True to form (and surprising myself a bit, actually), I finished "The Last of the B’s" today. It turned out a bit shorter than I had originally predicted (which will probably work to my advantage in the long run), but it was still one of my fastest executions. I got the idea for the story on Saturday, fleshed it out on Sunday, and spent the last three days writing it. Not too shabby. The fact that I actually like the finished product is an added bonus. I think a lot of people will dig this story, although the fanboys might crucify me for it. They’re not exactly known for their sense of humor.

"The Last of the B’s"

5,076 / 5,076 (100.0%)

The story is currently awaiting the gf’s critical review; she’s actually reading it right now, before Lost. I think when someone chooses your work over an entertaining TV show like Lost, you know you’re doing something right.

Tomorrow I’ll take her notes and work on the final draft. I expect to send it off on either Thursday night or Friday morning, leaving me with Friday, my day off, to get back to work on "Silver Falls."

Ahh, the system works.

• Currently reading: The Black Echo, by Michael Connelly

First, the news …

"The Last of the B’s"

4,108 / 6,000 (68.0%)

Started work on my submission to Paging Mr. Hitchcock today, and as you can see I am nearly done. I expect to finish it by tomorrow or Thursday, give it to Kathryn to read, and have the final version polished and ready to send off by Friday. Fortunately I have taken that day off, not necessarily so I can finish the story (though that is undoubtedly what I’ll be doing), but because it turns out I have 15 vacation days to use up before the end of the year.

Now if I only had the time to take them …

• Currently reading: The Black Echo, by Michael Connelly

Some potentially good news this morning from John Sunseri, the writer/editor who is putting together the anthology of which "Cabin D" is a part. He has found a pair of publishers who have shown some interest in the anthology, and he is in the process of forwarding them the stories for their consideration.

I am familiar with both of the publishing houses in question, one more so than the other, and I’m happy to report that they are both semi-professional presses with decent production values. This means that a) my story might actually get read by people outside the small press, and b) I might even get paid for it.

The main reason I tend to eschew the small press is because the readership is small (hence the name, I guess) and is mostly composed of other writers/editors in the small press. There aren’t a lot of people who come just for the stories without some agenda of their own.

Having said that, I have a lot of hope for this book, and I commend John for drawing the attention of a pair of strong publishers. It could be the first step toward building an actual readership for ourselves.

So why the need for all the secrecy? Well, it’s sort of like the movie business in a way. Although it’s not exactly verboten to spill the details, it’s probably best to keep the specifics to myself, at least for the time being. I don’t want to queer any deal before the contracts are signed, and I don’t want to tempt fate on the eve of finding a potential publisher.

John is confident that one of the two houses will take the anthology, which is great news, and if both of them decide they want it … well, I guess we’ll have to negotiate terms. Something I never thought I’d be doing this early in the game. But I say bring it on, baby!

Either way it looks like "Cabin D" will see the light of day, and that’s the most important thing of all.

"Children abducted for demonic ritual"

It seems romance is dead after all.

Thanks to John Sunseri for giving me a heads-up about a new anthology opening for submissions soon. The book is going to be called Paging Mr. Hitchcock. Here are the guidelines from the website:

This book will allow contributors to display how film has shaped their work. Rather than paying homage to a specific film genre, we want authors to choose either a favourite director or a cinematic “style” or sub-genre (see below for suggestions) in order to reveal this. The idea is to demonstrate how different techniques of the camera might be captured, developed or even eschewed by prose. Show us the limitations and advantages of drawing upon the screen; be clever and inventive. Avoid pastiche or a simple conversion of themes, etc — push yourself, and fiction, into new expressionist quarters…

As I mentioned in the case of "Cabin D," I don’t usually write to order. It’s hard for me to come up with ideas for themed stories because, frankly, that’s just not how my imagination works. But sometimes it can be prodded like a tiger in a cage, and sometimes it will get up off its ass and jump through a few flaming hoops.

John seems to inspire this kind of activity, too, because about an hour after I visited the website and read the guidelines, I came up with an idea for a story. I was sitting on my couch, eating a sub and watching Near Dark on DVD, and boom! there it was (and no, it will not be about vampires, thank Christ).

As usual, the Muse comes in stomping his clumsy-ass feet at the most inopportune time. I’m about 80% through "Silver Falls," and I had planned to get back to Heroine and finish it before the new year. Doesn’t look like that’ll be happening now. Oh well. Thanks, John, and thanks, Muse, you’re doing a bang-up job.

Paging Mr. Hitchcock doesn’t open for submissions until December 1, so I’ve got a few days to get started. It’s a small-press project, so it’s going to pay next to nothing (if at all), but what the hell. They somehow got Ramsey Campbell to do the introduction, so someone outside of the small-press might actually end up reading this thing.

It’s all practice, baby.

