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March 31, 2007
What People Think-Part 2, Some Answers
Okay, here is what Google had to say on the topic of how not to care about what people think of you.
WikiHow
Some good advice in there.
My agapic life
This blog post is great for its Dairy Queen story.
But my favorite so far is this quote from steelhamster at answerbag:
If people think of me, Im flattered, wether it be for good or ill... although lets face it, how could anyone say a bad word about me, I'm so wonderful ;-) Oscar Wilde said it best, "there is only one thing worse than people talking about you, its people not talking about you.
Steelhamster clearly has a handle on this thing! ;)
Posted by Selena at 09:38 PM | Comments (0)
What People Think
There is so much on my mind today that I don't know where to start or which one to blog about first. So, I guess I'll just pick one at random and go from there.
Topic #1: I have been thinking that I am entirely too concerned with what other people think of me.
Seriously, for the last week or so I have been noticing how much "what will people think" comes into play as I go about my daily life. A case in point: One of my cats has to take antibiotics twice a day for a little while. He is not keen on the idea and struggles like the dickens when I try to give him the medicine. I have to (try to) wrap him in a towel, pin him down with both of my legs while I pry open his mouth with one hand and squirt in the meds with the other. It's a real drama. Before I realized that I should throw on a heavy second layer of clothes before attempting the med-giving, the process resulted in a good many scratches on my legs and arms.
No big deal, right? Except that the next day I had an appointment with the dermatologist for a much overdue skin check. So, instead of being worried that one of my many moles, bumps, etc. may be skin cancer, what I obsessed about was what the doctor would think about all my scratches. How dumb is that? What? Am I afraid he's not going to believe the cat story? Why do I care? Looking back I hate to think of all the energy I spent worrying about a stranger's first impression of me.
As I thought about the topic I remembered how sometimes I won't tell certain people about a story I've had published because I am afraid something in the story will offend them. I'm afraid they will see me differently and not want to be around me anymore.
Occassionaly the censorship begins even before a story is published. Sometimes it prevents me from submitting it at all. Some stories never leave my hands because I am afraid of how people will react, afraid that someone somewhere will be offended or think badly of me.
It even comes into play on my blog. Recently I got a comment from someone at a business I had blogged about. They said they loved my comments about their business, but I was suspicious. After all, I didn't consider my musings about their business to be complimentary. So, I figured they were being sarcastic, that they were really angry and would demand I remove the post. It was a weird conversation because they were actually sincere in their interest and approval of my comments, while I just kept waiting for the other shoe to drop.
I don’t know why or how I ended up so obsessed with other people's opinions of me, but I'm starting to think it is hampering my growth as a writer and person, and perhaps even damaging my health. (Don't get me started on the most recent tests of my blood pressure! That's a whole 'nother topic.)
Perhaps the most frustrating part is that I don't know how to fix it. How do you stop caring what people think of you? I don't know. (Well, maybe actually posting this is a step in the right direction.) I'm open to ideas and suggestions. Anyone know a good "cure" for my "condition?"
It's not that I want to be completely uncaring. I still agree with the value of reputation. I still want to keep my "good name." I just want to be a little less driven by what other people think of me.
I guess I need to start researching potential "cures." I'm off to Google for internet wisdom on this topic. (Love the Google.)
Posted by Selena at 08:23 PM | Comments (0)
March 27, 2007
Worn Keys
I use my laptop so much that several of the keys are noticeably worn. A couple are worn beyond recognition. If my fingers didn't know what letters were in those places, it would be a real problem.
Yesterday I was looking at the worn keys and realized that they are all letters in my name. I thought, "I don't write my own name that much do I?" Well, I guess the bylines add up. Plus "Selena Thomason" has a lot of commonly used letters in it. For instance, I don't think the same thing would happen if my name was "Xavier Zelvig." ;)
Posted by Selena at 09:20 AM | Comments (0)
March 26, 2007
SR: "Mother of Dragons" by Tessa Moriah Edwards
Today's Sword Review update is a poem by a student contributor. (Yeah, Tessa!)
