tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1682461546403711192024-03-14T02:24:18.758-06:00Kristina R. Mosley's BlogWords: I write them.Kristina R. Mosleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17219951113148036125noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168246154640371119.post-38150496249466459972012-07-12T20:06:00.002-05:002012-07-12T20:10:21.202-05:00An Open Letter to Duotrope (Even Though No One from the Website Will Read This)<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
Dear <a href="https://duotrope.com/">Duotrope</a>,</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I like you a lot. You probably know that, considering in this message</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCVb9WAXADt67UKUtxYfZhcMORDflbTLwNWPCOthxHp_3GffYmdh9DI7EzISETty7vTr2uGtVqijlp95oZHsbugKE0lud5GrrUJ6lokDhiPwlQZh48MMSHkJt0_U_-1L4srVadWWkXs1bK/s1600/duotrope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCVb9WAXADt67UKUtxYfZhcMORDflbTLwNWPCOthxHp_3GffYmdh9DI7EzISETty7vTr2uGtVqijlp95oZHsbugKE0lud5GrrUJ6lokDhiPwlQZh48MMSHkJt0_U_-1L4srVadWWkXs1bK/s640/duotrope.jpg" width="640" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">you point out that I've visited your site 90 times this year. I think you're pretty nifty. What isn't nifty, however, is the quite-often request for money.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I get it: you want to pay for staff a decent wage. That's awesome. I think everyone who uses your website should contribute a bit. I don't like how you try to guilt people into it, however. "Is it worth skipping that $4 double caramel latte for, or that $6 hamburger." I doubt this sentiment applies to many of your users. I, for one, hate coffee, and I can make a damn fine hamburger for less than $6. Even if I wanted to waste my money on those things, I couldn't since I don't have any. I haven't been employed since February 2011, and I haven't had a full-time job since August 2008. (To be fair, I was in school until May 2009, so I couldn't have had a full-time job anyway.) Any money I do get from story acceptances goes to pay for personal expenses. I'll probably send you something when I'm working again, but until then, I don't like the reminder that I'm broke. <i>I already know</i>.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I know there are people who could afford to pay that wouldn't anyway. Those people are probably the minority, however. Many of your users probably don't have a lot of extra money, if they're lucky enough to have jobs, so they can't send much to help. I know you're asking for $5 a year from everyone, and that's not much, but as I'm sure you understand, every little bit matters when you're broke.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Please keep in mind that things are still crappy for a lot of people. Hopefully things will get better soon, but in the meantime, let's keep the guilt trips to a minimum, shall we?<br /><br />Thanks for all the good you do. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Kristina R. Mosley</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">(And a side note: I have issues updating this thing regularly, so if any of y'all want regular updates, I'm on <a href="http://twitter.com/elstupacabra">Twitter</a>. </span></div>Kristina R. Mosleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17219951113148036125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168246154640371119.post-13413089855990982202012-06-18T13:08:00.001-05:002012-06-18T13:08:08.724-05:00GOOOAAALLLSSS!!<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I'm terrible at coming up with writing goals and keeping them. I mean, I can think of them in abstract, but never anything specific. "I want to write a book one day" isn't the same as "I will start writing a novel next week." That being said, I have a list of writing goals in my brain. I'm going to write them down so that I might actually do them. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Finish short story that's due June 30.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Edit novelette and send it to publication by July 31.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In the rest of July, rewrite "finished" short stories so they're more likely to be published.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">August: FINISH WRITING ONE OF MY NOVELS, DANG IT.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">After the novel's done, I think I'll work on some of the half-finished short stories collecting dust on my hard drive.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Then, maybe edit the novel and start querying agents? (This is the scariest goal, by far.)</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">That's all my goals for the foreseeable future. Help keep me honest, Internet.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">What are some of your goals? </span>Kristina R. Mosleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17219951113148036125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168246154640371119.post-54232919927351853192012-05-15T03:06:00.000-05:002012-05-15T03:07:08.818-05:00I Am Filled with a Writery Rage!<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Neil Gaiman retweeted a blog post yesterday. The blogger was a writer named <a href="http://mandydegeit.wordpress.com/2012/05/14/when-publishing-goes-wrong-starring-undead-press/#comment-193">Mandy DeGeit</a>. She sent a story to a small press called Undead Press. The owner/editor, Anthony Giangregorio, accepted her story but rewrote it drastically without her permission, ruining it. In her post, she related how his emails to her became more and more unprofessional.