(In)constant Reader

I recently realized I haven't done the whole WHAT I'M READING thing lately, which is in large part because the answer to that is an unrelenting: TEXTBOOKS. When I'm not reading one, I'm generally too exhausted to read for fun, so I watch something instead. It bums me out to read something recreationally only to realize I'm too tired to pay attention. Better to zone out to a Nova program about ants.

Except, for Spring Break, I did read a book--a real live book, on paper and all! Except, it was so small, and the print and line-spacing so big, maybe it wasn't really a real book. I didn't do the math or anything but there were only a hundred or so little pages. I feel like it was a novella stretched out into book format because, well, it was by Joe R. Lansdale, and people will buy a novella by him even if it's pretending to be a novel--just barely.

Not that it was a bad book--no, I liked it, even if the plot felt pretty simplistic and overly moralistic as compared to his stuff I've liked the most (which either implies I have plenty on morals of my own, or the opposite, maybe? Hmm...). A couple times in the book he makes the point that what's going on isn't a movie, but real life (to the characters!) and seemingly we should accept this as the reason why the plot is so linear and undramatic. I don't dislike novellas, as they don't drag on forever, but I also don't feel like a book should be that short. Maybe put two novellas in there for me?

So there's that. And now I'm working my way through Misery by Stephen King, because I heard at some point someone gets a leg axed off or murdered with a lawnmower and I will  read 350 pages for that. Yes indeedy. Also, it's the kind of writing that's easy to follow, entertaining. If I space out for a paragraph, I won't miss an enormous plot point like sentient moon-cats overrunning the earth. Probably.

Otherwise, I have a book on African Art, one on Modern Art, one on 19th Century Art, one on Art Theory, and one on How To Write About Art. All of which I should be reading right now?

Just nobody tell my teachers, I'll get there soon!

Fly, Birdie, Fly!!!

So I was settling down for a long and intensive school term (four classes plus two jobs equals what? No life!) this last week, starting to think of topics for term papers (about 50 pages' worth of them). Good thing I sent out a dozen fiction submissions during Spring Break, as I feel I won't have time again until Summer Break.

Less than two weeks after, my replies have started trickling in--already two or three stories have been shot down on the wing (what can I say? When submitting to a new market for the first time you just throw something and see what happens. Even after reading a couple issues you can't know how *your* work will be received alongside that). After about a year of trying to sell, I'd developed the impression that a quick response from a publisher meant they were REALLY not into the story. Because if they like something they'll hang onto it and mull it over and compare your overuse of parentheticals to other stories they really like, right? (Well, so I thought.) And seeing as rejects have already been coming so fast and furious back at me this go around...

So yesterday when I got a response from a story I expected the same deal--they'd read it fast and decided, just as quickly, not to give it a second thought. When, to my surprise, it was an acceptance! Woohoo! Maybe I shouldn't be celebrating until after the contract comes in, goes back, and gets me paid!!! But I can't help it because, well, woohoo!

This story (sigh, sniffle, wipe a nostalgic tear from my eye) was my first foray into science fiction. If you want to call it that, but there's an equal amount of fantasy in it. It's also a modern day tale, which I really have to be in the mood for to write.

Also, I think I wrote out the original all in one miraculously undistracted sitting, but this may just be the nostalgia wiping out the memories of pain and agony that generally accompany fiction writing. Right?

When I excitedly told my brother, who did a first reading of the story, that it had been accepted (I wrote it over a year ago, he read it maybe 6-8 months ago), he said, "Oh. I didn't like that one."

To which my response totally wasn't to sass back, "Shows what you know about selling fiction then, or quality, or saleability, or science fiction-space-college-fantasy-comedy-dramas full of biblical references and drunk pot-smoking co-eds."

Instead I was more like, "Yeah, whatever. But it sold!"

Which cheers me up. I liked the story a lot when I wrote it (anything that you can bang out all in one sitting--or believe you did--generally fits this description), while I still put it aside for quite a while before submitting it  anywhere (first try!!!). Why? Because I didn't really know if anyone would take a story with so much weird stuff going on and somewhere along my fictional career, too, I've developed the impression--not just from myself but from others--that comedy doesn't sell. Not that it's a flat-out hilarious farce, but .... when you get really attached to a story you don't want it to fail. Even if that means nervously holding onto it, uncertain whether or not to hide it from the world and keep it safe, or throw it out and see if it can fly on its own. I don't want something I'm really proud of to get shot down, but do I really want it to sit around and gather dust, either? Shouldn't people see it?

I suppose on that front I should say I got a smidge of feedback on one of my rejected stories so far--one line of why they didn't like it, but personalized, not a generic 'no thanks'. Another one I really like and want the best for. And seeing as that's true, it'll do me good to take that line of advice, consider its value, and see if I can't use it to improve the story for its next go around.

But, until then, woohoo!

An Easter Miracle!

Seeing as it marked the end of Spring Break, freedom, writing, and even the sunshine we'd been experiencing for a few days, I wasn't all that excited about Easter in the days leading up to it. Then, on Saturday, my car decided to approach death's door as I drove to work. Meaning that I had to wait for my family to get out of church (after I was done working) so they could drive behind me just in case the poor thing breathed its last on the way home.

It did stall a few times, but we made it home. A veritable Easter miracle!

Once home, we all sat down and had some Easter candy--you know, taste-testing to make sure it was good for the next day. And that's when my brother said, "Oh, and this came for you in the mail today," and gave me a package.

Which turned out to be this:

My copy of Daughters of Icarus--my first publication! Woohoo! Best Easter present ever!

