Archive for the ‘Writing’ Category
Working Away While Slowly Recovering
Folks, as I said a few weeks ago, my blogs may be few and far between for a while. My health continues to slow me down, though I have recovered a teensy bit of energy and have been able to do more in the way of editing for the past week or so.
Still, because I was so ill, I got behind in my various editorial projects. That means everything else got behind as well, including the various reviews I’d hoped to write for Chris Nuttall’s THE ROYAL SORCERESS, Ash Krafton’s second novel, and Karen Myers’ two novels in her Hounds of Annwn series. (These books all will be reviewed ASAP, but all depends on my health continuing to improve — or at least not to decline again.) And let’s not even start talking about any other writing, as everything — including e-mails to friends and colleagues — has taken a back burner to completing at least one edit for the past week-plus.
Fortunately, I’ve now done exactly that — completed work on one edit. (There are still three more in the pipeline, of course. But one beats none.) This means I might have a little time left over to write with, so that means I may be able to better work on my blog, my book reviews, and of course my fiction writing if I am able to set aside any time for it.
At any rate, as I’ve said here before, it took months for my health to become this bad. So it’s going to take months before my health returns to some semblance of normalcy. That means I have to continue to pace myself, get as much rest as possible, and try not to get frustrated as I’m assuredly going to have days where I can do almost nothing.
But the key is “almost.” And if I can do something, no matter how small — and no matter how fleeting — the day isn’t a complete and total write-off. Which means I’m doing all I can, and that I’m still progressing toward my goals.
And as that’s all I can do, I’ll take it.
Sold a SF Story to “How Beer Saved the World” Anthology…and it’s Out
Folks, a few months ago I got the delightful news that my science fiction short story “On the Making of Veffen” had sold to editor Phyllis Irene Radford’s HOW BEER SAVED THE WORLD anthology. But, as per usual in this business, I couldn’t mention it until the anthology was officially either “on the schedule” at Sky Warrior Book Publishing with a definite release date, or when it was listed at Amazon. (UPDATE: It’s also listed at Smashwords, if you’d prefer to buy it there. Several overseas friends have already written to me and let me know that the first link, to Amazon, is “United States only,” so I really hope the Smashwords link will work for anyone who wishes to buy the anthology but does not live in the U.S.)
As of April 27, HOW BEER SAVED THE WORLD has been available at Amazon as an e-book. Which is why I’m now free to discuss my story and the whole idea behind this fourteen-story anthology. Containing stories by Ms. Radford, Brenda Clough, Nancy Jane Moore, and many others, it’s described over at Book View Cafe as:
Here’s a book that takes issue with the popular image of beer as the drink of sports-watching couch potatoes: How Beer Saved the World, an anthology of quirky short stories celebrating beer. Edited by Book View Cafe’s Phyllis Irene Radford, and including stories by BVC members Brenda Clough and Nancy Jane Moore, this is a collection of 14 different takes on positive outcomes brought on by beer.
Beer goes back to the early days of the human race. As it says in the introduction, “Fermented grains have been a mainstay of the human diet almost as long as we have been human.” So pour yourself a cold one and sit down with these stories.
Or, if you’d rather see the official press release put out by Maggie Bonham of Sky Warrior Books, here you go:
And on the Eighth Day God Created Beer.
Beer is what separates humans from animals… unless you have too much.
Seriously, anthropologists, archeologists, and sociologists seem to think that when humans first emerged on earth as human, they possessed fire, language, a sense of spirituality, and beer.
Within these pages are quirky, silly, and downright strange stories sure to delight and entertain the ardent beer lover by authors such as Brenda Clough, Irene Radford, Mark J. Ferrari, Shannon Page, Nancy Jane Moore, Frog and Esther Jones, G. David Nordley, and many more!
(Obviously, as a lesser-known author, I’m among the “many more” here.)
