Just went on a spree...a submission spree. A short story submission spree, to be precise (and because I can now refer to this throughout the remainder of this post as The Great SSSS of 2010). Two short stories got a spit polish, pep talk and a little checkered kerchief filled with pemmican and cans of beans to tie to a stick and carry over their shoulder, before being rudely thrust back into the world. (FYI, if you google "hobo children" under images, you get some really weird pictures, including a movie poster for "Hobo with a Shotgun" and whatever this is.) They are, respectively, one-time and two-time rejects.
A third short is going out for the first time, all wide-eyed and nervous about its new outfit. It's an odd one, written to a high-context anthology prompt, and I had a big, red devil of a time writing it. It's set in the 1920s, and I wanted a contemporary sound in the prose, especially the dialog. I think I might have captured that. At least, it moves to a different rhythm in my head when I read it. I also wanted modern urban fantasy events portrayed with a noir fiction sensibility that didn't feel too dark. The anthology asked for "fun" stories, and while I consider dark noir fun, I don't think that's the universal consensus.
I think one of the reasons I love reading noir is that it's not intuitive to me. I don't have an innate talent for writing it well (I know, I know - we could say that I don't have an innate talent for writing anything well, but we won't, because that would be colossally rude.) which makes me appreciate it that much more.
So, off my three little pups go. I hoped I packed enough beans to get them through the journey.
Beans are an important staple food and I, for one, think they get a bad rap. I'm impressed that you sent them off with beans, and even more impressed that you created a tag for beans—may we look forward to more bean-related posts in the future?
ReplyDeleteI'm crossing my fingers for you. Best of luck. :)
Thank you ever so much for noticing, Kevin. It takes a real man to stand up for beans.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, I will be working diligently to fill the bean tag with posts both weird and wonderful (though mostly wonderful, obviously, since it's beans we're talking about).
Also, oddly, I just commented on my own blog under some other email address. Don't worry, gentle followers, that was not a fraudulent, pro-bean post.
ReplyDeleteThanks,
The Management
Crossing my fingers for you, I totally understand what you're going through =)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Clara! I'm not expecting much this go-round. We aimed really high with the publications we submitted to.
ReplyDelete