It's been a very good week. I've had stories accepted at Thuglit, Demolition and Murdaland, Issue Three. And the one on The Thrilling Detective will soon appear. That one is my all-time favorite story so far. Or the protagonist is my favorite character. And if I ever finish this book, I will try to expand that story next. (33 K and going strong) My son-in-law is going to read it for me this week. I can't ask Megan. She read the last one that sits in my drawer. The one I only sent to ten agents before giving up. Just lost the heart for it.
I still have not recovered from not placing a story in Detroit Noir either. When I saw the list of contributors, I was almost okay with it. Almost all of them are very distinguished writers, and probably wrote better stories than I did.
One of them, however, is the person who so discouraged me in my first writing group seven years ago that I almost gave up writing. That story that he told me to burn was the one in Murdaland, Issue One. I hope his story is a very good one. Cause he took my spot.
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8 comments:
Sounds like an excellent week. Still waiting to hear if my story has made muster over at Murdaland, but I'm betting not.
There will be other venues and other stories. Whenever someone says to burn your work, they're just bitter and pissy. If it's not something constructive I say ignore it. You don't need it.
Thanks, Stephen. They had had my story a very long time so don't give up. They also want some changes including the title.
Hey, Megan's hoping to run into you in LA.
Anytime anyone is that negative about something I wrote, I figure it's because they have serious problems of their own and, as Stephen says, I should ignore them. At the most I consider that maybe it does need some overhaul. Still - I would feel as you do, that he took my spot. I have faith in karma, though!
Congratulations on your other sales in the meantime. You've established such a great reputation by now that WHEN someone buys your novel, it will be very eagerly anticipated!
On the other side of the coin, I had a writing teacher once who told a story about one student who couldn't deal with criticism and after being given some feedback, stood up, threw his chair to the side of the room and yelled, "Fuck you people." And stormed out. He was back the next day and nobody talked about it.
It turned into a running gag in our class.
I'm hoping to run into her, too. I just finished reading The Song Is You the other day. My god, what an incredible book.
Another reason to avoid workshops, particularly those that don't contribute credit toward that tangible nebulosity, the BA/MFA. But, then, I'm a lazy writer. The two vignettes I've sold, aside from the several dozen articles and reviews and one poem, hit real big with their final editors, Algis Budrys and Claude Lalumiere, after being turned down by people whose own art I respect less.
Hi Todd-I guess I've gotten to the point where I am so used to the feedback that I have to have it. I think I will try something where I don't get it and see if the results are significantly different.
Patti: Congrats on at least being in contention for Detroit Noir. I was a bit late in trying to get an invite to take a shot at it.
I look forward to reading your upcoming stories in Thuglit and Murdaland
[And I still miss the days of Flashing In The Gutter.]
John McAuley
Hey John. You can look at the list of contributers on the website and they are pretty impressive. But so are some of the ones who got turned down. I read at least six stories they turned down and all were darned good. I don't know that I was ever in contention really. Just wishful thinking. One of the stories I sent them is the one in Thuglit. The other may have a home. But I would have loved to have been part of my home city's book. And I will always miss FITG.
It was as much a forum as a zine.
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