Dale’s Comments (group member since Sep 15, 2017)

Dale’s comments from the Navigating Indieworld Discussing All Things Indie group.

Sam (Rescue Dog Mom, Writer, Hugger) wrote: "Help, please. I'm writing an article and it's getting out of hand. I could split it into 2 stories and relate them to each other, but I thought I read somewhere you don't get paid for writing a ser..."

Like Erica said. The Series on Medium seems to be some kind of strange creature that apparently was based on the Snapchat idea (which I know zero about). You create "cards" which seem to be designed mostly for mobile display, and readers get an update when you add cards to the series. But the cards themselves don't seem to be set up to display articles of any length.

I've seen people use them for collections of links to regular articles, which I don't think was the actual intent. I assume the articles earn money, even though the series itself doesn't. Others have put together collections of cards with images and cutesy bits of text that you can flip through.

I suspect the series was somebody's idea for something profound that didn't exactly work out that way. :-P

For the first time in something like 20 years, I've submitted a short story to Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine. My wife and I think it's a pretty good story. I'll let you know what happens.

The Fibonacci Murders (Howard County Mystery #1) by Dale E. Lehman:

First I must state two things: I am a mathematician, and I am not crazy. I mention the first because it alone explains my involvement in the events that recently took place in Howard County, Maryland. Otherwise, I would have had no connection to them whatsoever and would have been spared injury.

True Death (Howard County Mystery #2) by Dale E. Lehman:

The run cut into the base of the mountain, twisting and
turning with the land, bubbling past old farms, past pine and
spruce and deciduous trees waking from winter slumber, gurgling
beneath small bridges on gravel roads, down past a mansion built
by some retired executive looking to get away from it all, down
through the gap between the mountain and its neighbor, down to
join with the river just south of Centerville. A paved road kept
the water company, winding through the mountains alongside
it. Where the run entered the gap, splashing over a series of rock
steps, an unpaved track slipped southward into the trees, climbed
the slope, and ended at a small, run-down shack.

Ice on the Bay (Howard County Mystery #3) by Dale E Lehman:

"I'm freezing, Harold."

His attention on the old house before them, Harold didn't answer his wife's complaint. Pale golden light leaked through gaps in the blinds covering the first-floor windows while the second floor slumbered in darkness.

I hope it works I hope it works I hope it works . . .

. . . and doesn't tie anyone in knots . . .

Would You Want To Know?

Much better! I would only suggest a few edits at this point:

A frantic chase ensues as Lilian and her friends are hunted down by a medical company whose executives aren't afraid to kidnap and torture. The teenagers realize in horror that they hold in their hands hands a strange new technology, a fusion of mind and computer which should have never been made. Unstable and unremovable, with the potential to kill its wearer, the artifact destroys their chance of a normal life.

This is just to tighten it up and make it a bit more intense. I still think you should put the name of the company in there (I assume it has one?). But other than that, I think you're in pretty good shape.

Carole wrote: "New article

https://medium.com/@caroleproman/bein..."

Clapped!

Thanks, Sam (and everyone else who read and clapped for my stories)!

Today's is also flash fiction, but not humor: The Mine. It was inspired by a current political issue, but not meant as a commentary on it. It's just a story about something I can see happening.

Thank you Erica and Carole!

Theodore wrote: "Should be there by September. I packed it in dry ice. "

Excellent, I'll try to remember to look for it. ;-)

Theodore wrote: "Thanks for the heads-up, Dale. Look's interesting. And Happy Birthday (early, in the event I forget (;>))"

You're quite welcome, and thank you! (But where's my cake and ice cream??)

More flash fiction today: Sunset. Enjoy!

(I'm starting to run low on these. I'll have to write a few other things, I guess . . .)

I received an announcement about a month ago about the next flash fiction contest at Brilliant Flash Fiction. The info is here. This contest has a September 15th deadline (my birthday, and plenty of time for writing a story). There are cash prizes for first, second, and third place.

The last competition I entered through them drew 180 international entries. Ted and I both made the "long list" cut, which put us in the top half. You have to make the "short list" cut for your story to be published on their site, which as I recall was the top 15 or so, but even making the "long list" gives you a few bragging rights.

I've submitted my entry today. Took me a while to come up with a story for it, because there is no prompt this time. Any unpublished fiction up to 300 words in length can be submitted. Good luck!

Another strategy might be to do nothing and let their automated conversion do the job. Then, if it all goes horribly wrong, all the affected authors can get together and file a class action lawsuit.

;-)

I joke about it because I've never used CS . . . but really, I do sympathize with all of you who have. It can't be a fun time for anyone.

Theodore wrote: "Dale wrote: "Theodore wrote: "If not handled EFFICIENTLY and TRANSPARENTLY (and I'm shouting here for a reason), it could be the Mother of all Disasters financially for Amazon this coming Christmas..."

From that perspective, I agree. There may be other issues, though. They might, for accounting purposes, want it all done before the end of the year. And if they've given the project sufficient time, then it probably won't make any significant difference. Not being an insider, I couldn't say, of course.

Clapped, Erica.

I've posted two new pieces today. The first, which is a bit on the long side, is not for money: God's Little Jokes. This is a story of my personal journey to the Baha'i Faith. It's not about religion, though. It's about my experience. I hope you enjoy it.

The second is a flash fiction piece, The Snow Man, in which I poke a little fun at Indies Unlimited staffer and photographer K. S. Brooks.

Joshua wrote: "I'm not sure if I'd want a kangaroo in my backyard; although there is a camel in Vermont."

I'd guess it probably doesn't want to be there. ;-)

Theodore wrote: "If not handled EFFICIENTLY and TRANSPARENTLY (and I'm shouting here for a reason), it could be the Mother of all Disasters financially for Amazon this coming Christmas."

Agreed. Being an IT professional, I'm confident in saying they will try to handle it efficiently and transparently. Whether or not it will work as planned is another story entirely. I've seen enough to know how dicey such mergers can be. Depending on the complexity of the conversion and the number of resources thrown at it, their timeline may be sufficient to get the job done, or sufficient to yield a disaster, or anything in between.

At the very least, CS users should expect some glitches. Then if it goes off without a hitch you can be pleasantly surprised, and if some glitches occur you won't get tied in knots. If it turns into a disaster, they will (one would hope) have a roll-back plan to put everything back as it was until they can reset and try again.

Clapped for Alex. Carole, I think I clapped for yours yesterday but the above link doesn't work, so I can't be sure.