My story, “On the Making of Veffen,” concerns Terran Ambassador Betsy Carroll and her N’Ferran friend, the N’Ferran Scholar (and Fearless One), Asayana. (Or as I call him, Scholar Asa for short.) Asa is avian, but he loves veffen — every N’Ferran drinks veffen every day, including the infants — and he and Betsy have bonded over the years due to their mutual love of fermented beverages (among other things). This story starts out with the two of them drinking a tall glass of veffen in the local tavern — veffen, of course, was described in the story as “…akin to a rich Irish stout, even though it had a taste all its own that was rich, nutty and bitter as all dark beer, yet with a hint of entrancing sweetness.” (Do I know my beer, or what?)
Anyway, this meeting is bittersweet, because it’s the last time Betsy sees the elderly Asa alive. Yet Asa’s disappearance and eventual death are mysterious. So the questions aren’t so much as “whodunnit?” as “why did they do it?” as it’s obvious that the N’Ferrans as a whole want to keep something quiet — and that secret has a great deal to do with veffen.
Now, as the anthology is very upfront that beer saves the world, you can assume that what Asa does — which I refuse to spoil (go buy the book already in e-book format; it’s a steal at $4.99, truly) — is of vital importance, and that it, too, has a great deal to do with the nature of veffen. And that it will, indeed, save his world of N’Ferra.**
The other authors here have stories that range from satirical to serious, from the ridiculous to the sublime. All feature some form of beer. And in some way, shape or form, beer saves the world. Which is why it’s a truly different and special anthology, one that should be of interest to beer drinkers everywhere — most especially in my home state of Wisconsin, home of beer, cheese, and brats.
In my opinion, HOW BEER SAVED THE WORLD has a story to please every palate. So if my story doesn’t interest you — though I really hope it does — go check out the anthology anyway, because something else probably will.
———–
** A lengthy aside: “On the Making of Veffen” was written in memory of my late best friend, writer Jefferson A. Wilson (1963-2011). Jeff never managed to get a story published, but he kept trying, and his work had worth and value. Unfortunately, his life was cut short before he could completely deliver on his promise.
As my story is about unusual best friends and the enduring nature of friendship as much as anything else, I couldn’t help but think of Jeff. But I couldn’t figure out how to dedicate the story officially to Jeff as the words refused to come.
Still, I dedicated this story to Jeff inside my head and heart, which is far more important.
Without knowing my friend Jeff, I doubt I would’ve written a story remotely close to this one. And I have to admit that the reason my N’Ferrans are avian is because Jeff liked sauroids nearly as much as dragons (God/dess, did Jeff love dragons), and yet Jeff never wrote a story about avians as far as I know. Which is why I wrote one instead, as it seemed remarkably appropriate.
The Importance of Wills for Writers
Over the past several weeks, I’ve been trying to get a few projects back up and running. These projects, some of them years in the making, have become stalled out not for lack of interest, but because of the lack of time I’ve had to spend on them.
This can be frustrating, mostly because I have more stories than I have energy to work with — and partly because I have the sense that I’m running out of time.
Mind you, I’m going to keep working on the various projects. But the idea of running out of time needs to be discussed . . . and as I’m here, I guess I’m the lucky one who gets to discuss it.
Don’t think that just because you’re not in your dotage that you still have plenty of time. Because maybe you don’t.
Consider, please, that my husband Michael died before he was able to become known as a fiction writer (though after he and I had sold one story, this a SFWA qualifying sale). The stories he left behind are ones I’m trying to keep alive, because they’re really good stories and I want them to see the light of day.
Then consider that my best friend Jeff also died before he was able to become known as a fiction writer. And then further consider that his stories — which were thoughtfully sent to me by his brother — will never be published, or finished either, because he didn’t get time to flesh them out.
And because, unlike my late husband, Jeff did not have an inheritor.
Kristine Kathryn Rusch wrote a post about how important it is for a writer to have a will — no matter how “unimportant” that writer may be, and no matter how unknown his or her work, your literary estate matters. (Yes, she wrote it last November. But the advice still applies.) This is why we all should sit down and make wills if we possibly can.
Bare minimum, we really should start thinking about it.
I’ve already lost two men in their mid-forties who mattered a great deal to me. I’ve only been able to “save” the output from one writer — my husband — and I’m not even sure where all of his files are. (I just believe I can reconstruct them if they’re unable to be found, because I knew Michael so well.) His writing will live on, partly because we’d discussed things and I knew what he wanted done . . . and partly because I’m too damned stubborn to just give up on them.
