Writing for the Love

I'm happy to report an acceptance from a paying market! "A Black Gaping Hole" will appear in Aoife's Kiss , a science fiction and fantasy magazine, in March 2013. The science fiction story follows Lt. Erin Waite and her team into the depths of an alien-made cave where they encounter something unexpected. I want to share what happened in the process of receiving this acceptance as it might encourage others. I have received so many rejections before this that I kept wondering if or when I would get an acceptance. As a writer pursuing publication, I know it can take a long time. Persistence is key. When I first submitted a story to Aoife's Kiss, I received a rejection from the editor with the reasons why (!) and an encouraging word about how the writing was "verrry good." What a boost, even in the midst of rejection. I was determined to try again with that magazine because of the candor and kindness of the editor. As many writers know, it's not o...

On Tuesday, I technically finished my novel, Sprinter . I still have editing to do over the next eight days for my pitch at the FWA Conference, but I'm very excited to finally have the story done. The editing will involve tightening up sentences, making sure I don't have loose ends that I left unresolved, and grammar checks. The story as it is will not likely change unless, in the future, an editor/agent/publisher who wants the book recommends it. I'd like to think I'm open to an editor's judgment. I have had the vision of the entire novel in my head for about two and a half years now. When it first came to me, I created a broad outline detailing beginning, middle and end. With the novel complete, I am happy with how the story reads. The trick--will an agent agree? About the book...my pitch in a nutshell: A thirty-six year-old woman named Riley lives an angry and embittered existence fourteen years after Darlene Sprinter, her mother, is murdered at the...