abracanabra | Entries tagged with these things take time

Sky-Tinted Waters, an anthology of 20 tales from local Minnesotan speculative fiction authors ranging from debut talents to established professionals, is now available for purchase from award-winning small-press publisher Sam's Dot Publishing.

My short story, "These Things Take Time," (previously published by Emerald Tales), is among the selected.

EXCERPT:
"The coffee's weak," Mark said. It came out more accusatory than he'd intended, but Lily had become quite inconsiderate recently. On top of the smaller things, like making the coffee the wrong strength, she no longer asked about his day, complaining about her work problems instead.

Of course, if she had asked about his day, he would have lied. She still believed he was working extra hours at the office. He didn't dare tell her about the project that was truly taking up his time.

Read more.

Support Minnesotan authors!

05/12/10, Wednesday
* Finished Critters critique and began MinnSpec one.
* Prepped Vicesteed ch. 31 for edits.
* Began making editing changes on Vicesteed ch. 30.
* Took down "Salvaging Scottwell" from Bookrix. I have learned a very valuable lesson, and that lesson is that I really don't have time to do a popularity-based writing contest properly. I just don't, and I shouldn't try.
* Worked on brainstorming "Remediation Town," the desertification-and-algal-bloom story. Not done yet. Need good reasons a bandit chief *wouldn't* want a town to prey on.
* Read Critters newsletter.

05/11/10, Tuesday, worked full-time and then had bridge night. But had a goodly amount of downtime at work.
* Finished redmarking Vicesteed ch. 30.
* Finished writing this Platinadar letter and typed it up. Just need to clean up my misc. notes and it's good to go.

05/10/10, Monday
* Processed Andromeda Inflight Magazine's form letter rejection of "Demons of Disease."
* Worked on redmarking Vicesteed ch. 30.

05/09/10, Sunday
* Attended CoyoteCon online panels.
* Read Duotrope, FFWSmallMarkets, and Ralan newsletters and updated markets from them.
* Told Critters about sale/pub of "The Radiator Burped" and "These Things Take Time."
* Revised the "to do once published/accepted" list.

05/087/10, Saturday
* Attended Coyote Con online panels.
* Read FundsforWriters and FFWSmallMarkets newsletters.
* Posted writing log, freewriting.
* Processed publishing contract for "The Radiator Burped" reprint in Northern Lights: A MinnSpec Anthology.
* Posted about publication of "A fob chain went under his vest, between ribs..." to Fb, LJ, Twitter,

05/06/10, Thursday
* Posted freewriting, writing log.
* Redmarked 2 pgs of Vicesteed ch. 30.
* Began Critters critique.
* Processed postage expense.
* Processed income from sale of "These Things Take Time." (The check arrived! Yay!)

04/28/10, Wednesday
* Processed Flash Me's personal rejection of "Road of Dreams" with editorial feedback.
* Read WritersDigest, Critters, and WritersWeekly newsletters.

04/27/10, Tuesday
* Processed Lightspeed Magazine's form rejection of "Alien/Whore/Mother."
* Posted about "These Things Take Time" publication to penthius, updated profiles, website biblio, bio (and bio to point to biblio), twitter, linkedin.
* Processed Scheherazade's Facade "splendid story, but not quite" personal rejection of "Ekaterina and the Firebird."
* Processed "Triangulations: End of the Rainbow" personal rejection of "Periwinkle Eyes."
* Read Duotrope, 2 Writing-World, WritersDigest, FundsforWriters, 2 FFWSmallMarkets, and 2 WritersWeekly newsletters and updated market list from them.
* Making flawed characters appealing: http://scribechat.com/archives/1150

04/24/10, Saturday, surgery...recovery afterward.

04/22/10, Thursday
* Posted about "These Things Take Time" publication in LJ, fb.
* "These Things Take Time," where cloning meets marriage counseling. Free to read. Bottom of pg (Vol 2 Num 2):
http://www.scribblersandinkspillers.com/emeraldtales.html

04/20/10, Tuesday, spent large chunk of morning wrangling doctor stuff
* Finished making editing changes to Vicesteed ch. 29.
* Posted freewriting, writing log.

"These Things Take Time" is my story about a man who takes unusual measures to figure out what went wrong in his first marriage. It's out in Volume Two Number Two of Emerald Tales, It Was a Bright and Sunny Day (scroll to the bottom), which can be purchased in print or downloaded for free.

"The coffee's weak," Mark said. It came out more accusatory than he'd intended, but Lily had become quite inconsiderate recently. On top of the smaller things, like making the coffee the wrong strength, she no longer asked about his day, complaining about her work problems instead.