-------------------
The Sword Review: Mar. 26 Update
This work comes from a student author who shows great promise! After submitting, she was willing to work with the editors to refine her poem into what I'm sure you will find a great read!
"Mother of Dragons"
by Tessa Moriah Edwards (A Student Contributor)
Imagine you are the last of your kind, and your life is quickly passing by. Your only hope--the young you carry within your body.
-------------------
Posted by Selena at 07:53 PM | Comments (0)
March 25, 2007
New story: "Robbie's Repair"
My latest story to be published is now available at 365 tomorrows.
It's a very short piece of science fiction called "Robbie's Repair."
Posted by Selena at 12:53 PM | Comments (0)
March 21, 2007
SR: Issue 24 Now in Print
Issue 24 Now In Print! Only $7.49
110 Pages! You want this!
March 2007, Issue 24—In this issue: "Superlight, Part Five" by Steve Stanton; Superlight, Part Five; "Dreams of Starlight" by David C. Kopaska-Merkel; "Winged Words" by Lindsey Duncan; "Modulation" by John Kuhn; "Hospitality" by Justin R. Lawfer; "A Wine, Red Silence" by George L. Duncan; "Mother of Dragons" by Tessa Moriah Edwards. Cover: "SwordMaster " by E. J. Mickels. ISSN: 1556-5416
And check out that cool cover by Hisart!
I just ordered my copy, along with some DKA editions. I can't wait for that package from Lulu to arrive!
Posted by Selena at 07:59 PM | Comments (0)
RGR: Issue #18, with an AWESOME cover!
Just realized that I should be giving you updates on Ray Gun Revival as well. Besides, I couldn't pass up putting this issue's cover graphic on my blog.
Wow! That's a great cover!
Ray Gun Revival Issue #18 has broken orbit!
Eye of Nukuloo by S. T. Forstner
Fiction
When night falls and hunter becomes prey, who will come to the rescue?
Saving Beta by Robert Mancebo
Fiction
The Star-transport's security officer is faced with lying allies, friendly primitives, mass murder, impending planetary destruction, and a very pretty girl.
The Adventures of the Sky Pirate: "Finding Chain" by Johne Cook
Serial Fiction
Flynn turns life at the Haddirron Naval Academy upside down, but is this fast talking, fast thinking privateer-in-training able to avoid the spectre of the Black Blot?
Memory Wipe, Chapter Nine: "Orbit Over Nothing" by Sean T.M. Stiennon
Serial Fiction
Powerful enemies are in pursuit of Takeda and Zartsi: the alien assassin Lashiir, aboard his deadly ship Despair, and Vass, still seeking vengeance at any price.
Posted by Selena at 07:49 AM | Comments (0)
March 20, 2007
SR: "Hospitality" by Justin R. Lawfer, w/ illustration
I've been meaning to start giving you updates when The Sword Review publishes new content. So, here goes:
The Sword Review: Mar. 20 Update
This update is an amazing story with a great twist.
"Hospitality"
by Justin R. Lawfer
An elderly woman must explore painful memories of her past to protect herself and a young girl from what could be a horrific creature of the night.
Illustration:
"The Visitor" by E.J. Mickels, II
A great story! And WOW, don't miss that creepy illustration by Hisart.
Posted by Selena at 10:24 PM | Comments (0)
DKA: "Crossing the Styx" by Bruce Boston
To close out March's issue, we have something by well-known poet Bruce Boston.
"Crossing the Styx"
by Bruce Boston
Tease:
After-death speculation
If you haven't read Bruce Boston's previous poem in DKA, check it out now:
"A Mortal Kingdom Lies on Both Sides of the Mirror"
Get the print edition that includes this poem!
Posted by Selena at 09:04 AM | Comments (0)
March 19, 2007
New Column Up: "Diversity"
My latest column is now available at The Sword Review. Pop on by and check it out.
Posted by Selena at 08:57 AM | Comments (0)
Another Acceptance!
I just got another acceptance from 365 tomorrows.
YEAH!
This time they have accepted my story "Robbie's Repair."
Last time they published the story within days, so look for it soon.
