…and why every once and a while I toy with the idea of supporting legislation requiring people to pass a test and get a license before they’re allowed to have children.
There’s a couple in New Zealand who want to name their son Superman because the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages won’t let them name him (wait for it…) 4Real.
Can’t they just name the kid Apple like normal parents would?
I weep for the future.
– S.
It’s been a while since my last submission update, so here goes. I’ll try to remember where everything is–I’m up at my parents’ place for a week and while submission tracking sheet is in Excel for some reason their computer doesn’t have Excel.
“Shipbreaker” was with Interzone. Jetse de Vries held it for a second reading (as I mentioned) and ended up giving another of his very kind, personalized rejections. He actually had some nice things to say about the story and, while I obviously would have liked to sell to IZ, I appreciate his thinking it deserved a second read and taking the time to let me know some of his reasoning for declining.
This is the third story of mine that Jetse’s turned away from IZ, but he’s always done so in a very classy manner. Given that the other two went on to sell quickly after Jetse declined–“Saturn in G Minor” won the WOTF contest, and “Citius, Altius, Fortius” sold to Tesseracts 11–maybe this one will follow the pattern?
Jetse was kind enough to suggest a couple of markets he thought it might fit with, and I sent it right out to one–Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show.
“Gagiid” was with the Missouri Review after their earlier rewrite request, but has come back with a final ‘no’, unfortunately. I discovered subsequent to resubmitting that the person who sent the rewrite request was an editorial intern…and that she’d moved on by the time I resubmitted, so my champion was gone. Ah well. It might be a literary pipe dream to have it published in a lit journal or a mainstream magazine, but I’ll continue to dream it for now–I’ve sent it off to the Atlantic Monthly. We’ll see.
“The Festival of Toxcatl” is currently with Paradox. It’s one of the submissions I made before the US postal rates changed, so it’s six cents light on postage. The Missouri Review added some stamps–hopefully Paradox will do the same.
And I’m still waiting on word from Holy Horrors. My story, “The Hushed Voice”, has been with them since February. According to the editor’s blog, decisions should be made “in the near future.” They’ve already accepted at least a few stories and rejected a bunch of others, so fingers crossed that no news is good news.
I think that’s it for first-round submissions, however I am sending out my published stories for consideration in various “Year’s Best” anthologies. Again, this is likely somewhere between wishful thinking and delusions of grandeur, but what the hell, right?
So “Borrowed Time” is out for consideration in Best New Paranormal Romance 3 (yes, it includes a love story element), and it, along with “Saturn in G Minor” and “Citius, Altius, Fortius”, are going for consideration to The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year: Volume 2.
– S.
…and I’ll be on a plane headed for LA and the Writers of the Future workshop week and awards ceremony.
I’m trying to keep my excitement in check at least until next Monday, when my passport (after much delay) is scheduled to arrive.
Please God–let it be there.
But that also means I have two weeks to finish my project: to have read at least one book by every judge of the Writers of the Future contest before I meet them.
Now, even before I’d entered the contest I’d read at least one book by most of the judges. But some I hadn’t read (or hadn’t read in a long time), hence the project. The books that remain to be read with two weeks to go are:
Greg Benford – Timescape (I’ve read some of his more recent works, but this is the one he won the Nebula for).
Nina Kiriki Hoffman – A Fistful of Sky
Dave Wolverton – On My Way to Paradise (a novel expanded by the author from his Gold Award-winning story in the 1987 Writers of the Future contest)
Between the Stars – Eric Kotani (WOTF judge) and J.M. Roberts
Expiration Date – Tim Powers (I’ve read other books of his but as he’s one of the judges teaching the course I wanted to read everything I could of his. Ironically, it’s also allowed me to find something that Wikipedia DOESN’T have a full article on yet. Once I’m done, I think I’ll write one and contribute to the Codex of All Human Knowledge, err, Wikipedia).
I must confess I’m not that fast a reader, so wish me luck!
– S.
For seemingly no reason (at least I can’t figure out how it ties into their products) Gillette Canada is running a contest in which you can win a sub-orbital space flight.