Naturally I've read about half of the book since then--and it's all pretty awesome! I'm surprised at the wide array of stories, settings, and themes; but then, that's what they were going for in this anthology, I do believe. You should get a copy. Which you can, here: http://pinknarc.com/books.htm.

Reading my own story again, which I originally wrote 3-4 years ago and haven't reread since sending it out 8 months ago, I'm sort of surprised at how good it sounds. And, also, at how much my writing has changed, even in subtle things like sentence structure, since this. And yet, somehow, it was likable enough to go in the anthology alongside previously published authors. Which makes for a good bit of encouragement to keep on writing and improving all the time.

Huzzah! Cheers! Now, on to the next publication!

And in the meantime, I'll read the rest of this and get down to some homework. Yes indeedy, school is back in session!

And the Winner is ... Somebody Else

So my most stressful final of the term is over, and actually it wasn't a case of pulling teeth so much as scratching my head a little. It turned out OK. Or at least better than I anticipated.

After which, I turned on my computer and promptly got some happy news that distracted me from any/all thinking about the final. At this point, I'm so happy I couldn't tell you what I wrote about anymore!

Sometime during class I got an email from the Writers of the Future contest saying my story got an honorable mention in the first quarter of their yearly contest. Which is super exciting (!!!) seeing as I haven't got any such notice from them before. It doesn't mean money or wealth or fame but, heck, I get a certificate! That's pretty groovy.

As I've collected a healthy armload of rejections along the lines of, "it was good, but not what we wanted--oh, but send us something next time", I'd started to wonder how sincere these words were, or if this is the form letter everyone gets from certain publishers. Is it? Maybe. This honorable mention, though, feels like a step up from that. I don't get money or a second chance for the story to win, but it's nice that someone's acknowledged and appreciated my work.

Even better is the timing--it comes right at the end of winter term, like some sort of plan. It's cool to think that, even though I haven't had much time for writing or even submitting, my stories have still been out there doing their best for me.

The only trick is, the second quarter's coming up soon and I don't know what to send in next! More cowboys, perchance?

Come on, who can get tired of cowboys?  

Almost Full-term ...

So we've reached the final countdown for winter term--which is a relief, because I'm ready for spring to start. Yes, I'll have classes then, too; but at least it'll be sunnier.

I'm really excited for the end of this week because then I'll be done with my big projects--my papers and class presentations are all coming in the next couple of days. And then they'll be turned in, out of my hands, and maybe (just maybe!) I'll get a chance to do some writing before I have to focus on my finals. And my jobs. And next term.

And yet, according to my chart of reading periods, there are a bunch that close in March--miraculously, just after spring break. So I'll have some time to get things prepared and ready to send.

And then on to the next term! Yay!

Well, hopefully I'll be ready for it....

The Saga Begins!

So aside from living under a rock recently, cool and exciting things have been happening to me. I had two stories accepted for publication last year, meaning that they'll soon be coming to a bookstore/e-Reader near you! Whether or not this is exciting to anyone else, it's a huge step toward authorship for this little green bean. Details shall be forthcoming as I obtain them, but this is what I can share now:

The awesomeness that is Narcissus Press will be publishing "Ancestors Enthroned" soon--this SPRING, I do believe, in an anthology entitled Daughters of Icarus. The blurb on the website explains the theme thusly:

"What can women tell us about the world? In this new collection of science fiction, a stunning assembly of authors explore the work laid before the daughters of Icarus, left behind after the prideful fall. Whether the worlds they imagine are hopeful or desolate, each sheds new light on the possibilities of feminism. Daughters of Icarus is a bold exploration of the present, past and future."

http://pinknarc.com/books.htm

Did you see that? Whether or not they meant to, Pink Narcissus called me "stunning" (You can tell we haven't met in person). Knowing my own story backward and forward, I'm curious about what the other writers contributed. And I love the cover art.

Maybe I shouldn't admit it but this is one of those stories I sent out on a lark, my overall thinking being: "What the hey, it's gathering dust, I'll throw it at somebody's wall and see if it sticks!" Which it did, crazy enough.

If the idea of feminist SF gives you pause, I can promise you there are mummies. Trust me, mummies.

My second acceptance was from the lovely folks over at Crossed Genres Press, who picked up my novella (short novel) "The Second Wife" for a collection called Winter Well. Here is their stunning cover art:

























http://crossedgenres.com/titles/winter-well/


They summarize "The Second Wife" thusly: Enslaved by a monstrous lord, a sage seeks answers in the stars and finds more… desirable problems.

Coming in MAY!!!

I can also promise Mayanesque bloodshed and awesomeness, though if I say anything else it'll probably be a spoiler.

I banged this story out solely for the anthology, just barely scraping by the deadline. Happy that it found a home because I got quite attached to Lady Akam as I wrote her. Hopefully you'll come to like her, too.

It comes as a surprise to me (maybe to no one else in the world) that my two acceptances thus far have been of stories featuring female protagonists although I'm a writer who feels uncomfortable writing women. Does this just mean I subconsciously try harder to make them believable? Or, does it mean that I shouldn't be so uncomfortable with female characters and should just embrace my inner warrior woman/sorceress/mummification artist? After all, it's not like there's some trick to being a woman in a world where I make up all the rules.

Never mind all that--just get ready for these awesome anthologies to become available soon, so you can tell me how many typos you found! Enjoy!

Winter Well: Speculative Novellas About Older Women (Coming Soon)

Winter Well: Speculative Novellas About Older Women (Coming Soon)


Here is the link back to the site for anyone who wants to take a look!