Breaking News

It's official - Black magazine will no longer be seen in its previously beautiful print format. Follow the link to find out all about what's going on.

For those of you who don't know, I wrote book reviews for the publication. At this point in time, I'm not sure how things in that area are going to change, if at all. I'm still holding onto my reviews of The Harrowing. As soon as I know where they'll be posted, I'll let you know.

What else...

I am aching from playing in the top grade of cricket yesterday. I retired at the end of last year, and then offered to help out in the lower grades part way through this season. Toward the end of the season, they became desperate for one or two players to move up. Stupid me said, "Okay, no worries, play me wherever.' Very stupid comment. My head still thinks I can do all sorts of things I used to be able to do 20 years ago.

So my aches and pains has resulted in difficulty with sitting and typing. This has led to only 1758 words being added to Newland today, but some good stuff (I think/hope).

I've come across an issue with chapter 16. I'm not happy with my outline. I need to go over the whole thing and figure out how to bridge chapter 17 with chapter 15 a different way. I've got a couple of ideas so we'll see how they play out. I looked at my previous outline for 16 and just shook my head. "As if" was the clean version of the words which immediately came to mind. Lets turn a mentor for my MC into the exact opposite of what they've been teaching. Bloody idiot. So it's been scraped and left a hole four chapters before my MidPoint is begins. Things were becoming to smooth. Now I'm glad chaos has reasserted itself and caused a stop in the work as I figure out which way is up.

Hmm...

I'll quickly take this opportunity to thank everyone for their suggestions for different things with Newland on previous posts. All very helpful and if not used (although at least one of them was), they definitely led to other answers.

That's it from me for now.

Speak soon

BT

Rejection News

My baby, Wamphyri has gained her first rejection :c(

I'm making it policy now to send my work to a professional paying market first followed by doing the rounds in the Australian short fiction marketplace. So with that in mind, I've picked an Australian market I've not yet gained an acceptance from and currently don't have anything submitted to, checked the guidelines, reformatted the piece, and sent my baby out the door again.

Fingers crossed.

In other news - I've signed and returned the contract concerning Murky Depths, which gives me a rise in spirits. Slight difference in payment level between markets, but an acceptance is still an acceptance, and without it, it doesn't matter what the market is paying. A rejection still equals no credit for the bio and no money in the bank. So Murky Depths is a very good thing.

Both my reviews for the next issue of Black have been sent - one good, one not so good. Can't wait to see whats what, then subscribe to Black ASAP - follow link from cover shot in sidebar.

Started a dialogue with another author regarding their work - hopefully I'll be able to put forward some useful comments to help them gain published status in regards to their novel(s).

Lastly I updated all the AHWA market lists. It is very disappointing to find two or three markets closing their doors every month, usually to be be replaced by an inferior paying (or non-paying) market.

Well that's it from me for today. Time to do some work.

Speak soon.

BT

Goal Reached

Just got an acceptance email from 52 Stitches for "Murky Depths". Apart from being over the moon about the acceptance, it also allows me to pass last years acceptance count.

In the first 12 months of writing "professionally", I secured publication at Fiction Factor (x2), and Antipodean SF (1), for a total of three published pieces.

This year I have gained an acceptance in Fear & Trembling, 52 Stitches and two acceptances in a British erotica anthology. Unfortunately none have yet reached publication. 52 Stitches and the British anthology isn't slated until next year - I don't know when F&T are planning to publish my piece.

3 acceptances/publications in 2006. 4 acceptances in 2007. No publication of my fiction this year, but then that is balanced by the amount of freelance stuff I've had published. 7 articles in SA50s+, 4 reviews in Black, and a dozen or so reviews, news, and comments articles on HorrorScope

There's still a few weeks of this year to come and I still have 8 pieces in the market place - two of which have been queried and the staff are still interested in - so more good news may yet be to come. But I'll stop from extending this post into a look back at 2007 just yet.

I've received my word counts for the next issue of Black so I need to finish the final book I'm reading and get the review written up this week.

Work continues on finding the last third of my book, as does the writing on the first two thirds I've already found. The ending may change some of what I'm doing now, but that's okay. I refuse to just sit and allow things to drag on.

Lastly, welcome to the latest cult member/follower: SES Wilson. Go and check out his blog where he posts a lot of his flash fiction. I see you've already added my link to your blog so I'm happy to return the favour.

Don't be shy folks, become a follower, link up and let me know - always happy to return the favour.

Time to go read a chapter or two.

BT

Lots in...Nothing out

Got lots of real mail today, as opposed to email.