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Someone in the comments posted about a situation that happened to horror writer <a href="http://alyndayofthedead.blogspot.com/2012/05/suffering-in-silence.html?zx=cbdcf242bff2ec1c">Alyn Day</a>. Giangregorio accepted her short story for his <i>Women of the Living Dead</i> anthology, which would be published by Open Casket Press. (I have since learned that Undead Press=Open Casket Press=Living Dead Press.) Giangregorio asked Ms. Day to submit a story to another anthology, and she obliged. He ended up butchering her second story as well.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I had an experience not long after I started writing and submitting regularly. One of my short stories was accepted by a now-defunct Australian magazine called <i>This Mutant Life</i>. The editor cut out an entire paragraph, presumably to save space. In hindsight, the paragraph may have been excessive, but it should've been my decision to cut it out. I was angry, but nowhere near as angry as Ms. DeGeit and Ms. Day must be.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> I, too, have had an encounter with Anthony Giangregorio. I submitted a story to <i>Women of the Living Dead</i>. I received an email back that contained a smiley emoticon. That should've been my first clue about Giangregorio's lack of professionalism. I included my phone number because it's standard manuscript format, but I didn't expect him to call because, you know, the internet's a thing. Well, he called me the next morning. He talked super fast. (He called from a Brooklyn, NY number, and I'm a slow-talking Southerner.) I finally comprehended that he called my writing "novice," and that he <i>might</i> publish my story if it had a lot of tweaking. I vowed after the <i>This Mutant Life</i> thing that I wouldn't let someone change my work drastically. Besides, I didn't like his tone. I told him that he should pick someone else's story if mine was novice. He got pissed and said that he was glad he hadn't wasted anymore of his time. I think I called him a douchebag before he hung up; I can't remember. I'm just glad I dodged a bullet.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Getting published is hard enough without someone taking advantage of you. There are many small presses that will treat you professionally even if they can't pay you professionally. I hope Ms. DeGeit and Ms. Day have better luck in the future. The internet is a small place, really, so I hope news gets out, and Anthony Giangregorio is no longer able to make money off of ruining others' work.</span>Kristina R. Mosleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17219951113148036125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168246154640371119.post-12239253874904663292012-04-24T16:43:00.000-05:002012-04-24T16:44:18.840-05:00Wherein Kristina Doesn't Understand Modern Publishing<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I’ve been writing seriously less than three years, but in that time, I’ve seen e-publishing and self-publishing boom. Along with that, I’ve seen the number of people who give away their writing—both literally and figurative—increase.<br /><br />I’ve seen many tweet and such about people selling their short stories for 99 cents on Amazon, or they post free stories on their blogs. I can see where this is an effective marketing strategy: give the reader a small taste, get them hooked, and make them buy more. (Incidentally, I think this is how drug dealers work.) What I don’t understand, though, is when people do this repeatedly. They sell multiple stories for low prices, or they give away whole books.<br /><br />One could argue that this is no different from the times I submitted stories to publications that offered either no payment or toke payment. My only argument is that mostly did that when I was starting out so I could get some publishing credits under my belt. (I’ve done it a few times recently, but I usually really wanted to be a part of the publication.) My goal now is to make at least some money off my writing. Shouldn’t I be paid a decent wage?<br /><br />I guess my main concern is that writers are selling themselves short. I think that $3.00 for a novel is too low, even for an eBook. Novel writing is hard; that’s why I haven’t finished one yet. I know there’s a lot of competition out there, and authors have to do a lot to get their work read, but is it worth lowering our standards? If writers keep selling their stories for less than they’re worth, will the readers start to expect less. For example, say I finish a novel and decide to self-publish. I decide to set the eBook price a little higher, maybe $5.00, because I put a lot of work into my book. Will John Q. Public pass on my (hopefully) awesome book just because the price is too high compared to everyone else?<br /><br />I’m not trying to condemn anyone’s actions, because Lord knows I have no idea what I’m doing. I’m sure other writers spend more time looking into their markets than I have. I just don’t understand modern publishing, I guess.</span>Kristina R. Mosleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17219951113148036125noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168246154640371119.post-90292445007073111842012-04-11T17:23:00.000-05:002012-04-11T17:23:45.455-05:00Why Weird Stuff?