Aaron Polson's Blog, page 75

Limbo

...not the fun dance-party game, either.

I'm writing about "short list" limbo. Two pieces of mine are currently floating with the other undead souls in short list purgatory. I'm eager for both to make the proverbial "cut" and slip through the pearly gates of publication, but short list limbo has damned a good many stories in the past. I've seen a few of my own favorite creations fall in the name of "hey, but at least it made the short list."

Would I rather not know the stories were short list

Why We Decided to Use a Blender

(this one isn't for the kids)

Jack wipes sweat from his forehead with the back of his arm. "You ever read that Poe story?"

I look up, but my hands keep working. "Which one? The guy wrote tons of stuff."

"The one with the old guy." Jack thrusts deeper with the knife.

A spurt of crimson strikes my apron and I flinch. "Be careful, damnit."

"So, have you read that one?"

"Jack, there's a couple with old guys." My knees are tired from kneeling on the tile, but the job is almost finished.

Jack stops. He looks

WIP Wednesday: The Small Press Edition

So, I changed my direction entirely. As of last Wednesday, I'd started (rather tepidly) a manuscript called The Neither.

Well, I'm now 8K words into a totally different book, this one a riff on Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, only involving elements of horror and steampunk in the Pacific Northwest of the U.S. around 1880. Think clockwork zombies. I'm calling it Loathsome Dark and Deep for now.

Is this book very commercial? Doubt it. I'm actually writing this with small presses in mind. Niche m

They Warned Me This Would Happen...

I have a short up at Every Day Fiction today. "Inked" is a different kind of story, and the editors warned me that some readers wouldn't like it because of the vague nature of the tale. A few have already left comments to that direction, one fairly nasty. I love EDF because they accept all sorts of flash. I loathe reading the comments from some of the peanut gallery, though.

Personally, I think the story tells it all. You be the judge.

I'll post my WIP Wednesday later. Promise.

When I Pay for Advice...

...it means I have some serious respect for the author(s)/editor(s).

Which brings me to this guy. Have I read anything by Mr. Parnell? Um, hell-no (except for his b.s. laden website). Bestselling? Right.

The word "easy" doesn't belong to any book about writing (or becoming rich, for that matter). Nothing about writing is "easy", except maybe taking money from poor schmucks who want like anything to be published--those who want it so bad, they'll make the mistake of coughing up dough to a charlatan

Accidents are Fun

Some of them, anyway. I won't mention the 2nd degree burns on my left leg. For the past seven years, we've gone to my friend's house south of Wichita, KS to celebrate the 4th of July. Seven years ago, it was only six adults. Now, we collectively have eight kids.

Anyway, my buddy Aaron (yes, he is why I'm "the other Aaron") likes to do little tricks with fireworks. Accidents happen sometimes...



Have a great week.

Remember This:

(this was supposed to go out yesterday..."scheduled post" my @$$)

I'm not the most patriotic guy, but this means something.

Friday Flash Two-fer

I could let my short-short, "The Long Contract" over at Everyday Weirdness stand in for Friday Flash, but, with the 4th of July tomorrow, I couldn't help offering this little ditty:


"The Bet"

Ben says the the fuse is waterproof.

I take the bet. He swallows sparks, and the color burns from his face.

After a dull thump, his mouth opens, blood sputters out, and he mutters, "You owe me," before collasping.


(remember kids, place on ground, light fuse, and get away)

WIP Wednesday. I Slack.

Before I start, check out "Everything in its Place" at 10Flash --a new online magazine of flash fiction. (It will soften the blow when I reveal the pathetic nature of my WIP...)

Okay, I'm joining the WIP Wednesday club.

My WIP? Um...

I did put together a site dedicated to all the freebies I've posted. Free is something I can really support. Free is the new cheap. Check out Dark Flotsam for audio, video, and free fiction. I've posted a new story, "Empty", that had originally appeared in Candlelight,

Two AM Logic

As a writer (hack, if you will), I know suspension of disbelief is vital if I'm going to take the reader on any kind of a journey. When I wear my "reader" costume, I've been known to put a book/story/what-have-you down when the writer violated that sacred trust.

Okay, so here are the problems my brain cooks up at two in the morning (insomnia, anyone?):

1. Why don't zombies eat each other? They obviously don't care that much about sanitation (just look at them) and are pretty indiscriminate about w