My assignments (including Wamphyri) from module 1 have returned - both received an A which allows me to wrap up this module with a distinction (gaining more A's than B's and nothing lower than a B-). I have one outstanding assignment from module 2 (the one I had to resub), if that comes back with a minimum of a B- then I get a distinction for that module as well. Too cool for school.

I also received my next batch of reading for Black magazine and HorrorScope, the covers on two of the books look interesting but the third I received in manuscript form. I wasn't expecting that.

On the email front, I gained a whisper Too Late the Rain is still in the running at the publication I sent it to which is why I never got around to storyboarding Newland yesterday - I was too excited to sit still enough. No, I won't be slitting my wrists if it gets rejected but at least I know I'm getting closer with that one.

My contributors copy of Black also arrived today and looks very swish. This is an excellent magazine. I'm allowed to say that without any bias because I only supply a couple of reviews at the very centre of the mag. Everything else has nothing to do with me which is why I feel guilty getting a contributors copy for nothing, but I'm extremely grateful I do.

If you write dark fiction, or have anything to do with what beige coloured society would call a sub-culture, you owe it to yourself to subscribe to Black, and (if you write) join AHWA.

I've received a little bit of mixed feedback from my writing friends on Idolatry, mainly positive, but there are at least three sentences I need to work on. In one instance, both commented on my stupidity, and the others just need a little tweaking. It seems I may have solved the issues brought to light from the marketplace feedback.

But I'm not working on that tonight. Tonight, I'm storyboarding!

Speak soon.

Good luck with your submissions.

BT

Reviews Away

Done, dusted, and reviewed.

Just sent off the three reviews for Black magazine. I can feel the weight lifting from my shoulders already. SA50s+ done. Black reviews done!

Socceroos up 2-0 at half time - you beauty!

The soccer is causing havoc with my writing plans though. I was fully intending to look at an assignment tonight but I'd forgotten the soccer was on.

Should get more of a chance tomorrow and Friday night. One way or another, I need to get another assignment in the post before Sunday.

Signed off on the proof for Winged Shepherd tonight so hopefully that should be published soon. Stay tuned.

Second half has already started - gotta go.

Almost there

Sometime today, when work permits, I'll finish reading the last of the books I need to review for the next issue of Black. I'll write up the review tonight and send all three of them off to the editor with a day to spare. Then I need to get stuck into some assignments.

Since Thursday October 2nd, (12 days ago) I've read 5 books, completed 2 assignments, and finished off the last of my three articles of this issue of SA50s+.

I've written pretty much 0 of my own fiction.

Over the next 12 days I need to do two (preferably three) assignments, beta read 1 novel, critique another short story, and write at least one (preferably two) chapters of Newland - which has been sadly neglected of late.

I'd like to write a new short as well at some point. Wamphyri was my last original short and that was written back in August. I'm going to go and find the goals I set out at the beginning of the year and see where I'm at...

Productive Night

It's been a busy day at work, or at least there's been plenty for me to think about in regards to work, which has kept me away from writing anything other than occasional blog post.

Add to that building pressure with approaching deadlines, and this evening's relief will explain itself.

The decision on Lance Armstrong's involvement in the Tour Down Under was finalised today which allowed me to finish my article for SA50s+. This was due by mid next week, but without the decision I didn't know which one of three articles on the Tour I was going to submit. This issue may be going to the editor by mid next week, but it doesn't hit the streets till November. If the decision hadn't been finalised now, I would have had to submit a much weaker article hedging my bets. Not good. The article I've written makes sense and flows naturally from Lance, his crusade, his return, and then the event. It's not bad at all even if I do say so myself. Hopefully the editor likes it as well.

Next, I finished my review of Darren Shan's Demon Apocalypse for Black. The book was so easy a read, it never made it onto my "currently reading" list. It wasn't until after I'd finished that my assumptions were proven correct and it was a book for the young adult market. Which is cool because I wanted to research what was selling in that area anyway. You'll have to either buy Black or wait for a month or so to find out what I thought about it.

Over the next three days, I have to arrange photos for an article, read two books and write the reviews, contact the focus of another article which is also an assignment (which is a week overdue because of things outside of my control), and then hopefully finish and submit the overdue assignment (a 1000 word article).

With any luck, tomorrow I'll get back my last assignment with instructions on submitting Wamphyri. Either it'll go in for comment, or be submitted as the final assignment, within the next week. that will leave only one assignment to do for that module - which is due to be done in the coming week. Unfortunately, there's still three assignments still to be done in the other module on top of the overdue assignment. Think I may have to pull out a digit on those very soon. Mr Stone has already said he would support an application for an extension, but why would I want to work any closer to Xmas than I have to? A little discipline and lack of sleep now will gain me benefits later.

