Sunday, November 1, 2015

My very first NaNoWriMo...

...begins today.

This is just a perfunctory post to say that I'm taking a shot at NaNoWriMo for the first time, beginning nowish. It's not a brilliant time to do this, frankly. I'm still trying to eek out time to write at all, and what's more, I'm sick! But I know how it goes, looking for "the perfect time" to do something, so now's just as good as later. Probably.

Anyways, I'll try to update here on my progress as other writing-related tasks take a small backseat during the month of November.

Many thanks for your patience.

Monday, October 19, 2015

This story is honorable! (Just thought I'd mention...)

Here's a new story that received an honorable mention from the fine folks at On the Premises. Entitled "What He Loved Most," it's a mainstream tale about the relationship between an aging painter and the young girl whose family has just moved in next door...

I hope you enjoy!

Friday, October 9, 2015

Recent Success and Personal Truth

Recently I've had among the greatest successes of my fledgling writing career. Along with my recent publications in Grimdark Magazine and Odd Tree Press Quarterly, I am now a proud Writers of the Future finalist!

Hooray!

The truth is, however, that I don't much relish the idea of talking about these sorts of things. I recognize this as a part of what I'm trying to accomplish; blogging, tweeting (@tcpowellfiction), tooting your own horn, it's all part and parcel with the "business end" of writing (and, so far as I can tell, modern society). I can't stop from doing it... and in fact, I recognize that I have to do it more, and better. But if there's any truth to having an "inner nature" (and I suspect so), this goes against mine. I've never had a taste for ceremony or celebration... I didn't attend my junior high graduation, and if I could have skipped the high school or college ones, I would have. But I went for the sake of others, and that's something like what brings me here, now.

It's not that I'm not grateful to those who've assisted me in getting where I have, or don't feel a touch of pride at what I've accomplished. I am and I do. But I always feel like there's more yet to be done and that celebrations are premature. I have so much further to travel, and that awareness seems to temper my ability to enthuse about how far I've come.

Anyways, if you'll forgive me stumbling my way through this process, and my awkward attempts to let you know who I am and what I've done, I'd appreciate it. In return, I'll do what I can to become a better writer and a better spokesperson for myself.

For today, I'll announce that I remain a "Writer of the Future... of the future," but that I'm one step closer to achieving a goal I'd set for myself years ago.

And that's not so bad.

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

And Another!

Along with my recent publication by Grimdark Magazine, I've had the short story "Halloween Surprise" published in the inaugural edition of Odd Tree Press Quarterly -- huzzah!

It can be found here! (And it also contains the fiction of fellow Wordo, Sarina Dorie!)

October has started out as an exciting month, and I have the feeling it's only going to get more exciting from here...

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Incoming Alert! Incoming Alert!

(klaxons)
(red lights flashing)
(members of the Enterprise bridge crew throwing themselves around)

I have a brand new story in the latest issue of Grimdark Magazine! The issue is available for purchase here. It's a gorgeous little volume; kudos to the editors! My own contribution, "Lessons of Necessity," concerns a mother trying to teach her son to survive in a post-zombie apocalyptic world...


The next few months should be exciting. I have a couple more publications lined up, and maybe a surprise or two more... and then, in November, I plan on throwing my hat into the ring for NaNoWriMo for the first time. Yikes!

Till next time.

Saturday, August 15, 2015

A Little Bit of Good News

Okay, so, waking up at 4:30am on the regular sucks.

It sucks for me, at least.  I'm certain that there are many fine morning people in the world who prefer things that way, but I'm not among them, except out of necessity.  My current necessity is having a moment's peace and quiet before the family (bless them) wakes, because really that's the only time I can gather sufficient focus to write.

But why am I complaining?  Isn't this post entitled "A Little Bit of Good News"?  Glad you asked!

It's paying off!  Waking up early is hard enough, but it's impossible if I don't see that I'm doing good with that time.  Fortunately, the good folks on Whidbey Island have seen fit to grant me the Penn Cove Literary Arts Award for the second month in a row.  I do believe that's a first, ladies and gentlemen -- back to back wins.  (And also a last: their newly updated rules specify that previous winners should not submit again... which is a shame, since it was a good source of inspiration to me these last couple of months.)

Furthermore, one of my short stories has been selected as a finalist in the 2015 Defenestrationism Short Story Contest!  It can be found here.  (There is voting involved as part of the contest, and anyone so inclined may participate, but of course there's no obligation to vote or to vote for my story.  The other finalists are all worthy.)

So hooray or huzzah or something similar.  :)

Now to just keep it up...

Friday, July 17, 2015

Submissions Central

Since I'm trying to "get back into the groove," I've been looking for new markets for my fiction, and I've found a number of exciting ones.

One that's very interesting to me personally is Sci Phi Journal.  (That's Phi as in "philosophy," though I expect they pronounce it Fi, notwithstanding.)  I have an abiding interest in all-things-philosophical, and I tend to write like it (sometimes to the detriment of my stories...), so I'm eager to start sending them the best fits.  Perhaps there can be an evolving relationship there!  Or maybe they'll reject me!  So much to learn, so much to see.  :)

All right.  Time spent blogging is time not spent submitting, or writing, or editing.  (Or doing dishes, or making lunch, or raising my child -- and yeah, there's some of all of that ahead of me today, too.)  So back to the grindstone... or, as I've taken to calling it recently, the dreamstone.

Consider that silliness trademarked! ;)

Monday, July 13, 2015

Getting Back into the Groove

Over the last few weeks, it finally has felt like I've somewhat been returning to form.  I've attended workshops and produced crits and received rejections and -- yes -- even found time for a little bit of writing.

It's not exactly what I want, yet.  (What is?)  I'm waking up too early to get it all in, and ignoring many chores/duties which ought not be ignored, which makes me... a less than ideal husband and father.  And I haven't made time for reading yet, which is huge for me, both personally and professionally.  Still, and even if I cannot keep this pace up forever, I feel good for what I've done in this time.  It's progress.

Speaking of happy things, a story of mine has received the Penn Cove Literary Arts Award.  Yay!  :)

All right, back to work.

Sunday, May 24, 2015

Years!?

Years.

As it turns out, having a child is a bit of work...

Of course it is happy work, but nonetheless I have been greatly distracted from reading, writing, submitting, and all of those things that a writer ought do.  Updating this blog has received the very shortest end of the stick.

With my kid on the cusp of three, I cannot promise any great change immediately.  But slowly, slowly, I am trying to find some hidden time to put myself back on track.  Blogging will always be below reading, writing, and submitting, I'm afraid, and all of those will remain below parenting forever.

That said, I plan on stopping by from time to time, if you'd care to meet me here.

Till then.