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Izz

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Would you like to see Clarkesworld publish more short fiction? Find out how you can be a part of the push here.
 

GreenRoom

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Would you like to see Clarkesworld publish more short fiction? Find out how you can be a part of the push here.

I would love to see Clarkesworld publish more of my short fiction (is more than 0 still 0?). Oh, but wait, that wasn't your question... I will clicky link after this post.


Writer's of the Future and Future Lovecraft.

Well, so much for my focus. I now have a complete story planned out for a lovecraftian science fiction horror story. Depending on how I juggle stories, I could probably have it written before the end of the month, but not critted. Still, I'm super stoked about the idea (even though I'm sort of angry that I'm brainstorming more stories rather than finishing the ones I'm currently working on. C'est la vie!) I already have my WofF sub for this quarter completed - so at least I'm ahead of the game on that.
 

Izz

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I would love to see Clarkesworld publish more of my short fiction (is more than 0 still 0?). Oh, but wait, that wasn't your question... I will clicky link after this post.
It's entirely possible that more short fiction could equal more of your short fiction ;)
 

Aggy B.

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Just a reminder: Apology is up at everydayfiction.

The reader response is about the same as the editorial response. Which is kind of interesting.

Anyway. Stuff to do. See y'all around. :)
 

Lillie

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Yay!

Just read it.

I thought it was great. Very real. Though it takes more than doing the veg to get that kind of forgiveness from me.

It made me hungry. :D

Congratulations.
 

MattJ

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Wow, harsh critters!

I liked it. :)

Personally, the crits strike me that the readers take it more as a genre story than a lit story. You can't judge the one by the standards of the other.

Whatever happened to the dragon story, btw?


Just a reminder: Apology is up at everydayfiction.

The reader response is about the same as the editorial response. Which is kind of interesting.

Anyway. Stuff to do. See y'all around. :)
 

MattJ

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I agree. My #1 crit of Clarkesworld is that they don't publish enough, or any, of my stories.

Nevertheless, I've been waiting for them to go e-book so I can order it on my Kindle. I like Clarkesworld stories, and there are only two per issue so I can definitely keep abreast.

I would love to see Clarkesworld publish more of my short fiction (is more than 0 still 0?). Oh, but wait, that wasn't your question... I will clicky link after this post.
 

Lillie

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Yes.

I just withdrew a story from there because I heard. The owner replied and confirmed it.

Sad stuff!
 

MattJ

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Just finished a new story for the month.

I've tried a new tack with this one --- the strong female main character. My strong male characters often strike me as a bunch of tough guy jerks.

The question is: Do I have time to get rejections from Lightspeed and Clarkesworld before sending it off for the antho? In theory, I could get three rejections for one story in a month.

Like skipping a stone across a pond!
 

Lillie

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Just finished a new story for the month.

I've tried a new tack with this one --- the strong female main character. My strong male characters often strike me as a bunch of tough guy jerks.

The question is: Do I have time to get rejections from Lightspeed and Clarkesworld before sending it off for the antho? In theory, I could get three rejections for one story in a month.

Like skipping a stone across a pond!

Go for it.

One of my stories got three rejections in 10 days.
See if you can beat that.
 

Aggy B.

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Wow, harsh critters!

I liked it. :)

Personally, the crits strike me that the readers take it more as a genre story than a lit story. You can't judge the one by the standards of the other.

Whatever happened to the dragon story, btw?

The dragon story is still in progress. Actually, I have two stories with dragons in-progress. But I think you mean Patronix. Either way, it's getting done, just slowly.

And I kind of shrugged at some of the crits. I felt part of Apology's strength lay in the fact that it could be any couple fighting about anything. I guess some people like things spelled out for them. ;)

Anyway. Thanks for all the kind words. I wrote that a couple of years ago. I'd like to think I've improved since then but you wouldn't know it by the things I've sold. (All token sales. All things I one-offed over a year ago.) Ah, well. At least when the new stuff finds a publisher people will say "Wow, she improves quickly!" Or something.