I'd highly recommend this market for anyone who writes flash fiction under 500 words. It's tough to write fiction that short, and 365 tomorrows isn't a paying market. But they respond fast and publish fast, which is really nice since as writers we are used to waiting a while for that sort of thing.
Posted by Selena at 08:33 AM | Comments (0)
March 18, 2007
New Story Published - "Ian Gets Involved"
My most recent acceptance is already my most recent publication. Wow, those people at 365 tomorrows work fast!
Stop by and check it out:
"Ian Gets Involved"
Right now it's on the main page, but I think tomorrow it will move into the archives.
Thanks.
Posted by Selena at 12:36 PM | Comments (0)
March 17, 2007
Quote of the Day
"To whom much is given, much is expected."
That's the quote that's been hovering in my head all afternoon. It's from the Bible, right? I don't remember the exact quote. Guess I should look it up. I've also been thinking a lot about the parable of the talents.
I recently realized that I have been neglecting a lot of my editing responsibilities and writing projects in favor of my new part-time job. It wasn't a conscious choice I made. It's just that time devoted to a new thing means less time and energy available for the old things. In keeping up with the one, I've fallen behind on the others. And I don't think that's a good thing for me to do. I don’t want to neglect my DEP duties or my writing. They are important to me.
Maybe I just don't have the amount of energy I used to. I'm certainly not as young as I once was. It seems I can't accomplish as much in a day as I did when I was younger.
So, I've been thinking about what I should do, what I am willing to scale back on and what I'm not willing to let go of.
Posted by Selena at 08:25 PM | Comments (0)
DKA: "Speck" by John Kuhn
Today we have a powerful story by one of our favorite writers.
"Speck"
by John Kuhn
Tease:
"darkness is just a speck in the light"
-King's X faith hope love
You may remember John's previous stories in DKA:
"Sally and Her Grandfathers"
and "Vehement the Merciful."
We've also published two of John's poems:
One, "Statuary," took first place in last year's contest.
And the other, "The Crutch," was his first publication with us.
Get the print edition that includes this story!
Posted by Selena at 08:21 AM | Comments (0)
March 16, 2007
Twenty in March: Done
Well, I did it. I worked on and sent out twenty submissions in March.
Actually, I did twenty subs in ten days.
Woo-HOO!
But now, I'm really tired. So, I'm taking a little break to celebrate. Maybe watch some Spike. Er, sorry, I mean Buffy. Well, Buffy and Spike highlights, if you must know.
:)
Posted by Selena at 10:32 PM | Comments (0)
Three To Go
I managed to get another couple submissions out today, despite still feeling under the weather.
I only have three to go to reach my goal of twenty for the month.
Woo-Hoo!
More numbers from my March challenge:
So far the month has yielded one YES and four NOs. Current number of subs pending is twelve.
Not too shabby.
:)
Posted by Selena at 11:43 AM | Comments (0)
Accept from 365 tomorrows
This morning I got an acceptance from 365 tomorrows. Yeah!
I had to read it several times before it really sank in that they had accepted my story for publication. This was all before my first cup of tea, you see. I wasn't completely awake at the time.
I don’t know when the story will be published, but I'll let you know.
Posted by Selena at 07:40 AM | Comments (0)
March 15, 2007
Twenty is Tough
I was doing so well with my March challenge (of twenty submissions sent in March.) I worked on and sent out fifteen submissions between March 7th and 13th. But the last five are proving to be a lot tougher.
I'm now at the point where I'm writing new stories from scratch. That always takes longer than revising something I've already drafted.
But I did start a new story today. I think it's got promise but it’s really too soon to tell.
Complicating things is the fact that I've felt really tired and run-down the last couple days. It's been a struggle to get much of anything done. Maybe I'm fighting a cold or something.
Posted by Selena at 11:28 AM | Comments (0)
March 13, 2007
DKA: "Rooms" by Karen A. Romanko
If it's Tuesday, there must be poetry. ;)
"Rooms"
by Karen A. Romanko
Tease:
Spacers work to save a dying world. What will happen to those who must stay behind?
Get the print edition that includes this poem!