As it says in their rules:
THE PRIZE: There will be one (1) prize awarded consisting of one (1) “Space Adventures” sub-orbital flight. Prize travel anticipated to occur by July 1, 2010. Winner (as defined below) will be notified of the departure date and launch location three (3) months prior to scheduled date. Contest Sponsors reserve the right to change such scheduled date as force majeure, health or other condition of the crew or passengers, technical failures or difficulties or adverse weather conditions may reasonably require. Winner must be available to travel on the Contest Sponsors’ selected dates. Prize also includes: round-trip coach airfare from the major Canadian commercial airport nearest the Winner’s home (departure point) to the first available “Space Adventures” sub-orbital flight launch location (to be determined at Contest Sponsors’ sole discretion), three (3) days of flight training, one (1) sub-orbital space flight, ground transportation to and from the launch location, hotel accommodations for one (1) [based on one (1) standard room, single occupancy, room and taxes only] for four (4) nights at a hotel chosen by the Contest Sponsors, and meals for the duration of the training program and launch day. Approximate Retail Value $80,000 USD.
Now if that ain’t a cool prize, I don’t know what is.
Naturally I’ve entered. If I do somehow win, I think I might then hold the distinction of being the only SF writer, living or dead, who has ever actually gotten off the planet.
Not a bad tag line for a book, right? 🙂
Contest entry and details can be found here, and may the best space cadet win!
– S.
Hey gang –
For all you writer types out there (or at least the Canadians amongst you), Tesseracts 12, the latest installment of the long-running Canadian SF anthology series, is now accepting submissions. Details and links below.
This volume is edited by Claude Lalumière, and for the first time is devoted to novella- / novelette-length stories, from 10,000 to 20,000 words.
I assumed that since I’d been in one Tesseracts volume I likely wouldn’t submit a story to future volumes, just because these anthologies seem to me a great place to showcase new Canadian SF talent–I’ve already had my kick at the can 🙂
But given that I have one 15 000-word story I’m currently revising, well, maybe I’ll send it in just in case… 🙂
TTFN
– S.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Call for Submissions: Tesseracts Twelve
EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing is pleased to announce that celebrated writer/editor Claude Lalumière has been appointed as the editor of the next volume of this highly popular Canadian speculative fiction (science fiction, fantasy, horror and more) anthology.
Tesseracts Twelve is now open for submissions (closes February 1st 2008) and is focused on longer (novella / novelette) stories, from 10,000 to 20,000 words. All of the submission details can be found online (http://lostpages.net/t12).
About the Tesseracts series
For more than twenty years the Tesseracts series has featured the latest in innovative and futuristic fiction and has contained works from both leaders and exciting new emerging voices in Canadian speculative fiction – including English language translations of works by French-Canadian authors.
Many of Canada’s best known authors have taken part in the series at one time or another, either as featured editors or contributing writers. From Margaret Atwood, to Robert J. Sawyer to Elisabeth Vonarburg, more than 200 authors have contributed to this series since the first book was edited by legendary Judith Merrill.
For full details about the submissions process, please visit:
http://lostpages.net/t12
The editor, Claude Lalumière, has established a blog thread for queries
at:
http://lostpagesfoundpages.blogspot.com/2007/07/tesseracts-twelve.html
Information on the current and forthcoming editions of the series can be found at:
Tesseracts Ten:
http://www.edgewebsite.com/books/tess10/t10-catalog.html
Tesseracts Eleven:
http://www.edgewebsite.com/books/tess11/t11-catalog.html
Well gang –
Seeing as it’s one month today that I fly out to California for the WOTF workshop week (which promises to be the experience of a writing life-time) I thought I might ask people for their suggestions of California-related songs I should add to my play list for the flight.
Below is the list. Most of these were obvious ones that came to mind because they have California (or one of its cities) in the title. What less obvious ones am I missing?
Going to California – Led Zeppelin
LA Woman – The Doors
Come to California – Matthew Sweet
California Dreamin’ – The Mamas and the Papas
Twelve-Thirty (Young Girls Are Coming To The Canyon) – The Mamas and the Papas
San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Some Flowers in Your Hair) – Scott McKenzie
Little Old Lady From Pasadena – The Beach Boys
California Girls – The Beach Boys
California Stars – Billy Bragg and Wilco
It Never Rains In Southern California – Albert Hammond
California Man – Cheap Trick
Under the Bridge – Red Hot Chili Peppers
Californication – Red Hot Chili Peppers
Dani California – Red Hot Chili Peppers (these guys need some new material…)
California Über Alles – The Dead Kennedys
Hotel California – The Eagles
Take California – The Propellerheads
California Love – Tupac
Straight Outta Compton – NWA
Good Time – Leroy
California – Tom Petty
California – Joni Mitchell
California – Phantom Planet
(these are three different songs alone called ‘California’, and I’m sure there are many more…)
– S.
