So near, and yet so damn far

These days checking my e-mail is done with a mix of hope and trepidation. I have stuff constantly floating around in the nether, and each time, just before the screen shows my inbox. I can't help but imagine I'll see something with a subject line like, 'Where do we send the check?'

I haven't seen something like that yet. Yesterday, when I checked, I had another rejection letter. This one was from Bloodbound Books, telling me that they're passing on Tracks. They said it was in no way a reflection of the quality of the story, which they enjoyed. Seems I just missed the final cut.

As my wife put it, it sucks, but it's a good suck. Personal rejections like that are a good sign.

A few hours later, I got a little message from Glimmer Train. It was an e-mail form letter, offering a polite refusal on Stilling the Demons. The line that immediately sprang to mind was from the episode of Penn and Teller's Bullshit where Penn is narrating through the plagues that rained down on Egypt. He exclaims, 'Yeah, whatever, God. Bring it on.' So I went out and celebrated with a Monte Cristo at the newly-resurrected Bennigans.

Roja is coming along. The more I read through it, the more I realize just how many breaks in the narrative and inconsistencies I have in it that I need to clean up. But it's still fun. There's still that sense of joy as I weave more ideas and connections into it. At present count it's about five hundred pages long, so I'm going to have to do a major hack job on it near the end. But for now, I can make it everything I want it to be.

Still writing, and yes, part of it is the power trip.