I haven't played golf at all tonight! Yep - I've been that addicted over the last few weeks that I had to mention that as a quantifier.

Time to hit the sack so I'm fully refreshed and recharged for the workload ahead.

No acceptances or rejections today. Normal programming has resumed.

Good luck with your submissions.

BT

Still Here

I'm still getting going after the enforced break. I finally polished and printed the assignment I finished, and today sent it off in the mail. I'm still trying to give birth to the other assignment. I have a few ideas floating around in my head but nothing is bubbling to the surface. I think I'll just need to sit down and bang out a few ideas.

Congratulations to Amy on another sale. I'll provide a link to it when it becomes available.

What else have I been doing - nothing - well, I've played a lot of Tiger Woods '09 golf game on the Wii...it was a Father's Day present and I'm enjoying the hell out of it. At least it's some exercise...

Okay, I know I've been procrastinating a bit lately for all sorts of reasons. I've pretty much written this week off and will start again in earnest soon.

Black magazine issue 2 should be hitting your newsagent shelves any day now so keep an eye out. I received my contributors copy and it's excellent, well worth the small sum at your local outlet.

No comments on yesterday's question is disappointing. Honestly, new writers want to know how much everyone else writes. How much do you produce, on average, per month or over a yearly period? Seriously.

Too Late the Rain took me 12 months to get it to it's current state and that's just a short story. It took me six months to write the first draft of Tiger's Eye. It would take me another six months to get it to a reasonable level of readability - it really was the horrible first effort most writers won't admit to.

I wrote 14 stories in 3 months last year (2007). I'm still working on getting them to a marketable level while writing new stuff. Idolatry, Dark Rose, Grimoire, Winged Shepherd, Mobile, and Wamphyri have all been written (or completed) this year. 6 stories in 9 months. Plus I've written the first draft of the first 5 chapters of Newland (all equivalent to the length of short stories). On top of that, I've done 13 assignments, 4 articles, and 20+ reviews.

So 48 items in less than 40 weeks (I think), and in my opinion, that's pushing it way too hard. I've enjoyed not worrying about things this week if I'm really honest. So I'm not going to push it so hard from now on. If sales come, then they come. Wamphyri is just about done so I can concentrate more on Newland and on my assignments. I think I'll be looking at doing only three or four nights a week at the computer. I'll read as much as I have been because that's simply good, I get paid for some of my reviews, and it helps improve my own writing.

But I'll still be blogging and I'll still be trying to help out at AHWA where I can. I'll also be there for my writer friends whenever they need me to read something of theirs.

It's been a long and physically/mentally tiring, but it's also allowed me to realise that killing myself isn't going to get my writing to the top any quicker. Hard work and perseverance is the requirement to gain any measure of success in this industry and I'll still be doing that, but I'll be trying to do it without neglecting anything else. Writers need to live--where else do we get the inspiration for our art...

So, how much do you write?

And good luck with your submissions.

BT

Reviews Done & Positive Feedback

The two reviews for the next issue of Black magazine have been done and sent off. I finished reading Voodoo Doll by Dr Leah Giarrantano only half an hour ago, sent the finished reviews less than 10 minutes ago.

If you want the early heads up on whether I thought them any good and worthwhile spending your hard earned on, then be sure to get your copy of Black Issue #2 (Hint: Go buy them!--too subtle??)

I've also received the feedback from my independent reader: he really enjoyed Too Late the Rain, Winged Shepherd, Mobile and Dark Rose - particularly liked Dark Rose.

So it's nice to gain some validation from an avid reader of a vast number of books, although I still have misgivings about Rose, but why aren't they selling? What am I missing? Am I targeting the wrong markets?

It's hard to stay positive when I see others selling their work with apparent ease. Then I found this. It's important information that all aspiring writers should keep close to their heart. My stuff may not be selling as quickly just yet but that's only because I haven't found the right market for it yet. It is good, it's just not to everyones tastes. The reaction I've had from a wide cross section of readers (some writers, some not) should have clued me in on that to start with. It takes me a while but eventually the penny drops.

So I'll keep an eye open for the right markets for my current work and keep on submitting. They'll find a home eventually.

With the reviews out of the way, I can relax my reading a little - not too much as I still have four books to review for HorrorScope and a couple that have been sitting around waiting for me to get to them but keep getting pushed back. Tomorrow night I want to look at my next assignment, and I still need to do some more writing on Newland.

My plan would be: Tuesday - Newland; Wednesday - Assignment; Thursday - Wamphyri; Friday - Double check assignment before attending festival launch party.

Obviously still plenty on and more besides. Will someone let me know when they discover the 38 hour day--I could use that.

