Three stories almost ready

Okay, I will have three new stories ready to send out this weekend. Double check but it could be four.

Two are flash at 998 words each. That is one is mow. As I revise I've added a couple of words but I'll see if I can cut it back down. But it won't matter to Fantasy and Science Fiction or Strange Horizons. And another one I forget right now.

One is longer than I expected at 2,500 words but that one can go to Fantasy Magazine.

Hmm, need to do a SF tale. I have a couple half way or so done.

One of those stories I added to a while back but even though I was told I should add more of a story to it I decided to rip out what I had added and make it what it was. But I ended up turning it from third person to First and adding a touch to the story so we shall see how it does now. At least I think it's better but we shall see if anyone else things so. I still want to use what I ripped out and make another story with it. It will have the same setting as the new First person but different characters and plot.


And it looks like I am on my own with these stories. I hoped someone at hatrack would take a look at them but only got some suggestions on the opening

Getting tired

  I'm getting rather tired of getting told that the same technique that pros use is forbidden for beginners to use.  We're suppose to read to see how pros do it but half of the time they get away with stuff we can't. And it's not just one or two... it's like a dozen or more using the same technique.

Inspiration

I originally posted this on another blog but thought it might interest someone who reads this one/  Thanks To Those Who Follow Mine. 

Most of my ideas seem to come from pictures. Not all the time sometimes it’s; a line-song, other story-, an idea from a practice session-contest, a scene will just pop into my head or during a discussion about certain plots. The other day I got the beginning of an idea while reading what type of stories a certain market might want. One, a streampunk moon colony, just caught the attention of my muse. The part of me that comes up with ideas and stories etc. 

Oh one idea...a yechy one but I still may do it.. came from a discussion where someone mention the type of people who have sex with dead bodies. I have practically the whole story... a horror tale... in my head.   It's yechy enough so that I would use a different pen name on it. 

Shaking my finger  and saying "Bad Muse Bad."  

Music

A break from writing stuff here.

Finally got my credit card to work at iTunes. It had been so long since I bought anything they must have deleted my card. First time I tried to redo it they said the card was expired, same with the next one I tried. Oh,oh... turns out nothing wrong with the cards but it had me worried there. I might have put in the wrong month for the expiration date. Anyway it worked yesterday when I tried again... same card.



So today I wasted some time playing around...bad.. but I also procrastinated buying music. Got four of Rebo Rambo... love those horns-not to mention the songs. First time I checked on her music and they had it.  Want to go back and get more at another date. Plus I got five or six of Degarmo and Key.  They're my second favorite band that isn't together anymore. Great electric guitar in that group, good voices and songs too.

One died-Degarmo I think- so I will be able to see them this side of heaven. On a side issue I'm still praying that Petra will have a reunion tour here.  I saw a quarter concert with them once.  Should have went to their last tour even if it wasn't here... it was somewhat close.

So now I have some new music... a couple I never heard before and some I remember from years ago.

Writing stuff

I need to revise my story for the next quarter of WotF.

As well as revise a novel- I finished a couple of weeks ago-, finish another novel-"Angel Kin" yeah it's what the name implies, work on a third-New Mage- maybe even start a new one- and crit a couple of stories for critters.org and one chapter for hatrack. Seemed like there was something else. Don't think it's another crit.

That last could be to look over a couple of web sites so I can get my story on smashwords. I need some art for the cover image. I may have found a couple pics that could work. There are suppose to be some free ones some place though. 

Not to mention; do another story based on that cover image for Dean Wesley Smith's story... there's a link on another post... and do a different story based on another cover.   And There is another story to do also but can't think of it right now.

Love these writing vacations.

Reading another book

Still not finished with Eclipses but I started this one because it was the first book I bought with my Nook. Couldn't find the printed version but B&N has the E version.


"Spell Games" by T. A. Pratt.

  http://www.marlamason.net/misc.html#map

It's the fourth (I think) in a UF series about Marla Mason. Marla is the head sorcerer of a Felport. In other words she is the secret dictator of the city. She can be a real B... but only when attacked. She usually leaves her people alone and mostly minds her own business- she takes a small cut from most disputable businesses-unless she has to defend the city. She doesn't mind using dirty tricks or sneaking around if that is what it takes to win. Her passion is learning.