But my friend Jeff’s writing will not. And that saddens me greatly.
Please, folks. For the love of God/dess and little green apples, if you are a writer of any sort (including a musical composer), figure out who you want to be the executor of your literary estate. Then sit down with your chosen executor, discuss what you will need done after you pass from this earth, and make sure that the person you’ve picked not only understands your wishes, but wants to be your executor . . . then make out your will accordingly.**
That way, whoever ends up being your inheritor will have as good of an idea as possible as to what, exactly, you want done with your literary estate. Because otherwise, who knows what will happen?
So don’t take the chance. Figure out what you want done with your words, and make out that will as soon as you possibly can.
If you do that in a timely manner, your words will have a chance to live on.
And a chance beats no chance at all. Doesn’t it?
————
I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out that Neil Gaiman blogged about this very issue a few years ago due to the problems that occurred after writer John M. Ford passed away. Gaiman’s post on the subject includes a simple PDF form will that should get you pointed in the right direction.
Editorial Ramblings
Before I get into this long-overdue blog about my actual profession (writing and editing), let me say something important:
Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!
Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s talk about editing.
Because I’ve been doing so much editing lately, I’ve had trouble snapping out of “editor mode” and back into whatever mode I’m in when I write. This makes it more difficult to write blogs — even short ones — as much of my energy is being applied elsewhere.
The ability to write words is something I’ve called the “alpha state,” also known as the best place to be for a writer. This is when words flow naturally, and it’s seemingly easy to tell a story. I say “seemingly” because once you’re in the editing phase, you realize how much more work there is yet to do.
That’s why I thought today might be a good day to say a few specific words about editing. Because even though I’ve not specifically talked much about editing, it’s an extremely important part of any writer’s job whether you call yourself a “writer/editor” or not.
Writers often consider editors to be a “necessary evil” even if they, too, are editors. This is one of the odder things about the whole “writing/editing” profession; you don’t start editing unless you know something about writing, and you also don’t start editing unless you really enjoy writing (or at the very least, enjoy reading).
Yet the myth of the “Evil Editor” can’t help but persist, especially among writers who are just starting out or those who haven’t worked with many editors over time. I don’t know how this myth got started, but it really needs to come to an end. Pronto.
I can guarantee to you that, as an editor, I don’t go out of my way to cause trouble for writers. I understand writers (I should, because I am one), and I also understand the worry that an editor possibly won’t understand what you’re writing, and thus won’t be of any use to you.
For those extremely nervous writers out there (I won’t call you “nervous Nellies,” as at least some of your nerves are justifiable, if not actually justified), you need to remember that a good editor helps you clarify your thoughts and clean up your manuscript. Editors exist to help writers, to help polish up that gem of a story you have that’s ready to go out into the big, wide world — otherwise, what would be the point?
I mean, if editors were out there hoping for “perks,” the profession would’ve died out long ago.
Smart writers want editors to look over their work and give suggestions for improvement — at least, I know I want as much editorial help as I can find. Because while my writing is sound, and my ideas are fresh, why not run it by an editor and make my book even better?
Also, remember that even if you, the writer, don’t always agree with your editor, usually some sort of consensus can be reached if the lines of communication remain open. And if you’re willing to trust in the process — and not just eschew all editing because your book is perfect as it is, thank you.
Bottom line? You need to stop fearing the editor, or at least fearing the editorial process. Because your editor — whomever he or she may turn out to be — can help you improve your manuscript.
And really, isn’t that what it’s all about?
————
Note: For those of you who would prefer not to deal with editors, and think your work is perfect as it stands, thank you very many — I have news.
It isn’t.
We all need editing. Every single last solitary one of us.
So rather than fearing the editorial process, or worse, disdaining it as unnecessary, you need to work with it.
Because it’s part of being a professional writer.
And if you’re in this business to be an obnoxious boor, and are insistent that you do not need editing or editors because you are perfect in every conceivable way and the words you’ve written don’t need editing because of your self-same perfection . . . and you then proceed to denigrate editors and editing whenever you can . . . all I can say to you is this:
Grow up. (Seriously.)
