Adam Israel

I am…

2008-06-27T04:52:57Z

…blogging. I’ve been lax on posting updates and commentary, so this is my make-up post.

…tired. Work has been absolutely crazy lately. Long days, longer nights. I’m really looking forward to the days where I can delegate much more of the work. I never thought I’d look forward to taking more of a management role but in this case it means sane hours.

…writing. My serious writing push started last spring and really gained momentum following the James Gunn Workshop last year. This year I’m on track with writing one new story a month, keeping the finished stories in circulation, and I’m gaining confidence in my abilities each and every day.

…editing. Boy, does it suck. No, really. I tend to write the first draft of a story and let it sit for a few weeks, working on another story while the previous one airs out. Inevitably, when I return to editing I find things I could have done better. It’s a clear sign that I’m improving but still frustrating.

…living. The divorce is still pending and money is tighter than Ritchie Riches money clip. It’s good to know I haven’t lost the taste for Ramen noodles.

…organized. We’ve done a smashing job of cleaning house and rearranging furniture. I keep meaning to take and post pictures.

…happy. We’re doing what’s important right now, and that’s enjoying each others company and enjoying life. No matter what frustrations life throws at us, we keep each other balanced and focused.

[Crossposted from stonetable.org. If you'd like to comment, you can do so either here or there.]

Meme: Things I’ve done

2008-06-27T02:43:14Z

Post 3 things you’ve done in your lifetime that you don’t think anybody else on your friends list has done.
See if anybody else responds with “I’ve done that.” If they have, you need to add another! (2.b., 2.c., etc…)
Have your friends cut & paste this into their journal to see what unique things they’ve done in their life.

I have:

1. Been on the set of Saturday Night Live during rehearsals

When I was a consultant, I worked at NBC headquarters in New York City. One afternoon, shortly before New Years Eve 2000, one of the NBC staff took me down to the set and gave me a brief tour while Blink 182 was practicing.

2. Worked in a meat processing plant

One of the odd jobs I worked while doing temp work. I showed up that evening for the “interview” and was promptly ushered to the killing floor to clean/scrub the equipment, walls, ceilings and floor. I only worked the one night but it took me six months to eat meat again.

3. Rode in an airplane with the Chicago White Sox

When I was seven or so, my brother was in the hospital at the University of Minnesota for a kidney transplant (his first, when he was two). They needed to get me up there quickly and someone managed to get me on a flight with the Chicago White Sox. I sat across the isle from Carlton Fisk, my favorite White Sox player of all time.

[Crossposted from stonetable.org. If you'd like to comment, you can do so either here or there.]

Superpowers

2008-06-26T21:07:51Z

Former writers group buddy (before he escaped to the land of 10,000 lakes) and all around nice guy, David Schwartz, released his first book earlier in the month.

“Superpowers: A Novel” (David J. Schwartz)

I remember when I first heard him describe the book in group one night. Five college friends wake up one morning to discover they each have a superpower. Superheroes in a world without a supervillain. The story follows them through the discovery of and adjustment to their newfound abilities and explores the consequences of their actions.

I didn’t have access to comic books growing up but in the last year I’ve really started getting caught up on graphic novels. I’m far from a comic book expert but I don’t see this isn’t just a rehashing of every other superhero story. There are some surprising twists and turns throughout the story, particularly at the end.

I haven’t been the most voracious of novel readers lately but I found myself looking forward to the end of the day so I could sit down and read more of it. I finished it up late last night and the ending left me both sad and satisfied. It was a fun, entertaining read, well-worth the price of admission.

[Crossposted from stonetable.org. If you'd like to comment, you can do so either here or there.]

Return to Luna

2008-06-16T05:32:16Z

The Return to Luna contest is officially closed.

I wasn’t sure if I was going to get my story finished in time. I wrote the first draft longhand a few weeks ago. I was in the middle of typing that up when work exploded. Between sixteen hour work days and sleeping in four hour shifts I somehow managed to bang out a semi-decent draft.

