Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Still Reading

Not a lot to report here. I'm still madly reading submissions although I'm giving that a break for a day or two to recharge the batteries - my respect and admiration for editors of big annual anthologies has gone through the roof. Can you imagine how many subs the judges for something like the Writers of the Future contest must go through! My eyes hurt just thinking about it (and it makes me realise just how big an achievement Jason Fischer accomplished).

Still, I'm working through your submissions. Can I take this opportunity to once more thank everyone for considering us a worthy place to host your work. Because I've had so many, I'm in the enviable but hard situation where I can accept only the cream of the crop. There's only a few weeks left to get your submission in so if you want to get into what I believe will be an exceptional ToC and the inaugural edition of this anthology, you'd better get your skates on.

In other news, I got my hair cut today, which isn't the news, but while I was wandering past the bookshop, I noticed the last book in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series has finally made the shelves - naturally, it is now sitting on my shelf as well. It is huge! Now I need discipline to not start reading it before I've got this antho whipped into shape and then read and review the three books I still need to finish for HorrorScope. Oh - and then done the first round of edits on Inner Voice...why did I buy it again?

At this rate I might not write at all next year, I'll be too busy reading!

Lastly, I'm putting together a "Rules to submit by" as I go through the process of putting Dark Pages together. Without pointing any fingers I'll put together all the do's and don'ts, what worked and what didn't, how I came to decisions, etc, etc.

I intend to let you all into the process I went through so you all can hopefully gain some insight into the way one editor went about things.

For not a lot to report, this post has gone on way too long already.

For all those out there going through NaNo this year, I wave my pom-poms at you and wish you continued inspiration and lots of wordage.



Type cheerleaders into Google and see how hard it is to find an appropriate picture!
p.s. This guy is no relation to me...

9 comments:

  1. Okay, the guy should have gone the extra mile and shaved his pits.

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  2. Better not Google cheerleaders at school, then...

    Cheers!

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  3. Austarlian rugby match?

    That guy takes his cheerleading duties seriously! If it was a video, I'd be wondering if it was posted by Natalie.

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  4. So not much going on at your end then. ;)

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  5. I like this one:

    http://www.gfxwallpapers.com/images/wallpapers/Soccer_wet_cheerleaders_s-44944.jpeg

    Inspirational, no?

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  6. Alan - you do realise that Australian's have killed for such comments...try a European soccer match (sorry, football match).

    Cate - I do feel tired. Need holiday. At least the weather is warming up - we've had a couple of days over 30 already and are expecting more by the end of this week. Only three weeks till summer!

    Nat - yes. I found a number of such examples but thought it best that I not go there. Firstly, I was trying to show my cheering capability towards all NaNoers and secondly, my wife would probably thump me!

    :c)

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  7. Great that you'll be chronicling your process. It'll be interesting to see your final choices and why you made those choices.

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  8. I look forward to the process report-- I'm always interested in those kinds of things.

    I'm on the fence about whether to start reading WoT again. I stopped right about book 7 (or maybe 8...) because nothing seemed to be happening but Jordan getting lost in his own head. I mean to say, I also look forward to seeing what you think of it. Maybe I'll give it another go, if this one's good. I loved the world (even if he kept screwing up my favorite characters :/).

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  9. I think most people are keen to know the behind the scenes type stuff - forewarned is forearmed after all.

    As for WoT - Couldn't agree with you more on the series Katey, but I'm stubborn like that. I loved the first 4 or 5 books and then Robert went a wandering and the conflict was interrupted with long periods of travelling, and the big milestone events happened less often. I know lots of people who gave up.

    I'm hoping the last book ties everything up and turns out to be a good read - it is a thumping big book so I'm guessing there will either be a huge amount of detail (and waffle), or there will be resolution for all the characters, factions and minor plot points as well as the expected big finish (I'm hoping). I'll let you know.

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