Guest Entry

Hello, it's Brian here again.

This is a good exercise for me, because currently, due to the effects of clinical depression, I am not doing much writing. Not doing any, if the truth be told.

Depression is a frustrating thing. I am not going to bore you all by talking about it, there's plenty of information out there on the Web if you're interested. However, let me make one thing clear for the cynics out there - it's real, and you can't "just snap out of it". Oh, and until I experienced it for myself, I probably believed the clean contrary.

I am looking forward the the Spring. Here in England it is wet and dull right now, and even Pollyanna would feel a bit fed up. In a few months I'll once again be able to get my walking boots out and venture down the quiet lanes of Shropshire, or maybe the lesser slopes of the Lake District, and enjoy the beauty of our countryside. Or maybe I'll be taking a ride on one of our many steam railways.

I must admit, however sad it makes me, I love steam trains. Modern trains do nothing for me at all - they're soulless boxes that whisk you from A to B. Steam trains had romance...They smell, sure they do, but it's a nice smell. I can stand next to one and enjoy breathing it in - I can't think that anyone does that with diesel fumes.

The Welsh Highland Railway is one of the newest and most interesting. It's a revival of a line that closed in 1937. Slowly, in patient stages, it's being reopened. Already it runs from Carnarfon to Rhyd Ddu (you pronounce that Rid-dee, roughly), at the foot of Snowdon. A few more years will see it running through to Portmadog again.

I first saw this railway in 1962 - of course it was just earthworks then, but what earthworks! The bit I saw was Aberglasyn pass, as scenic a place as you will find even in Wales. I dreamed and fantasised over what it would like to be to ride over such a fantastic peace of line, dreamed with all the power of a nine year old's imagination. I never thought the day would come when I would be able to do so, but now, as long as I manage to live another few years, I shall. Even the impossible can come true - sometimes.

There's not much keeping me going right now, but the thought of that ride through Aberglasyn is certainly among those things.

If anyone's interested, there's a wonderful website about the Welsh Highland at http://www.isengard.co.uk/ Take a look, and see what determination can do.

Brian

Submitting fiction

I've been lazy with submitting my short fiction lately. I got caught up with trying to crack one particular editor, writing three stories for him which he still didn't want. This obsession meant I was distracted from all the other markets out there. I did write a story for Outcast, which I feel very lucky to have sold to Nicole. The year before, all my new stories went into "The Grinding House". So my resolution is for February to be a flurry of final edits and one great big mail out. I like to always have something out in the big world. It's part of the cycle of writing for me. I work on something, finalise it, send it out, then have that little spot of hope inside me as I wait for the editor to make a decision. Do others have this same need for 'potential publication'? I guess it is a very different situation for novelists; you have to wait so much longer, don't you? Certainly, Black Pepper Press had my novel for nearly a year, so the expectation had long since died out by the time I got the thing back. Has anybody else submitted to them? They took a long time to respond, but they publish interesting, non-standard stuff. One book I read, which is why I went to them, is "The Prisoner Gains a Blurred Skin" by Nicholas Playford. This is a bizarre collection of short stories, well worth checking out. Their webpage is:
http://members.dodo.com.au/~ghannah/

When I first started selling stories, I was more aware of response times. These days, what with the kids and all, I would forget when I sent stories off if I didn't write it down in my little exercise book. No, I haven't got it on computer. I write it down in a little book. I know another writer who keeps his notes on file cards, so I'm not alone! One day I'll put it on computer. Just not today. I discovered this site, which keeps track of average/worst response times.
http://www.critters.org/blackholes/
Not that it makes you change your mind about submitting, but at least it will give you an idea of when to start harassing the editor for a response.

I proclaim February as "Send lots of stories out" month, and hope you'll join me in this!
Kaaron

Greetings from Amazingly Comfortable Varuna

Sneaking in to say hi.

There were four writers here all week: Linda Jaivin and Neil Drinnan left today, Greg Woodland has taken a busman's holiday and gone to a movie(he is a scriptwriter), and I have the whole of the Dark mansion to myself. I stole into Eric Dark's old office and finally worked out my login issues (don't ask).

I can now receive email. It might take a couple of days before I reply, but yes, you can send "Wish you were here and I were there" thoughts.

cassiphone, I have the Green Room.
All of you who warned me about the amazing food, yes it is amazing.
And the company is outstanding.

What is also outstanding is that I have written something like 26,000 words in 6 days. And done a *bunch* of research. That's why I gave myself time off to work out logins and to say I am sunburned and writing like a fury.

Thank you, oh awesome blog-nursers. I haven't had time to do more than skim, but things look like fun. I wonder if I drop my birthdate (25 April) I can get an axe murderer as well? If I can't I wll go with the Milats, since I have log-cabin-camped in Belanglo Forest (I still have access rights to that log cabin, I suspect).