Posted by Selena at 09:25 AM | Comments (0)
March 12, 2007
Distant Passages #1 Reissued
The Distant Passages "best of" anthology that has my story in it has been reissued with a fancy new cover. (Author bios included this time around too.)
Also, it's now available from Amazon!
This book has tons of good stuff. Here are the works (fiction and poetry) you will find in its pages:
"And on the Seventh Day" by Marsheila Rockwell
"Beautiful Dreamer" by Edward McKeown
"The Last Hurrah" by L. S. King
"The Traveler's Tale" by Marcie Lynn Tentchoff
"All That Glitters" by Pam L. Wallace
"Captain Jack Bowie and the Steel Wolf Renegades" by Sean T. M. Stiennon
"Rosemary" by Jaime Lee Moyer
"The Choosing" by Selena Thomason
"Moonstone" by Joseph Thomas Mahoney
"City of Deliverance" by Robert Barlow
"Treecutter" by Scott M. Sandridge
"Welcoming Armageddon With Open Arms" by Mikal Trimm
"Old Soul" by Mike Wever
"Presence" Domyelle Rhyse
"Racing the Gap," by Byron Leavitt
"A Picture's Worth" by Wade Ogletree
"The Anointed" by Rosemary McMillen
"No Greater Love" by Wesley Lambert
"Dark Angel, Benigno" by Rochita Loenen-Ruiz
"The Ship" by Terry Weide
Go and buy one now! You know you want to. ;)
Posted by Selena at 10:52 AM | Comments (0)
March 11, 2007
Good Day and Studio 60
It's been a good day. I worked on and sent out four more subs, which brings me to a total of 12 so far for the month. (I'm shooting for 20 in March.) Plus I got in a one-hour walk. Exercise is important.
So, what am I doing? I'm celebrating by watching Studio 60 highlights on TiVo. (By which I mean I am using the remote control to watch all my favorite scenes. Most of them involve Jordan and Danny, but not all. Like that scene where Matt explains to a beautiful but not so bright girl what he does as head writer on the show. "I write the show." LOL. )
I just wish I had all the episodes. I'd love to see the pilot again.
I can't believe they removed this great show from the schedule. I just hope they don't cancel it outright. The last episode that aired was good but it was no series finale.
Why is it that good TV can't make it on TV?
Posted by Selena at 09:04 PM | Comments (0)
Today
It's been a good day. I managed to get up in time for church despite the time change, which always messes me up a little. Really, I can't be expected to get out of bed when it's still dark outside, right? It's not natural.
Plus, between working on and subbing a couple more stories I had a truly great nap. Man, I haven't slept that well in ages! (See, I even have trouble getting out of bed when it's light outside.)
The bad news is that I haven't been exercising at all except for the light standing, pacing, reaching, etc. of my new part-time job. That's not good. I'm going to try to go for a walk after this next story sub. It's important to exercise your heart on a regular basis. I got an all too dramatic reminder of that this weekend.
That's it for now. I gotta get back to work on submission #10 for March. (I'm trying for 20 subs sent by the end of the month.) Wish me luck. Thanks.
Posted by Selena at 03:29 PM | Comments (0)
March 10, 2007
150th Submission Sent!
I've just reached a milestone as a writer. Today I sent off my 150th submission.
Woo-HOO!
Of course, it sounds less impressive when I tell you that I sent my first submission on July 1st of 1996. So, that's 150 submissions in about 11 years, an average of 13 submissions per year.
Still, 150 total is something to be excited about.
A fun fact from my total submission spreadsheet: My first acceptance was on submission #25. It was "The Sea," my one and only poem to be sold & published (excluding a couple in my high school's literary magazine). I submitted it in July of 2003 but I wrote it ages before, somewhere in the 1988-1990 timeframe.
Reading Keesa's blog inspired me to try to write and sub more. She's trying to write (and, I think, sub) 100 stories in 100 days. That's awfully ambitious. Go, Keesa!
I'm just trying for 20 submissions in March. That's a little less than one a day. So far, I'm at 6 subs for March. That's pretty good. Hopefully, I can keep it going.
