tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936155110159833978.comments2023-03-29T06:07:15.424-07:00Muse MusingsJoe Romelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16059002667037520395noreply@blogger.comBlogger199125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936155110159833978.post-33476012169983590442011-11-30T07:40:22.998-08:002011-11-30T07:40:22.998-08:00"Ur" cries for the need to be punished, ..."Ur" cries for the need to be punished, never published!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936155110159833978.post-18758845732603829312011-11-28T04:54:02.010-08:002011-11-28T04:54:02.010-08:00Published. Punished. Same thing.Published. Punished. Same thing.Simon Kewinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11537163555998763769noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936155110159833978.post-49912023823816748662011-11-22T10:32:43.500-08:002011-11-22T10:32:43.500-08:00Thanks guys. This was a tough one. The close ones ...Thanks guys. This was a tough one. The close ones always are. At least I feel like I'm making progress.Joe Romelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16059002667037520395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936155110159833978.post-21066623401865358122011-11-22T03:21:01.921-08:002011-11-22T03:21:01.921-08:00Yeah, what Milo said. Don't give up! Most like...Yeah, what Milo said. Don't give up! Most likely you were just a hairsbreadth from being accepted and some small or random thing - maybe even how the editor was feeling at the time - made the difference. Just keep on getting out there.Simon Kewinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11537163555998763769noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936155110159833978.post-33723242512314346612011-11-21T17:20:26.129-08:002011-11-21T17:20:26.129-08:00Keep on keepin' on, bro. "Never give up, ...Keep on keepin' on, bro. "Never give up, never surrender!" - <i>Galaxy Quest</i>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936155110159833978.post-36265873080908610492011-11-21T14:55:12.284-08:002011-11-21T14:55:12.284-08:00Truth. Thanks, Deb.Truth. Thanks, Deb.Joe Romelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16059002667037520395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936155110159833978.post-44619742975264973342011-11-21T09:47:51.093-08:002011-11-21T09:47:51.093-08:00Ah,man. At least you know you're punching at t...Ah,man. At least you know you're punching at the right weight.Deborah Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10120928766455872439noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936155110159833978.post-71974489214563063032011-11-17T14:23:09.674-08:002011-11-17T14:23:09.674-08:00Hi Joe,
Still interested in a spot of beta readin...Hi Joe,<br /><br />Still interested in a spot of beta reading? If so, I can email stuff over - but I don't see your address anywhere. Mine is on my <a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/11537163555998763769" rel="nofollow">profile</a>. No pressure and no worries if it's not convenient ...Simon Kewinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11537163555998763769noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936155110159833978.post-44374630286247299382011-11-07T14:00:57.518-08:002011-11-07T14:00:57.518-08:00Thanks, Milo!Thanks, Milo!Joe Romelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16059002667037520395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936155110159833978.post-39748152099430625682011-11-07T07:17:22.049-08:002011-11-07T07:17:22.049-08:00Way to go, Joe! Fingers, toes and eyes crossed for...Way to go, Joe! Fingers, toes and eyes crossed for you.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936155110159833978.post-85584751680800695192011-11-06T12:48:27.571-08:002011-11-06T12:48:27.571-08:00Deb: Haha. I should have known better than trying ...Deb: Haha. I should have known better than trying to sneak one past yous guys. Thanks for the kind words. Oh by the way, I read "Ovoids" last night and loved it! I'll post on your blog in a sec.<br /><br />Simon: Thanks! I'm excited about it. Not only is a great way to exercise my sports-angst, but I think my literary background gives me a leg-up on other writers. <br /><br />And yes, I will have to write a story about a superstitious atheist. <br /><br />Lydia: Hi! And thanks!<br /><br />Cate: Thanks! I'm going to need it!Joe Romelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16059002667037520395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936155110159833978.post-2433647807995383962011-11-06T11:16:45.589-08:002011-11-06T11:16:45.589-08:00Good luck, JoeGood luck, JoeCate Gardnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05634397106201021055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936155110159833978.post-10976847648710061802011-11-06T05:53:05.444-08:002011-11-06T05:53:05.444-08:00Hi Joe!
