife, whose literary vision and taste are almost the same as mine, which leads to the same myopia about certain kinds of issues.)

[Listener]

I always like confirmation that I'm right about the parts that suck, personally.  On the other hand, I have no one else to beta-read for me.  (Except for my wife, whose literary vision and taste are almost the same as mine, which leads to the same myopia about certain kinds of issues.)

I don't think my wife's bothered to read -- or listen to -- either of my published works. I know she'd prefer to read them, given that she styles herself a proofreader and she'd love to catch any grammar mistakes I made.

In other news: 2000 words on the sequel to "Amid the Steep Sky's Commotion". I'm probably going to have to go back when I'm done and add context clues about the ship itself. I hate doing that, but it's the nature of the sequel beast.

[Listener]

As we say in Georgia (or so I'm told), "lord willin' and the creek don't rise..."

"Amid the Steep Sky's Commotion: A Tale of the Airship Ozymandias" appears in the Summer issue of Khimairal Ink tomorrow. Do please check it out if you like airships, murder, and women who kick ass. (And stories without sex scenes, which apparently some of the forumites do.  )

It should appear on this page:

http://bedazzledink.com/khimairal-ink-magazine/current-issue/

That is all. For now.