Of course, if she had asked about his day, he would have lied. She still believed he was working extra hours at the office. He didn't dare tell her about the project that was truly taking up his time.

Read more.

Tuesday was spent getting non-writing things done.
* Wrote 2 1/2 pgs. longhand on Alien/Whore/Mother (took the bus instead of biking)

03/22/10, Monday, worked fill-in shift until 9PM
* Processed "Road of Dreams" receipt acknowledgment.
* Processed "These Things Take Time" contract, signed, and sent back.
* Posted freewriting,
* Processed Basement Stories' form letter rejection of "Demons of Disease."
* Processed "The Perfect Costume" receipt acknowledgment from Best New Vampire Tales.
* Typed up my notes from the MinnSpec meeting on copyright, and discovered I'd actually just written a how-to writing article. Huh. Guess I'll polish it up and try submitting it elsewhere before posting it on my blog.
* Worked a little on redmarking Vicesteed ch. 29
* Wrote 1/2 pg. longhand on Alien/Whore/Mother.

03/13/10, Saturday
* Redmarked all of Vicesteed ch. 28. And it was an unusually large chapter, lacking in large chunks that could be cut, so that's saying something.

03/12/10, Friday
* Belatedly processed "Where Dinosaurs Roam" publication in Thaumatrope and payment info.
* Processed Emerald Tales' acceptance of "These Things Take Time" and replied with the info they need for a contract.

03/07/10, Monday
* Posted writing log, freewriting, nanowri
* Began redmarking Vicesteed ch. 28.
* Processed GUD's form letter rejection of "Good Help is Hard to Find."

02/14/10, Sunday, Valentine's Day
* Finished 2nd and 3rd of 3 critters crits.
* Used MPC to bump "Ekaterina and the Firebird" to the top of the Critters critique list.
* Read Duotrope and WritersDigest newsletters and updated market list from it.
* Publisher-Author Outreach as it could be: http://christinakatz.com/publishers-seven-types-of-outreach-to-cement-the-publisher-author-bond-boost-the-sales-of-every-single-book/
* Donald Maas' _The Career Novelist_ available as free PDF download: http://www.maassagency.com/books.html#career
* Finally(!) got around to making the 20 minutes worth of changes to get "The Unkindness of Ravens," which I think is one of the best stories I've written so far, ready to submit. All 15,800 words of it. ::facepalm:: For context, most publications don't accept stories over 6,000 words, and even fewer accept over 10,000. OTOH, the best publications generally do.
* Submitted "The Unkindness of Ravens" to Writers of the Future.

02/13/10, Saturday, most of day spent doing photo shoot and cleaning photos.
* Write with awareness and honesty: http://ann-leckie.livejournal.com/143513.html#cutid1
* The Novelist Survival Kit, for use while waiting for publication/acceptance: http://jenniferechols.livejournal.com/120823.html
* When somebody on the internet is Wrong: http://jimhines.livejournal.com/490688.html
* Nathan Bransford's query letter workshop forum: http://forums.nathanbransford.com/viewforum.php?f=12
* Processed Emerald Tales' receipt acknowledgment of "These Things Take Time."
* Worked on critiques for MinnSpec meeting next week. No more last-minute writing of critiques that same morning!

02/11/10, Thursday
* Did 1 of 3 critiques needed to get "Ekaterina" bumped to the top of the queue.
* Prepped crit #2.

02/10/10, Wednesday
* Posted freewriting, writing log, NanoWri
* Wrote in transitions for "Ekaterina"--there were as many of them missing as I feared.
* Submitted "Ekaterina and the Firebird" to MinnSpec for the next critique session, and loaded it up to Critters. Next up, getting 3 crits done so I can use my MPC to boost it to the top of the queue.
* Went through manuscripts file and updated various statuses, marking down where I need to query on status or check the contract to find out when I can sell reprint rights again.
* Added "Ekaterina and the Firebird," Platinadar project, and "Her Alien Baby" to the manuscripts.
* Processed "Periwinkle Eyes" non-win of the Micro Award.

01/10/2010, Sunday
* Read WritersDigest, FundsforWriters, and Writing-World newsletters.
* Kelly Carmichael's comprehensive and step-by-step guide to writing a synopsis: http://www.kathycarmichael.com/articles-and-seminars/articles-and-workshops/general-fiction-synopsis/general-fiction-synopsis-seminar/
* Posted writing log.
* Penthius freewriting.
* Updated Aswiebe's Market List from Ralan.com.
* Submitted "Demons of Disease" to Null Immortalis Anthology, and processed receipt acknowledgment.
* Withdrew "These Things Take Time" from Alternative Coordinates, as I'd accidentally re-submitted it there.
* Submitted "Warmth in the Cold Time" to Realms of Fantasy, one of the remaining requirers of snail-mail submissions.