:)

Happy Friday, folks.
 

shelleyo

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And I kind of shrugged at some of the crits. I felt part of Apology's strength lay in the fact that it could be any couple fighting about anything. I guess some people like things spelled out for them. ;)

I've just read it and left a comment there. I liked it a lot. It was a nice moment that showed how they relate to each other. The description was really vivid, too. (I want something on a nest of sauteed onions like right now.)

The thing I really dislike about Every Day Fiction is this: I think most if not all of the audience are people who also submit there. And so instead of just general comments that people who only read might make, some act like it's a workshop and they criticize what they don't like.

Some of it is just clearly subjective. Some people don't "get" things, some don't really read carefully at all and some skim and comment on what they thought they read. Some read carefully and just give an honest opinion, good or bad. Some may even have good points. Those people generally know how to deliver those points while still praising what they like and not coming off as weenies.

Then there are the few who are just bitchy about it. Those are pretty easily ignored. And those are the ones who should have followed the "if you don't have something nice to say" rule.

I'm not saying anything anybody doesn't know, I realize. BUT.

While I think there's nothing wrong with saying that a story didn't work for you, I would never do it unless I was being asked to critique something in a workshop or peer-to-peer situation.

I see absolutely no point in critiquing a story that's been published. I mean, it's up and done. It's presented online, for free, for your entertainment. You don't like it? Well, it took 3 minutes to read, move on. I've read a ton of shit I don't like online. Because I don't like it doesn't mean it's not good, so I would never then point out to the writer in what ways I disliked it. How does that benefit anyone? I don't go to EDF unless I'm there to read a specific story like yours, Madeline's and others' who have been published from here, mostly because if I read every day I wouldn't be able to resist the comments and then I'd spend a good hour pissed on someone else's behalf. :p

Too many people try to inflate their own egos by trying to step on someone else's, and EDF seems to have some regulars who hang around for that reason.

/rant

Anyway. Congrats, again. :)

Shelley
 
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Izz

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'gratz, Aggy :) And nicely done.

Don't worry about negative comments. No story will please everybody and i agree with Shelley about the reasons people criticize at EDF. I'd also go so far as to say that some of the negative comments might well be from writers who sub to EDF but who haven't sold there, and are looking for things to dislike about a story to make themselves feel better.



Also, i've finished my first hour of internet-less writing today: 994 words, and the story scene completed. Now to have some lunch and figure out where i go from this point :D
 

Nathaniel Katz

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@Shelley: As a reviewer, I just can't agree with that. Yes, it's 3 minutes of my time, but I'm not writing a bad review (assuming I disliked the piece) because I'm infuriated about my wasted efforts. I'm writing because I'm evaluating art, and I'm sure (or, at least, I sincerely hope) that the writers would consider their work art no longer how long it takes to read. That being said, there is certainly a difference between a review on one's blog or on a site like Strange Horizons and telling the author your complaints. The gall it requires to think that the author wants to hear you tear their work apart in their inbox/comment section/living room/whatever is beyond my imagining - but that doesn't mean that I'm going to stop evaluating what I read just because I know the author most likely has google alerts and is the first person to read my review.
 

Izz

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@Shelley: As a reviewer, I just can't agree with that. Yes, it's 3 minutes of my time, but I'm not writing a bad review (assuming I disliked the piece) because I'm infuriated about my wasted efforts. I'm writing because I'm evaluating art, and I'm sure (or, at least, I sincerely hope) that the writers would consider their work art no longer how long it takes to read. That being said, there is certainly a difference between a review on one's blog or on a site like Strange Horizons and telling the author your complaints. The gall it requires to think that the author wants to hear you tear their work apart in their inbox/comment section/living room/whatever is beyond my imagining - but that doesn't mean that I'm going to stop evaluating what I read just because I know the author most likely has google alerts and is the first person to read my review.
Agree with this, also. It's all about balance really, isn't it?