<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">When people ask what kind of stories I write, I tell them I write “weird stuff”. Either they usually respond favorably, or they say, “Oh…okay…” But, no one has ever asked why.</span><br style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" /><br style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" /><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I feel any writer has passion for the particular genre s/he writes. Literary authors may enjoy realism, for example. For me, my love of “weird stuff” has been life-long. My Barbies were often wizards and sometimes zombie hunters. I enjoyed TV shows with a sci-fi or fantasy element. (ex: <i>Gargoyles</i>, <i>Transformers: Beast Wars</i>, anime including <i>Dragonball Z</i> and the various Tenchis) I started reading fantasy when I read Robin McKinley’s <i>The Hero and the Crown</i>. I used these things with speculative subjects as an escape from my everyday life.</span><br style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" /><br style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" /><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">When I decided I wanted to be a writer, standard fiction never crossed my mind. My first novel idea (which was also a scenario I played out with my dolls) was about King Arthur returning in the modern day. The rest of the ideas I came up with were traditional fantasy and some sci-fi, with a little urban fantasy thrown in. Of course, I didn’t know it was called urban fantasy at the time. I just thought, “Modern day? Why not dragons?”</span><br style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" /><br style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" /><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I didn’t write anything in high school really, because of my own insecurities, but I always read. Garth Nix’s Old Kingdom books were among my favorites. His books introduced darker fantasy to me. I mean, what’s darker than necromancers and the undead? </span><br style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" /><br style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" /><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I discovered Neil Gaiman through his short story “Forbidden Brides of the Faceless Slaves in the Secret House of the Night of Dread Desire” in a collection called <i>Gothic</i>. I became more interested in dark fiction as time wore on. I was an angsty teen, so the darker things were the better. I was a library aide my senior year of high school, and I noticed a small collection of Gaiman’s books. I read <i>Stardust</i>, but was just okay in my opinion. Then I read<i> Neverwhere</i>, which is probably my first proper urban fantasy. I was amazed at how Gaiman created a completely new world that was just below an existing one. Then, I read <i>American Gods</i>, and it changed my life. The epic nature! The characters! Everything was wonderful.</span><br style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" /><br style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" /><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Then, zombies came for me when I read <i>The Zombie Survival Guide</i> my freshman year of college, and I never looked back. I soon thought of the idea for my zombie western, even though I didn’t write it until my junior year. I became obsessed with zombies and the undead, and I still am.</span><br style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" /><br style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" /><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I started reading some of Christopher Moore’s books before my sophomore year of college. Even though he’s in the “regular fiction” section, he has written about monsters and vampires and zombies. Above all, though, he’s funny as hell. He inspired me to infuse humor into my writing, even if I don’t always succeed.</span><br style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" /><br style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" /><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">So, here I am: a writer-lady that is kind of paranoid and who likes weird things. Other people like weird things, so I write weird things I hope they like.</span>Kristina R. Mosleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17219951113148036125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168246154640371119.post-63074141581419587852012-03-06T16:53:00.000-06:002012-03-06T16:53:16.832-06:00I'm Not Dead<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I try to be a good blogger, I really do. I just have trouble writing about writing, I guess. I don't really know what I'm doing. I've only been writing seriously on-and-off for the last five years. (First grown-up poem was published in 2007. Prior to that, I had a poem published in an anthology in fifth grade.) I have way more rejections than acceptances. Who am I to give advice?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I have picked up a few tips along the way, though (all this pertains to short stories, bee tee dubs):</span><br />