Getting late, time for bed.

Good luck with your writing.

BT

Assignment Results

I've received gradings on my first two assignments for semester 2. An A and a B+, an excellent start with some extremely encouraging comments.

Before the semester began, I contacted administration to find out the names of the lecturers I was submitting to this time round so I didn't make the same mistakes as last time. Somehow I got it wrong again. Very annoying. I addressed the assignments to the lecturer I was told to and they still come back with the name crossed out and a new name penned in, in red ink. Very hard to look like a professional when you're given incorrect information :(

My review books also arrived today. I've already done read one as it came on a CD rather than in print. It was a very different way to read some excellent stories. You'll have to buy the next issue of Black magazine to see my thoughts on it any time soon though.

I have one other book to read and review before next week. I also have four other books to review for HorrorScope. Plenty of reading ahead.

My wife checked over Too Late the Rain and found two typos. I was mortified. I've sent this out and now I know it has two mistakes in it. Not very professional. One should have been picked up by the spell checker but wasn't because the first few words it recognises are misspelled on purpose, part of dialogue. I'm used to this so I just skipped through it, only half paying attention. The second wasn't picked up because it wasn't spelled incorrectly, it was the wrong word. Because I've read this story so many times, my brain automatically inserted what should have been there.

These are two common mistakes, very amateur mistakes, that I won't be making again. Everything now needs to go through a beta reader or crit group. Everything needs to sit for a day or two before being sent anywhere.

Looking at things with a fresh POV, or having others look at your work is invaluable. Skip this step at your peril.

Good luck with your your writing.

BT

First Time

First time I've been behind on my doing critiques for my writing group ;)

There has been a sudden surge of work from fellow members. Five items waiting for me to critique. It looked kind of bad on the participation page with a blank column under my name apart from a n/a against my own submission. So I made a mends. Today I critiqued three of them and read the other two. Now I've checked back and find another one has been added. Three down and three to go.

Got some more of Clive Barker's "Books of Blood Volumes 1-3" read tonight. It's taking me forever to get through it as I keep sidetracking myself. It's a great book.

I've finished reading Black from cover to cover and need to finish the review.

I also need to seriously start drafting up my articles for the next issue of SA50s+. I finished another assignment but I'm still waiting for the last issue of SA50s+ so I can clip my article from it to send into my lecturer.

I need to update the markets page with stuff from the UK market guide and I need to start on the competitions page.

I found out on my return to work, that very little of what I asked to be done actually happened. So I wrote up a list similar to the one I've just done in the paragraphs above only this time it is for my real job, not writing. Unfortunately it's nearly five times as long.

Time to get stuck in tomorrow and get work back on an even keel.

So lots to do and still nobody has added the extra time I need in a day. If someone does invent a time machine, I'll have to buy shares in the company.

No answers on market submissions today and no time to work anymore tonight.

I'll speak to you tomorrow.

All the best

BT

My Limit

Unfortunately my family has found the limit of my Internet broadband allowance. This in itself is amazing as it's pretty big but a little unchecked downloading and bang--she's all over. This means I'm going to have to do a lot of what I currently do at home, during my lunch breaks at work or during other down times until the 6th of August when my limit returns to normal.

This has resulted in me having a couple of strange days of little or no work on the 'Net.

Today I've used the time to carefully read through the entire Issue 1 of Black magazine. There is some really good stuff in it. There is some stuff not exactly up my alley and some great fiction. Pretty much what you'd expect from a magazine about all of Australian dark culture, not just horror writing. I'm in the process of writing up a review of it all which will be published on my website. I was going to publish it on HorrorScope but I think it'll be too big to fit into the 1000 word limit and it's not going to be 100% complimentary. It's missing some bits that it should have had in regards to the features contained and there are some unnecessary typos which should have been found in the editing process - Stephen King's first name is not spelled with an "8".

But regardless of the small short falls, it is a brilliant first issue. The features are informative and the fiction is riveting. The reviews are interesting although they tend toward the positive in many instances--they can't all be good, can they? I'll post a link to the full review when I'm done with it.

The UK version of Writer's Marketplace arrived yesterday. 10 days or so after ordering from the UK--can't really complain about that. It has also alerted me to a new resource all writers need to be aware of. The Writers Market Website is a free to register, searchable market database. For Australian writers, and others with similar currency exchange rates, this could be a very lucrative find. I advise everyone to go and register and use it in their search for suitable markets. I'll be combing through it soon to add all the horror markets of note and in my competition page that I'll be working on soon.

Back to work tomorrow. Back to my real job that is. Not really looking forward to it. I've been there now for 8 years and 3 months. Still 21 months to go before I'm eligible for long service leave. That's three months of paid leave which I'd be using to find a new job or to write or both.

