"The Dragon in the Mall" was rejected for Electric Spec today.
It was a very nice rejection, but I'm still fighting off the doldrums that says that short stories are a waste of my time, that I suck at them, that out of the dozen or so I've written, only two were deemed good enough to be published, and not even in "professional-rate" markets. Why bother? Why waste my time and their time?
A smaller part of me is trying to remember that since I joined OWW, every rejection I've gotten has been very nice and encouraging. So obviously I'm making headway. But rejection is rejection is rejection. It reminds me of a colleague's student who kept coming to class even after failing the midterm so hard there was no way she'd ever pull her grade up to a D. She told my colleague she was "aiming for a high F." So what if the rejections are nice? They're still rejections.
I'll shake it off and move on in a day or so. Just the usual I'm-completely-worthless writers' depression that I think we all get after a rejection.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Rocks, Ahoy (Stats)
DEVIL'S PIT
New words: 606
Total words: 2,462
Mean things: mine is angry.
Favorite: The throb of the mine’s anger closed in around me, blocking out everything else. I allowed Billy to help me onto the tram, barely paying attention to what he was saying about staying seated until the tram stopped and watching my head. Only once before had something completely blocked my extra sense, and memories of The Bad Time washed over me, sending my heart fluttering. While the tram rumbled toward the rock fall, I took deep breaths, trying to clear my head and push back on the mine’s insistence that I pay attention to it.
Music:
"Tirades of Truth" - Devildriver
---
Once again, I'm incredibly grateful that I chose to switch allegiances to OWW. I posted chapters 1 & 2 of DEVIL'S PIT up there yesterday and I've gotten two responses already, both of them very encouraging (they like my title! I suck at titles!), and both of them causing me to look forward to revising. Weird, huh?
Today's words are a mix of revising Ch. 1&2 and completely new material in Ch. 3, which is now about half done.
New words: 606
Total words: 2,462
Mean things: mine is angry.
Favorite: The throb of the mine’s anger closed in around me, blocking out everything else. I allowed Billy to help me onto the tram, barely paying attention to what he was saying about staying seated until the tram stopped and watching my head. Only once before had something completely blocked my extra sense, and memories of The Bad Time washed over me, sending my heart fluttering. While the tram rumbled toward the rock fall, I took deep breaths, trying to clear my head and push back on the mine’s insistence that I pay attention to it.
Music:
"Tirades of Truth" - Devildriver
---
Once again, I'm incredibly grateful that I chose to switch allegiances to OWW. I posted chapters 1 & 2 of DEVIL'S PIT up there yesterday and I've gotten two responses already, both of them very encouraging (they like my title! I suck at titles!), and both of them causing me to look forward to revising. Weird, huh?
Today's words are a mix of revising Ch. 1&2 and completely new material in Ch. 3, which is now about half done.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Standing on the Mouth of Hell (Stats)
DEVIL'S PIT
New words: 649
Total words: 1,856
Mean things: evil tattoo. Evil mine. Evil ghosts. Headed down into the mine.
Favorite: I pulled my hair back into a ponytail while I listened, and the men’s eyes drifted to the tattoo on my neck. I saw their surprise when they realized it was nearly identical to the one on David’s. I was suddenly uncomfortable with the mark in a way I hadn’t been since I first got it. I also felt defensive; what was so interesting about a government-mandated tattoo that branded us as magic-users? I pulled my ponytail over my shoulder so it draped across my neck and hid the tattoo. Technically, that was illegal, but I didn’t care.
Music:
"Peata Beag Do Mhathar" - Susan McKeown
"The Path to Decay" - Sirenia
"Planxty Brown" - Clannad
----
End of chapter two! Yay! That means I'll go post these two chapters up on OWW and wait for the shredding to begin.
New words: 649
Total words: 1,856
Mean things: evil tattoo. Evil mine. Evil ghosts. Headed down into the mine.
Favorite: I pulled my hair back into a ponytail while I listened, and the men’s eyes drifted to the tattoo on my neck. I saw their surprise when they realized it was nearly identical to the one on David’s. I was suddenly uncomfortable with the mark in a way I hadn’t been since I first got it. I also felt defensive; what was so interesting about a government-mandated tattoo that branded us as magic-users? I pulled my ponytail over my shoulder so it draped across my neck and hid the tattoo. Technically, that was illegal, but I didn’t care.