<ul><li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Write about something you care about, something that interests you. If you're not invested in it, why should the reader be?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> After you finish, let the story set for a day or so before you begin to edit.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Don't be afraid to cut out words. A concise story is more likely to get published.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Make friends with other writers. A writer will be able to edit/proofread your story better than a non-writer, in most cases.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Grow a thick skin</b>.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Don't be afraid to send out your story. Submitting to publications is emotional: it's like sending your baby out into the cruel world. (Side note: <a href="http://www.duotrope.com/">Duotrope</a> is what I use to find markets. It tracks deadlines, checks dead markets, etc. A lot of people use <a href="http://ralan.com/">Ralan</a>, but it's just a matter of personal preference.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Expect rejection. It'll definitely happen.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Don't ever think your story is perfect, because it isn't.</b> Also, if a publisher is cool enough to offer a personalized rejection with feedback, consider the changes he or she suggests. (That being said, don't make any changes if it compromises the integrity of the story.)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Expect people to try to screw you over. It'll definitely happen.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Celebrate when you get an acceptance. You deserve it.</span></li>
</ul><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I hope these tips help someone. Also, if you want more advice, you should follow Brooke Johnson's <a href="http://brooke-johnson.blogspot.com/">blog</a>. She writes words good.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">***</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I almost forgot. The issue of <i>Scifaikuest</i> that I'm in is <a href="http://sdpbookstore.com/scifaikuest.htm">out</a>. The editor said my haiku was her favorite. Also, <i>Tales from the Grave</i>, the anthology that will contain my true ghost story "My Life with the Dead" doesn't have a release date yet, but it will come out sometime this month. </span></div>Kristina R. Mosleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17219951113148036125noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168246154640371119.post-53641470845531952802012-01-23T22:04:00.000-06:002012-01-23T22:04:33.988-06:00Giving Up<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Relax, it isn't as serious as it sounds.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Sometimes, as a writer, you have too much on you're plate. You've mentally committed yourself to various projects. Or, maybe the deadline for the particular story you're writing is looming, but the story just isn't working out. You have no idea how you'll meet the goal.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Unless you're contractually obligated, it's okay to give up sometimes. It's better to let a story fall to the wayside than to stress out over a story that will turn out to be crap and not be accepted anyway. The old saying "quality over quantity" really applies here. You want everything you put out to be the best it can possibly be, and that's hard to do when you're concerned about getting the thing done.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Don't feel bad if you have to give up. Just because you don't finish the story now doesn't mean you'll never finish it. There have been many times when I have to put a story on hold because I can't think of what to do next. Then, months or even years later, I'll suddenly have an epiphany, and I will finish the story. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Of course, before you give up on your story completely, you should try to see if there's some way to tweak it. A few weeks ago, I was writing a story for an anthology of true ghost stories. I was writing about my first encounter with a spirit (long story), but it wasn't long enough to reach the 4,000 lower word limit. I was about to give up on it until I decided to add an experience from college. I was able to finish the story, and it got accepted.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Giving up is part of the business of being a writer. You have to know when to stop working on something bad and when to keep working on something good. Hopefully, you'll have more "keep working on something good" moments. Those are the best.</span>Kristina R. Mosleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17219951113148036125noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168246154640371119.post-73694289131739548592012-01-06T05:03:00.000-06:002012-01-06T05:03:23.048-06:00I know the secrets that you keep/when you're blogging in your sleep.<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">(I'm not blogging in my sleep, but I'm not far from it.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I have ten things out: nine stories and one poem, if I'm remembering correctly. I wish I would hear something out of at least one of the places. To be fair, I just sent one thing, and it's before the deadline on a couple of anthologies, but the other places have continuous submissions, I think. These publications probably get hundreds of submissions, and I'm sure a lot of the a lot of the editors probably have other jobs and lives and stuff, but I'm impatient.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">On the bright side, I received my copy of <i>Evolutionary Blueprint</i> on Wednesday. That's the cryptozoology anthology that contains my chupacabra story "Night Things."</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihZNr4eJtDLyy4hczuHn2LFtDOuolstczhAT6PeWfACXO5z5mrrFQpEs7PcePEaLIRXlCblf2XKdrTDIAWogQEUqb8EgoqssuRRT7LY-2PeESz9T5kxyyA81_keftIIglmKoQTWYyJnFcy/s1600/smaller.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihZNr4eJtDLyy4hczuHn2LFtDOuolstczhAT6PeWfACXO5z5mrrFQpEs7PcePEaLIRXlCblf2XKdrTDIAWogQEUqb8EgoqssuRRT7LY-2PeESz9T5kxyyA81_keftIIglmKoQTWYyJnFcy/s320/smaller.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>I didn't necessarily mean to match my shirt and the book.</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br />