Posted by Selena at 10:14 AM | Comments (0)
DKA: "MacCool’s Crusaders" by Sheldon G. Carter
Here's some fantasy for your weekend reading:
"MacCool’s Crusaders"
by Sheldon G. Carter
Tease:
A new religion is sweeping the country. Galwain wishes desperately to become a member of "MacCool's" band of crusaders. In his desperation he doesn't see that he's following the wrong path, until the Angel Gideon sets him right.
Get the print edition that includes this story!
Posted by Selena at 07:51 AM | Comments (0)
March 08, 2007
What's Going On: Headache, Writing, and "Shrew"
Ugh! I have such a headache today. It's really impairing my ability to get things done.
The good news though is that I've been very productive the last few days. I've worked on and sent out two submissions so far this week. I had hoped to send out another one tonight, but right now I can hardly do laundry so I think polishing and submitting a story is out of the question.
Also in the good news column – I found out yesterday that a theatre back home is doing "The Taming of the Shrew" in the fall. It is my favorite Shakespeare play! Hard to believe, I know. Sure, "Shrew" is strongly patriarchal and misogynist. George Bernard Shaw even had these harsh words for the play:
"No man with any decency of feeling can sit it out in the company of a woman without being extremely ashamed of the lord-of-creation moral implied in the wager and the speech put into the woman's own mouth."
(I found that in the Cambridge University Press 1984 edition of "The Taming of the Shrew.")
But I learned to love the play when I was doing a project on it in college. I came to believe that it is possible to produce a feminist, even romantic, "Shrew." I haven't seen it done yet, but I'll still hoping.
That trip to DC that I was planning for August may have to be moved to September in order to make room for "The Taming of the Shrew."
:)
Posted by Selena at 11:09 AM | Comments (0)
March 06, 2007
DKA: "Dimensional Shifts" by R. L. Copple
Our first poem for March is by an author who has been published several times in DKA.
"Dimensional Shifts"
by R. L. Copple
Tease:
Dimensional travel can change your life--and your death.
You may remember R. L. Copple's previous DKA publications:
The story "Dragon Stew" and the poems "Black Hole Relationships" (which won an Honorable Mention in our 2006 Poetry Contest) and "The Path of Least Resistance."
Get the print edition that includes this poem!
Posted by Selena at 07:04 AM | Comments (0)
March 03, 2007
DKA: "Socks" by Alex Popkin
DKA's March issue begins with a funny story you won't want to miss.
"Socks"
by Alex Popkin
Tease:
Have you ever wondered what happens to those socks that vanish from your washing machine? Here's the answer.
Get the print edition that includes this story!
Posted by Selena at 08:35 AM | Comments (0)
March 02, 2007
DKA's March Print Edition Now Available!
The print edition for DKA's March issue is now available for sale through Lulu.com.
Just $6.49 (+ shipping)
This issue includes:
"Socks" by Alex Popkin
"Dimensional Shifts" by R.L. Copple
"MacCool's Crusaders" by Sheldon G. Carter
"Rooms" by Karen A. Romanko
"Speck" by John Kuhn
"Crossing the Styx" by Bruce Boston
These works will be published online in March. Look for the first story to be published tomorrow (Saturday, March 3). Fiction is usually published on Saturdays and poetry on Tuesdays.
Or you could just buy the print edition now and read them all at once.
Enjoy!
Posted by Selena at 12:26 PM | Comments (0)
Too Busy to Blog
I've been too busy to blog. Sorry about that.
Here's what's been going on.
I took a part-time job, which is proving to be both fun and challenging. It's always good to learn new skills, as well as stay in practice with the ones you've got. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my editing jobs at DKA and SR, as well as my writing work. But all of that is very solitary and sedentary. I just wanted to add something more active and social back into the mix. It's actually been quite energizing. Plus, it's gotten me writing again. So, already this new job is a very good thing.
I've also gotten involved in a couple writing projects at church. Writing devotionals and that kind of thing. It’s been a lot of fun. I've met some great people. It's nice to hang out "live and in person" with fellow writers and editors.
Plus, there's finishing up the anthology, along with the usual DKA and SR duties.
I've only got one submission out right now. I better do something about that.
Posted by Selena at 09:51 AM | Comments (0)