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By: Aaron Polson,
on 2/20/2012
So Shimmer does this readers' survey with each issue, and you can vote for your favorite story from #14 here. I'm not suggesting you pick my story (nudge, nudge, wink, wink), but it's fun to take surveys.
By: Aaron Polson,
on 2/14/2012
I've killed more muses than I care to count, but somehow, in the midst of chaos, I still find inspiration.
In fact, I can almost turn it on at will. Three sure-fire methods:
1. Read quality fiction.
2. Watch an awards show.
3. Watch the Rush documentary, Beyond the Lighted Stage.
Number 1 always makes me want to work harder. I don't do number 2 because I hope to "be there someday". It's more of a, "wow--look at all of these people chasing their dreams" (and a little bit of "Really? That won an award?"). Number 3 is the textbook example of doing it your way. Rush is awesome, but polarizing. People I know either love/hate them. I'm firmly in the "love" camp.
The problem isn't with inspiration. The problem is energy. Time is at a premium as is my ability to focus for more than five minutes at a time.
But I'm not going to quit.
Ideas, you see, can haunt a person if let to fester. They can crust over, split open, and bleed into other parts of one's life. Those ideas just won't go away--not once the seeds are planted and watered. The inspiration is there.
What I need is an energy transfusion.
By: Aaron Polson,
on 2/3/2012
More children at home = less writing time and less time to blog about the nonsense I like to blog about.
Here is today's smorgasbord. (Mmmmm... smorgasbord...)
Both SF Revu and Locus have reviewed Shimmer #14, saying things like "unsettling little tale" (Sam Tomaino, SF Revu) and "I am not entirely convinced that there is anyone actually alive in this world. Except the bugs and worms." (Lois Tilton, Locus) about my story, "This House was Never a Castle". I'm not sure the bugs and worms are even alive--at least for long (the children eat them, you see).
Morpheus Tales has collected a "best of" issue and included my story about fungus gone wild, "A Most Unfortunate Gaffe". You can check out the always disturbing cover art and buy a copy here.
And finally, Echoes of the Dead hit some sort of milestone yesterday--I've never had a sales burst like this for one of my books before, even after going free. Maybe it's a little instant karma for the pirate/plagiarism bullshite? It's sales rank was around 7K when I woke this morning. I'm no "J.K. Patterson" (all sarcasm intended), but I'll take it.
Have a great weekend, folks
By: Aaron Polson,
on 12/6/2010
As promised, I bring you a small shopping list for the weird reader on your list. (click on the images for purchasing info)
Yes, it may seem a little self-serving (being a Strange Publications book and all), but Cate's collection is wonderful. Check out www.strangemeninpinstripesuits.com and read the reviews.
When I was seven, my sister gave me one of the best gifts she could: a subscription to the Star Wars comic book (then produced by Marvel). How about giving that fantasy lover a subscription to a nice small press mag like Shimmer?
Or, for the horror fan on your list, a subscription to Necrotic Tissue, a magazine which never fails to entertain.
Okay, so some people like poetry. Some people like their poetry weird (and somewhat dark). Stuff A Mouth for Picket Fences by Barry Napier in their stocking.
By: Cate Gardner,
on 11/5/2010
By: Aaron Polson,
on 9/8/2010
Sometimes, I make up silly stories and they just don't "work". For some reason, the oddments and bits don't gel; they don't come together and construct a cohesive whole. When it does work, it borders on magic. Writers--especially those who write speculative fiction--know the feeling.
Sometimes, I wait until I arrive at school to check my email inbox.
Today, I received an acceptance from Shimmer for my short story, "The House was Never a Castle".
Today, I nearly had a heart attack in my classroom. Thank goodness school had yet to start.
I've lost track of my submissions to Shimmer. I'm sure the total is embarrassingly high. I'm not the sort who cranks a home run on his first at bat. Maybe better that I'm not. But today I feel like words can work magic. 
*So, yeah, I have this work in progress on a short piece involving a barge on the Congo River, an almost man who eats beetles, and a monster in the water...just sayin' since it's technically WIP Wednesday.
Ha, you sly devil. All voted up. :-)