By the time it comes up, I'll also be halfway through my diploma, so I should have an idea if I have a real future in this industry. I'd like to think so but until I start to gain some real success, opinion's still out.

Time I got back to reading. I'll be posting future updates from work until my Internet access returns to normal in August.

Speak to you tomorrow.

Nothing but good thoughts from me to you in regards to your writing endeavours.

BT

Review: Infected

I've posted my long version review of Scott Sigler's Infected on HorrorScope.

Go here to see what I thought. A shorter version was published in Black, Australia's magazine on dark culture.

If you haven't brought a copy of the mag, or better yet purchased your subscription, you really should do yourself a favour and treat yourself. It is very good.

Hellovaweekend

That's Australian for "Hell of a weekend" - I am totally knacked and in desperate need of shut eye (Aussie for "very tired and need sleep").

When did I last blog and what did I blog about? Talk amongst yourselves while I quickly refresh my memory...Ah yes. The diplomas still haven't gone out. We got up way too early to be thinking coherently this morning and rushed out without them. I'll have them in the mail tomorrow.

Today my better half and my youngest child accompanied me on a research trip. 235km round trip to a little seaside town called Victor Harbor. I'll do a writeup of the trip tomorrow. We walked all over the local island called Granite Island which is a fair walk--especially when we contended with a strong south-south-westerly blowing in off the Great Southern Ocean. It was cold, windy and great fun. I took a heap of photos (some I'll post tomorrow) and we spent some quality time touring through the local museum (where I found copies of the first issue of SA50s+ - unbelievable buzz to see my article on the back page, out in public, for all the world to see).

We then spent some considerable time in the local library which has a good reference section on local history. I confirmed a lot of what I'd already read and interestingly found discrepancies between some of the "facts" I'd read about in other sources. Even history can be vague it seems so me adding some fiction into a real setting but using fictitious characters shouldn't be too hard. Unfortunately we didn't get to all the sites I wanted to and we didn't find answers to all my questions. Some I'm guessing will have to be improvised by me but some will just take additional digging.

The main major questions I had were answered though so the writing can continue and I found out some important facts that need to be added to the first chapter to keep the authenticity.

Tomorrow my plan is to eat breakfast, feed the dog, shower and dress--too much information?? I will then proceed to the post office and send off the assignments. On returning I will finish the market work I've been doing by finding the last four markets required and filling in any missing bits of information. Then I shall blog about today's research trip in more detail and with photos.

Then lunch.

Then writing while the washing is on.

Hopefully it will be a very industrious day.

At some stage the mail will arrive and with it, hopefully some of market books I've ordered and my copy of Black magazine. My sister works in a newsagent so I already have one copy so I've done a quick skim through and the mag is brilliant. I strongly suggest you go out and buy it if you live in Australia or subscribe and have it sent to you if you live anywhere else.

Also hopefully tomorrow, my inbox will fill with offers to buy my work. Have to keep thinking positively.

That's it for me for now. I'm exhausted and need to get some rest.

Good luck with everything you do.

BT

Slow Day

Last night, I didn't get a lot done.

I managed to critique a new story for The Teacher and posted Winged Shepherd up to TPN. I received a crit back from a TPN member on Mobile which picked up something no-one else had.

And I did a lot of reading for next semester. I've already done a draft of the first assignment and have done an outline for the first assignment of the second module. I've also read the first four sections of the first module.

Writing Fiction 1 is all about the writing of short stories. For this module I am to write a short story to the point of having it ready for publication. The formulation of this story is to take place over the whole semester.

It normally takes me two months to write it and have it revised, including passing a few times through different critique and feedback avenues. Not sure how I'm going to stretch that out to nearly six months.

There are other assignments that take place during that time as well as the other module - Writing Articles for Publication. I've emailed my lecturer, Mr Jonathon Stone, to ensure I can use my spot on SA50s+ during this module. I can't see why I can't use the publication as my target market. True, no other first year student would be able to as they don't accept freelance submissions but the editor has mentioned that she'd be interested to see anything else I have to offer. Does this potentially give me an unfair advantage - yes - but that's not my fault.

We'll see what Mr Stone has to say.

Lastly - if you're not yet aware Black Magazine has now been announced. It will hit the news stands next month. Subscriptions are available from the website.

I strongly urge all writers of the dark side and anyone else who has a passing interest in it, to get their subscription orders in now. Very cool magazine.

Well that's about it for now. I'll no doubt have more to add tonight but I thought it important to add the update I should have done last night.

Sorry about the delay.

Good luck with your submissions.

BT