Twilight Times Books to Offer Free E-Books Between March 3 and 9, 2013
Folks, I have three pieces of information to impart today regarding Twilight Times Books (TTB).
First, there’s a giveaway going on next week (March 3 to March 9, 2013) over at Twilight Times Books for “Read an E-Book Week.” Several books will be given away, including Stephanie Osborn’s THE CASE OF THE DISPLACED DETECTIVE: THE ARRIVAL (book 1 in her Displaced Detective series). Read all about it here.
Second, there will be a concurrent sale over at TTB on their most popular e-books. The sale will take place at TTB’s own site, over at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other fine e-book outlets. So there’s never been a better time to read an e-book — or a cheaper one — than March 3 to March 9, 2013.
Third — and most personally relevant — is that I’ve been named to the TTB Editorial Board. (Check this link for further details.) Publisher Lida Quillen let me know she was going to do this, which I truly appreciate.
There’s really no better way for a publisher to show her appreciation of what you’re doing as an editor than by public acknowledgement of this type. So I’m quite pleased to be able to point this out. (I’ve known about it for a week, but wanted to discuss it now to coincide with the “read an e-book” promotion.)
Also, please check out the Advanced Reader Copies (ARCs) currently being offered by Twilight Times Books. I edited SAILING UPHILL by Gerald Mills, a fine and funny book about sailing and life. I also edited ANSELM: A Metamorphosis by Florence Byham Weinberg, an excellent literary fantasy set in 1965 about a flawed Catholic priest and a flawed literary professor, and how they intersect. And I edited LUCID by Natalie Roers, a young adult literary fantasy about lucid dreaming with a sweet romance at its heart. (I’m also currently in the midst of editing two other books for TTB, but those three are done and in, so I can talk about them.) Please go to this page to order the ARCs for these three fine books right now.
And do, do check out Stephanie Osborn’s free e-book next week. She deserves a much wider audience.
Thus ends this public service announcement.
Snow Days, Snow Days . . . .
As of this moment, there’s about eight inches of snow on the ground — all of which fell in the past twelve hours or so. More snow is expected to fall, which begs the question: “So, Barb. What do you plan to do with yourself, now that you’re going to have a snow day?”
Ha!
I plan to write, as I’ve done a little of that every single day for the past week. My word count over time isn’t great — my high day was 1100 words, my low was about 300 — but I’m glad I’m making some forward progress again after being so ill.
I also plan to edit, as I’m working on two big projects right now (the third major one having wrapped up late last week).
And, finally, I’ll watch the snow fall . . . because really, it’s much better to admire the snow from the inside, where you’re not having to walk (or worse, drive) on it, than to be out in it.
Especially when the wind is blowing the existing snow sideways (as it has been for most of the day) . . . anyway, stay safe, everyone.
Finished and Sent Off a Short Story
While I remain more under the weather than not — and boy, am I tired of having to write those words — I was able to complete a short story and send it off to an anthology over the weekend. (For those of you also on Facebook who’ve seen my recent status updates, this is the same story I discussed on Friday evening.)
Mind you, this is the first short story I’ve written in at least four months. And as such, I’m pleased with it.
Of course, as with just about all of my shorter efforts, my story has a plot that would probably better befit a novel. And I’ve already had one offer from a friend to help me turn it into just that down the line, so I guess there must be some promise in it.
Let us hope the anthology editor thinks so as well, whether she is able to buy it or not. (I take all the reassurance I can get.)
As far as everything else . . . you might be wondering why I checked both “remembrance” and “persistence” with regards to this post as far as categories go. It’s simple: the reason I came up with this particular short story has a great deal to do with my (deceased) good friend Jeff Wilson. In this newest of my short stories, I showed an unlikely friendship between a human and an alien and how many things were left unspoken between the pair that seemed to be in complete accord.
Then something happens where the alien is no longer able to speak for himself. (I know aliens don’t have to be male or female, but in this case this particular alien is male. So let’s go with it, shall we?)