Music:
"Peata Beag Do Mhathar" - Susan McKeown
"The Path to Decay" - Sirenia
"Planxty Brown" - Clannad
----
End of chapter two! Yay! That means I'll go post these two chapters up on OWW and wait for the shredding to begin.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Up in the Mountains (Stats)
DEVIL'S PIT
New words: 577
Total words: 1,205
Mean things: foreshadowing
Favorite: Despite David’s insistence that we weren’t going to need extra rations (we bought MREs at the local army surplus store) or extra water or half of the other stuff I’d put on the list, I doggedly continued to toss them in the back of the Bronco for sorting while we were on the road.
“You’ll thank me for it later,” I said as we clambered—well, I clambered, he stepped; David’s much taller than me—back into the Bronco.
“Or I’ll say I told you so when absolutely nothing happens and we’re driving back at this time on Wednesday,” he said.
“I hope you’re right,” I said.
I did hope that. But as so often happens in our line of work, I didn’t get my hope.
Music:
"O Gharuntino" - Leilia
"Palladio" - Escalada
"The Dirty South" - Fern Knight
---
Further writing called on account of cat sitting on the back of my chair playing with my hair. And demanding petted.
I'm surprised that there are so few Internet sites that explain exactly how miners get the coal from an underground deep mine to the surface. The best I've been able to do (until I'm able to talk to an actual miner this weekend) is surmise that there are shafts punched through which the coal is lifted. I'd been under the impression that there was one shaft: the elevator the men go up and down in.
Now I get to try to unpack a few boxes that we haven't gotten to yet, then watch Supernatural and fold laundry. Bleh.
New words: 577
Total words: 1,205
Mean things: foreshadowing
Favorite: Despite David’s insistence that we weren’t going to need extra rations (we bought MREs at the local army surplus store) or extra water or half of the other stuff I’d put on the list, I doggedly continued to toss them in the back of the Bronco for sorting while we were on the road.
“You’ll thank me for it later,” I said as we clambered—well, I clambered, he stepped; David’s much taller than me—back into the Bronco.
“Or I’ll say I told you so when absolutely nothing happens and we’re driving back at this time on Wednesday,” he said.
“I hope you’re right,” I said.
I did hope that. But as so often happens in our line of work, I didn’t get my hope.
Music:
"O Gharuntino" - Leilia
"Palladio" - Escalada
"The Dirty South" - Fern Knight
---
Further writing called on account of cat sitting on the back of my chair playing with my hair. And demanding petted.
I'm surprised that there are so few Internet sites that explain exactly how miners get the coal from an underground deep mine to the surface. The best I've been able to do (until I'm able to talk to an actual miner this weekend) is surmise that there are shafts punched through which the coal is lifted. I'd been under the impression that there was one shaft: the elevator the men go up and down in.
Now I get to try to unpack a few boxes that we haven't gotten to yet, then watch Supernatural and fold laundry. Bleh.
Monday, December 28, 2009
New Beginnings (Stats)
DEVIL'S PIT
New words: 628
Total words: 628
Mean things: miners not getting dug out if they're dead.
Favorite: David laughed. That line—“I see dead people”—was one of the first things he’d said to me when I started at Super Tech, and it had become an inside joke of sorts. It was funny mostly because he did see dead people; his magic was Necromancy, and he’d majored in Forensic Necromancy. If he’d decided to work for the public sector instead of starting his own business, he’d probably be in a crime lab somewhere, discussing murder with corpses and ghosts.
----
Further writing called on account of air conditioning repair people coming over and management company's secretary's daughter wanting a tour of a two-bedroom (guess who's home all day and gets to show off her apartment?). Must go do some cleaning before they get here. Luckily most of the cleaning got done last week; this is just touching up.
New words: 628
Total words: 628
Mean things: miners not getting dug out if they're dead.