</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So, that's pretty neato.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div>Kristina R. Mosleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17219951113148036125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168246154640371119.post-27106179806486005092012-01-02T23:38:00.000-06:002012-01-02T23:38:45.142-06:00ResolutionsIt's the second day of the year, (if you're reading this right after I post it and in the same time zone) and people are talking about their resolutions for 2012. Many of these goals include losing weight and becoming a better person. While I have similar resolutions, I'm not going to discuss them here. Since this is a writing blog, I'll discuss my writing resolutions.<br />
<br />
One of my goals is to have more things published in 2012 than I did in 2011. I had five stories published last year. Two things are forthcoming this year so far: a haiku will be in the February 2012 print edition of <i>Scifaikuest</i>, and my end of the world story "Fire in the Blood" will come out this year. Add to the nine things I have submitted to various publications, I think it's possible.<br />
<br />
My main resolution, though, is to finish writing a novel. I have a handful that I've started. Two of those are a few thousand words. My word goals is around 80,000, so that shouldn't be a problem, right? Wrong. Some people can write thousands of words in a day, but I lack the focus. I'm starting out with 500 words a day. Then, if I consistently hit that target, I'll increase. I should have a novel written in around five months.<br />
<br />
So, it's a new year full of promise, unless the Mayans are right. Hopefully, a year from now, I'll have at least one finished novel, and I'll have the twin joys of editing and querying. Good luck to everyone with their resolutions, and may 2012 be better than 2011.Kristina R. Mosleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17219951113148036125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168246154640371119.post-53345626996890810212011-12-03T21:50:00.000-06:002011-12-03T21:50:51.397-06:00Wherein I'm a terrible blogger.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The title pretty much says it all. I haven't posted anything since Halloween. Honestly, things have been kind of quiet on the Mosley front. I found out that "Fire in the Blood" is getting published. That's super neato. I finished "Revelations" on November 6, according to the tweet/Facebook update about it. Since then, though, I haven't done much of anything. For a solid two weeks I didn't write anything, and I haven't written a whole lot since.</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">(Well, that might not be entirely true. I've started on about three things. I just haven't gotten far with them.)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I'm not a good blogger. I don't think I should give advice because I really don't know what I'm doing. My life isn't particularly interesting. I fail at being funny on purpose. If, by some weird miracle, I ever become a professional writer, I'm not sure if I could successfully blog. But, practice makes perfect, right?</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Oh, a bit of good news! <i>Evolutionary Blueprint</i>, which contains my short story "Night Things," is now available from Static Movement Press. Should you be so inclined, you may purchase it <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Evolutionary-Blueprint-Strange-Tales-Crytozoology/dp/1617061670/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1322701503&sr=1-6">here</a> or <a href="http://www.pillhillpress.com/shoppe-static-movement.html">here</a>.</span></div>Kristina R. Mosleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17219951113148036125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168246154640371119.post-14579237070898768342011-10-31T20:42:00.000-06:002011-10-31T20:42:38.814-06:00Waiting.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Firstly, Happy Halloween, y'all! Don't eat too much candy/possessed by a demon or something.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A couple of stories I had subbed came back to me because of unfortunate circumstances, so I had to submit them to other places. After I did that, of course, came the waiting. Waiting is horrible. You want to know if your story has a home right away.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The best thing to do while you wait is to stay busy. I do that by writing. I haven't been able to do that much writing in the past week because I've been "busy." (And by "busy," I mean finding other things to do other than finish a story that's almost done.) Writing helps get your mind off things, and it gives you more to submit later.