Good news and bad news!
My short story, "Where To, Ma'am?" was declined by Flash Fiction Online, but I did receive a note from editor Suzanne Vincent that it had reached the final round of their selection process before being rejected. I take that as a good sign. Ms. Vincent offered me the chance to receive some feedback on the story, so I have accepted the offer and will use the feedback I receive to, I hope, improve the story and my writing.
In other news, I decided to back the launch of Cloaked Press, a small, independent SF/F press run by author Andrew M. Ferrell, who lives in Wisconsin. You can visit its Kickstarter page and give it some love here.
Final bit of news: I have been invited to submit a short story to a middle-grade children's anthology, so I will be working on that.
Good night!
Thursday, February 16, 2017
Tuesday, February 14, 2017
Submission to Flame Tree
This evening I submitted my short story, "Choosing Chains," to Flame Tree Publishing to be considered for two of their 2017 anthologies: Heroic Fantasy or Supernatural Horror.
"Choosing Chains" is an odd story. I personally classify it as dark high fantasy with a horror element, but I have no idea how anyone else would classify it. I want to find it a loving home, preferably one that does not involve me self-publishing it. And if I can find it a good home, maybe Hand of Vengeance might find a home in the same place. Keeping my fingers crossed!
I will look through my stockpile of other stories and see if there's anything else that might be suitable for Flame Tree. I do, however, want to also write them a nice sword & sorcery story, because that's my favorite genre to write. Let's see if I can finish one by February 28, 2017. Wish me luck!
Actually, no, don't wish me luck. Wish me self-discipline, please.
"Choosing Chains" is an odd story. I personally classify it as dark high fantasy with a horror element, but I have no idea how anyone else would classify it. I want to find it a loving home, preferably one that does not involve me self-publishing it. And if I can find it a good home, maybe Hand of Vengeance might find a home in the same place. Keeping my fingers crossed!
I will look through my stockpile of other stories and see if there's anything else that might be suitable for Flame Tree. I do, however, want to also write them a nice sword & sorcery story, because that's my favorite genre to write. Let's see if I can finish one by February 28, 2017. Wish me luck!
Actually, no, don't wish me luck. Wish me self-discipline, please.
Friday, February 10, 2017
The Monthly Checker - Morgen Bailey Entry for January 2017
The prompt for Morgen Bailey's January 2017 100-word story competition was to write something based on the title, "The Monthly Checker."
I actually wrote two stories for the January competition. The first one, "Where To, Ma'am?" was just awful when whittled down to 100 words, so I let it be as long as it needed to be and found that it turned into a pretty interesting story at about 1300 words. I submitted that version to Flash Fiction Online and am waiting to hear back from them.
I was able to come up with a 100-word story for Morgen with the requisite title and submitted it. It was "highly commended." It is probably also the story Bailey mentions that was, "eek-making, in a good way!" It features a woman with proprioception issues involving her breasts. And then it turns out that there is a non-neurological reason for her lack of proprioception there.
Now that the contest for January has ended, and I am free to give the story my preferred title, I will call it "Xenomelia." I can use the slightly longer draft and send it out to possible markets.
Xenomelia is defined as, “the oppressive feeling that one or more limbs of one’s body do not belong to one’s self." Breasts are not exactly limbs, but it was as close as I could get to an accurate name for the condition. If you are interested in learning more about this condition or mental state, I highly recommend that you read Dr. Oliver Sacks' book, A Leg to Stand On. Sacks was a brilliant writer, and I always find his books about neurology fascinating.
Every time I enter one of these Morgen Bailey competitions I learn something new. The striking thing I observed in the stories that won in January was that not one of them read as if it had been whittled down. The language in each of them flowed naturally, yet all three told a succinct story in 100 words, an impressive accomplishment by their authors and one that I will strive to achieve for February and for my future writing.
I actually wrote two stories for the January competition. The first one, "Where To, Ma'am?" was just awful when whittled down to 100 words, so I let it be as long as it needed to be and found that it turned into a pretty interesting story at about 1300 words. I submitted that version to Flash Fiction Online and am waiting to hear back from them.
I was able to come up with a 100-word story for Morgen with the requisite title and submitted it. It was "highly commended." It is probably also the story Bailey mentions that was, "eek-making, in a good way!" It features a woman with proprioception issues involving her breasts. And then it turns out that there is a non-neurological reason for her lack of proprioception there.
Now that the contest for January has ended, and I am free to give the story my preferred title, I will call it "Xenomelia." I can use the slightly longer draft and send it out to possible markets.
Xenomelia is defined as, “the oppressive feeling that one or more limbs of one’s body do not belong to one’s self." Breasts are not exactly limbs, but it was as close as I could get to an accurate name for the condition. If you are interested in learning more about this condition or mental state, I highly recommend that you read Dr. Oliver Sacks' book, A Leg to Stand On. Sacks was a brilliant writer, and I always find his books about neurology fascinating.
Every time I enter one of these Morgen Bailey competitions I learn something new. The striking thing I observed in the stories that won in January was that not one of them read as if it had been whittled down. The language in each of them flowed naturally, yet all three told a succinct story in 100 words, an impressive accomplishment by their authors and one that I will strive to achieve for February and for my future writing.
Wednesday, February 1, 2017
A Possible Story for 'Chicken Soup'
This evening I looked over a list of upcoming titles of books to be published by Chicken Soup for the Soul and decided to contribute a story for the Step Outside Your Comfort Zone book, whose deadline is March 31 of this year.
I completed an 1100-word first draft this evening, called, "There Are More of Them!" but I can already see things I believe I should do to make it a story more fitting with what they're probably looking for. Among those things is, I really ought to read one of their books!
Yes, I have so far gone through my entire life without having read a Chicken Soup for the Soul book. I know, right? What planet have I been living on, all these years?
The story I wrote chronicles some of my experiences while working for my former employer...which is kind-of, sort-of my current employer, only not, exactly. It's a long story; there was a legislative session and a sunset committee involved. So another thing I need to do is find out if I am even permitted to make money from telling a story about my work experiences, in the first place. I don't name anyone I worked with or anyone I served, but I feel enough uncertainty that I should ask. I am unsure if this would constitute a conflict of interest issue.
If that turns out to be an impassable roadblock, I will simply look for somewhere else to submit my story. I'm sure there are plenty of non-paid markets that would accept a story/essay of this type, so I'll look there.
Anyway, I had a blast writing the story, and I do hope I will be able to get it published somewhere, though I hope it can be at Chicken Soup.
I completed an 1100-word first draft this evening, called, "There Are More of Them!" but I can already see things I believe I should do to make it a story more fitting with what they're probably looking for. Among those things is, I really ought to read one of their books!
Yes, I have so far gone through my entire life without having read a Chicken Soup for the Soul book. I know, right? What planet have I been living on, all these years?
The story I wrote chronicles some of my experiences while working for my former employer...which is kind-of, sort-of my current employer, only not, exactly. It's a long story; there was a legislative session and a sunset committee involved. So another thing I need to do is find out if I am even permitted to make money from telling a story about my work experiences, in the first place. I don't name anyone I worked with or anyone I served, but I feel enough uncertainty that I should ask. I am unsure if this would constitute a conflict of interest issue.
If that turns out to be an impassable roadblock, I will simply look for somewhere else to submit my story. I'm sure there are plenty of non-paid markets that would accept a story/essay of this type, so I'll look there.
Anyway, I had a blast writing the story, and I do hope I will be able to get it published somewhere, though I hope it can be at Chicken Soup.
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