Favorite: David laughed. That line—“I see dead people”—was one of the first things he’d said to me when I started at Super Tech, and it had become an inside joke of sorts. It was funny mostly because he did see dead people; his magic was Necromancy, and he’d majored in Forensic Necromancy. If he’d decided to work for the public sector instead of starting his own business, he’d probably be in a crime lab somewhere, discussing murder with corpses and ghosts.
----
Further writing called on account of air conditioning repair people coming over and management company's secretary's daughter wanting a tour of a two-bedroom (guess who's home all day and gets to show off her apartment?). Must go do some cleaning before they get here. Luckily most of the cleaning got done last week; this is just touching up.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Book Review: Heat Wave
Yes, I've finished reading it already. Sue me.Heat Wave was a lot of fun, though it wasn't quite what I was expecting. What I expected was a more traditional murder mystery with a main character loosely based on Detective Beckett from Castle. With a name like Nikki Heat, I definitely expected someone edgier. Someone like Jill Kismet or Dante Valentine from Lilith Saintcrow's books.
Instead, Nikki Heat is pretty much Kate Beckett with some of the background filled in. The book reads like an episode of Castle with the names changed, the ride-along journalist more of a jerk, and the main detective actually getting laid. There's more to the book than there would be in an episode, obviously; the writer(s) had more room to explore the emotional timbre and background of the characters. There are some scenes that you can tell "Castle" lifted right out of his interactions with the detectives (such as trying to figure out what to call a suspect--G? Muscle? Meat? Miscreant?), which was kind of fun and great Easter-egginess for watchers of the show.
Also like the show, scenes tended to be short and quick and end on a punchline. I didn't mind that structure too much, but there were places that I wished the book read more like a book and less like a novelization of an episode of Castle.
Overall, the book is great for fans of the show because, well, it's an episode of the show. For those who might expect Patterson-style thriller/murder mystery, it's sadly not that (I really hoped it would be). But it was a great way to waste a few hours, have a few laughs, and get some brain candy.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
2 Out of 4
Goals I accomplished today:
- outline of DEVIL'S PIT is now done. Most of the kinks I discovered toward the end ironed out. Glad I figured them out now rather than later. Also find it funny that this is essentially a murder mystery and I never thought I'd write a murder mystery. Not nearly as complex a murder mystery as, say, Charlaine Harris would write, but still a murder mystery at heart.
- kitties got checked on. They're fine.
W.E. and I started our foray into Left 4 Dead 2, but we kept getting killed and finally got so frustrated we quit to save our tempers and sanity. And I just never got to Twelfth Night. Oh, well.
Now for my self-reward of cheesecake, shower, and bed.
- outline of DEVIL'S PIT is now done. Most of the kinks I discovered toward the end ironed out. Glad I figured them out now rather than later. Also find it funny that this is essentially a murder mystery and I never thought I'd write a murder mystery. Not nearly as complex a murder mystery as, say, Charlaine Harris would write, but still a murder mystery at heart.
- kitties got checked on. They're fine.
W.E. and I started our foray into Left 4 Dead 2, but we kept getting killed and finally got so frustrated we quit to save our tempers and sanity. And I just never got to Twelfth Night. Oh, well.
Now for my self-reward of cheesecake, shower, and bed.
Prezzies!
In case anybody's actually curious, here's what I got for Christmas (so far; we haven't made it to W.E.'s family's houses yet due to the blizzarding).
My sister got me these:
I'd planned to take them to work when I have an office/cubicle and use them there, but now I think I'm just going to keep them at home. They're too pretty to risk.
My mom got me this, which goes really well with the desk set, even though it wasn't made for it:
And W.E. got me these:
I'm very excited to watch Castle again and then read Heat Wave. And I hope that the Buffy book will help with my conference paper, but even if it doesn't, it's great to have one more book of Buffy scholarship.
My sister got me these:
I'd planned to take them to work when I have an office/cubicle and use them there, but now I think I'm just going to keep them at home. They're too pretty to risk.
My mom got me this, which goes really well with the desk set, even though it wasn't made for it:
And W.E. got me these:
I'm very excited to watch Castle again and then read Heat Wave. And I hope that the Buffy book will help with my conference paper, but even if it doesn't, it's great to have one more book of Buffy scholarship.