Friday night I sat down and started some serious revisions. Saturday night I had something close enough to get some feedback on. Thanks again to Adam, Will, and Carolyn for commenting on short notice. Special thanks to Andrea, who suffered through three or four drafts and patiently listened to me babble about the story for weeks.

The results won’t be in until late summer, but best of luck to everyone who submitted.

[Crossposted from stonetable.org. If you'd like to comment, you can do so either here or there.]

2008 PARSEC SF&F Short Story Contest Results

2008-06-11T19:52:13Z

The PARSEC Science Fiction & Fantasy Short Story Contest results are in for 2008, at least unofficially. I received my letter today.

There were 89 valid entries this year, of which twenty-one were read by the screeners and twelve passed along to the final judges. My story The Dwarves of Iron Hammer was one of the twenty-one that ultimately fell short of the final round.

The rejection included some wonderful feedback from the screeners. They had no problem with the writing but the story fell short on plot and story arc, and the ending was a bit weak.

…the shallowness of the plot sank an otherwise acceptable story

I’m a bit embarrassed to admit just how close to the deadline I started my story. Even so, I think I’m on the right track. I think the screener’s comments were right on the mark. The lack of world building and the rush to finish the story for the deadline hurt the story as a whole. I’m going to sit down and see if I can fix the plot issues and take the story from acceptable to something remarkable.

Congratulations to the winners and good luck elsewhere to the rest!

[Crossposted from stonetable.org. If you'd like to comment, you can do so either here or there.]

To the Moon

2008-05-20T06:45:00Z

I’m making fine progress on my Return to Luna story. It’s not exactly going the way I intended but I’m not unhappy with the results. I’m around 1,600 words in (guesstimate since my first drafts are hand-written) and I suspect I’ll come in close to the 4,000 word limit, if not a little over. This story is a departure from anything I’ve written before. It feels good to stretch beyond the familiar.

My original idea is still rattling around and bugging me enough that I’ll probably tackle that one next.

[Crossposted from stonetable.org. If you'd like to comment, you can do so either here or there.]

Scratching away

2008-05-17T16:44:11Z

Writing:

It’s been all but impossible to do any writing this past week. The day job has been out of control. I worked close to eighty hours. I did manage to sneak in the research I needed to do for my Return to Luna story.

No plans for the weekend, other than mowing the lawn, watching the hockey playoffs and writing. I should be able to finish most if not all of this first draft.

Submissions:

I have four stories out right now, in limbo ranging from ten to thirty-five days. Three to markets I’ve never submitted to before.

I’m a little concerned about my submission to Andromeda Spaceways (ASIM). I’ve heard nothing but positive things about their submission process. Tracking numbers are sent to authors within a week of receiving the submission and you can track your story through the three round reading process.

After thirty-five days I have not received a tracking number nor a response to my query (sent per their guidelines). I know of at least one other person having the same experience. Their submission tracking page hasn’t been updated in more than a month. The only sign of movement came yesterday, with a reported response on Duotrope after a one month lag. I’m still holding out hope that they are just very behind.

[Crossposted from stonetable.org. If you'd like to comment, you can do so either here or there.]

Inequal rights for equal folks

2008-05-17T15:31:56Z

The California Supreme Court overturned a ruling against gay marriage this week. The fight wages on as supporters on both sides rally for the battle to make the ruling permanent. Obviously, there are plenty of heated discussions going on. Jed Hartman has a nice summary of what the ruling really means.

I summed up my feeling on the issue over on Chris McKitterick’s journal yesterday:

I’ve never quite understood how it can be claimed that we (the United States) have separation between church and state, yet the concept of a legal union is inseparable from a religious ceremony in the minds of so many.

In my mind, any man or woman, in any combination, should be able to be legally “married” and obtain all legal benefits of such.

Religion should play absolutely no part in the legal process of marriage. Perhaps it’s my limited perspective, but the majority of those I see/hear/read about are protesting and complaining based on their personal religious views.

