BEATNIKING THROUGH THE RAPIDS

 Photo by Ivana Cajina @unsplash

What more can I say? I've been roughing out a story every couple of days. Found a groove that works and that I trust. Will have to go back for rewrites, of course, but I like how these tales adhere to reality as I've experienced it and think about it. I tell you this...some of the trick is to change the names and tell it like it was. Words pouring out like rushing waters. Would not imagine that an 81 year old could feel this rejuvinated as a writer.

THE BEATNIK BEAT UP, CRIES CROCODILE TEARS

Last Thursday (May 14, 2015), just before I went to bed, I discovered two rejections of my novel, Ghoul World, among my emails. Though I went to bed and slept okay, next morning when I awoke I had to struggle mightily to keep myself writing. I seriously imagined this book would be scarfed up fast. After some thought, I found a piece of silver lining stuck to one corner of the emails. One of the agents who rejected was one whose agency link said she didn't respond to queries and if an author didn't receive a rejection in 4 or 5 weeks, he/she should take his query as rejected. The fact she took the time to send me a friendly form rejection told me that my story idea had caught her attention enough that she read the 5 page sample. That is a good and bad thing. The idea is dynamite as I knew it was, but my writing isn't carrying the weight to clinch the deal. As I plan one more rewrite, I'm okay. As soon as I finish the rewrite on The Porn Writer, I'll get back into Ghoul World. 

P.I. MANNING RUN OVER BY A PICKUP TRUCK

I've been struggling again with the futuristic novel, and this morning, my frustrated gaze fell upon this short story, "The Pickup", whose first page is to the left. It's been sent out wandering 7 times over the years, but it's been a long time between the last time and now. So I went through it again, the third full revision, calked the holes in it, I hope, and put a fresh coat of paint on the old structure, w/o altering it's hidden naughtiness. I don't count as revisions all the times I've skimmed it for language. The tale's now on its merry way through the application, Submittable, to a large West Coast literary magazine in a transcendental city named after a Saint. These Spring days aren't the most favorable for sending to literary magazines supported by state institutions because most are shutting down for the Summer and won't be accepting again till in the Fall. However, I keep an eye on that detail and hope not to waste my time. Another publication would get my novelistic engine firing again, I'd think. I've got high hopes for it, then, again, I always do until it's been rejected several times more and comes back home with its tale [sic] between its legs.