Sunday, 14 May 2017

Quietly writing

I don't tend to write much about my writing. That's not to say there isn't any writing going on. It goes on quite often but it isn't as successful as I would like it to be. I mean that in two ways. Both from the actual words themselves, which sometimes won't mesh no matter how long I spend moving them around, and also on a more empirical level.

I just don't seem to be able to catch a wave. And all the rejection slips slowly pile up like layers of filo pastry. So paper-thin and without any real substance, telling me ' not for us but send us your next one.' I have received some amazing, unsolicited encouragement over the years from writers and publishers and yet still I don't seem to be able to translate it into more than this.

I know I need to get out more, that is part of the problem. Also more confident. More prolific. More everything!

But I do have two little victories I can at least share for today.

First, I have a story coming out in an Antipodean Sci-Fi publication later this year. They want me to record a podcast to go with it. I am happy about this publication because they are Australian and the short-story publishing scene there seems a little precious,  if you ask me. Last year I sent a story to a fantasy magazine there and they sent me feedback questioning whether polar bears would actually go dancing in an Australian creek ( um - it's fantasy!) and one of them even alluded to a pedophile angle because my lead boy was befriended by an older drifter. Honestly, I couldn't quite believe what they said and I looked more closely at the magazine and it just seemed to be filled with the same names over and over again.

Probably my better news though,  is the fact that I recently discovered that one of my past stories (The Moon-keeper's Friend) actually  inspired a reader to create her own recipe for rose-water churros. Best possible review for a story, don't you think!

So I guess I will keep writing, maybe I will be able to inspire a whole cookbook out of my tales, That would be something!






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