Matthew S. Rotundo's Pixeltown

Database updates, story submissions, and other Writing Related Program Activities last week.  Given that my short story inventory has been steadily depleted over the years (a consequence of focusing on longer work), it rather surprised me that I still had so many manuscripts in need of homes.  Who knew?

Well, off they go, to make their way in the world.  Fly, my pretties!  Fly!  Fly!

So the desk is cleared (sort of), and I’ve begun a read-through of “The Winter Palace,” in the hope that it, too, may soon fly.

Or, you know, get shot down.

Speaking of which . . .

Write Club update:  A tier one bounce from Read Short Fiction.  Response time, one day.

Fly, my pretties.  Fly.

Once again between projects, which means catching up on Writing-Related Program Activities, as Jay would have called them.  First up was getting some novel queries into the world.  No, not for Apocalypse Pictures Presents, but for Wet Work.  Believe it or not, there are still some agents out there who haven’t yet had the privilege of ignoring me.  Well, for some of you in the undiscovered country known as Agentland, that long-awaited moment has come at last.  Enjoy.

Next up, I need to arrange beta readers for Apocalypse Pictures Presents, take care of some overdue correspondence, and then take one more pass at “The Winter Palace.”  I’ve been keen to send that one to market, but just haven’t had the time.

And at some point, I need to figure out what my next novel will be.  A lot of writers will tell you that their heads are full to bursting with story ideas, but mine . . . isn’t.  I figure that I had too much brainspace devoted to APP.  Now that I’ve freed up some room, perhaps the muse might grace me with her presence.

Either that, or I’m completely written out.  What are the odds?

Write Club update:  Since I’m a couple of days late with this report, I might as well mention that one of those agent queries has already been shot down.  Response time, two days.

Hey, it beats getting ignored.  Kinda.

Laterz . . .

Another 5300 words last week, which prompts a special announcement from Magic Meter:

Yes, folks, the second draft of Apocalypse Pictures Presents is finally done, as of 6/22/14, 10:46 pm, CDT.

And with that, APP takes the crown for the Most Difficult Project I’ve Ever Worked On.  Hands down.  Without question.  Nothing else even comes close.

And with any luck, nothing else ever will.

Seriously, folks—the rewrite took longer than the first draft.  And the rewrite is 7K shorter.  Jeez.

What does it mean?  Was the work demanding that much more of me?  Was I just being lazy?  Some combination of the two?  Hell, I don’t know.  Ask me a year from now.

Your final snippet:

Then his feet slipped on the concrete and Gil went sprawling.

“Kill him!”  That was Ross, from the vicinity of the pit.  As if Berkowitz needed any such instruction.

I go to drink from the cask of victory.  But I go wearily.