Goals for Today
- Finish the outline for DEVIL'S PIT. I want to start writing it on Monday.
- Check on the cats I'm kitty-sitting. Hopefully they haven't messed on the rug again.
- Finish Left 4 Dead 2, then go back and do at least one campaign straight through without dying or having to start over (this one is MUCH harder than the first one).
- Finish reading Twelfth Night for my quals study.
I'll let you know how that goes.
- Check on the cats I'm kitty-sitting. Hopefully they haven't messed on the rug again.
- Finish Left 4 Dead 2, then go back and do at least one campaign straight through without dying or having to start over (this one is MUCH harder than the first one).
- Finish reading Twelfth Night for my quals study.
I'll let you know how that goes.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Artiness
As a Christmas present, a friend of mine is sending me tutorials on how to make art as gorgeous as hers. After going through the first tutorial four times, I finally ended up with this:
I'm quite proud of it, and I really hope that once the tutorials are done, I can still do this even without her holding my hand. I think it's really going to require an understanding of color and light (which will just take practice), as well as an understanding of my tools (GIMP and what it's capable of). With just this single tutorial, I learned a lot about layering colors, textures, and stock photos, as well as what magic erasers can do and adding color to text.
I'm quite proud of it, and I really hope that once the tutorials are done, I can still do this even without her holding my hand. I think it's really going to require an understanding of color and light (which will just take practice), as well as an understanding of my tools (GIMP and what it's capable of). With just this single tutorial, I learned a lot about layering colors, textures, and stock photos, as well as what magic erasers can do and adding color to text.
Monster's Dead (Stats)
"Slaymate"
New words: 785
Total words: 3,821
Mean things: discovery of where monster came from. Healer still a stuck-up jerk. Nobody happy.
Favorite: Eldwin watched her for a moment, then with a quick, competent movement that startled Akasha into losing her hold on the circle, he grabbed the girl. Ruby-red arcs of Talent sparked from his hands and into the creature. With a shriek like nothing Akasha had ever heard, a shriek that pierced her from eardrum to instep, the girl burned up from the inside, collapsing into ash.
----
The rough draft is now finished. Time to let it sit for about a week, then read it through and clean it up, then post it on OWW.
Also got 3 more scenes outlined in DEVIL'S PIT. Yays.
New words: 785
Total words: 3,821
Mean things: discovery of where monster came from. Healer still a stuck-up jerk. Nobody happy.
Favorite: Eldwin watched her for a moment, then with a quick, competent movement that startled Akasha into losing her hold on the circle, he grabbed the girl. Ruby-red arcs of Talent sparked from his hands and into the creature. With a shriek like nothing Akasha had ever heard, a shriek that pierced her from eardrum to instep, the girl burned up from the inside, collapsing into ash.
----
The rough draft is now finished. Time to let it sit for about a week, then read it through and clean it up, then post it on OWW.
Also got 3 more scenes outlined in DEVIL'S PIT. Yays.
Monday, December 21, 2009
The Monster Ariseth (Stats)
"Slaymate"
New words: 623
Total words: 3,036
Mean things: monster finally showed up. It's creepy. And hungry. Also, the annoying Healer guy rode in to save the day.
Favorite: But the thing that broke the soil and crawled up out of the ground barely resembled a little girl, even the corpse of a little girl. Its eyes were bloodshot, its hair caked with dirt and leaves. Its skin was grey and desiccated, and its teeth, which it bared like a wild animal, covered in blood and soil. It barely glanced at Akasha, but turned its attention immediately to Darien and lunged, hissing.
Music:
"The Hand that Feeds" - Nine Inch Nails
----
Finally got the monster visible. It's not dead yet, but that's okay. I'm done for today.
New words: 623
Total words: 3,036
Mean things: monster finally showed up. It's creepy. And hungry. Also, the annoying Healer guy rode in to save the day.
Favorite: But the thing that broke the soil and crawled up out of the ground barely resembled a little girl, even the corpse of a little girl. Its eyes were bloodshot, its hair caked with dirt and leaves. Its skin was grey and desiccated, and its teeth, which it bared like a wild animal, covered in blood and soil. It barely glanced at Akasha, but turned its attention immediately to Darien and lunged, hissing.