• Currently reading: The Black Echo, by Michael Connelly

Received a very nice e-mail for another struggling horror writer who enjoys my website .His e-mail really made me smile (and laugh; it was very funny and well written), not because I was necessarily touched, although I appreciate the kind words, but rather because it is one of many I’ve been receiving the past few months from other writes who have discovered this website.

It’s strange because I’ve been keeping this journal since October of 2002, and for the past three years I’ve got almost no response. I’ve never minded that; I didn’t create this site to increase my circle of friends. But it is still hearteniing to know that people are stumbling upon it, somehow. I don’t promote it at all, I don’t make an effort to exchange links with other writers’ websites, and really, besides a freak-show collection of rejection letters, some photographs, and my writing journal, there just isn’t that much to see here. Not yet, anyway.

It’s flattering, but I’m not sure I deserve it. I mean, I’ve got almost 40 rejection letters and one acceptance (which has even been published yet), and it’s not as if I keep these things a secret. If anything, I flaunt it. But when these writers ask me for advice, I feel like a bit of an asshole. I mean, I have a lot of thoughts and opinions on the craft and on the business of publishing, but I’m still just a guy with 40 rejections and one acceptance. It’s never stopped me from flapping my gums (or my fingers, in this case), but I always feel a bit undeserving.

I still believe I will be a successful novelist one day. It’s just a bit weird to have people saying nice things or asking my advice when I’ve only barely started along that path. That doesn’t mean I want it to stop. Every writer, struggling or successful, is a compliment whore, and I’m no exception. I just hope my work continues to get better, that I receive more acceptances, and that I don’t disappoint anyone.

• Currently reading: The Black Echo, by Michael Connelly

It happened today. I wrote another two thousand words and crossed the first threshold, that of the short story, into the Land of the Novella. A barren, desolate place, infrequently visited, but home to some very fine stories. I’m thinking of The Mist, by Stephen King; Mrs. God, by Peter Straub; Walking Around Money, by Donald Westlake; and so many others. Novellas can be a truly great medium. They require a bit more of a commitment than a short story, but not as much as that of a novel. Reading a good novella is like going on a really great date with someone who you know isn’t right for you in the long run. It’s dinner, conversation, maybe a peck on the cheek before you say goodnight, and that’s all. A really great time.

"Silver Falls"

10,773 / 15,000 (72.0%)

That’s how I would describe "Silver Falls" – a really great time. It’s about a small town with secrets, not unlike other stories about small towns, or even those you’ve undoubtedly visited yourself, but I’ve tried to put a different spin on it. This novella, which will be the first in a series of stories set in the town, is about secrets that come to the town, as opposed to revealing those that are already there. This is not Peyton Place or even ‘Salem’s Lot, both fine books, to be sure, but a story about what one person (or in this case, three) will do for the simple love of the place they call home when that place is threatened. It’s not so much about that thing politicians call "town pride" as it is about town love, as stupid and saccharine as that phrase may sound.

Speaking of love, I have to mention how unexpectedly helpful I’ve found my new word-meter to be. I’ve never needed any sort of reminder or deadline in order to write. I do it because I love it, it’s as simple as that. But I have to say, seeing my progress in my journal every time I happen past the website is like a tap on the shoulder and a curt voice saying Oh, Ian! According to your update three days ago, you finished seven thousand words of a ten-thousand-word story. That’s really great, but what I wonder is, um, if you could maybe tell me … WHERE IN THE NAME OF JUMPED-UP JESUS ARE THE OTHER THREE THOUSAND WORDS?! You think they’re just going to materialize out of the air?! Here’s an idea, why don’t you sit down and write a story about a writer who clearly doesn’t want it bad enough to write a measly three thousand words! Why, you’d be writing from experience, wouldn’t you? WOULDN’T YOU?!

Yes, my muse has some anger-control issues, and he really shouldn’t be operating any heavy machinery (such as a word-meter), but I have to work with what I have. And despite his grumbling, he and the word-meter actually do help me in my writing. It’s not so much about discipline as it is adhering to a regular schedule and the word-meter is like my alarm clock. Sans snooze button, of course.

• Currently reading: The Black Echo, by Michael Connelly

Early update tonight. Lost is on, and I can’t wait to see the smackdown between Sayid and Ana-Lucia. Ana’s tough, but Sayid is ex-military and full of rich and hearty murderous rage. God bless November sweeps.

Sent "Leaves Brown" off to Challenging Destiny today. Also wrote another couple thousand words on my new short story, which is in danger of turning into a not-so-short novella.

"Silver Falls"

8,488 / 10,000 (85.0%)

85% sounds impressively close to completion, but I’ve got a feeling the scope of the story is only going to increase, and I will have to bump up the old word-meter accordingly. I’m thinking it’ll end up clocking in somewhere between 12,000-15,000 words. In other words, somewhere in the no-man’s land that is the novella. The second installment in the series, "That Paranormal Girl of Mine," should be reasonably shorter.

I hope.

• Currently reading: The Black Echo, by Michael Connelly