The falling apart and subsequent rearranging into a new configuration that comes on the heels of a death has finished. While there will likely be more work to do over the next few months, it's finally okay to start back into regular life.
I was able to finish a final draft on Forgotten God so it could be submitted to the online review. The cut off date was the 15th and I had it ready to go on the 13th. On the morning of the 14th, the review emailed me back, saying no, they didn't want to publish Vinyl, but they definitely wanted Forgotten God. Can this be considered my first rejection? I submitted Vinyl before they had begun to publish anything at all, but now that I have read a few of the published short stories, I have to agree, it wouldn't fit with their vibe. But I'm very excited that they're taking Forgotten God. I'm proud of it.
Vinyl has also received a publication date. On October 3rd, it will go live at Sick Lit Magazine, which has been described as "the literary equivalent of the Island of Misfit Toys." This clearly means that I have found my people. Give me the Broken, the Warped, and the Strange over the Beautiful People any day.
With two stories, two publications, two Yeses, under my belt, it's time to start reaching a bit higher. I'm challenging myself by writing a romance-y short story to be submitted at another new online publication. The difference between this and the previous two publications is that these people pay for the stories they print, which means my story is going to need to be pristine because the competition will be fierce. I have a fantastic romance-y story bouncing around in my brain, though, because I lived it, and currently fall asleep at night beside the antagonist. The challenge will be to write the story in a way that simultaneously preserves our rights to our story (if they pay me, it becomes theirs) and lets the charm of our true story still shine through into fiction. Like with Forgotten God, this story will be based on a true story, but will be written to remove me (and my beloved antagonist) from the story entirely. The working title is Bet You a Kiss (BYAK), and the submissions open on November 1st. I would like to have it written, fine-tuned, and polished to send as soon as the gate opens, so it's a good thing I'll be spending the weekend before on a writing retreat. This has to really pack a punch, and it'll be nice to be surrounded by other writers for support.
You may be wondering why I haven't mentioned Headstone. I'll admit that there has been no progress. My notebook and my index cards have been sitting on my desk all week untouched. I'd start the next sentence by saying "In my defense," but I don't need to defend myself with this, and anyone who would use this as an opportunity to point and cackle about what a flake I am is an asshole. In the words of Elbert Hubbard, "Never explain--your friends don't need it and your enemies won't believe you anyway." Progress on Headstone will happen when it happens. I'm still writing.