Not my favorite and may not even be in my second level but still a good read and an intriguing world.  Pratt came up with a well developed world and some unique methods of magic... most sorcerers  specializes even though Marla doesn't. In that sense this is very well done series. Good writing too. It's the story that places it on the lower level of my likes, more like medium or high-medium even. I still recommend the series.

Latest book I'm reading

I don't do near as many book reviews as I would like to but I decided to do this one:

"Late Eclipses" by Seanan McGuire. It's the latest in a series she is doing, I think the only one.   http://www.seananmcguire.com  
I love this series this series is my top number three or number four of all the UF books I read. Seanan better not decide to halt the series like two or three other writers have done. One of those was my number two top UF series. But there will be one more, at least, in this one. 

I've said this before but I still want to use Seanan's name as a character.

Anyway, I started reading this more because of circumstances but I kept reading it because it's hard to put down. I finally finish the last book I was reading, The Remy Chandler book by  Thomas E. Sniegoski... it wasn't bad at all except for two things I really wish the writer hadn't put in. One was back store but the other was placed of the ending. Still if you like darker and sometimes bloody stories try this series.

But back to "Late Eclipses" . Good story, GOOD Story. Funny thing was that after the first two or so chapters I ended up thinking "the writing isn't the best, but the storytelling is" Whoa, where did that come from? I can't point to why I think the writing isn't great. It's not bad, but it may have something to do with the opening. The MC is in a grocery store shopping. She just got paid big time and is looow on food so she, her room mate and a friend, are shopping. Not sure why the friend is there. He just shows up now and then. The room mate is... well you have to read the last book in the series and maybe the one before it. She is very unusual.

But I'm probably wrong about the writing, Seanan won the John W. Campbell award for best new writer. But I wasn't trying to say I thought the writing was bad or even mediocre but something made me think it wasn't the top writing. Still not sure what. 

One last thing for those who have read any of my Bright Lights novel, this is the inspiration for it. I changed a bunch: Daye has been a PI and a Knight for years- mine is just learning to be a hero, Daya was married once and has a grown daughter who so far isn't doing much in the stories.. .to my disappointment..., Mine has had bad romances and is maybe having one now,  Daye has a very powerful Fey Queen who doesn't like her much at all, she grew up with her mother who is now crazy... I'm still not sure what happened to her father but he isn't around at all.- mine has a dad who calls, and her mother is distracted but not crazy. There are other differences. I have someone sort of like the King of the Cats but you might not recognize him especially since there seems to be a romance growing between Daye and him, mine is a different relationship.   Plus Daye tends to be short on money, my character isn't.

The cover of "Late Eclipses" is great except I'm not sure about the expression on Daye's face. It's a very simple cover  but the artist knew what was in the book. And I just saw something in the background that makes it even better.

Highly recommend it but start the series from the beginning. 

Misc. Stuff

 Rats, they took off Thor. Only needed it to be on three more days. It looked like it was going to make it but nope.

Bought a Color Nook tonight... It's charging.  Thought I had a B&N account but evidently not so it's taking longer register it and finish the set up.


deanwesleysmith.com has a bunch of interesting posts. One is a link to a site talking about Borders' problems, Barnes and Noble's problems... so far not as bad as the other but it might get worse,  Amazon is coming out with a Tablet, they are having problems with spam books and copyrights, and a couple of other items.


And Dean has a link to some predictions that sound interesting and will be of interest to writers.

On vacation but no writing today. I have a book to start revising, two short stories to finish, four stories to crit, a novel to finish, a movie or two to see. All in two weeks Oh and finish revising my WotF entry for this quarter and send it in by the end of June.  

New idea

I had been kinda of thinking of doing a UF Elf story for a while. But thought there were too many of them but tonight I wondered about that. There are stories with elves but not usually as the Main Character. I remembered one series I hadn't thought about for quite some time maybe because I haven't seen any of the books in that series for a long while. But this series was around even before the Dresden Files. Other than that I'm not sure of any with the MC is one. I'm probably forgetting a couple or ten but right now I can't recall any.

So I spent a few minutes thinking about my idea. Maybe a half elf... halfies seem to be the in thing these days. But as I thought more maybe he's a quarter each of two types of elves. Or more than a quarter so he might end up being three fourths elf instead of half. But still two types.

