31 January 2008

Surprisingly Essential First Page Contest

I heard about a contest over at agent Nathan Bransford's blog in which each contestant posts the first 500 words of their manuscript. Here is the excerpt I posted, from my (currently in revision) manuscript Friends in Deed:

Even in the depth of my nightmares, Lycus IV was a formidable hell. The scenery misled one to think of mighty grandeur. Lush green trees lined the banks. Sporadic cloud cover offered broken views of a pale blue mountain range.

This prison planet’s terror was not found in its natural surroundings, but from its unwilling inhabitants.

A wide, slow-moving river flowed in front of me over a deep bed of rocks. My filthy clothing was ripped and shredded, and left bloody skin exposed. I gazed back across the clear, inviting water.

A bellow filled the air and I turned to look. A pale, naked giant rumbled through the brush, still yelling at the top of his lungs. High above his head, he gripped his makeshift mallet, a boulder strapped into a forked tree branch. I jumped to the side as the weapon crashed down.

He stared with one wide eye and the other glazed over. Saliva dribbled from his lips.

“I am King of the wooded realm! You dare invade my territory?”

This wasn’t a fight I planned to stick around for. Psychotics were the worst type of violent.

He hoisted his club and swung it at me. I stumbled back and it came so close I felt the breeze. I turned toward the opposite bank and sprinted across the riverbed.

“Your punishment is death! Vengeance is demanded!”

I high-stepped through calf-deep water while the beast screamed bloody murder behind me. I dared not look back, because there was no doubt he gained on me with every step.

My foot caught a cluster of rocks under the surface and I splashed down, drenched by the cool, clear water. I flipped over and faced my attacker as he left me in a cold, dark shadow. Milky-white foam oozed over his lower lip.

“Prepare to meet your maker!”

He raised the mallet high above his head. At least death would be quick, but I couldn’t say much for painless. I closed my eyes and waited for the crushing blow.

A whistle filled the air and the giant beast gasped and choked. My eyes flashed open and the beast dropped his weapon into the river behind him.

Only one object stood between me and oblivion, a homemade arrow buried in his neck. He couldn’t pull it from the front, so reached back. His mind gave up hope as soon as his fingers probed the stone tip. The monster’s eyes rolled up into his head, then fell backwards.

The corpse splashed down and huge waves rolled past me. I scrambled around and gazed at the opposite bank. There, a bow in his left hand and more arrows strapped to his back, stood the man who’d just saved my life.

Elijah Cassus.

29 January 2008

Weekly Goals - January 29, 2008

A terrible week toward my goals...

The results:

1. Started the plotlines for two new short stories. Not completed.
2. Not even started.
3. About a third of the way finished.

And now the goals for this week:

1. Complete the first draft for two new short stories
2. Complete one chapter of Death Brings the Victory
3. Read T is for Trespass by Sue Grafton

In addition to my writing goals, I've decided to start putting up my submission status for the week:

Submitted short stories:
"Genesis" (since December 26)
"Entrapment" (since January 13)
"Redemption" (since January 26)
"No Good Deed" (since January 29)




26 January 2008

Success!!!


Just discovered that "Little White Truths" was a Top Ten finisher (#6, technically) in the 2007 P&E Reader's Poll. Thanks to everyone who voted, and check back often for more news on my 2008 publications...

22 January 2008

Weekly Goals - January 22, 2008

Work is beginning to pick up, and will probably do so for the next three months, so the success I've been having lately might be on the downturn. That being said, I've completed all of my planned goals for January...

From this past week:

1. Completed one chapter of Death Brings the Victory
2. Completed the final draft of "No Good Deed" and trying to figure out where to submit.

And now the (bonus) goals for this week:

1. Complete the plotlines for two new short stories
2. Complete one chapter of Death Brings the Victory
3. Read T is for Trespass by Sue Grafton




15 January 2008

Weekly Goals - January 15, 2008

Depression blows...

A little bit of success this week:

1. Completed one chapter of Death Brings the Victory
2. Completed the first draft of the Heroes Die Young screenplay
3. Completed the final draft of "Entrapment" and submitted (this wasn't on my goals for the week, but I figured it needed to be listed as an accomplishment)

And now the goals for this week:

1. Complete one chapter of Death Brings the Victory
2. Complete the final draft of "No Good Deed"




07 January 2008

Terrific News

On the heels of my first published short story, another of my stories has now been published over at Ray Gun Revival.

Be sure to check out "Ever Dark" in the latest issue (37). Just to let you know, someone at the magazine came up with that tag line listed in the magazine. They must not have liked mine (or I forgot to put one in...that happens sometimes)

And for those who didn't get a chance to check out the first story when it was out, "Little White Truths" is still available in the RGR archives, issue 33.

Weekly Goals - January 8, 2008

So I'm a day early...sue me. :-)
(Besides, I have exciting news to share that I want to keep at the top of the page)

Had some decent success this week:

1. Completed the first draft of my new short story "Entrapment"
2. Completed about three-quarters of the first draft screenplay adaptation of Heroes Die Young
3. Completed the plotline for my short story "No Good Deed" and the first draft as well

And now the goals for this week:

1. Complete two chapters of Death Brings the Victory
2. Complete the first draft screenplay adaptation of Heroes Die Young




01 January 2008

Weekly Goals - January 1, 2008

Happy New Year!!!

Had much better success this week:

1. Completed first draft of "Dead Man's Forge" (although it didn't seem like the story would ever end)
2. Completed final draft of "Redemption" and submitted it to a major print publisher. We'll see how that turns out.
3. Completed one chapter of Death Brings the Victory

So, even though I go back to work tomorrow, with all the fun that entails, here are my goals for this week:

1. Complete first draft of my new short story "Entrapment"
2. Complete the (first draft) screenplay adaptation of Heroes Die Young
3. Complete the plotline for my new untitled short story.




P&E Readers' Poll

Happy New Year to everyone!

The new year has brought a new edition of the Preditors and Editors Readers' Poll to life. My short story "Little White Truths" (from Issue 33 of Ray Gun Revival) is on the list under Science Fiction Short Stories. If you read it and enjoyed it, I'd sure appreciate your vote!

(And if you haven't read it yet, get your booty over to Ray Gun Revival and check it out (under Back Issues))

:)