Finally...good news

After the king of all rejection weeks I got some good news this morning. The Little Drummer Girl has been accepted for publication by Tasmaniac Publications for their Festive Fear Anthology. I’m so excited to be a part of this Aussie antho and very happy the story made it because I had a really hard time with the ending, so this news has cheered me up no end.

On the synopsis front, it’s a bit of a disaster at the moment. I probably shouldn’t even call it a synopsis, more an epic outline, and its reading more like a comedy than a gothic suspense, but I’ll get back to it this week. It didn’t get much of a look in over the weekend because I was working on the manuscript - another chapter edited and I'm aiming for another two this week.

A Synopsis by Name

A couple of nights ago I got a crazy idea to write the synopsis for Kiss Butterfly. I’d originally decided to wait until after I’d finished the 2nd draft, and I don’t know whether I hit my head a few nights ago and don’t remember, but I suddenly wanted to write the synopsis. And I’m one of many who absolutely hate writing them, nasty little things that they are, but I’m actually enjoying it (hence the feeling I may have hit my head). I’ll call it a synopsis, although it doesn’t much resemble one at the moment. After maybe a hundred drafts it will start to resemble one, but for now I’m having fun with it.

Oh and I got another rejection this morning. Necrotic Tissue passed on The Death Blossoms, so that makes 5 in a week.

And, check out Aaron Polson’s excellent story Inked over at Every Day Fiction.

Geez

And in a nice case of “let’s keep shooting her while she’s down” I got another rejection yesterday. That’s four in the past week, folks. Midnight Echo have passed on The Pennyroyal. I did get some comments though so I was impressed with that and will certainly take them into account. I let myself wallow for 24 hours while I had a That 70’s Show marathon and more coffee and Cheezels to try and cheer myself up.

Then I got to thinking about my coffee and Cheezel addiction while I was drinking/munching on same during said marathon and I got to wondering what other people turn to by way of comfort food when they’re in need of cheering up. Or maybe it’s not food, maybe it’s something else entirely. Tell me what you absolutely have to have/do to lift your spirits when you’re in the doldrums.

Monday

My name is Danielle and I’m addicted to coffee and Cheezels.

They sustained me through the weekend while I edited another two chapters of Kiss Butterfly (is it because of the cold weather that I required three extra packets of Cheezels and 30 or so cups of coffee – well the cold weather is my excuse anyway). And if it gets the work done, what the hell, right. Right?

Anyway, a couple of thoughts that were swirling around in my head after the first draft are now part of the manuscript. They’ve added a second, thicker thread to the story and I’m really excited about it because it’s going to make for a bigger bang at the end, if I can pull it off.

On Friday I was hit with a triple whammy. Shroud passed on The Paisley Stain and The Baited Psychopath and Desolation didn’t win or place in the AHWA comps. I think I’ll try sending The Baited Psychopath to Shroud and have a think about where to send the others.

Sins & Lies

"Sometimes you can learn more about a person by what they don’t tell you. Sometimes you can learn a lot from the things they just make up. If you are tagged with this Meme, lie to me. Then tag 7 other folks (one for each deadly sin) and hope they can lie."

BT and Jameson Caine tagged me for this one. I wonder why...do I stretch the truth a tad or do I tell huge fanciful lies. Neither. I’m honest I tells ya.

Here are my answers...

Pride: What is your biggest contribution to the world?

My sunny disposition. Everyone thinks I’m wonderful.

Envy: What do your coworkers wish they had which is yours?

My eyes. They’re always telling me they want to take out my eyes.

Gluttony: What did you eat last night?

My neighbours are away so I broke into their house and gorged myself on the contents of their fridge. They eat well.

Lust: What really lights your fire?

Matt Lucas in spandex.

Anger: What is the last thing that really pissed you off?

A co-worker got my promotion. She was killed in a freak electric stapler malfunction accident.

Greed: Name something you keep from others.

Money. I don’t like to share.

Sloth: What's the laziest thing you've ever done?

I let my partner clean the entire house and wash and iron clothes while I pretended I’d put my back out. I ate potato chips and watched an entire season of Little Britain.

For the record, everything you’ve read above is a wicked lie. It was fun to write though. I pick 7 readers of this blog who haven’t already and would like to share their lies.

And, check out Cate Gardner’s deliciously nasty and ironic flash fiction story A Blood-Spattered Letter from Mr Grim over at Everyday Weirdness.

July

For me July is going to be the month of the novel. I am working solely on editing Kiss Butterfly and am planning to get as many chapters done as I can. I am sending The Death Blossoms to Necrotic Tissue in the next few days and every other short story (the ones that are finished and edited to within an inch of their life) are out in submission land. So when I report back on 1 August it should be with the good news that I’ve edited say, at least 6 chapters. There, I set a goal.

Two nights ago while trying to stay awake for 30 Rock (I used to detest the show but somehow it’s grown on me) I was snoozing during an ad break (the bastards put it on so late) and had an idea for a novel. It just came out of nowhere, because I hadn’t even been thinking about anything in particular. All I’ve done is made notes because there is no way I’m going to start working on another novel at the moment.

Then, this morning while I was eating breakfast I had the crazy idea that I could merge that idea with another idea I had a while ago. So I made a few more notes and I’ve put them aside. Maybe later in the year I’ll have a go at getting the story down.

Head over to Electric Spec to check out a dark story by Steven J Dines called The Bug in the Suit. It's worth the trip.

And tomorrow I'll post my Meme about Sins & Lying after being tagged by BT and Jameson.

Frankenstein & Chapter 11

Fortified by copious amounts of coffee, I finished chapter 11 last night. I’m happy with it – for now – and I’ve started on chapter 12. This chapter is a little easier, I think, because it's where things take a dramatic turn. I also re-worked chapters 1, 2 and 3 so I’m happy all round.

I’ve been reading Frankenstein again too. I’m currently reading three books and Frankenstein is one of the few that I read over and over. It’s a story I never get tired of and I take something different from it every time I read it. I bought my first copy about ten years ago and every time I see a copy with a different cover I have to buy it. Don’t ask me why, I just love collecting them, even the ones with the really dodgy covers. When I was in Melbourne last year I found a book store in Swanston Street that had a new hard cover version. Yesterday I was in a bookstore and found a copy I didn’t have so I bought it as well, and they have their own shelf in my writing room.