So he's tall, skinny, kind of narrow faced and maybe handsome. Or very close to handsome. I was thinking of large pointed ears, almost to the tope of his head, but how would he hide them?

More on working

Started two new stories at work this past Friday. Both will be shorter, one will hopefully be a flash story--under 1,000 words. The flash is based on that story cover image I mentioned on my last note. I felt inpired to do two stories. The flash and one that might be 4 thousand to 8 thousand words. 

The other story I started is the one based on two of my wife's crafts. It will be shorter also but probably a bit over 1,000 words.

Plus I started working on my Kin to Angels book again. I worked on it a while back but just to get some of the ideas down but this time, unless I change my mind, I will work on it 'till it's done.  I might change my mind we shall see.

But it's just as well that I waited, I have more ideas for it... so far just the basic idea. So it might now be a 70,000 to 90,000 word novel instead of 30 to 40,000. 

Working

I have one that my wife inspired... no it's not a she monster story... its based on two of the crafts that she sells. 




And I have a shifter story idea plus a UF story both inspired by covers on recent Dean Wesley Smith's short stories. You will have to scroll down to story about romance books and love, has  a girl standing next to an open book.    deanwesleysmith.com. 


The shifter is based on another one with what looks like a naked woman sitting on a boulder in front of a wooden building. The thing is I don't do werewolf stories but there it was. Probably will take place in Alaska 

Some science and inspiration

  I don't do this nearly enough.  The idea is to post links to science articles that some might find interesting and that could inspire story ideas.

Here are three I found today.  All with the Christian Science Monitor.


http://tinyurl.com/6kksuxm

The real Voyager found something interesting at the edge of the solar system.


http://tinyurl.com/69xol6s

NASA wants to award money to someone with a real idea on how to send people into space.

http://tinyurl.com/64hsjjy

And A Black hole is swallowing a star and shooting energy at the earth. 

 

And yet one more inspiration

Just want to say that I came across this site http://www.ministryofpeculiaroccurrences.com    by accident but it reminded me that I want to write a streampunk story. Well, that site and a discussion on hatrake.

The site has a menu button that explains streampunk. I think it could be fun and interesting.  It's the web site for a book "Phoenix Rising", I have it but it's still on my list to read. Check out the video on the right side. Well done, even though she isn't as alluring as the character is but they have him down, I think.



And this reminds me of a world I invented. Set in 1800s out West but with a different society. Based on India type of culture next to a faux Roman type with still another type I haven't decided yet.

And that reminded me of a story I started hand writing. Never finished it but That might be good. It's based on the Nightside series and that other series outside of the Nightside both by Simon Green. My own world but the same type of super hero-villain characters.

First E-story.... Almost

I have a story ready to go but I had forgotten one little detail a cover image. There are programs and individuals who do such images for you but they cost. For a novel it wouldn't be bad. But not a short story. There's suppose to be a site and/or program that has free simple images or ones that cost very little I just have to find them. I can of course but it could take a few days.


I know someone who might be able to draw an image for me, I'll ask if he can do a space station and/ or a Gemini figure.

Yet inspiration again

Actually, this one might for three or five ideas all from one word.



A second Actually the first one has been in the back of my mind for quite a while. A UF spellsinger. As far as I know there isn't one. Some in olden times but not in contemporary times. Well, the one who might be the original spell singer is from modern times but he does his stuff in an odd alt dimension with tech closer to medieval times. Anyway, I'm sure I could do one set now.


But I also thought of doing one an ancient time bard or perhaps the first bard. I have one about the first wizard so why not the first bard? I'd have to do some research to find out what was the first stringed instrument and where it came from but that is possible.

Then there's an idea for a modern bard. Even with music being so wide spread there could still be a guy who roams around singing. He could be a con man too and/ or know some magic even though not a spell singer and/or searching for certain people... wizards, swordsmen, replacement wisepeople... and his teaching songs help to identify the person.

But I do want to do both a bard story and a spell singer. But with the first bard why is he roaming around and what is the problem he has to fight-figure out? I'll try to put my own twist to it.

I forgot the word:

I found it by a typo...  Barder

critting and my work

This fits in with what I had planned to say so I’ll combine the two.