12/05/2009 - Saturday, spent most of the day on day job stuff
* http://talktoyouniverse.blogspot.com/2008/09/show-dont-tell-exposed.html
* Top Ten Reasons Your Editor Doesn't Love What Your Critique Group Does: http://edittorrent.blogspot.com/2009/11/top-ten-reasons-editor-doesnt-love-what.html

12/03/2009 - Thursday, no day job
* NanoWriMo
* Posted writing log.
* Penthius freewriting about voodoo and slavery and--pirates. Am confused.
* Processed "A Phoenix By Any Other Name" acceptance by Short-Story.me!
* Processed "These Things Take Time" form letter rejection by New Myths.
* Processed "Charity From a Thief" personal rejection (with specific editorial feedback!) from Beneath Ceaseless Skies. Will be making edits to use feedback before submitting story elsewhere.
* Processed "Road of Dreams" personal rejection from Screams and Dreams Anthology and editor's proposed non-paying acceptance from Liquid Imagination. (I'll try paying markets first, though I do like the way they mesh art and writing--it's always awesome to see what art people think goes with my stories.)

11/01/2009 - Sunday
* Posted writing log.
* Penthius freewriting inspired by noodling about other story--naturally, not too great.
* Did monthly backups.
* Read Critters and Duotrope newsletters and updated market list from them.
* Submitted "Warmth in the Cold Time" to Pedestal.
* Submitted "Road of Dreams" to Screams and Dreams Anthology via Liquid Imagination.
* Processed v. speedy "enjoyed it but not making decision until December" "added to short stack" response from Liquid Imagination re Screams and Dreams Anthology.
* Submitted "These Things Take Time" to Alternative Coordinates. Realized it had already been rejected from there, freaked out, then decided to let it go. Too late to do anything but draw attention to it anyway. Submitted to "New Myths" as well, since both mags accept simultaneous submissions (something I've never done before).
* Submitted "The Miracle Material" to Apex.
* Built my notes file for the Nano WriMo project, "Walking Out of the Machine." (Thought about calling it "Girl in the Gears," which is a better title, but inaccurate.) Checked tweet tags, pulled out the character info from Vicesteed (for two of my favorite minor characters! Watts the hackney cab driver, and Mrs. Crinoline, the madam of The Juicy Plum) and the scene that I'm basing it on. Re-read "The Red Shoes." Pondered plot details and fairytale resonances. Wrote the first two sentences and tweeted them.

Curse you, "Undo Send," for disappearing before I could use you!
Time to start "Walking Out of the Machine," my Nano WriMo #nwm (bit.ly/ml8vH) #steampunk story. 1 tweet each day of November.
Mortal horses would have trampled her if she dashed in front of them. The hackney cab's homechulus horses froze, crystal eyes rolling. #nwm
Creepy food-for-horror-stories: parasites controlling animals ping.fm/FNWGi
Time to eat the last Butterfinger from the Halloween candy stash. Butterfingers, I shall miss you.
Off to perform dire kitchen experiments with fennel.

07/05/2009 - Sunday, after getting home from CONvergence.
* Penthius freewriting about a different kind of Walk of Stars.

07/02/2009-07/05/2009 - Thursday-Sunday
At CONvergence, which I think counts as more than enough for those days!

07/02/2009 - Thursday, before CONvergence
* Read Publisher's Lunch.

07/01/2009 - Wednesday, spent most of the morning prepping photos for mailing.
* Read Writing-World, WritersDigest newsletters.
* Recommended writing books - I can vouch for The Writers Guide to Life in the Wild West and On Writing: http://bookstove.com/non-fiction/five-good-books-about-genre-writing-by-actual-authors/

06/30/2009 - Tuesday, no downtime, spent the morning mostly dealing with the repair guy and needing to get into work.
* Posted writing log.
* Created a "To Do Once Pro Writer" file. It felt strange to do that--kind of presumptuous. On the other hand, it really only makes sense to keep a place to record ideas and tactics and useful resources for that level of writing. Things like joining this writing group and that writers organization and using the other service if x happens.
* Loaded Vicesteed ch. 29 up into Critters for critique.
* Processed MNLit's non-win notification. (One is never rejected from contests; one simply didn't win.)
* Processed donation received for Aswiebe's Market List (2 months later. Oy. Seemed late enough I thought a thank-you would be more awkward than otherwise.)
* Processed Alternative Coordinates' personal, "we hope you will submit again" rejection of "These Things Take Time." "While the subject matter is of interest to our readers and the story is well written, the story itself does not fit in well with our current releases." Hrm. I am flattered that I got a mostly positive personal rejection, yet somewhat baffled. My intangibles did not fit in.
* Sent Vicesteed chapters 19-22 to MinnSpecer who volunteered to crit more. Yay!
* Updated "Salvaging Scottwell"'s status to reflect it being passed up the line after edits were completed. Am still more than a little gobsmacked that Eric Flint is going to be reading *my* story.

