inveniam viam

Speaking of submissions, I've got to get some more stories in the pipline. Count the Stars should be done in four to eight weeks, I guess. I think that I can fix Matilda, but I don't know what the heck to do with Goober (other than, ya know, find a plot.) I've got Mike's ROI story to write, the synesthesia story. That'll give me six in rotation (assuming I don't sell one before I finish them all.)

Hey, VPers! Anybody wanna collaborate? towersofgrey can tell ya what a blast it is! Or what was that idea that epi_lj gave me? Oh yeah, the kid pulled off the street to do tech support. Yeah, that's a good one, too. Needs a hook, though.

Boy, that's a damn good turn-around time -- eleven days! Just got my rejection from F & SF:

Thank you for submitting "Oh My Heart, Oh My Soul," but I'm going to pass on it. This tale didn't grab my interest, I'm afraid. Good luck to you with this one, and thanks again for sending it our way.

Sincerely,

John Joseph Adams
Assistant Editor

Ah well. Anyone remember if that's the "this story sucks" rejection letter?

There's this old Monty Python sketch, one of their cartoons, where a king wants to learn how to fly, so he takes all of his scientists or such up to the top of the tower and boots them off: *boot* Fly! *aargh* --- *boot* Fly! *aargh* ... Funny, but I dont' remember how it ended.

Got Big Betty back from Fantasy magazine:
Thank you for your story to our magazine, but unfortunately it isn't quite right for Fantasy. We hope that you continue trying, however, and look forward to many more submissions.

I submitted my response time to Black Holes and was looking around and found a call for submissions to Side Shows:

Side Show 2 is a trade paperback anthology of entertaining stories designed to awaken the thrills, chills, and spills, and memories of time spent on the midway and beyond. We want unique stories about side shows, freak shows, traveling shows, carnivals, circuses, and fairs. Stories may fall into one or more of three genres: horror, fantasy, and science fiction (although typically we do not expect many science fiction stories). Although we are looking for original stories, we will consider reprints, but probably will accept no more than two--we really want original work.

The pay is awful - $12 for original stories, and one free copy of the book. But, anyway, here's hoping.

I finished my Water Tiger story arc on Ever/was, so now I really need to dig into Count the Stars. (I'm still not happy with that title. Suggestions accepted.)

My car is still broken. I put a new (well, off one of the parts cars) fusible link module in, and there's still a short somewhere. It's very frustrating. My Dad, bless him, is letting me borrow his little car for the weekend.

So, work this evening, but before that, a parent-teacher conference with Sam where I will hear all of his teachers say what a smart guy he is and how it's too bad that he makes no effort.

shot down twice in a week from Lone Star -- gotta love that 2 day turnaround! Bleh. I need to sleep.