I discovered today that Tesseracts Eleven is now officially listed on the EDGE Books online catalog.
You can read all about the anthology here, including Cory Doctorow’s introduction, and my bio and picture, along with those of the other contributors. Looks like I’m in with quite a crew.
Tesseracts Eleven should be available right around my birthday–what a nice present! 🙂
– S.
I think it’s fitting that the 100th post to my blog be about the very thing that started the blog in the first place. Here’s the cover of the forthcoming WRITERS OF THE FUTURE vol 23, which will include my story (more on that in a minute…)
As I’d said earlier, I got a sneak-peak at the cover when I went to the Galaxy Press booth at Book Expo Canada last month, but seeing it again now…well, it still looks fabulous. I can’t wait to get my hands on the book. And I really hope they’ll give us a cover flat to frame.
My thanks for this image go to Andrea Kail, the first-place winner in the fourth quarter, who found the listing on Amazon and posted it to her blog. I’d looked and looked but hadn’t been able to find the upcoming volume.
Now then, as for my story…
When I won, I was told to keep hush-hush about the title. See, I know Rob Sawyer–one of the WOTF judges and kind of my writing Yoda–and because I’d won a first place I was up for the Grand Prize, which would be voted on later. Because Rob might be one of the judges to vote on the Grand Prize-winning story, to keep things on the level I wasn’t to tell him the name of the winning tale. Okay, good idea. I didn’t want to taint the process.
But the Internet is a funny thing. The names of at least two of the first-place winning stories are available here and here (amongst other places) so I guess it doesn’t matter anymore?
I’m not sure when the vote is made on which of the four stories is the Grand Prize winner (I assume it could happen any time after the fourth winning story is known), but Rob is in the Yukon at the moment, and won’t be able to attend the WOTF prize dinner as he’ll be in China receiving his own award at the same time, so I guess all bets are off.
I’ve also been asked for a write-up about the story and its inspiration for an upcoming profile in the WOTF newsletter, so if the contest itself is going to be publishing my name and story title before the awards date then I guess everything is already locked up and I don’t risk anything by daring to speak, err, type the name of my tale.
Just in case, if you happen to be a WOTF judge and are reading this, well, look away now…
…
…
…
My winning story in the WOTF 23 is called ‘Saturn in G Minor’. It’s about a composer who plays a symphony on Saturn’s rings, and the risks you face should you ever actually meet your heroes… I hope you like it when you get a chance to read it.
Ah, that feels better! 🙂
– S.
Proofs are a funny thing.
I mentioned earlier this week that I got the proofs from the Writers of the Future. And as I was going through them I noted places where, if I had the chance to do so, I would changed things. Nothing major, mind you, but certain word choices, turns of phrase, the emphasis or implication of a sentence here and there, etc.
While I’m very glad I get the chance to go over proofs and look for errors, in some ways it would be easier if I didn’t. The lead-time between the sale of a story and its publication tends to the months, if not a year or more (in the case of WOTF, I submitted the story in April 2006, it won in October 2006, and will be published in September 2007) and your skills as a writer (hopefully) improve during the interval.
So, in essence, when you get proofs you’re reading writing that, at least in some small ways, you could do better if you did now. The temptation to edit, rewrite, and polish (or in my case, Polish 😉 forever is hard to resist.
But you have to. Resist it, I mean. I know from personal experience as an editor that making changes in proofs (other than correcting simple errors) gets very expensive for the publisher very quickly. We’ve even added a clause to our contract to discourage changes in proofs, charging authors a hefty per-change charge levied against their royalties.
Somebody once said that art is never finished, it is abandoned. My guess is that it is abandoned only grudgingly…
– S.
One of the great things about seeing the proofs for my story in WOTF 23 was that I found out who will be illustrating my story, and I’m pleased to say I guessed right.
Randall Ensley, one of the Illustrators of the Future winners from the third quarter of last year, will be providing the pen-and-ink drawing that will accompany my story in the anthology. You can see his winning entries here (scroll down) and an interview with him here.
I say I guessed right because when I saw his “Key of Pain” it had, let’s say, certain resonances with my story (no pun intended) and I thought they might pair him with me.
I’m dying to see what he comes up with (they cheekily left a blank page in the proofs where his art will go…) and I’m thrilled that we’ll be getting a copy of the artwork to frame. I tend to see visuals as I write, so I hope he’s found something in my story that sparked his imagination.
– S.