As part of the compromise Phil and I have, which means I'm occasionally allowed to see other coffee shops, I got to choose where we went yesterday. Based on some recommendations, I chose Urban Bean. I liked it. The tea and chocolate croissant I had were tasty. The back room was very light and airy, with a huge picture window and a beautiful urban cityscape cutout mural. They had a lot of electrical outlets. Even when it was seated to almost-full capacity, it didn't feel crowded. I liked the ambient electronic music. It had a quiet, almost library-like atmosphere.

Drawbacks: There was no padding on the chairs/bench, the tables were a little small for 2, and the quiet made one a little self-conscious about talking to friends. Phil's drawback list was silly: it was "too clean" (!) and lacking in hummus.

Conclusion: It was nice and I'd definitely go back there, but it isn't necessarily the best place to go to hang out with friends on Saturdays. It would be a great place to study. On the other hand, it's on a direct bus line from our house, so it's definitely someplace I might go on my own to work if I'm feeling cabin fever.

Between sickness and lack of work (except for a transcription project I did at home), I hadn't been out of the house except for martial arts classes for a couple of weeks, so it was so nice to go out and see someplace new and hang out with

discoflamingo,

cvalenti, and

bitwise.

( More photos and writing logs. )

02/17/2009 - Tuesday, half work
* Processed Brad's crit of Vicesteed chs. 9-10 and sent him the next couple
* Penthius freewriting, "Aging Immortal: Science Fiction"
* Posted writing logs
* Edited Vicesteed
* Processed Writers of the Future non-win for "The Miracle Material"
* Processed Medicine Show's form rejection of "The Haunts of Hill Crossing"
* Processed Triangulations' personal "started too slow" rejection of "These Things Take Time"
* Read Writer's Digest newsletter
- 10 Disciplines for Fiction Writers (http://writersdigest.com/article/10_Disciplines_for_Fiction_Writers) - I think that particularly the making lists of rewards and goals would be a good thing for me.

It's so good to be back to a 1/2 day schedule. I feel like I can actually get stuff done. I work in the morning to make enough money for bills. Then I come home and clean a bit and work on writing stuff. In the evening, I cook dinner or go to martial arts class. People ask how I'm doing and I answer, "Good!" Hell, I'm downright chipper.

I know it's not a permanent schedule--soon enough I'll be fretting over not enough hours at work or too little time to write--but it feels really good.

01/22/2009 - Thursday, no work
* Posted writing log.
* Penthius freewriting--about getting laid off. Economy on my mind much?
* Submitted "These Things Take Time" to Triangulations: Dark Glass.
* Submitted "Warmth in the Cold Time" to Horror Garage.
* Submitted "The Radiator Burped" to The Edge of Propinquity.
* Submitted "Demons of Disease" to Polluto Magazine.

01/23/2009 - Friday, no work, but was shanghaied by a funk.
* Processed "submission received" emails.

01/24/2009 - Saturday, full+ work
* Read Writer's Digest, WritersWeekly newsletters
- Detailed guide to AP style: http://www.usu.edu/journalism/faculty/sweeney/resources/ap.htm

Also, I need other "writing" user icons.

"Tree of Life" Writing Log

13,855 / 100,000
(13.9%)

New words: 547
Total words: 13,855
Overused word: sapling
Gratuitous simile: The slender line of the beanstalk cut through space like a monofil knife stabbing the reddish brown world below.
Type of scene: I got to beat up the main character! A lot! Um. The plot made me do it.
Challenge(s): Finding a variety action verbs for things falling. Slammed! Plummeted! Smacked! Crashed!
Which line is it anyways?Gravity slammed into them.
Notes: It felt really good to be writing again. I didn't hit flow, which isn't surprising given how long it's been. I'm sad, though. I want to see how well my new system of allowances and exceptions works. (Yeah, I'm a big one for systems.)
Other writingy stuff:
* Posted writing log
* Did critique for MinnSpec (the new name's so much easier to spell!) writer's workshop.
* Penthius freewriting, "Interview: Genre Undetermined"
* Processed "well received by our submissions staff, but unfortunately it doesn't quite meet the needs of our publication" rejection of "These Things Take Time" by Hub Magazine.
* Processed Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show's form letter rejection of "The Miracle Material"
* Processed Vicesteed ch. 15 crits from Critters.
* Added some dowser info to the story seeds for rural fantasy file. Not sure if it will ever come to anything, but I'm trying the "accretion" method so beloved of the 4th Street Fantasy panelists.
* Added some ideas for the CC shared world project. Someday I'll actually have time to read the files.
* Saved info about possible "making reading enjoyable" market.