Good luck with your sub :)Hi Joe!<br /><br />Good luck with your sub :)Lydia Grayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12156550742845287244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936155110159833978.post-21935589439699597462011-11-06T03:11:20.118-08:002011-11-06T03:11:20.118-08:00Joe - best of luck with the sports writing; it sou...Joe - best of luck with the sports writing; it sounds like a great way to go about it to me. And best of luck with that shortlisting too - exciting times!<br /><br />There's definitely some mileage in a superstitious atheist character, no?Simon Kewinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11537163555998763769noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936155110159833978.post-41411529705419893022011-11-06T01:53:50.088-07:002011-11-06T01:53:50.088-07:00Aha. I recognise the publications from the letter....Aha. I recognise the publications from the letter. Good luck, Joe. In any case you have the satisfaction of knowing that you're writing at a very high level.Deborah Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10120928766455872439noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936155110159833978.post-50185810962210850752011-10-05T16:51:23.363-07:002011-10-05T16:51:23.363-07:00Deb! Awesome! Glad I could help!Deb! Awesome! Glad I could help!Joe Romelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16059002667037520395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936155110159833978.post-52152509780280941312011-10-05T09:36:12.931-07:002011-10-05T09:36:12.931-07:00Look at me, Joe. I'm posting! Posting, I tells...Look at me, Joe. I'm posting! Posting, I tells ya. All thanks to you.Deborah Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10120928766455872439noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936155110159833978.post-55552535882674011242011-10-05T09:35:36.593-07:002011-10-05T09:35:36.593-07:00I think this could be good. I'm often more ena...I think this could be good. I'm often more enamoured of the idea than the execution.Deborah Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10120928766455872439noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936155110159833978.post-20156815959026264572011-10-04T16:46:27.784-07:002011-10-04T16:46:27.784-07:00@Simon: I totally understand. I think that's p...@Simon: I totally understand. I think that's probably the healthiest way to look at it, and keeps neurotic messes like me from "fixing" stories every time they come back from a market. <br /><br />But I honestly don't think tweaking is necessarily what I'm talking about here. I'm talking a total rewrite independent from the original manuscript, as if I said to you, "Okay Simon, sit down and write 'Museum Beetles' from scratch." <br /><br />@Milo: I know what you mean, and I don't think you're alone in that. Especially in genre fiction, whenever I read a reprint anthology, it seems (this may not always be the case) that there's at least one story in it that is an expanded/improved/changed-in-some-way version of the story that appeared in the original market. <br /><br />And yeah, I'm averse to indulgence in literature as well. There's something noble about cutting your work down to its barest form. Not for its own sake, of course, but because tighter is just better. When a writer decides to add to a story--unless expanding it to a novel or something, which I think is a different form entirely--it's inevitable that they're going to lose what made their story work in the first place. Subtraction by addition, I guess. <br /><br />But I guess it isn't ALWAYS true. Just mostly true.Joe Romelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16059002667037520395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936155110159833978.post-19328862390556818092011-10-03T08:31:30.221-07:002011-10-03T08:31:30.221-07:00I think we can tweak our work to death -- and neve...I think we can tweak our work to death -- and never be content. At the same time, however, I do revise my work before subbing it out as a reprint. I can always make it better.<br /><br />Regarding Mr. King's <i>The Stand</i>, I found his extended edition to be an arduous read. Tighter is often better, I've found. I really cringe at some of my earlier wordier work!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936155110159833978.post-82379861723424969432011-10-03T05:07:56.772-07:002011-10-03T05:07:56.772-07:00I certainly understand the urge, but I try to igno...I certainly understand the urge, but I try to ignore it! I can't help tweaking a little every time I read something old but I've too much new stuff to write without getting bogged down in old stuff.<br /><br />To some extent, an old story is what it is; a product of me then. I'd write it differently now, maybe, but it stands as a record of the old me. Does that make sense?Simon Kewinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11537163555998763769noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936155110159833978.post-80238084227825134792011-09-27T15:14:02.175-07:002011-09-27T15:14:02.175-07:00Stinks, mos def. But now you can sub it around as ...Stinks, mos def. But now you can sub it around as a reprint. (I've had to do the same with recent <i>Flash Me Magazine</i> and <i>Linger Fiction</i> pubs.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936155110159833978.post-58387435330242799942011-09-19T14:53:38.263-07:002011-09-19T14:53:38.263-07:00Haha! I should have them make a plaque: "JOE ...Haha! I should have them make a plaque: "JOE WUZ HERE; SIMON WUZINT"Joe Romelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16059002667037520395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936155110159833978.post-4830255957595523202011-09-19T10:07:37.617-07:002011-09-19T10:07:37.617-07:00Yep, I got that email too. Great shame. If it'...Yep, I got that email too. Great shame. If it's any consolation, it means they'll never consider my submission to them - so you've done better than me!Simon Kewinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11537163555998763769noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936155110159833978.post-25897899350695944302011-09-18T07:51:19.760-07:002011-09-18T07:51:19.760-07:00Thanks so much, Simon! And now you never have to k...Thanks so much, Simon! And now you never have to know what a purple nurple is!Joe Romelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16059002667037520395noreply@blogger.com