August 8, 2009
The other day, I wrote about part of my life as a fiction writer, the phenomenon of “vanishing goodies.” I was talking about losing things that I think are a lock, such as a story sale or a promised check or a publishing deal. These are all harsh realities in every writer’s life, and we know to expect them…but we never enjoy them.
I should also write a bit about the converse of “vanishing goodies.” Just as goodies sometimes vanish, so too are they sometimes restored. Sometimes, things you thought were dead rise up and become a reality after all. These “restored goodies” help balance out the “vanishing goodies,” providing the occasional pleasant surprise to offset the unpleasant ones that come our way.
In my case, I made a short story sale a while ago but didn’t hear anything about it for a very long time. In fact, the editor who bought the story stopped returning my e-mails. And most ominous of all, the market’s website went down for a spell. All this added up to what I thought was a dead market and a defunct sale. I’ve been through it before and know the signs pretty well. However, wonder of wonders, the editor sent me a page proof two days ago! It appears my story will be published in late August/early September. So I guess it’s going to happen after all. Why the editor went so long without answering my e-mails, I’ll never know. Why the website was down will also remain a mystery. But I guess I’ll have one more publication credit in 2009, and that’s a good thing.
Just as this case seems to be resolving in a positive way, I’m waiting on two other similar sales to come to fruition. One has been on hold for four years; that’s right, four years! The other looked dead for sure, but the editor recently sent around e-mails claiming it’s coming back to life. Both these resurrected possibilities make me feel optimistic…but not too optimistic. I give each about a 50-50 chance of actually materializing. If someone keeps you waiting that long and fails repeatedly to respond to (infrequent and professional) e-mails, it just doesn’t inspire a ton of confidence.
But hope springs eternal, eh? Please keep a good thought that you’ll be able to read these stories I worked so hard to create for you. Because I really want you have the chance. That’s what it’s all about, eh?
Now for a travel photo! Since we’re back to talking so much about writing, here’s a shot from my recent string of workshops in Lincoln City, Oregon, studying under Dean Wesley Smith and Kristine Kathryn Rusch. What an incredible experience! (Dean and Kris have a new round of workshops starting up for next year, and you’d do well to check them out and see if you qualify!) This shot, from the beach at Lincoln City, includes my friends and fellow writers Marcelle Dube (from Yukon, Canada) and Karen Abrahamson (from British Columbia, Canada). Also Nixie, the pooch pal of Brenda Cooper, who snapped this shot. What a great group! Hope to see them all again soon! And I’ll see you again soon, too!
Lincoln City, Oregon, July 16, 2009
