Tuesday, March 28, 2017

Seven Pieces of Good News!

It's been my busiest March in a while! A couple of brutal health episodes couldn't stop the train of goodness. In fact, I managed to step up my regular exercise from 2.0 miles on the elliptical to 2.5, thanks partially to being mesmerized by Westworld. But the good news isn't just miles, or reading A Brief History of Seven Killings (and incredible achievement of a novel) and seeing Kong: Skull Island (a far better kaiju movie than I'd expected). In fact, I have so much good news that I have to relay it in list form.

1. The good news started rolling in with an acceptance from Pseudopod! One of the internet's premiere Horror podcasts will be dedicating an entire episode to my short story, "Under the Rubble." It follows two survivors of an earthquake, trapped under the remains of a convenience store, trying to stay sane and alive until rescue can come. If it's coming at all.

2. And then Flash Fiction Online bought a reprint of my superhero story, "The Terrible!" It originally ran at DSF, but is more timely now with the Wonder Woman movie coming out. It's about a villain who learns he was never actually a threat, and his heroine has been patronizing him for years in the hope he'll get over this "evil" phase. This will mark my fourth April Fools humor story at Flash Fiction Online. I couldn't ask for a better home for short humor.

3. Flash Fiction Online also published their Science Fiction 2016 Anthology, and the opening story is my "Foreign Tongues." It's one of my personal favorite flashes, about an alien that communicates by taste rather than sight or sound, and thinks ice cream is the dominant form of life on earth. They have more trouble "talking" to us, but they won't give up easily, no matter how many humans they have to ingest. The anthology is live right now.

4. I also have a non-fiction write-up that was recently published in an issue of Glittership. Asked what I was looking forward to in 2017, one of the first things that game to mind was the exploding world of indie videogames. I preview three very different titles: the lovable charm of Slime Rancher, the peril and mystery of EITR, and the masterful art of Pyre. You can pick up the issue live right now.

5. What's eaten the most hours of my February and March is finishing my novel. But the beast is slain! I'm getting it and a synopsis ready for submission now with help of a few kind friends. Long time readers of The Bathroom Monologues already have a clue what it's about, but I can say it's a very different look at magical prisons than you ever got from Harry Potter.

6. Last week I was invited to be on programming at the Nebulas! It's my first time attending the Nebula Award Weekend, and some people apparently dropped my name in a hat for possible panelists. I'm currently confirmed to be on Caroline Yoachim's flash fiction panel, which should be a great time, as she's an excellent moderator, as well as a fabulous flash writer. If my health strengthens next month, I'll put in for more, but at the least I hope to give the audience some laughs on this one.

7. I've saved the most monumental announcement for last: I'm an uncle! My sister gave birth to a healthy baby boy, the first child of the next generation of our family. I've only met Charlie once, and so far his hobbies are sleeping and pooping. He's a natural at both. He's also very warm; he napped on my chest for half an hour, and I swear the kid is a space heater. I've bought him some dino pajamas, and hope to introduce him to Jurassic Park just as soon as he knows what a movie is.

Got any good news for me? Please share!

11 comments:

  1. Wow, that sounds great! Good luck with the novel subs & the panel!

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  2. Congratulations! You're going to rock that panel.

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  3. Excellent news, John! I am very happy for you, on all counts.
    ~jon

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  4. Holy crap! Congratulations on ALL the good things! Seriously awesome work, pal. (Except for the uncle-ing bit, obvs. But you'll be working hard on that from here on in, I'm sure.)

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  5. AWESOME news, John! You're on a roll! Congratulations.

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  6. Woo Hoo. Happy dances.
    I am so very pleased and hope this run of good things becomes the norm.

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  7. First of all, congratulations on everything! Secondly, I love the creative wit you bring to fiction.

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  8. Congrats John! All of it so damned deserved it actually makes me wonder if the universe isn't a fair place after all!

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  9. *high five from far away* on EVERYTHING!

    I attended Nebula Weekend as a con-goer the last time it was in Tempe and it was one of the best events of that sort that I've attended.

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  10. Congratulations, John! There's a lot of great news here. As for me? I'm starting EFG Digest, a monthly recap of all of the Editing for Grammarphobes blog posts delivered to your inbox in one convenient newsletter and having a great time creating that.

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