Music:
"The Hand that Feeds" - Nine Inch Nails
----
Finally got the monster visible. It's not dead yet, but that's okay. I'm done for today.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Artsiness
I spent the rest of my creativity for today making this:
The texture is, again, from Belladonna. The lyrics are from "I Love You . . . I'll Kill You" by Enigma. And, as always, you can click on it to get the full image.
The texture is, again, from Belladonna. The lyrics are from "I Love You . . . I'll Kill You" by Enigma. And, as always, you can click on it to get the full image.
Nothing Shall Grow Above or Below (Stats)
"Slaymate"
New words: 377
Total words: 2,413
Mean things: creepiness. Dead foliage around grave.
Favorite: The smallest grave, still a visible lump in the earth, had no headstone, only a wooden star to mark its place. The grass around it was dead, a perfect circle of brown amid the bright green. A single flower had been laid on the grave, and it, too, was withered.
Well, this can’t be good, Akasha thought.
Music:
"Creepy Doll" - Jonathan Coulton
----
Didn't get nearly as much done today as I wanted to, but when I realized it had taken me nearly two hours to get 300 words done, I figured it was time to call it a day. I wanted to unveil the monster, but it's going to have to wait until tomorrow.
Now it's time to do laundry, watch Supernatural, and possibly clean part of the upstairs.
New words: 377
Total words: 2,413
Mean things: creepiness. Dead foliage around grave.
Favorite: The smallest grave, still a visible lump in the earth, had no headstone, only a wooden star to mark its place. The grass around it was dead, a perfect circle of brown amid the bright green. A single flower had been laid on the grave, and it, too, was withered.
Well, this can’t be good, Akasha thought.
Music:
"Creepy Doll" - Jonathan Coulton
----
Didn't get nearly as much done today as I wanted to, but when I realized it had taken me nearly two hours to get 300 words done, I figured it was time to call it a day. I wanted to unveil the monster, but it's going to have to wait until tomorrow.
Now it's time to do laundry, watch Supernatural, and possibly clean part of the upstairs.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Essence of Despair (Stats)
"Slaymate"
New words: 478
Total words: 2,036
Mean things: disappointing mentor. Cottage overtaken by depression. Dead child.
Favorite: The cottage was rundown and looked tired, though it still showed signs of having been a vibrant, picturesque place to live at one time. Flowers drooped in their window boxes, weeds choked a small vegetable garden to the left of the cottage. Rabbits and chickens in their pen to the right languished, barely moving, barely acknowledging the young man who tossed seed and greens at them.
Akasha found that she’d stopped at the gate, the despair that washed over her from the cottage anchoring her feet to the ground. Something bad had happened here, something worse than the death of a daughter. Akasha swallowed hard.
Music:
"Bless the Child" - Nightwish
----
Right on the cusp of revealing the monster. It's drifted a bit from the original conception of the D&D Slaymate, but that's all to the good. Also got 3 1/2 more scenes outlined for DEVIL'S PIT. Now on to cleaning and stuff for today. Blargh.
New words: 478
Total words: 2,036
Mean things: disappointing mentor. Cottage overtaken by depression. Dead child.
Favorite: The cottage was rundown and looked tired, though it still showed signs of having been a vibrant, picturesque place to live at one time. Flowers drooped in their window boxes, weeds choked a small vegetable garden to the left of the cottage. Rabbits and chickens in their pen to the right languished, barely moving, barely acknowledging the young man who tossed seed and greens at them.
Akasha found that she’d stopped at the gate, the despair that washed over her from the cottage anchoring her feet to the ground. Something bad had happened here, something worse than the death of a daughter. Akasha swallowed hard.
Music:
"Bless the Child" - Nightwish
----
Right on the cusp of revealing the monster. It's drifted a bit from the original conception of the D&D Slaymate, but that's all to the good. Also got 3 1/2 more scenes outlined for DEVIL'S PIT. Now on to cleaning and stuff for today. Blargh.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
You Lied to Giles (Stats)
"Slaymate"
New words: 649
Total words: 1,558
Mean things: lying to mentor. Running into snotty Healer apprentice. Kids being mean.