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I have six things out right now. (I totally didn't realize that before I counted, though.) In the back of my head, Super-Neurotic Kristina is going a little bonkers, but Slightly-More-Rational Kristina is writing to try to get her to shut up. It's mostly working.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So, if submission anxiety gets you down, write!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">(This is unrelated, but if you like books, and I assume you do, go check out <a href="http://www.twistedlibrary.com/">the Twisted Library Press</a>. They do good stuff, and they've published me twice, so they're not dumb.)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span>Kristina R. Mosleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17219951113148036125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168246154640371119.post-70992014921533319142011-10-14T00:40:00.000-05:002011-10-14T00:40:52.593-05:00Changing My Miiiiiind (sung to the tune of "Wasting My Time" by Default)<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Remember <a href="http://kristinarmosley.blogspot.com/2011/10/im-masochist-apparently.html">last time</a> when I posted my project list for the next eight months or so? Well, there have been some changes to that list. First, the market I was to send "The Persistence of Memory" to pushed up its deadline to October 14. I knew that I couldn't get the story done in time, so I pushed it aside and finished "Inheritance." It is with my critique partner now. "Revelations" is still good to go if I can finish it in time, so that leaves me with "Love and War," "The Hunger," and "Blood is Thicker."</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My...goals, I guess, changed when I saw that the market to which I was going to send "Blood is Thicker" changed from paying to exposure only. I then became doubtful about the market for "The Hunger" because, if I could finish the story, I'd only get, like, six bucks tops. Thursday night, I revisited the website for "Love and War" 's market. The covers for their other publications were terribly unprofessional. I understand that costs can be high, especially for a press that is just starting, but no one will take them seriously with covers like that. (Plus, I wouldn't be paid very much for my story, either.)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I don't mean to sound entirely superficial or mercenary, but I <i>do</i> hope to become a professional writer. When I started submitting things after college, I aimed high, sending stories to professionally-paying markets. My writing wasn't up to snuff. I developed the attitude that I just wanted to be published, so I sent my stories to markets that would have me. That lucked out for me a few times, but ended poorly in others. (Two of the markets are now currently dead.) My writing is better now, and I'm going to be more discerning.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So, I'm going to submit to markets that are semi-pro and up now. That's not to say that I won't send some flash fiction to a token or non-paying market or send a story to a charity anthology if I'm feeling altruistic. I'm just going to have the attitude of someone who wants to make her living from writing, not a hobbyist.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Wish me luck.</span>Kristina R. Mosleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17219951113148036125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168246154640371119.post-54219624174075658622011-10-07T02:55:00.001-05:002011-10-07T02:57:05.552-05:00I'm a masochist, apparently.<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">When I submitted "Fire in the Blood" last week, I thought that I didn't have anymore deadlines for the rest of the year.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I was a filthy liar.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">About an hour or so after I submitted the story, I found a new sub call for an anthology dealing with body enhancements gone wrong. I decided to write up the brain transplant idea I've had since I was around fourteen. The deadline's November 30, which was bad until I saw "or until filled." The editor is only accepting twenty stories for the anthology, and it already has sixteen. D:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Then, a few days after that, I saw a sub call for a Valentine's Day-themed anthology. I started a story years ago, like, before junior year of college, that would fit. I just had to finish it. The deadline's December 1, which isn't horrible. My main problem is that the story has to be rated PG, which isn't an easy task for Lil Miss Violence and Swears. (I should have a t-shirt made.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Before I could go to bed...last night? Thursday morning? Anyway, I had to make a project list for the next several months. I figured if I wrote something up and tape it to my wall, I'd be less likely to shirk my responsibilities. (By the way, "Inheritance" is the story I describe as, "necromancer doesn't know she's a necromancer, featuring Paco the Skeleton".)