The human friend does her best to figure out what’s going on even though her alien friend is no longer available to discuss all the options with her. And she solves a mystery — or perhaps comes up with a new one — while vowing all the while to never, ever forget her friend.
As I said, this story was prompted because of how much I miss my friend Jeff. It’s not a story that I would’ve come up with otherwise, though I have had a few stories since my late husband Michael’s death that, to one extent or another, were greatly impacted by his passing. (Most of them, to be honest. Save this one.)
I’d like to think that my friend would be honored by the fact that I’ve written this story, even though it’s far from perfect. (I know I shouldn’t say that, as the story hasn’t even been read by the anthology’s editor as of yet. But I tend to think none of my stories are perfect — not even ELFY, though that one comes the closest by miles to what I’d dreamed it should be — which perhaps means I’m being overly perfectionistic again.) I also think he’d be pleased that I’d written a science fiction story — when he had to know I’m more conversant with fantasy — because it means I’m better able to let the story tell me where it wants to go, rather than go where I think it should.
(This last may make no sense to non-writers. But it is still the truth.)
I would like to think that our loved ones — friends, husbands, makes no nevermind — will live on as long as we remember them.
All I know is, I will never forget Jeff Wilson. Not ever.
I just hope he knew that.
And I hope, someday, in some faraway place, that I’ll be able to ask him what he thinks of this story. Because when I wrote it, I thought a great deal about him.
And smiled.
Down with the Flu . . .
. . . and take that any way you want.
So far, 2013 has shaped up to be a year full of illness, frustration and pain. I haven’t enjoyed it, but I have continued to do whatever I can despite all of the various things that have cropped up.
I saw my sister last week, which is a good thing. Unfortunately, she came up with a particularly nasty case of the flu and let me know she’d been diagnosed with the same on Monday.
Despite all of the various things that have hit me within the last two or three months, I haven’t yet had an “official” flu diagnosis. (Merely “flu-like symptoms” or a secondary infection — usually a sinus infection, occasionally a respiratory ailment as well — but not an actual diagnosis calling for Tamiflu or any of the other drugs that can help minimize a case of the flu.) And it’s possible that this isn’t the flu either, though it assuredly feels like it as it came on suddenly within the last twenty-four hours and has disorganized my thinking like no one’s business.
So my hope is that it will leave suddenly, also.
If so, it wouldn’t be the flu — it might instead by that Australian norovirus I’ve heard about, which has a duration of 48-72 hours of nastiness for most people, then runs its course — but that doesn’t mean it’s any less distressing to deal with.
Topping it all off, I was midway through a story that I’d planned to submit to an anthology in a few days. I don’t know this particular editor (I won’t name her), though I do know her writing . . . anyway, I’d introduced myself, told her a bit about my story and she said she’d look forward to reading it.
Now I may not be able to finish the story, which really bothers me as it shows a lack of professionalism. (And to me, being anything less than a pro in every area is deeply disturbing.)
This particular anthology has a deadline of February 1. I’ve known about it since early October — just before I took on the Bleacher Report internship, in fact — and thought about what I wanted to do that would meet the requirements of the anthology. I had finally come up with what I thought was a winning idea . . .
. . . and am now too ill to finish the dratted thing up.
I do have tomorrow to make a stab at it, and if I can finish it up and believe it’s credible, I will try.
But the chances to do so do not look promising.
I know, however, that if I can finish this story, albeit more slowly than I’d like — providing I can do so before March 31, that is — I can try the Writers of the Future contest one more time as ELFY still isn’t out (I’m still going over copy-editing changes and have been asked to make one, last pass of my own in addition), not even in ARC format (that’s “advanced reader copy” to thee and me). I may still be eligible even for the June quarter (though I’m unsure); I do know I’ll be eligible for the March 31 quarter.
So maybe not all is lost, no matter how it looks right now.
In the past few days, I did do some editing on some paying projects and a little bit of writing (I got all of 300 words into it yesterday before stalling, again). So it’s not that I’ve done nothing whatsoever this week . . . far, far from it.
I just haven’t been able to get this done when it counts. And that vexes me.
Sorely.
