Category Archives: LJ

Writing Stuff:
A rare “friends only” post to vent about the Borderlands 6 rejection I got. Normally I consider myself fairly thick-skinned when it comes to rejections, but this one really provoked me.

This one was so bad I would have rather have gotten a form. It’s not the rejection which raises my hackles, but the tone of it. Would it have killed them to take a page from GVG/JJA’s book and make their rejections a little less snarky?

The editors admonished me for not reading their guidelines (which I had), not reading the previous Borderlands anthos (which, granted, I hadn’t), and wasting their time (glah?). The last bit really irked me. They said that by sending them something so utterly unsuitable, that it was a waste of their time.

I’ve always believed that a writer shouldn’t do the editor’s job for them and self-reject. Hell, I often find it baffling what a market buys of mine and what they reject, so if I have something within what I see as the realm of their guidelines, I send it in. I figure it’s the editor’s job to pick the stories they want from the slush, and mine to write the best I can. Over time I’ve gotten a better feel for what some markets are looking for by what they’ve responded well to and what they’ve bought (as well as, yes, by reading what they’ve published), and I’ve noticed that often the guidelines and the editor’s tastes seem to be at odds.

Now, okay, I didn’t read the previous Borderlands anthos. While I do read ravenously, I haven’t managed to read every single publication I’ve submitted to. I mean, I haven’t even read every publication I’ve sold to. I did read the guidelines, as I read all the guidelines to markets I submit to. They said “we are not looking for any of the traditional bug-bears and boogeymen. No ghosts or vampires need apply. No zombies, no werewolves, no mummies, succubi, or Hitchcockian spouses with plans to do in their mates.” I didn’t send them that. I sent what I consider “dark fantasy.”

Chalk it up as a learning experience, I guess. They don’t want anything that resembles traditional fantasy. Check. And I’ve heard from the RM that they don’t want science fiction either. Check.

But it ticked me off.

It must be a sign of age that I can go to sleep fine and dandy, and when I wake up, I’ve managed to hurt myself. Once again, I must have slept funny on my neck. It’s all stiff and cricked. Stupid vertebrae.

Writing Stuff:
Mailed off the contract to Fantasist Enterprises for “Souls of Living Wood.” Also sent a check to Nathan of Scrybe Press to cover the Ascendancy of Blood chapbooks I bought for Dragon*Con. Of excellent news on that front, I had royalties coming my way, so I could subtract that from the amount I owed him. Money is good. I like moolah. Yup.

Matthew first readered my story. He didn’t like it. But then, he never really groks my folk/fairy tales. Nevertheless, he made some good points, which I shall implement and then send the thing up the Critters queue. This is the first time in a very long time that I haven’t had something waiting in the queue. Makes me feel like a slacker.

I feel less flattened today. Amazing what crashing out for twelve hours straight can do to a person’s disposition. I even had the fortitude to update the Daily Dragon Online with some last minute articles, the Art Show Awards, and the Hall Costume Contest Winners. Go me.

More articles, pictures, and pagmatic‘s cartoons to be added as they trickle in.

Mostly caught up on my recent Friends List reading. Can’t possibly catch up on all the time I missed, so if something happened over the D*C weekend that I should know about, drop me a line, plez!

Writing Stuff
Received a form reject from Chronicle Picture Books. Humph.

Want to go over my cute folkish tale again, but I think it’s getting close to ready for Matthew to first reader.

Might be a good weekend for writing. *knocks on pressed particle board*

Had a little alarm clock snafu this morning. I was pinned by a skunk and just wanted nine more minutes of sleep when my alarm went off. Wasn’t thinking too clearly, otherwise I would never have done what I did next. I rolled over, prodded Matthew, and asked him to hit snooze. After a few more prods, he lumbered up, the alarm clock fell silent, and I fell back asleep.

Half an hour later, Hobkin decided it was time for breakfast and scampered off to see if the breakfast fairy had made an appearance, which woke me up. I looked at the clock and realized it was much later than I had expected. Matthew blearily asked: “You didn’t want me to turn it off?” Chaotic rushing ensued.

Not a good way to start the day.

Writing Stuff:
Finished proofing the galleys of “Of Two Minds in Lanais” for Leading Edge and emailed my corrections to the editor. I think that’s the longest I’ve ever kept something that needed to be done from an editor in my life–rewrite request, contract, synopsis request, or proof. I guess I shouldn’t beat myself up over a week, but it still makes me feel like I dropped the ball in there.

I heard my muse cackling maniacally, alternating with hysterical giggles. I thought it best to leave her be for a while longer, but she seems to be displaying a surprising amount of resilience.

Discovered a cute folkish tale I’d set aside. I re-read what I’d written, and liked what I had too much to leave it unfinished. So I rattled off 2000 new words and just like that, it’s done. Hunh. But I’m not sure what I’m going to do with it now. When I started it, I had intended it for Cricket. But it clocks in at nearly 3.4K, far too long for them. Hmm. Perhaps that’s why I set it aside in the first place.

Ah well. I’ll see if I can cut it down or, more realistically, hunt down other markets for it. I wonder if it would be suitable for Cicada?

But I finished another story. Yay!