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEildO5KwAUnVJYoUMwjWwaYRmXSG28pCpF_CmtPIzipW2A4r_32p_8J-gy0xjROOEV5HaiXW9jYrmVP9EskhRHT91-SmQRqfeE45CCOZduV14RuW2Cmx5Pu-oRP5O4pk_NNsIo5EKn63WB1/s1600/poop+053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEildO5KwAUnVJYoUMwjWwaYRmXSG28pCpF_CmtPIzipW2A4r_32p_8J-gy0xjROOEV5HaiXW9jYrmVP9EskhRHT91-SmQRqfeE45CCOZduV14RuW2Cmx5Pu-oRP5O4pk_NNsIo5EKn63WB1/s320/poop+053.jpg" width="219" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I decided to add the picture because it accurately represents my feelings. The next few months should be fun. (Of course, if I get a real job, this will all pretty much go out the window...)</span>Kristina R. Mosleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17219951113148036125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168246154640371119.post-34586994370382600872011-10-02T04:10:00.000-05:002011-10-02T04:10:00.273-05:00Wherein I'm attached to thingsI had a thought today. As much as I want to get "Lessons," the vampire hunter story, published, I think I'll wait a bit. I'm having some issues finding a good market for it. One, it's a vampire story that's not exactly horror. That's an issue because a lot of markets are all vampired out. Two, it's 5,745 words long. The cutoff for many markets is 5,000 words. I'd cut 745 words out of it, but there's no way I can.<br />
<br />
Sure, there are some markets that'd publish it, but, to be honest, they don't pay much. I know in the past I've been just trying to get stuff published, but I put too much time, too much effort, too many <em>emotions</em> into it to sell it for five dollars. I deserve way more than that.<br />
<br />
So, it's just going to sit on my hard drive for a bit, waiting for the right <strike>man</strike> publication to come along. Until then, I'll work on something else.Kristina R. Mosleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17219951113148036125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168246154640371119.post-47037847351456821132011-09-22T22:06:00.000-05:002011-09-22T22:06:42.123-05:00Staying Busy<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">My dragon flu story, "Fire in the Blood" is with my critique partner for the third time. I probably won't have to do much to it now when she gets it back to me, hopefully, so my mind is on the next thing. I have a list of dozens of story ideas I should work on, and I have a few partially-written stories on my hard drive waiting for me to finish them. I don't know what to pick next, though.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I have a problem. I have issues with just writing a story and finishing it just because I want to write it. I have to have a home for it in mind beforehand. "Fire in the Blood" is one example, as is my vampire hunter story "Lessons," as is everything else I write, it seems. Even if I've had the idea for years, I can't get it out until there's a sub call. Take the novelette I wrote, <i>Strange Days</i>. I had the idea since I was fourteen or fifteen. It sat in the back of my head for ten years until a press was doing an angel anthology. I started writing the story for that, but quickly blew past the maximum word count.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Now that I think about it, I can't think of anything I've had published that wasn't for something. Even if it didn't get in the anthology or whatever that I intended, I wrote or rewrote the story for that thing. Huh.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">On that note, I already have three deadlines for myself next year. They're in January, March, and June, so no pressure. Probably. For two of the anthologies, there are stories already started. For the one in March, however, it's just a vague idea I have that I have to flesh out. We'll see if that deadline whooshes by.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Well, staying busy is better than nothing, right? </span>Kristina R. Mosleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17219951113148036125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168246154640371119.post-29106115926143767072011-09-13T13:39:00.000-05:002011-09-13T13:39:45.294-05:00Update!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I got an acceptance today for my chupacabra story. I'm very happy because it was the first thing I finished that wasn't for a class. It will be in Static Movement Press's <i>Evolutionary Blueprint </i>cryptozoology anthology.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In other writing-related news, my dragon flu story is with my critique partner. She said today that she'll try to have it back to me by Thursday. I'm also in the process of rewriting a previously-published story to submit it to a podcast that accepts reprints. Fingers crossed there.</span>Kristina R. Mosleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17219951113148036125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168246154640371119.post-40904267762707307072011-09-12T20:49:00.007-05:002012-08-03T22:04:47.059-05:00Stuff I'm In (Master Post)<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
So far, here are the publications that have been <strike>dumb</strike> awesome enough to publish me.</div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"> </span><br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<b>Periodicals</b></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"> </span><br />
<ul style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<li>“Phosphorescence.” <i>Nebo</i> Spring 2007, Vol. 25, No. 2</li>
<li>“Immortal.” <i>Nebo</i> Fall 2007, Vol. 26, No. 1</li>
<li>“Being Death.” <i>Nebo</i> Spring 2010, Vol. 28, No. 2</li>