Favorite:“Master Neilan sent me over to see if you require anything today.”
Akasha twitched. “Require” anything? He couldn’t just have said “need”? She hated the way Eldwin talked. She hated his superior tone, and she hated his stupid red hair, always so well groomed. She hated the way he stood with his spine perfectly straight, his hands behind his back, his face always calm and collected.
Music:
"Light Mass Prayers" - Porcupine Tree
"Movement V" - Vangelis
"Awaken" - Dethklok
----
Headed into the main conflict now. Think I'm going to work on the outline for DEVIL'S PIT for awhile.
New words: 649
Total words: 1,558
Mean things: lying to mentor. Running into snotty Healer apprentice. Kids being mean.
Favorite:“Master Neilan sent me over to see if you require anything today.”
Akasha twitched. “Require” anything? He couldn’t just have said “need”? She hated the way Eldwin talked. She hated his superior tone, and she hated his stupid red hair, always so well groomed. She hated the way he stood with his spine perfectly straight, his hands behind his back, his face always calm and collected.
Music:
"Light Mass Prayers" - Porcupine Tree
"Movement V" - Vangelis
"Awaken" - Dethklok
----
Headed into the main conflict now. Think I'm going to work on the outline for DEVIL'S PIT for awhile.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Not the Brightest Thing Ever (Stats)
"Slaymate"
New words: 500
Total words: 909
Mean things: nearly possessed by angry, floaty spirit. Being stupid. Sprained ankle.
Favorite: With a shriek, the spirit flew up through the soil and grass, a misty apparition with hair and clothing floating in a breeze that didn’t touch the mortal plane. She hovered in place for a moment, then focused on Akasha with a hiss. Akasha took a step back, but her foot came down in a depression and she fell, her rear impacting the ground hard enough to jar her tailbone. When the spirit came at her, arms outstretched, fingers curved into claws, all she could do was scramble backward until her back met another headstone.
----
I'm not entirely sure this incident will even make it in to the final short story (I have a feeling I'll be told it's completely superfluous and I should cut it because it's dumb) but it feels to me like I need to give the reader some background on just how experienced Akasha is (not very), how patient she tends to be (not at all), and what her relationship with her teacher is like. That way, the reader has a starting place for the (tiny bit of) character development that will have taken place by the end of the story.
But we'll see.
New words: 500
Total words: 909
Mean things: nearly possessed by angry, floaty spirit. Being stupid. Sprained ankle.
Favorite: With a shriek, the spirit flew up through the soil and grass, a misty apparition with hair and clothing floating in a breeze that didn’t touch the mortal plane. She hovered in place for a moment, then focused on Akasha with a hiss. Akasha took a step back, but her foot came down in a depression and she fell, her rear impacting the ground hard enough to jar her tailbone. When the spirit came at her, arms outstretched, fingers curved into claws, all she could do was scramble backward until her back met another headstone.
----
I'm not entirely sure this incident will even make it in to the final short story (I have a feeling I'll be told it's completely superfluous and I should cut it because it's dumb) but it feels to me like I need to give the reader some background on just how experienced Akasha is (not very), how patient she tends to be (not at all), and what her relationship with her teacher is like. That way, the reader has a starting place for the (tiny bit of) character development that will have taken place by the end of the story.
But we'll see.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Slaymate
I started on the short story I plan to submit to Rise of the Necromancers. I've got 409 words done so far, a bit over a page. The (tentative and highly subject to change) title is "Slaymate," because I based the main monster on a D&D Libra Mortis creature. Hence the future title change; for one thing, "Slaymate" is just tacky and cheesy (it works for D&D, but not so much for a title, methinks), and for another, I try to stay away from obvious references to D&D in my stories, even when I borrow stuff from the game (thank God for the open gaming license). I think those references tend to cast certain connotations on a story that I don't intend; I just borrowed the idea of the monster, for goodness sake. This isn't a D&D adventure story.
But anyway, that's off the ground. I think I'll go clean something.
