Sent “Black Jack Davy” back out into the cold, cruel world today. To “Realms of Fantasy.” It’s the first time in 2.5 years I’ve sent something to them, and only my third submission ever to RoF.

I have a soft spot in my heart for this story. It was one of the first fully realized stories I wrote when common sense departed and I decided to try writing for fun and profit. This story got me into Clarion and, in its most recent incarnation, grad school. I’d love to find it a good home but it’s kind of a strange story and not easily classifiable. I’m tempted to think RoF could be a good fit. Time will tell.

This marks my sixteenth submission of the year and seven currently in the field. That’s lower than I wanted but on the other hand, I’m being more particular about where I send my stories and I’m more particular about what I’m sending out. A lot of the stuff I wrote last year is experimental. I goofed around with structure, POV, voice, etc. Most of the rejections were variations of “This was well written but it’s not really a story.” Could I sell those stories? Maybe. I’ll keep shopping them around to see if they strike someone’s fancy but I’m not really expecting anything.

I’ve got a whole slew of fully-realized stories that are either at their first markets or are being polished and fueled getting prepared for flight. When I’m proofing, I’m saying to myself, “This shit isn’t half bad.” I’ve got a few stories that I think ought to sell somewhere. Even if they don’t sell at the big five (Analog, Asimov’s, F&SF, Realms, Strange Horizons) I think they’ll find homes eventually. Most importantly, I feel good about them. They’re well written. I think they’re fun and interesting. And I can honestly say that a) they’re the best I can do at the moment, and b) I’m proud to have written them.

I still doubt my ability all the time and there’s a lot of room for improvement. But I’ve come a long, long way—at least in my head. Hopefully the change in the bibliography isn’t far behind.

Also on the writing front, I received my ballot for World Fantasy 2006 which reminded me I should be thinking about going. If anyone is in the Minneapolis–Madison–Chicago area and interested in car-pooling to Austin this November, let me know. Unless I can find cheap airfare (ha!) I’ll probably be driving. If I go at all. But I want to.

Current Mood – Good Enough |
Currently Listening To – The Clash – “The Clash”