Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Nothing new to report

It's been a couple of weeks now since my son's trip to the emergency room for the metal washer thing on his finger and I've had no real news to report.

I did enter the Fast and Frisky contest but did not win; at least I did get a calendar story written. February's isn't as easy to write but I need to write it anyway. What is the calendar story, you ask? - Hum - okay a friend sent me a calendar for Christmas - The Haunted Realm - she purchased a calendar for herself and suggested we write a story a month based on the calendar pictures/descriptions - so all my places are supposedly haunted or have creepy stories to them (who doesn't love a good ghost story or a mystery?). January's worked right into the fast and frisky contest for Echelon Press (she is doing a Fast Fiction contest every month - with the theme being Fast and F..... - whatever it is for the month - like October was Fast and Freaky; November was Fast and Fatal; December was Fast and Festive; January Fast and Frigid - you get the idea) --- anyway as long as Karen keeps posting the contests, I'll enter them. Hey, if it means I win and get a story published, even if in ebook format, then I'm game. The next posting should be February 26, which seems like a long time to me but it is only the middle of February now and the 26th isn't too far away. I guess I can wait another 12 days to find out what the next Fast Fiction contest will be.

I've been judging some stories for the derringers (via the Short Mystery Fiction Society forum on yahoo) and that's been interesting - so far 6 of 7 stories have been judged by me and all of them are written in first person and have been okay; the last one did kind of pizzazz me but the stories seem so lackluster considering they are all supposed to be mysteries and haven't really been too mysterious. Maybe they will get better as I go through this process. I've never had to judge stories for awards before, but being an editor for the Magazine of Unbelievable Stories has helped in this aspect. I guess being an editor and having to pick stories for the magazine is kind of like judging and it is very subjective. What I may like, the next person may absolutely hate. I am trying to be fair and partial to all the entries, not judge too harshly and give anyone zeros across the board, not that I've had any stories like that, but you never know. I'm trying to judge fairly and it is hard with the complete difference in stories and writing styles from each person.

So I guess that is it for me on the no new anything to report - lol - long-winded for nothing new here - see you all in the postings - E :)

3 comments:

Rain-drop said...

I think that you would be a pretty good judge. You try to be fair and all. You wouldn't underhandedly let your friend win or something. You wouldn't dismiss anyone's piece in a mean way. You must be agood judge, I think.

I am currently working on the essay of doom, but perhaps after Tuesday, when I am done, I can hear more about this story that pizzazzed you out, the weird one. I'm a bit curioius about it.

On other notes, I find the "Fast and" contests interesting. THe way it is "Fast and 'word beginning with F'" brings to mind, for me, um, bad words starting with F (hey, it could be an erotica contest!), and the word 'furious.' Like the film "The Fast and the Furious." Maybe there could be a contest like that, and the story would have to be about the consequences of anger, or violence, or something like that.

I'm sorry some of the stories you're reviewing are non-mysterious mysteries. That sounds quite dull.

Sorry. Had to put that in. Oh, I have a new blog post! In my normal blog. This post of yours is from the 14th? That seems like it was a long time ago to me...

Anyway, talk to you later!

Rain-drop said...

Agh.

My "sorry had to put that in" is in reference to something I took out of the comment, because I went back and changed what I said.

Hope that didn't confuse you. :)

elysabeth said...

no problem and you are right - it does seem a long time between postings. I will try to do better