09/01/2008 - Monday, no work *because it's Labor Day, awww yeah*
* Penthius freewriting - some environmentalist wish-fulfillment
* Posted writing log.
* Figured out submission order for "These Things Take Time" and submitted to Hub.
* Processed receipt acknowledgments from Hub and Doorways. I like that more and more markets are doing this.
* Updated status of "Salvaging Scottwell," since I got one minor comment back from Baen's Universe Slush and so should really not be waiting for more.
* Queried Weird Tales re status of "Charity From a Thief" - response is a month overdue according to their guidelines.

06/07/2008 - Saturday, no work, but had some distraction when Nik showed up at Cahoots, because he's back in town!
* Made editing changes to "Blood for Oil"
* Made editing changes to "These Things Take Time"
* Made editing changes to "And the Dog Died," a very old story that I'm attempting salvage on. Got to the point where, during the marking-up process, I'd left myself a note saying, "Rewrite ending. 1 para. Include cause and baby-saving." Swore. Got a bit of a start on the (more than 1 paragraph) rewrite of the ending.

...since I did one of these.

"Police 'Bot" Writing Log

1,327 / 5,000
(26.5%)

Writing work periods completed: 3 1/2
Words yesterday: 323 new
Total words: 1,327
Reasons for length: It's been a while since I've sat down and written, let alone written on this specific story, so that slows things down a fair bit. I also spent a lot of the writing time working on writing-related tasks that weren't actual writing. And figuring out/brainstorming the plot in a bit more detail than the rough outline I've been working from. Yes, I work from outlines. Yes, they're rough outlines. Yes, they're subject to change without notice. Yes, usually I'm the one who isn't getting notified.
Overused word: ain't
Gratuitous word: tenement
Type of scene: Is it still exposition if I've got a whore explaining matters in an entertaining fashion?
Challenge(s): Planting seeds for later.
Which line is it anyways?Run-down tenement houses ringed the park.
Other writingy stuff: Ha. Whew.
*

penthius freewriting.
* Posted to other-genre lj.
* Updated market listings spreadsheet from Ralan newsletter and from Critters newsletter.
* Submitted "Ice Mother" AKA "Writ in Snowflakes and Sunshine" to Critters queue--it should percolate to the top in about a month, assuming I'm too busy to do the metric shit-ton of critiques necessary to get a free pass to the top of the list (I swear, I will be so happy once I'm SFWA-approved....).
* Replied to the last Baen's Universe comment on "The Miracle Material.
* Processed form letter rejection of "These Things Take Time" from Aberrant Dreams (that poor baby ain't never going to find a home--everybody dislikes the main character, and who wants to spend time with someone they dislike, even and especially if they reflect something you dislike in yourself?).
Notes: I really, really like the story I'm working on right now. I mean, robots! Endearing, long-suffering, honest, dog-shaped robots! And bonus points for a framework of social commentary! The Muse: "I like robots. Does it do funny tricks?" Me: "Not intentionally, but it's kind of broken." Him: "So it does do funny tricks! Is it a good robot?" Me: *long discourse about the nature of good and bad in reference to created creatures* Him: "Is it a good robot?" Me: "Yes."

Reviews, Recipes, and Random Slices of Life

Being the journal of an all-too-human writer, reader, and eater of deliciousness

Sky-Tinted Waters, a Minnesotan Anthology

Writing Logs: Assorted

Writing Log: Misc

Writing Log: Assorted

It Was a Bright and Sunny Day

Writing Log: The Day I Worked Until 9 PM

Writing Logs, Cumulative

Writing Logs, Cumulative: Finishing up "Ekaterina etc."

Writing Log: Submissions Sunday

Writing Logs: Processing... Processing....

"Walking Out of the Machine" and others.

Tricks and Treats

Writing Logs: Pre-Convergence

Writing Log & Urban Bean Coffee Shop

Writing Log - Life is Good

Writing Log: And Then There Was Day Job

Writing Log: Slammed! Plummeted! Smacked! Crashed!

Writing Log

Writing Log

Writing Log...Damn, It's Been a While

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