Officially closed. I think tonight I managed to break my writer's block with an image of a decomposing corpse reflected in a bar mirror. After that I started another piece, a bartender narrating a ghost story to a patron, with the reader as the patron. No, there's no expected dialogue to be imagined. I just kinda wanted to put the reader into the position of being the guy on the other side of a wooden bar with a talkative (and bored) bartender.
I checked my submission list the other day and came up with:
"Dead Air" at Aberrant Dreams I'm thinking this one either got lost, or was a rejection that never got sent out, or some other such thing. It's been well over 100 days. I had heard stories about slow response times...but man oh man...
"Tribe of Harry" at The New Yorker All I want this year is a rejection on their letterhead and a bit of personalization. That'd be almost as good as an acceptance from anywhere else.
"Demon Whiskey" at Harvest Hill I have no illusions of this one getting accepted, but I am looking forward to the comments when that rejection finally comes in.
"Poppa Bear" at Cause and Effect This piece has been called interesting but too sentimental, strong characters that turn into caricature, etc. The general consensus was that it needed some story work, which got done and got it resubmitted somewhere else.
"The Simple Account of Sergeant Shea, Immediately Prior to the End of the World" at Allegory Ezine , a piece that I had fun writing and submitted after a rewrite only at the urging of the undeniable Ms. Gardner, who insisted it could be found a home somewhere. I don't really mind, it was written for me.
"Big Jim Can Wait" and "Winter Wonderland" at Northern Haunts Anthology , if for no other reason than I had so much fun writing my accepted piece, "Many Comforting Words", that I wanted to write two more.
"Linguistic Prescription" at Postcards from Hell , a surefire rejection in waiting, but I'll be honest, I'm starting to get a kick out of reading the rejection letters for this piece, so I'm going to keep sending it out there.
"Sacrifice of Man and Cloth" at Saint Ann's Review , because, like the New Yorker, I want a rejection from these people.
"No Tell Motel" at OG's Speculative Fiction Magazine . Ever since it got shortlisted and then cut from Voices Anthology , this sucker has been making the rounds, racking up two form rejections in less than a month and a half.
In addition to this, I have a basic idea for the Malpractice anthology if I can get it running, the aforementioned Bar Story got it's first two intro paragraphs done tonight (my writing time must be fit into a busy schedule, don't harp on me), and a developing idea for a serious piece after I finally finish "Norton's Watching".
On other fronts, work is going well. A couple more weeks and I'll be shifting calls without supervision, the pay is good, and even on a tight budget we manage to live a decent life. Worrying now about Christmas, what with three kids and all.
So...how're you all doing?
Peace,
J.C. Tabler
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6 comments:
I'm waiting on a couple things. I worry about Harvest Hill. My story is pretty close to modern times, not sure if that's what they want for the anthology.
I loved writing for Malpractice. Doesn't mean I'll get in, but it was fun!
I'm doing splendid, thanks for asking.
A rejection from the New Yorker WOULD be quite a treat. I've considered subbing somewhere like that before but nothing I write would ever make it through (too dark, too scary, yaddah yaddah). I AM however in the process of tinkering with an essay that I may end up subbing to the New Yorker just for the hell of it.
Natalie: Eh, if you don't make it in this round, polish it up and send it out for the second volume or somewhere else. I'm pretty sure you'll make it in though because you, madam, rock.
Barry: Good to hear! I'd like a rejection from the New Yorker with some degree of personalization. It's no secret that if they like your style but not your story, or think you have promise but need development, they'll work with you a bit. To get even a hint of personalization in my rejection would mean a lot, as they didn't just decide a form rejection was good enough for a hack like me. Lowered expectations, mah man.
Ooh, I've just noticed my comment from yesterday isn't showing...
Did you delete me, JC? :) Or did my silly computer mangle everything again.
Oh and it was such a lovely ramble full of nothingness.
you know, Cate, I don't recall ever seeing a comment from you for yesterday...
I think I was eaten - my computer was playing up. Plus I'd been mixing coffee and chocolate - never good.
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