<li>“Carrier.” <i>This Mutant Life</i> July 2010, Issue 3.</li>
<li>“Operators Standing By.” <i>Flashes in the Dark</i>. <a href="http://www.flashesinthedark.com/">www.flashesinthedark.com</a>. May 2, 2011.</li>
<li>“Giving up the Ghost.” <i>Hogglepot</i>. <a href="http://www.hogglepot.com/">www.hogglepot.com</a>. July 3, 2011.</li>
<li>“Gray.” <i>Luna Station Quarterly</i>. Issue 007. <a href="http://www.lunastationquarterly.com/">www.lunastationquarterly.com</a>. September 2011.</li>
<li>"Scifaiku." <i>Scifaikuest</i>. Issue 35, February 2012. </li>
<li>"Alternate Delivery." <i>The Natural Tale</i>, Spring 2012. <a href="http://www.thenaturaltale.com/">www.thenaturaltale.com</a>.</li>
<li>"Seed." <i>Eschatology</i>. <a href="http://www.eschatologyjournal.org/">www.eschatologyjournal.org</a>. May 2, 2012.</li>
<li> "The Call." Micro Horror. <a href="http://www.microhorror.com/">www.microhorror.com</a>. July 25, 2012.</li>
</ul>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<b>Anthologies</b></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"> </span><br />
<ul style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<li>“Dear Troy.” <i>Letters From The Dead</i>. The Library of the Living Dead Press, 2010. (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Letters-Dead-Mark-M-Johnson/dp/1451583079/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1315879487&sr=8-1">Amazon</a>)</li>
<li>“The Damned.” <i>The Zombist: Undead Western Tales</i>. The Library of the Living Dead Press, 2010. (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Zombist-Undead-Western-Tales/dp/1450502903/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1315879544&sr=1-1">Amazon</a>)</li>
<li>“An Afternoon with the Dead.” <i>Deadication</i>. Panic Press, 2011. (Available through Panic Press’s website at panicpress.org)</li>
<li>"Night Things." <i>Evolutionary Blueprint: Strange Tales of Cryptozoology</i>. Static Movement Press, 2011. (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Evolutionary-Blueprint-Strange-Tales-Crytozoology/dp/1617061670/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1331686491&sr=1-1">Amazon</a>)</li>
<li>"My Life with the Dead." <i>Tales from the Grave: An Anthology of True Ghost Stories</i>. Rainstorm Press, 2012. (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tales-Grave-Anthology-Ghost-Stories/dp/1937758141/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1331666666&sr=8-7">Amazon.</a>) </li>
</ul>Kristina R. Mosleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17219951113148036125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168246154640371119.post-54585683903720311262011-09-10T03:40:00.000-05:002011-09-10T03:40:16.614-05:00An actual writing post.<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">So, just some things.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I finished the dragon flu story that I've been working on. I'll do one more round of edits before I send it to my critique partner.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Also, I wrote 1,217 words on one novel and 784 words on another. That's fair. My word counts are never high. Like, I can never write 3,000 words in a day like some people I know. Both of these novels are urban fantasy. One is just a fairly-serious story with some romance (because I'm a mushy girl), while I refer to the other as my urbfanromcom. (urban fantasy romantic comedy) There where points, while I was working on the novels tonight, that I felt <i>emotions</i>. I write urban fantasy with heart, okay.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The rest of the words belong to a story that came to me in a dream. I call it the body-hopping, gender-swapping demon story. It's kind of </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">risqué, so I don't know if I'll ever finish it. It's sad, really, because the story has a lot of potential. I blame the whole thing on my sheltered upbringing. I can kill characters off in all sorts of horrible and violent ways, but sex makes me uncomfortable. Blarg.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I also added some flesh to the bones of a vague idea I had for a while. I don't know if I'll ever write that one, either, but it's because I don't know if the idea will become fully actualized. Only time will tell.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Heh. At least I'm getting some things done.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span>Kristina R. Mosleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17219951113148036125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168246154640371119.post-43088016090137229982011-09-07T02:27:00.000-05:002011-09-07T02:27:26.603-05:00...<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Okay, I think I know what I'm doing now. I just wanted to get my Twitter on here. I must pimp myself out, you know?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I'll post something writing-related later. </span>Kristina R. Mosleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17219951113148036125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168246154640371119.post-78502086249208855702011-09-07T02:14:00.000-05:002011-09-07T02:14:30.488-05:00First post?<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This is my first post. I have no idea what the hell I'm doing. Help.</span>Kristina R. Mosleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17219951113148036125noreply@blogger.com0