More Good News vs. Bad News

Good News: Something Wicked Magazine posted a New Year's message on their web site apologizing for the awful lack of submission responses during 2009, promising positive changes in the new year

Bad News: I still haven't gotten a response to the story I sent them in mid April '09.

Good News: The total pageview count for The Dark InSpectre, my supernatural crime series, is poised to break the 1,000 mark.

Bad News: I have no idea what that means.

Good News: I got some good writing done for the next story arc of the Dark InSpectre, and got more of the plot figured out in my head.

Bad News: It seems from her blog that the editor who stated her intention to get working on the Wolfsongs II anthology (for which I've had a story on hold well over a year), is once again putting the project on the back burner.

Bad News: My older boy has pre-middle school application testing tomorrow morning from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm way the hell out on Coney Island, which I will be accompanying him to.

Good News: I should be able write for a few solid hours, IF I'm able to wake up.

The score: Good news 4, Bad news 4. We're all tied up, I could go either way.

Episode 12 is now up

Episode 12 of The Dark InSpectre is now online. Only 4 left in the current story arc. Don't miss the exciting last few episodes!

Here's an excerpt:

There was only one way to deal with the questions that buzzed in my head, as well as my still-throbbing hand. I pulled the bottle of bourbon out of my drawer and drank. At some point I put my head down on my desk and let sleep wash away my troubles.

Enjoy: http://darkinspec.blogspot.com/

Guest Blog Post

Just did a guest blog posting over at Abandoned Towers Magazine. Check it out: http://abandonedtowers.blogspot.com/2010/01/inspiration-free-of-charge.html

Back from the holidays

Arrived home a few hours ago. Traffic getting from New Jersey into NYC was horrible. I'm exhausted, Karen caught my older boy Simon's cold and feels terrible. Thank god we have a long weekend before work starts again.

On the upside, I wrote episode 2 of the new story arc for the Dark InSpectre. Still needs a few tweeks here and there, but I like it. Till next time!

home for the holidays

This is just a quick note. I'm traveling tomorrow with the family for our annual pilgrimage to Rockville, MD, and a visit with my folks. Probably will not be able to post till we get back next week.

Have a safe and happy holiday!

Episode 11 bursts forth

Episode 11 of The Dark InSpectre is now online.

Here's an excerpt:

He was standing there, waiting for me, his grainy form still well defined for a guy who’d bought it three years ago. Mike Allen, aka Mikey Peeps. In life he’d been a low-ranking hood who ran numbers for major bookies. He got his nickname because he liked to watch. He watched a lot. Mikey was one of our best snitches until somebody figured it out and whacked him. In this very cell.

Enjoy: http://darkinspec.blogspot.com/

writing in the cold

It's been absolutely freezing outside. But Simon, my older boy had karate today, so I jumped at the chance to take him cuz that means some good writing time for me. The dojo where he trains is not particularly weather resistant, so whatever the temperature is outside, it's pretty close to that inside. I just wrote while wearing several layers. I actually did a good amount of revising of upcoming episodes of the Dark InSpectre. Felt good, every time I work on it I manage to make it darker, grittier. The next chance I get to write, I'll work on the new story arc.

I got an unbelievably quick rejection from F&SF Magazine for my most recent short story. Not unexpected, but depressing nonetheless. I'm going to wait till after New Year's and then submit to a new, start-up webzine that's paying pro rates.

I've been worrying about another story of mine, which I submitted to Something Wicked magazine in April. It's not that they haven't given me a response, I've waited longer for responses from other mag's. It's that there seems to be nothing happening at all with the magazine. It's like radio silence. I know they're trying to go from a print to a digital mag. To me that means one of two things, either they'll announce how the next issue is progressing after New Year's, or they'll just chuck it and call it quits. Hopefully it will be the former.