Update on two stories

I started a story today, just started with a scene with no idea of where it would go, it looks like it will be another flash alchemy story, with the same alchemist as two previous stories. 

Tonight I also spent some time revising my new steampunk in outer space story. I had to look some stuff up though and glad I did. Arthur C. Clarke's group came up with steam steering jets in 1930 or so. Just what I needed. Learned a few things about the control room for the Hindenburg too. With all the real stuff I added I'm not sure I will be able to finish the revising and double checking, in time to send it out Saturday though. See how much computer time I get tomorrow night. 

Man imagine that hard SF fused with steampunk... :)

Goals this weekend

Labor Day and all that.

I have some chores to do but I want to:

 First: Finish my Q4 story if I haven't and send it to the critters who said they would look it over.

Second: type up three of the mini stories I've hand written the last few weeks, which includes my third general fiction very short story.

Third: start my Q1-13(WotF) story. I think I know which one that will be. A totally new story. I've had the opening in mind for a few months but I wasn't sure about the rest of it. But as I hand wrote out the last three days, I've gotten a tiny bit of a basic idea. I'll see if I can get the rest of it. Actually it started as a story for OnThePremises.com but I decided to add more emotional angst, more tension and struggle and send it to WotF.

 Fourth: If I have time I will either start the revision of an older story or do a new one. Or spell check and proofread the last six chapters of Two Struggles. Which is still at the critters. I have two crits for chapter one, that's all.

And if I have time I'll send out some stories. But most probably not to F&SF. So my record streak will be broken.

100th anniversary

No, not my marriage that is only 34 years about two weeks ago.


This is for F&SF, the other day I realized that my latest rejection could very well be rejection number one hundred. To be on the safe side I say anywhere from 98 to 102.   I've sent more stories to them than any other market. That includes a number of sub-genres in both SF and Fantasy. At least four different assistant editors have read my stuff--one personal rejection five years ago. Could be five assistant editors but I might be counting Lisa Rogers twice with that number. Lately it's been Stephen Mazur. He used to read my stories every now and then but the last six to ten it's been just him. He's as tough as they all are.

So what do they want...a good story with at least good writing. Could be my stories aren't that good but somehow I don't think that's it. Which leaves my writing. 

Dean has online workshops

Dean Wesley Smith that is.

Online

Some of them have been filled already

He decided to do some online workshops this year.  Not as good as being there but a whole lot less expensive, no flying-searches-no room and travel expenses either.

Got in...Number ten Essentials For A Fiction Writing Career, Dec workshop.

Obviously Dean does remember me even though it's been a while. It will be good to get some feedback on my writing and see what areas I am strong and weak in. I have some ideas but it would be nice to know if I'm right. See if I can find my voice again and where I have forgotten how to write. 

Even with it being Online that is going to be a hard week. I probably won't be getting much other writing done. 

Louis

New Letters to the editor

Warning this is a political Post

200 words is hard to do. Some of my sentences are not good for a writer to make but I had to compromise. :)






Here is a link to my latest letter published in the Fresno Bee Sunday, the Fifth of August.

Letter


And here is one they didn't publish. I promised it a while back and kept forgetting to post it.

A few comments for the Health care debate: To those people who say their health care was saved. You could have had health care anyway. Something new would have come about. We don’t need a 2,000 plus page monstrosity to help those without insurance. Especially one that gives hundreds of new powers directly to the Security of Health and indirectly to the President. Powers that break the spirit of the Constitution--freedom and restriction on government.

       As to the ruling by the Supreme Court. Chief Justice Roberts is officially half a statist now, he gave the government the power to tax behavior going against the spirit of the Constitution. Those in government now will take advantage of it. We know from experience President Obama and his people do not care for Freedom of Religion nor the Second Amendment especially when it comes to something politically correct.

     One last statement, There is nothing in the Constitution that gives the Government authority to force people to be responsible, to save money or to do what’s smart. Or that only certain people-liberals-can decide what is responsible and right to do. You want to change the Constitution do it the correct way. 

Mars video

Mars

Update Aug 4 PS

Already a PS to my last post.

I worked on a story I hand wrote. And as I did something interesting happened.
It turned into my second alchemist story...no sign of any steampunk though. That actually happened yesterday or the day before and isn't the something from today. But today I may have accidentally ended up with a character for a novel. I sat and thought up an ending for what might be a novel using this guy who is a secondary character in the story I am doing now. A UAL novel.  

I know he likes to dress in clothes with lots of pockets, including a full length leather jacket with hidden pockets inside and out as well as a few visible ones. No staff for this guy though. And I know what type of mini-truck he like sot drive in and what type of even smaller vehicle he has. And he has a very unusual pet. A dog but not quite one.


I decided that I have been wanting to do an alchemist novel---not sure when though. Working on too many other novels at the moment. But I may do another story or three.

Update Aug 4

A few things here this time:

First of all Dean Wesley smith and wife are having online workshops now...more here http://www.deanwesleysmith.com/?p=7470 .  I want to take the Cliffhanger, the Pitches & Blurbs and Essentials of A Fiction writing Career. I might be able to take two of them if I can get to reserving a spot or two.


Today I sent in number seven to Fantasy and Science Fiction. That is seventh in a row. Years ago I would send in five to eleven in a row. But it's been a few years since I've done that. This time around Stephen Mazur seems to be reading them all. It used to be Lisa Rogers who read most of my stories--wonder if she quit. Of course all have been rejections. I seemed to have moved up one title level, from "Couldn't grab my attention" to "Couldn't Keep my attention" but that was after a bunch of help from various people. I can't even get that far on my own anymore. Stephen has been spending up, maybe he knows my writing by now therefore knows what to expect so he it doesn't take him as long.


Time to send something to Analog and IGMS as well as a few others. Most of those have decreased the time it takes for them to respond. IGM cut off about half. It took them only one month and four days to reject my story. Asimovs though is still out.


Worked hard last weekend and finished a story for a certain market whose deadline was the First of Aug. Got it done in time to revise it a bit but turned out to be 700 words too long. So decided to rush another story through my typing fingers for another market deadline the 31st of July. I had most of the story in my mind and it would be short so I hand wrote half out at work on the 31st. I managed to get more computer time so I finished it that night..1700 plus words. Spell checked it, proofread it(a software) and tried to find the market. Emphases on Tried. Couldn't find it...ugg. So it was late so after half and hour I gave up and went to bed. That is the story I sent to F&SF today. I revised it and added three hundred or so words. It's a bit better now. Next week I send in that other longer story. And since I'm nearing 1,000 rejections with only one almost sell and one comment to show that's it.  I have to do a complete count so I might be wrong but I counted 920 and some rejections. 923 and some now, so it's possible I will reach 1,000 by the time I get Q1-13's rejection.

And that is only that batch, I don't count the batch for Strange New Worlds. But that is another 30 to 35 rejections even though it had one sell, a good enough to sell and one almost. If I get the same statistics for the 1,000 That will be enough.