Copy-Editing Internship Ends, and Other Updates
As of yesterday — Friday, January 25, 2013 — I am no longer a copy-editing intern at Bleacher Report.
Now, this is not a bad thing. Not at all, in fact, because it means I have successfully completed my twelve-week internship.
During this time, I have fought illness and had some other family health issues that came into play. My energy levels have been low, particularly in late December and all throughout this month. I haven’t played a concert for the UW-Parkside Community Band since last May due to everything going on (though I have played several for the Racine Concert Band) and my writing definitely hasn’t been where I want it to be.
But I have continued to persist.
I also learned a new “house style” — for non-editors, this is what Bleacher Report expected articles to look like and what ways terms were either capitalized, hyphenated (or not) or otherwise emphasized. This was the first time I’d had to learn a new stylistic language in at least fourteen years, so that in and of itself is an accomplishment.
And, of course, every site is different. Some places want you to write “website” as all one word with no capitalization. Some want you to write it in my preferred way, “Web site.” Some write “Website” with a capital W.
It’s the little differences that set different sites apart. Which is why learning “house styles” can be either a blessing or a headache, take your pick. (Even though sometimes, it’s both.)
Finishing up my internship without being able to call my friend Jeff and let him know what happened (as I’m sure he’d have been up on it) was difficult. I have always felt bittersweet when something ends . . . many of us do, I know, so I’m far from the only one. Still, he understood me quite well (as I understood him) and he’d know this was a major accomplishment.
I really wish he’d have been alive to hear me talk about it.
Of course, had my husband Michael still been alive to this date, he and I would’ve gone out to celebrate in some way or another. He’d have told me that doing something like this to maximize my chances at a paying job in the only section of the publishing industry that seems to possibly be expanding (or at least not contracting, as sports is a big business, I love sports and understand ’em, so why not?) was a shrewd career move whether it pays off in the short run or not. And he’d have told me over and over again how much he admired me for doing this when I’m hardly fresh out of college (not even fresh out of my Master’s program) . . . even though I know what he’d have said, I wish he had been here to say it. (Michael was uniformly encouraging and believed very strongly in me and my abilities as a writer and editor. Even when I didn’t believe in myself, he always believed. That’s why I will love him forever.)
And of course I really wish Michael were still alive, too . . . goodness alone knows what we’d have done as writers and editors had he survived the four heart attacks in 2004, but I’m sure it would’ve been amazing.
I like to think that everything I do will matter, both to Michael and Jeff, whenever I see them next. And I do think I will see them again, and know them, and be able to continue on as before in whatever way the soul goes on in eternity.
Knowing that, some days, is all that keeps me focused.
Aside from that, I thought I’d pass along a few other updates. I’m still going through ELFY, part 1, with my publisher’s blessing, but I hope to have all changes back soon. (Yes, that’s my coy way of saying ELFY is to be split without actually saying it. Though I just did anyway, so all that coyness really didn’t work. Ah, well.) I don’t know if there will be different names given to parts 1 and 2 at this point. I do know that ELFY is coming out only as an e-book, but that’s fine with me as it’s miles better than where I was a year ago.
I’m taking another week off from reviewing anything over at Shiny Book Review, but Jason Cordova reviewed Sarah A. Hoyt’s DARKSHIP RENEGADES a few days ago. So do take a look.
And in a non-personal update, Corey Hart did indeed end up having knee surgery after he got his second opinion. Most sports sites (like Hardball Talk) have Hart penciled out of the lineup until May. My hunch is that Hart, if he heals anything close to as quickly as he did the last time, will be back by mid-April at the latest.
In closing . . . while the internship is over, life goes on. I’ll continue to do whatever I can to write, edit, comment and figure out what happens as best I’m able . . . and if there are further updates in this quarter (one would hope there would be at some point with either writing, editing or life in general) I’ll keep you posted.
And who knows? Maybe by next week I’ll have enough energy to write a book review or two. (I have several hanging fire, one a non-fiction book about space from Travis Taylor and Stephanie Osborn, three great books from K.E. Kimbriel and two books by Veronica Roth to get to, among others.)
Here’s hoping.
Barb Caffrey's Blog 