But anyway, that's off the ground. I think I'll go clean something.
Friday, December 11, 2009
What I Got Done
1. Nearly halfway through the outline of DEVIL'S PIT.
2. Managed to take a single incident I meant to put in the new novel version of NECROMANCER and turn it into a short story. That's now outlined, as well.
3. Made a banner for a Secret Santa gift exchange on one of my discussion boards. It's pretty. You can see it after gifts are exchanged.
4. I'm about to have lunch then tackle the last few quests on Fable II. I don't know what I'm going to do after that. Maybe some writing?
2. Managed to take a single incident I meant to put in the new novel version of NECROMANCER and turn it into a short story. That's now outlined, as well.
3. Made a banner for a Secret Santa gift exchange on one of my discussion boards. It's pretty. You can see it after gifts are exchanged.
4. I'm about to have lunch then tackle the last few quests on Fable II. I don't know what I'm going to do after that. Maybe some writing?
I Have Time to WRITE!
So here's what I plan to work on today.
1. Get a huge chunk of the outline for DEVIL'S PIT written.
2. Try to scale down NECROMANCER into a short story. I really don't think I have enough plot to make it a novel, but I still like my basic idea, and since there's a call for stories out for an anthology on necromancers, I might be able to submit it if I can get it to work (and get a better title).
3. Put some of my notes for quals up on the discussion board.
4. Play Fable II.
I'll let you know how that goes a bit later.
1. Get a huge chunk of the outline for DEVIL'S PIT written.
2. Try to scale down NECROMANCER into a short story. I really don't think I have enough plot to make it a novel, but I still like my basic idea, and since there's a call for stories out for an anthology on necromancers, I might be able to submit it if I can get it to work (and get a better title).
3. Put some of my notes for quals up on the discussion board.
4. Play Fable II.
I'll let you know how that goes a bit later.
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Book Review: Seven Seasons of Buffy
I finished reading Seven Seasons of Buffy a few hours ago and figured I'd give you all a rundown of it. I bought it hoping it would be a valuable resource for the paper I may have to write for the Slayage conference in June and read it straight through in about a day and a half. The book is made up of essays from SF/F writers such as David Brin (The Postman), Sherrilyn Kenyon (Dark Hunter series), Justine Labalestier (academic, not fiction author, but still awesome), and Charlaine Harris (the Sookie Stackhouse novels).Some of the essays were brilliant. Some were okay. Some were rants. But they were all worth reading. I'll give you a few words about some of them that I found interesting.
David Brin's essay, "Buffy vs. The Old Fashioned Hero" attests that Buffy is so awesome because she fights against the "old ways" instead of for them, unlike the heroes in Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings. I think he's got a point but his comparison is rather faulty, since in both Star Wars and TLotR, the immediate alternative to the "old ways" was brutal slavery and death. Buffy started out from a place of relative stability, which gave her room to subvert the patriarchal, feudal traditions of the Council. We don't know that after the events of The Return of the King, they didn't eventually start working toward a more egalitarian society. And in Star Wars, they were trying to put the Republic back together. In neither story did the characters have the sort of stability Buffy did; the best they could do was try to regain stability from the forces of Chaos.
Roxanne Longstreet Conrad's essay, "Is That Your Final Answer . . . ?" was inspired. Framed as a final exam for Spatial Interdimensional Metaphysics at some horrible demonic university, she makes the case for Xander being the ultimate force for good in the Buffyverse due to his constant saveage of Buffy and other bystanders. Between the footnotes and the rebuttal from The First at the end of the exam, it was a truly entertaining read.
Sherrilyn Kenyon's "The Search for Spike's Balls" made W.E. go, "THANK you! Finally someone ELSE who sees that the men in Buffy don't get to be men!" Her theory is that Buffy is a testosterone vampire (which W.E. is now calling the "gonadacabra"), sucking the mojo out of everyone (male and female) so she can be awesome.
Peg Aloi's celebration of Tara in "Skin as White as Apple Blossom" is beautifully, poetically written. I love Tara even more after reading it.
Charlaine Harris complains about how easy it is to tell who is evil in the Buffyverse--the bad guys are always ugly--in "A Reflection on Ugliness."
