Vanishing Point

I got one of those wonderfully frustrating rejections today. The story made it to a second round, then got kicked, with a very apologetic note. The editor “had questions” and didn’t care for the ending. She said she loved the premise, the writing and would like to see more.

Which always leaves me wondering: Did she just not care for the ending – the way I simply don’t care for cottage cheese or Ralph Fiennes – or was the ending wrong. I don’t like the endings ‘Of Mice and Men’ or ‘Crime and Punishment’. Doesn’t matter. They ended they way they must.

There is probably a point at which an editor trusts that the writer’s right, whether from the power of the writer’s voice or stature. (There’s a point beyond this where the editor trusts too much. Different problem, different day.) I’m certainly not at that point. In fact, I can’t see it at all. But I’ll keep looking.

Wide Right

I didn’t win the Alberta Reader’s Choice Award. Helen Waldstein Wilkes’ Holocaust memoir Letters from the Lost has been picked as the book everyone in Alberta should read. I want to thank all those who voted. Especially those who voted, and voted again. It was a valiant – or obsessive compulsive – effort.

Cinco de Mayo always had the long odds. Not just because I’m American and not writing about a cause, but because more people read non-fiction than fiction. I have no idea why. Good fiction frequently represents the truth much more clearly.

It was exciting to be nominated. I loved hearing all sorts of nice things about the novel. The people who enjoyed the book despite not usually liking this kind of fiction, or even fiction at all, made me smile. I never expected to win, though I always held hope. The fiction between the two was not pleasant. It wasn’t ‘nice’ being nominated. It was rewarding and challenging, but never nice, like volunteers at a bloodbank or cupcakes.

Not that I wouldn’t do it all again. Nope, I would. Only better next time.

Horizons

The Horizons anthology just came out. I mean just, it's not even at Amazon yet. But I'm excited because I've got not one but two stories in it. "World Without Boats" and "Elements of a Champion" both of which I like because they're fun and odd and the kind of story you don't see a whole Hell of a lot in the monthly print magazines anymore, with all their brooding and blood. I was quite happy when these two were accpeted not just because I wrote them and I always want my stories to find a home, but because it was so nice to discover that some editors somewhere still appreciate stories with a little quirk

That's it

Today is the last day to vote for Cinco de Mayo in the Alberta Readers' Choice Award. It'll be over and won't that be nice. It's tough to devote a month to voting for one novel. I mean, Black History or Fire Safety, sure. They can sustain a whole month. Me, reminding people to vote? It's been fun, but I'm ready to obsess about something else now.

Two Days Left

After tomorrow I won't bother any of you with this again. The voting ends with the month. So, honor our veterans, eat a hotdog and vote for Cinco de Mayo.

Please vote

Only three days left and what I learned in Red Deer is the competition is fierce and worthy. Each of the other books is real, and good and from a heart. Each deserves to win for it's own particular reason. Cinco de Mayo does, too. So, if you can manage, please cast a vote. Often.

If you're feeling weird about it and haven't gotten around to reading the tale, try a sample here.

Live from Red Deer

Tomorrow night is the Alberta Readers` Choice Awards big event. May 26, 9:00pm (Eastern) 7:00pm local. They are broadcasting it live. Click here if you want to watch me, and my champion, apologize for Cinco de Mayo. Not like were sorry for it or anything, you know, the other, older definition, where you explain why something`s right or solid or deserving.

And even if you don`t want to watch - and I can`t imagine why as American Idol is over - at least vote.