Just got done doing a crit for a story written for WotF. Nice, well done. I couldn’t find much to say about it, I think it needed a little tweaking but not much work. Even though I could have missed areas that needed help I think it’s on the border between good and better. Afraid it makes me a bit jealous. More than likely she (more about who later) will get closer than I will. 

That leds to what I wanted to say. I’ve been reading my new grammar book; commas and other punctuation mostly... over and over again. I keep thinking this might be what I need. That’s bad because I’ve been disappointed with that before. But as I finish up my story for the next WotF contest the thought goes through my mind that when I go back over it, with what I have learned lately about writing, and doing the punctuation thing better that someone will say the writing is a whole lot better and that I am on the border, at least. And that they can’t find much to say. Of course I’m not saying it will be perfect writing but it would be good if it was very good writing. But that’s a wish not reality even though I keep hoping for it.     

Oh yes, I hope it isn’t bad to say her name but about the one who wrote the story I critted can be found on the side list of blogs.

E-story

I have my first E-story ready to go but I forgot one little detail... the cover. So hopefully I can use a cheaper one that would free. But it could take me a day or actually three to get it all straight. I will of course say when it's up and for sell. I need to down load a free book on the subject and read through it first. It might have some of those free pics I can use or tell me where I can get some.


For my e-novel I will use a more expensive one, but not too costly.  :)

Dean's new story and inspiration two

Dean Wesley Smith deanwesleysmith.com   has free story or 12. He has been doing e-stories for a challenge. The latest has a fantastic cover. It's a romance story under his romance pen name.

 I loved it when I first saw it. and I had to go back there for a couple of reasons so of course I was forced to see the cover again. :)     I felt like I could do my own story based on that cover. Of course a different title and characters and it won't be a romance, well it might have some romance in it but it wouldn't be a Romance. I believe I will do one.

Actually, the cover for his Slowboat Man story has my muse working over time also. Probably a vamp and/or werewolf story but with a twist. And I don't do those type of stories. But this one has to be one.

Inspiration

Just wanted to say that today I was inspired by a name. No comment on the person with the name or his job...I just like the name. Goolsbee.      Thought the name would make a good prof at a magic school but maybe a student or why not both. Which means I would do a book that is different for me... a guy's history. So it would tell both stories at the same time. It would be a different format for me which could be why I should do it. And with the ending I'm thinking of it would be a single book. I already have various scenes in mind.

I was right about stories

Yep John Jacob Adams did it again, twice. Exact same words too.

I was hoping one story would be along his lines enough for him to comment on it but he didn't even take a second look. Probably not even a whole look.

He probably doesn't like my one pro sell either... I would say that he may be asking why I haven't sold any others but he's read lots of my stories he knows why I don't sell.

Are you a nerd?

Do you get this one?

http://www.gocomics.com/adamathome/2011/06/07/

Sent out stories today

Finally got around to sending out some stories today. Had all types of problems with one. Did the cover letter wrong, so had to go back and redo it. Somehow the paper clip that holds the pages together got caught on the brown envelope when I tried to pull it off the envelope tore so I had to address a new one.


Anyway, so I sent it and another snail mail one plus five internet stories.

One problem with that is that I will probably be receiving the rejections for two of them in half a day to three days. Can't help that though.

Way of the Wizard

I mentioned this anthology in an earlier post. I tried to get into but of course failed.

But there are some interesting stories in it anyway. One is by Mike Resnick. This one is about Merlon but not in the usual way. It deals with Merlon as if he has some type of condition, perhaps connected to him living backwards in time, that made him forget things, like Alzheimer's.

There's no violence or any type of physical actions, besides walking around and such. It all takes place in his head. I think it's a great story, well written.

There are other stories that are very good but that one is in a field by itself. So far anyway. I'm only half way through.

Science

I don't do this enough but I like to post links to scientific items that could be inspiring for stories.

This one has to do with new discoveries dealing with the pyramids in Egypt.

http://tinyurl.com/3rtuw7e

While I am at it there is this one dealing with an ancient lake the Russians dug into.

http://tinyurl.com/4qsrqqv


And this one dealing with dark sky  movement. That is when some area has no artificial lights and is far from any, it makes it easier to see the sky; stars, planets, moon. 




http://tinyurl.com/3ebvbcs