And a person's overall attitude often comes through in their comments, intentional or not.
 
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shelleyo

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@Nathan, I'm not sure where you're getting that I'm against reviews. I never used that word, or the word blog. I'm talking about comments below a story directed at the author (and narrowed even further to EDF specifically).

Reviews on your own blog are completely different, mostly because they're designed for other readers.

Shelley
 
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Izz

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Another hour-long session completed. 1,049 words writ. However, i think this is turning into the beginning of a novel rather than a short story. It feels all heroes-journey.

Oh well. That's good, i guess. Though next writing session i might work on another of the partially completed shorts i've got going on.
 

AnnieColleen

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Oops, is novelling contagious? Yay for words, anyhow!

Progress happened here, so yay. ~1200 new words on Chapter 3, plus world/plot/structure insights. Downside, procrastination did indeed come back strong, so the evening was much less efficient than it needs to be. Gotta figure a way around that.
 

Izz

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Good stuff, Annie. :)

I just had another 25 minute session. Cranked out 411 words. That's about 2,500 in 2 1/2 hours so far. I'm happy with that.

Now to watch Midsomer Murders, then the rugby league, and *possibly* get back to writing after that :D
 

Aggy B.

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Maybe next year, there should be a Write 1, sub 1 for Novels?

Write 1, Sub 1 for the year?

That would be totally awesome.

And for the above discussion about comments on published fiction, yeah. I kind of got a weird vibe off some of it.

But whatever. I don't expect everyone to like what I write. I was a little pissed that someone (two someone's when I read the comments last night) thought my story was sleazy. o_O

Thanks again to everyone for the love. Hoping that I'll be selling more soon. (If the crickets will ever shut up.)

Later! :)
 

Nathaniel Katz

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@Nathan, I'm not sure where you're getting that I'm against reviews. I never used that word, or the word blog. I'm talking about comments below a story directed at the author (and narrowed even further to EDF specifically).

Reviews on your own blog are completely different, mostly because they're designed for other readers.

Shelley

Ah, my bad. I misinterpreted this: While I think there's nothing wrong with saying that a story didn't work for you, I would never do it unless I was being asked to critique something in a workshop or peer-to-peer situation. Is it obvious that I've been told far too many times that negative reviews are just "rude"? It seems we both have the same opinion here, though.

@ Aggy: I just read the story, and...wow. Sleaze? That was the absolute furthest thing from my mind. (And the comment about the child was just strange.) That comment thread is so strange; it really is like a workshop. Hmm. Well, anyway, I really liked the story, so hopefully those crickets will shut up or get stepped on or something so that more tales can crop up.
 

zanzjan

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Maybe next year, there should be a Write 1, sub 1 for Novels?

I'm totally game for that.

But whatever. I don't expect everyone to like what I write. I was a little pissed that someone (two someone's when I read the comments last night) thought my story was sleazy. o_O

Naw, sleazy would be next four paragraphs where they get the farm animals involved. And I agree with whoever earlier said it made them hungry. And want someone around to do my dishes (-:

I'm feeling a little dented by a less-than-glowing comment I ran across about my new story that's currently out. I need to just learn never to read comments.


Still crickets here. Too much stuff to do around the house, but hopefully later I'll get some writing done. I'm mostly back to working on my novel and I've got some sequencing issues I just haven't figured out how to resolve yet when I try to tackle it directly, so cleaning my kitchen and letting my backbrain roll it around for a while might be just what I need.

-Suzanne
 

Lillie

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I had to go back and read it again to look for the supposed sleaze. I still couldn't find it.

You got some really good comments too, though.

Someone used the word 'oleaginousness'.
That made me laugh.
I could neither spell it nor say it. And I'm a bit vague about what it means.

I'm not going to sub there. I'm not brave enough.