The Horror of it all...

Back again in 2011....the wait's probably been killing you all...

I can only give two excuses for my tardiness - the Australian Christmas holiday break (which on one occasion in the sixties went right through to June) and getting caught up with other things (like visiting New Zealand).

So, without further delay, let's get down to business. Although I've (still) been working on The Cabin - with a great new twist that raises the interesting question DNA plays when we think about mass murders - I haven't written many new short stories, but then again it's quality that counts not quantity, isn't it? However, I have been polishing some of my 'works-in-progress' and sending them out into the big bad world to fend for themselves.

Behind Every Successful Man and Honus Wagner are two of my 'literary offspring' that fall into this category. Behind Every Successful Man arrived as one of those fully fledged stories, a whimsical moment that began with someone repeating that old phrase 'Behind every successful man is a woman' and my imagination hijacking my mind for a few moments. The feel of the image in my head was a sort of mini tribute to B-grade, last night, schlock horror and the little man that keeps the records in my computer tells me that it happened sometime in early June last year. It's definitely horror, but I can't help laughing myself silly every time I read it.

Maybe that says more about my mind than it should...

Anyway, you can see for yourself and be the judge...Behind Every Successful Man has now been published in the Sex and Murder (USA) Issue 16, my first published story for 2011!!!

Honus Wagner is horror too, but on a different level. This one came about by chance with me opening a page on Honus Wagner, the famous American baseball player. An incredible man in his own right, and the facts about him and his legacy about his stand against cigarettes in my story are all true. This idea didn't arrive in my head as a finished product, strangely only the character of Josh remains as I first saw him. It took months and months of gentle tweaking and a final wholesale slash and burn approach (it's approximately 2800 words, it was 4300). Hard work, but I'm glad I took my time. Maybe not my 'favourite' story, but certainly a labour of love.

Honus Wagner T206 Baseball Card

When I wrote Honus Wagner I wrote it for myself, because I wanted to see it on paper and read it and I had no real 'market' in mind. Despite that, it has now found a home where it belongs - in the USA. Sex and Murder have just accepted it to be published in either their March or April issue!!Maybe that should tell me something.

On another note, I'd put Jack Be Nimble on the back burner for a bit but I had another look at it and decided to return to where my writing began to get a fresh perspective. In this case, that's Irina Dunn - author of The Writer's Marketplace (Allen & Unwin, Aust), former Executive Director of the NSW Writers' Centre and currently the director of ID Editing and Publishing Consultany. When I first started writing, I had a 'supersession' with Irina. These are really a form of manuscript assessment with a one hour face-to-face feed back session addressing character, story, plotline, tone pacing etc. Irina not only did this but was also able to assist me by advising the courses that would best assist me. I've now sent off a sample of Jack be Nimble to her and in a few weeks we'll be sitting down again. I'm feeling very positive that she will be able to help me in the right direction once again.

So, it's back to Jack Be Nimble, The Cabin and the longer version of Long Live the King! for me, probably with the more than occassional horror piece thrown in for good measure. When will the next post be? Who knows...

Cheers

In fine Company or The madatory rejection letter explaination blog

Back again after only two weeks....I'm really starting to apply myself to this blog writing caper, but I don't expect it to ever become daily - I just don't know if I could commit to that.

So, anyway...

The title of this episode is In fine Company or The mandatory rejection letter explanation blog and probably explains itself. Yes, for those who haven't guessed, I just received ejection letter/email for Jack Be Nimble from one of the major Australian publishing houses. I'll admit that it's not the first one from an agent/publisher and I don't expect it to be the last one that I'll ever get either.

While I'd be a liar if I said it was just water off a ducks back, in all honesty, it comes close.
For better or worse, when I started writing a few years ago (and still to date), every Australian writer/editor/lecturer/publisher/agent I have encountered has felt the fervent need to bemoan the difficulty to get an agent/get published/make a living. I can't remember how many time I've been told the number of manuscripts written each year verses the number that are actually published and that the average income for an Australian writer is $15k or less. These dire warnings no doubt tell the truth, and are issued with good intent I'm sure, but to me, they always conjure up the image of a 18th century black-cloaked figure, walking the streets, crying 'Bring Out Your Dead! Bring out your Dead!'

Fortunately, instead of being overwhelmed by this deluge of negativity, like a lot of writers before me, I've taken it as a challenge and picked out the important facts. Little gems such as:- Stephen King's Carrie was rejected 30 times before being accepted, Jodi Picoult had 100 rejections by agents and has gone on to write 16 best selling novels, J. K. Rowling was rejected by 12 publishers before Bloomsbury took a chance, and Mathew Reilly was rejected by every major publishing house in Sydney before self-publishing his first novel Contest.

