So, flowery poetry...poetry with a flourish...poetry a la Art Nouveau...poetry fantabulous! Well, if the janitor is reading a writers work then they have surely made it lol.
I've never really dabbled in the poetry thing, I've thought about it sometimes but since I'm not really a reader of poetry it never really stuck as an idea. You much of a poet, or do you write poetry much, I should say?
Ha, very good. You're talking about a guy called Walsh? Never heard of him until I looked it all up, nice clues by the way. Isn't what this is all about these days, being in the public eye, being controversial to 'make your name'? Or some such thing...
It was 'reactionary' writing and it had to 'disappear.' As I age I am vigilant to vet any personal and increasingly right-wing tendencies and stop fantasising about benefits of Conservative party membership, a decent club with plush seating, subservient barman, imagine? That path only spells the loss of my loyal anarcho-syndicalist fanbase. I shall not betray. And you know I completed the Guardian survey last week 'How populist are you?' My results more left wing than Macron. so I am proud of the confirmation, comrade. Here you go https://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2018/nov/21/how-populist-are-you-quiz
Didn't think it was reactionary, thought it was funny is all. I'm easy going though. And I'm not taking that quiz; the only thing you need to know is I hate politicians and anything to do with them. Ok, fairly easy going.
I've always thought of writing forums as places where you can relax. If you want to talk a little crazy that's ok.
Yes, right up until that moment when you find yourself unsuspectingly tossed into the writing forum spanking machine!
I feel like I'm waiting on a lot of things. Just waiting. Not in a rush to be rejected or anything, but it's seeming more likely that I will be hit hard early next year. Right around the last time I was published earlier this year. Looks like it will me another solid year of rejection. Looks like I just got lucky. Damn. I thought this was going to get easier. I should be an expert on failure my now. Why aren't I writing the right stories? Ever ask yourself that question in the face of rejection?
So there's a Strong Horizons and a Strange Horizons? Perhaps it's the time of the year, with Christmas and Holidays upcoming, do the magazines slow down all this during this time?
I meant Strange. Sorry about that. Damn, my zombie stories suck. Spent way too much time on those. I probably learned something because I believe every writer writes what they are supposed to when they are supposed to. It's all part or leading up to something, right? Like who cares if I have to write 100 stories to get a good one. The good ones are good, but I wouldn't get there without those other hard tries. I think we could see some action in the next month when it comes to submission responses. Places want to get the numbers down before the new year and stuff like that. So, I think it's likely some are actually reading more. Send me a message if you want me to check anything for you on duotrope. It will tell you how long the average submission has been out, recent responses, a ton of stuff that can give you a clue where you are in line. I often read way to into it, but I absolutely love it and have been using it since I sent my very first submission. I just know that given the time my stories went and and where they went somewhat of an estimated timeline. I'm not sure I'll personally hear too much for the rest of the year. I could be totally wrong and usually am.
Well mine is still at Strange and I haven't heard anything as yet. I'm pretty sure I could check to see where in the line I was with Strange but I'd rather not, let it be a surprise. I thought that maybe everything slowed down before the end of the year and the hols and everything, it's a short month for a lot of people; like us, we shut down for at least a week over the Christmas and New Year.
So, in October I sent off almost one submission a day. Last month I got six out. I thought I would submit more than that. It's harder than I thought to avoid paying reading fees. And even going to the post office cost money. Plus, I don't own a printer so there's that hurtle if I'm sending out hard copies. Shortly, I'll be focusing more on my novel and grant applications, but my confidence is kind of shit right now. I've tried so hard this year and been rejected over 100 times since my last sale and it's been a really long time since my last sale. And people I know are talking about their Pushcart nominations. I didn't get one. I'm not really surprised. The places I published had some really great options. I do love it when places you publish give you a free subscription (in addition to pay). I got to be a small fish in the big pond. Small fish don't get nominated for Pushcarts.
Well I don't know anything about Pushcarts (except those built to carry things, ideas perhaps, or a story) but even those writers earning money, or respect, or awards, had to start somewhere.
My best friend got nominated. And a bunch of people on my Facebook are thanking the publications that nominated them and therefore telling all of his/her/their friends. It's everywhere in my RL world. I'm very proud of my writing accomplishments. I've been able to publish in what some would call prestigious places. But I'm not up for any prizes. I really hope my BF gets it. Still, it feels a little like Valentine's Day and nobody gave me a Valentine. But at the same time I've read far better work than mine in the places that published me. And each publication can make five nominations. That's the best five things they published all year and nonfiction is included in that five. It's actually pretty cool that I know some of these people. I'm happy for them, really. So, I withdrew a story submission. Like, what? Yeah. I actually did this before and it did not work out in my favor. But I can see where it's "in-progress." And I was actually looking at one of the publication's websites. It sort of looked bad. And what I'd read on duotrope about them was nowhere on their website. And I read one of the stories and it reminded me of something we'd be ready to workshop in an MFA. I didn't see any bios with the stories so for all I know someone really great wrote that story that I found quite mediocre. I didn't want to be accepted their before I'm rejected other places. Actually, I don't think I will be sending that place work again. I did read somethings before I submitted so something I saw must have been good or maybe I didn't do enough homework. Shouldn't we as writers also be selective of where we send our work? Would you guys or have you ever withdrawn a story for similar reasons?
I think you have every right to be selective, send your writing to the places you think suit your stories. And I've read quite a few stories in magazines that I thought were rubbish written from a known writer. Methinks you get away with a bit if you are well known.
Blue Monday, 3 rejections in one twenty minute blizzard. The only one that irked was P-head Chapel. I was reading some, one story in particular, euch, thinking 'my stuff is definitely as bad as this...'and...nfff.