Christie Golden explores the difference between Wicca and Willow's magic(k), concluding that Willow is a sorceress, not a Wiccan witch, in "Where's the Religion in Willow's Wicca?"
Lawrence Watt-Evans makes the case that Wesley Wyndham-Price (!) is the ultimate match for Buffy in "Matchmaking on the Hellmouth."
And Margaret L. Carter's "A World Without Shrimp" looks at the interplay of alternate realities in Buffy.
Unlike most essay collections, I wasn't even tempted to skip any of these essays. Even when I disagreed with them, they were interesting and well-written. While only one of the essays will probably help with my essay, I'm still glad I spent the money on it.
Won't Get Me Down
Today I turned around from my recent rejections and submitted two stories to four different markets:
"The Dragon in the Mall" went out to The Absent Willow, Electric Spec, and Alternative Coordinates.
"The Queen's Huntsman" went to Dark Discoveries.
Also, I did some digging through Duotrope's Digest and found some really interesting markets--including anthologies--that I don't have anything for yet, but there's at least two for which I plan to come up with stories to submit.
It's nice being done with school for awhile.
"The Dragon in the Mall" went out to The Absent Willow, Electric Spec, and Alternative Coordinates.
"The Queen's Huntsman" went to Dark Discoveries.
Also, I did some digging through Duotrope's Digest and found some really interesting markets--including anthologies--that I don't have anything for yet, but there's at least two for which I plan to come up with stories to submit.
It's nice being done with school for awhile.
Monday, December 07, 2009
Nicest Rejection Ever
"The Dragon in the Mall" didn't make the cut at Allegory. However, it did get an Honorable Mention and the most personalized, most polite rejection letter I've ever received:
That's very nice of him. I thought that I was out of markets to submit to, but I guess I'll look around one more time and see if I can use his recommendation.
It's funny that even a rejection, if personalized and encouraging, can make you feel good. I like that he liked my story and that it was such a difficult decision. I guess it's the feedback; despite not having another publishing credit, I have a compliment from an editor, which means that a professional likes my writing, which is something.
I hate writing this letter.
I deeply regret to inform you that "The Dragon in the Mall" did not make the final cut for Volume 11/38 of Allegory. Please understand that we received nearly 500 submissions for this issue and narrowed that down to only 45 finalists. ALL of those finalists are strong, quality stories - any of which we would be pleased and honored to publish.
The final decision is made by comparing the stories, more with an eye toward issue balance than the merits of one story over another. Your tale is a GREAT piece, and I'm very very sorry that we can't use it.
For whatever it may be worth, we would like to include your name and the title of your story in the Honorable Mentions section of our fiction page. Feel free to use this as a recommendation of your work to other markets.
Again, my apologies. And good luck with your writing efforts.
That's very nice of him. I thought that I was out of markets to submit to, but I guess I'll look around one more time and see if I can use his recommendation.
It's funny that even a rejection, if personalized and encouraging, can make you feel good. I like that he liked my story and that it was such a difficult decision. I guess it's the feedback; despite not having another publishing credit, I have a compliment from an editor, which means that a professional likes my writing, which is something.
Rejection #100293249328
"The Queen's Huntsman" was turned down by Pedestal a few days ago. Which is better than it could be, because initially I thought I'd sent them "The Dragon in the Mall," and they would have been the last place I could have sent it. I'd forgotten all about "The Queen's Huntsman." But "The Dragon in the Mall" is still out to Allegory, so we're still waiting on that one. I'll probably take some time and glance over "Huntsman" again, then see if there's anywhere else I can send it.
Sunday, December 06, 2009
The Break is (Almost) On
Since I only have one more class day and a few more working days until break, which means my reading material and speed is almost back to break levels, I went ahead and changed the sidebar back to my usual school's-out list. Hopefully I'll be able to make a good-sized dent in the three-foot stack of books I haven't read yet in between getting some writing done, finishing Christmas bookmarks for my co-workers, and studying for the quals. And as soon as the semester is really seriously officially over, you will get my evaluation of my first semester of PhD work. You know, if you're interested.
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