Writing for the Love

In a world called Livinity... I'd rather not mention how long ago I started writing my epic fantasy trilogy.... cough, cough, since 2001, cough, hack ... Back then I had the idea that I was writing a single fantasy novel. It wasn't until Livinity won a First Place award in 2011 for Unpublished Fantasy novel that I decided to take the advice of agent Nicole Resciniti of the Seymour Agency and split the book into two. The single novel was too long, and agents like herself would have trouble placing it with a publisher. As I went about splitting up the completed novel, I realized that I had more to tell. That included adding scenes to the first and second books, and expanding the story to create enough content for a trilogy. It's taken a lot of time. Book One: Done I LOVE writing in this world. I spent a lot of time editing scenes to improve world-building, as that was a weak point in early drafts. When I completed the latest draft of Book One in the tri...

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...