The Ones to Watch, Music for Four Hands

The third annual installment of "The Ones to Watch" feature has been posted in the November issue of the Internet Review of Science Fiction. This is a little later than in previous years, but Adrian had some things come up that delayed getting it in there. Still, it's an interesting project. One of the authors who was part of it the first year dropped out; on the other hand, Pat Rothfuss is a major published author now and at 100% of his goals. That leaves us three - me, Linda Donahue and Jennifer Pelland - in the middle there. I guess we're doing pretty good, compared to so many people out there, but at least in my case it's not a big deal - I enjoy my day job. I really don't think I'll hit my stride as a fiction writer until I get too old to chase fire engines any more and have to retire as a journalist. Then I'll sit home and dream...

Changing subjects, finally had a free night to sit and look over the file for the chapbook, "Music for Four Hands", put together by Ed Morris. It features the four of our collaborations that have been published, or are about to be published: "Eva", "Acroscaphe". "Off the Hook" and "Stairway to Heaven". I wrote up my bio and my part of the introduction, and shot it back to Ed. Looks great.

Satisfaction

"Pirates of the Ozarks" is done, final edit made it tighten 300 words - a good sign. Came in at 4,640 words. It is going out in tomorrow's mail. This is the 86th short story I've written since 2002.

Out loud

I read the latest version of "Pirates of the Ozarks" to Patricia last night. She said it was good, although she's unhappy that Natchez is one of the cities cited as being destroyed in the Great Inundation of 1812 (that's where we honeymooned) - but it's later rebuilt on the barrier island that survives at its old location.

Coincidentally, a report coming out today in the journal "Nature" reports that recent tremors which have occurred in the area of the New Madrid fault are not precursors of a pending quake, but instead aftershocks of the giant quake of 1812.

As soon as I speak

As soon as I post that I can't electronically sign my contract, I get some advice, try again, ane get it done, so it's a done deed.

"Dispatches from the Troubles"

Got a contract via email for my novellette, "Dispatches from The Troubles", which is being publiched in GUD (Greatest Uncommon Denominator) in Spring 2010. They're using some kind of electronic contract signing software, and it's not opening up the right buttons in my email. Oh, well, we'll muddle through.

"Pirates of the Ozarks" should be ready for sending out by this weekend

Update on "Pirates"

Doing some final tweaks and edits on "Pirates of the Ozarks". It's staying under 5,000 words - just - which is a cutoff for a number of magazines. It seems to be going well.

No rejections recently, I must have about 15 stories bouncing around different slush piles.

Pirates ready to set sail

After a few good days of writing the first draft of "Pirates of the Ozarks" is finished. It came in under 5,000 words. I expect it will shrink, as should be expected, during final editing.

The local community college showed "Bubba Ho-Tep" Thursday as part of a month-long film series done as a joint project of the Language and Humanities Department. Mojo Joe came to the town for the day. He spoke to students at the college - in a creative writing class - and then at the film showing that evening.

The students applauded at the end of the movie. I think it all turned out great. I wrote a story about it for the Sunday paper.

Never told Joe "Pirates" has a character named "Captain Lansdell" who grew up in the small coastal fishing village of Nacogdoches in Eastern Tejas before setting off for a life of aquatic brigandage on the Great Inland Sea.