Sit Rep

Interzone hasn't responded to my sub nor my query, so I assume they've rejected my "Ra-Gho-Zu" story.

I didn't hear till lately that Interzone doesn't necessarily respond to submissions they reject.

I will see what other markets I can sub to as I eke out some fiction and film stories during my scant free time.

I will also be taking a break from blogging. I don't know at this point when I'll post on this blog again.

Sit Rep

Today I got form letter e-mails telling me that my script entries to the Nicholls Contest didn't advance to the next round.

I'm eking through with my script rewrites and still waiting for Interzone to respond to my "Ra-Gho-Zu" story, which is apparently buried in a pile at the editor's desk.

Hailing freqs closed.

Sit Rep

Today I finally finished the rewrite on my Steven Decatur "Stars and Stripes" script.

Woohoo!

Now I have two more script rewrites to crawl through....

I still haven't heard anything from Interzone about my "Ra-Gho-Zu" story. Either they're seriously considering it, or it's buried in a pile and the editing staff hasn't gotten to it yet.

I'm going for the second.

I still haven't made the time to find another market to submit "The Automatic Pen" to. But I will. Just very busy with several things.

Hailing freqs closed.

Sit Rep

I got an e-mail last night that I just read tonight.

"Automatic Pen" got rejected by the Cheer Up, Anthology.

I'll figure out the next market I can submit to.

Hailing freqs closed.

Sit Rep

Yesterday I got a rejection for "Automatic Pen" from F&SF.

I then submitted the story electronically to an anthology tentatively called "Cheer Up, Universe," edited by Ahmed Khan. It calls for comic SF and Fantasy short stories. Hopefully, my lil' tall tale will fit the bill.

The submission deadline is June 30, 2009 (which I beat) and the response time is 1 day to 3 months.

A day's gone by and I haven't heard anything yet. =)

Hailing freqs closed.

picture

Sit Rep

On Wednesday, I got a rejection by Strange Horizons on "Ra-Gho-Zu."

Today, I mailed "Ra-Gho-Zu" to Interzone over in the UK. I also mailed "The Automatic Pen" to F&SF.

It'll take about 1-2 weeks at first class mail for "Ra-Gho-Zu" to make its way to England. Priority would've taken about the same time at a more expensive price, while Express was a small fortune that wasn't worth it. The response will come by e-mail.

Whenever my stories arrive, hopefully, either or both magazines will like 'em.

I'm plugging away, meantime, with my reading and writing.

Hailing freqs closed.

Sit Rep

Today I got a rejection from Asimov's for "Automatic Pen."

When I get the chance I'll mail the story to F&SF.

I'm reading some novels and prepping to rewrite another script.

Hailing freqs closed.

Sit Rep

I just subbed electronically "Ra-Gho-Zu" to the e-magazine Strange Horizons.

It's nice to save on postage and time and gas going to the post office. The response will be electronic and speedy.

We'll see.

Hailing freqs closed.

Sit Rep

Today I got both the reception postcard and the form rejection from Gordon Van Gelder at F&SF for "Ra-Gho-Zu" in the same mailing. Van Gelder did me the favor of typing my name at the top of the rejection and signing it.

He apparently looked at all of one paragraph then rejected the story right after an office aide sent off the postcard.

Can't say I'm surprised after meeting him at Clarion 2004.

I'll figure out who next I'll submit to.

Hailing freqs closed.

Sit Rep

A few days ago, I got a form rejection for "Ra-Gho-Zu" from Asimov's. Since it's my impression that Sheila Williams has literary tastes, I wasn't shocked.

Today I mailed "Ra-Gho-Zu" to the Magazine of Science Fiction & Fantasy. I'll see how Gordon Van Gelder likes the story. He has literary tastes, too.

Hailing freqs closed.

Sit Rep

This evening I subbed online two film scripts to the Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting.

The Nicholls is the most prestigious film script contest there is. Placement even as a quarter-finalist could get a body some attention and script read requests. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

The deadline was May 1, 2009. Ideally, I would've liked to have subbed the scripts in January 2009 when competition first opened, but I hadn't been planning on subbing to begin with. When I finished rewriting the scripts, I felt they were damn fine. Hopefully, the judges'll think the same. :-)

I subbed "Ra-Gho-Zu: Heaven's Sword."

Storyline: A peacemaker descended from samurai sworn to protect the innocent must save the Empress Apparent from the galaxy's deadliest shadow assassin, an immortal spirit.

It's based on my short story "Ra-Gho-Zu," which placed in the semifinals of the 1st qtr of the 2008 WOTF contest and is currently being read at Asimov's. I plan on novelizing the script before I market it.

The second script is "Destiny."

Storyline: When Eris, Goddess of Strife, saves Alexander the Great, Lucius Julius, an obscure ancestor of the famous Caesar, must save Rome from antiquity’s mightiest conqueror.

I plan on novelizing this script, too, before I market it.

I now have some novels to read for recreation, 3 more scripts, and 1 fantasy short story to rewrite.

Hailing freqs closed.

Sit Rep

Last week, I got a rejection by Analog on my "Automatic Pen" story. Unlike the other one, which was a preprinted form, I got a word processed letter with a single two line sentence saying the story wasn't suitable for Analog and it was signed by Stanley Schmidt himself. A sheet with the standard Analog submission rules and the first page of my story were also included. And the envelope was taped, though it was a self-sealing one. I wonder why so much care was put into sealing a rejection?

Anywho, I mailed on Saturday "Automatic Pen" to Asimov's, which also has "Ra-Gho-Zu." Sheila Williams can get to contrast a Mark Twain-type 21st century tall tale with a space drama. I hope she likes one or the other.

On the screenwriting front, I finished my newest draft of "Ra-Gho-Zu: Heaven's Sword," where my protagonist gets to play on a larger stage. I plan on subbing it and a Rome-Alexander alternate history epic to a major screenplay contest soon, called the Nicholls Screenwriting Competition. It's something of a mega WOTF for screenwriters. Extremely prestigious. The submission deadline is May 1, 2009, but I'll fire off these two within the week. I'm just doing some editing and final quick reading.

Hailing freqs closed.

Sit Rep

I've sent "The Automatic Pen" out to Analog today.

Hopefully, Stanley Schmidt will like a 21st century Mark Twain type tall tale about a country hick genius who builds a wormhole to meet aliens who can fix his automatic pen.

I'm continuing to eke out an SF script rewrite. It's like pulling teeth, but I halfway get the feeling I'm onto something.

Hailing freqs closed.

Sit Rep

Today I finally mailed off "Ra-Gho-Zu" again after it got rejected by Analog in late January 2009. I've been busy, but I sent it to Asimov's. Hopefully, Sheila Williams will like my SF opus better than Stanley Schmidt did.

Then when I got home, I found my "Automatic Pen" manuscript waiting for me in the mail with a rejection sheet from WOTF.

Nichevo.

I'll mail the "Automatic Pen" to Analog by the middle of next week.

I'm crawling through a film script rewrite now and reading a novel or two--when I have free time from work.

I'll see how this year turns out.

Hailing freqs closed.