What did I learn? Obviously, rejection letters are par for the course, and if internationally renowned writers like the ones above have received them, then I'd have to be stupid (or a God of writing!) to believe it's not going to happen to me.

So, what are the positives that I can take, and what advice can I give, from this rejection letter?

Firstly, that I did the right thing in paying for a copy editor and manuscript assessment. The publisher I sent the manuscript to does not take unsolicited manuscripts unless they come through an agent or have been assessed by a recognised manuscript assessor. This is what got me a foot in the door. Think about it...after all, you've got to spend money to make money.

Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, even though the email I received was on a form template, it did include that it was a 'well-written' manuscript. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but the email was sent from an actual person with a 'reply-able' contact, and I'm choosing to believe that this publishing house wouldn't advice every aspiring writer that their manuscript was 'well-written'. I admit that I may be grasping at straws, but whatever gets you through the day, know what I mean?

Thirdly, while I may not be kicking my heels up in the Med, with the ink drying on a ten book deal, the rejection letter reminds me of the most important point.

It means that I'm still in the game. I'm still playing, and although I might not have won today, may not have even managed a draw, tomorrow is another day...

Which is all logical, and easier to say then believe, but despite these points there's one other reason that I can't take this rejection, or any other, too much to heart.

It's simple. I'm a writer. That's what I am and no rejection letter will ever change that.

Cheers

It's Been That long? Really?

2 months since we last spoke, I must be getting slack.

Things have been pacing along, I received my manuscript back from my copy editor, Catherine Hammond. Have I mentioned the title, Jack Be Nimble, yet? I'm shopping for an agent (if anyone is interested) and running into all the usual difficulties like the ones that say they are open to new clients, but really aren't...ahhh the fun, the fun!!!

Luckily, I've had a few wins as well. My story, The Cat called Follow Me (which appeared in House of Horror Issue 4), is back by popular demand, appearing in print in the House of Horror Best of 2009 Anthology (can be ordered through House of Horror). I must be on a good horror streak, because House of Horror have also accepted my story, Cruisin', to be published in Issue 8, in January 2010.

On an altogether different slant, my story, Homesick, has just been accepted by The Chick Lit. Review and will be available from November 14, 2009. It's not in the crime genre (like Jack Be Nimble), or in the horror genre (like The Cat called Follow Me and Cruisin') but instead focuses on 'relationship issues'. It's similar in style to the two manuscripts I've completed (Dream A Little Dream and All Other Places) before writing Jack Be Nimble, so maybe they will get another airing and see what I can do with them. Hope springs eternal.

Most recently, in between the short stories (the next one is also a horror piece - Art for Art's Sake), I've been working on another manuscript, The Cabin, a pyschological/suspense thriller set in the Colorado mountains. Another departure, but I just can't let the main character go. About six chapters done and the people I've showed it to all say they like it, so I've just got to complete it, I suppose.

So, what's that? Two manuscripts to edit/rewrite, two to complete and some short stories to unleash...should be a breeze.

Roll on summer, roll on...

Welcome One and All

Thanks for dropping by.

This, obviously, is my first blog, so if you came in late, don't worry, you haven't really missed anything and I'm bound to repeat myself anyway. I should probably fill in all the past details and questions that seem to interest people about being a debt collector but I'm sure that we'll have time for all that later.

Probably around intermission.

But the specific motivation for finally creating this blogsite now is that I have just achieved my second publishing credit and somehow it all seems more 'real?' My short story, The Cat called Follow Me, was accepted by House of Horror (UK) and appears in their current September issue (No. 4). Simply go to the page and click on the Issue 4 cover art in the centre of the screen - by the way the cat shown in the bottom right corner of the page is the cat from my story.On the next page, click on the door marked 'The Basement' and you will find the listing for my story.

It's a nice little horror piece - which isn't, or more accurately wasn't, really one of my fields - which makes it all the more satisfying!

If you do happen to take a look, make sure that you have a read of Eugene Gramelis' What's Eating you? Eugene is a friend and fellow writer who has racked up a string of great short story publication credits over the last couple of years and is now seriously threatening to unleash his talent on a full length novel. His web page is certainly worth a look to see that being a full time husband, father and barrister doesn't mean you can't find time to write.

As per the short bio at the top of the page, I'm currently trying to wait patiently for the copy editing of my own manuscript, Jack Be Nimble, to be completed. Hopefully, it's 'the one' but only time will tell...

Anyway...thanks for taking the time to stop by and I'll see you again soon.