To me, it’s really that simple. There is absolutely no reason a person should be treated differently based on their ethnic group, gender, sexual preference, or social status. In short, people should be judged on their actions.

[Crossposted from stonetable.org. If you'd like to comment, you can do so either here or there.]

Astronomers Discover Elusive Object

2008-05-14T04:29:59Z

NASA is holding a press conference tomorrow afternoon to announce the discovery of an object that astronomers have been hunting for more than fifty years. I’ve seen some wild speculation, ranging from a black hole to evidence of life on Mars. Whatever it is, though, I swear that I had nothing to do with it.

[Crossposted from stonetable.org. If you'd like to comment, you can do so either here or there.]

Steampunk

2008-05-13T04:25:58Z

My copy of Steampunk, the anthology of Steampunk short storiesedited by Ann & Jeff Vandermeer arrived today. I've mentioned it before, but Thursday is the last day you can order it directly from Ann & Jeff complete with personalized Zepplins!

The table of contents is impressive: jaylake, Michael Chablon, Ted Chiang, Michael Moorcock, Neal Stephenson, and Paul Di Filippo are just some of the contributors. Fifteen stories, plus an introduction to the roots of Steampunk for just $12. Go buy a copy or two. You'll thank me later.

Personally, I've been interested in the steampunk theme for a while. The story I wrote for PARSEC was inspired by it. I am not well-read enough in the field for my liking so I am especially pleased to have a copy of the anthology in my eager little hands.

That's Just How I Roll

2008-04-30T20:52:10Z

My first published story, a flash fiction piece titled That's Just How I Roll, is now available in the May Issue of Static Movement.

Read it, print, frame and hang it on your wall, share it with friends and family, etc. Enjoy.

April 15th

2008-04-15T16:13:12Z

Writing:

We mailed our submissions to the PARSEC Science Fiction and Fantasy
Short Story Contest last night. The theme for this years contest was "metallic feathers." It's the first contest either of us has submitted to. We should hear back by mid-June or so.

Two more submissions out the door last weekend and one rejection in. I don't feel too bad about the rejections, though. The last few have been personal ones, including an invitation to submit again. Progress.

Sword and Sorceress 23 opens to submissions this Saturday and will accept submissions until May 16th. A little known fact about me is that, as a teenager, I wrote to MZB to ask for guidelines to her magazine. I'm sure I botched the request but she still sent me them along with some little flyers and a bookmark (which still sits on my desk). Andrea has been reading the Sword and Sorceress for as long as she can remember. We're both working on stories to submit for this issue.

Last, there are two other upcoming contests I have my sights set on: the Heinlein Centennial Short Story Contest and Return to Luna, due June 1st and 15th respectively.

Taxes:

Taxes are almost done. I just need to fax the signatures over to the account for eFiling and it's done. Finally a year that I don't owe money! Of course, almost all of my refund is going to a second retainer to the divorce lawyer. Easy come, easy go.

Penguicon 6.0:

We're heading to Detroit this weekend for my 6th Penguicon (and Andrea's first). This will be my second year following the writing track rather than the tech stuff. I won't be doing the writing workshop this time, so hopefully I'll have a chance to meet some new people with writerly interests. I'm still working out how to do that, being the geeky wallflower I am, but I'm sure I'll manage somehow.

First fiction sale!

2008-04-12T10:24:06Z

It's been a good week, chock full of writing goodness. I wrote two first drafts (a flash and a short) and started on a third. I polished up the flash piece and submitted it earlier today. Twenty-six minutes later I received an acceptance from Static Movement. My story, "That's Just How I Roll", will be published in their May issue.

Not a pro sale, but a sale nonetheless. A milestone and motivator. This is something I've been working towards seriously over the past year. While the story I sold today was less than a week old, I have to give thanks to all of the workshoppers, beta readers and loved ones who gave me their valuable feedback and encouragement. I would not be where I'm at today without each of you.

What the Frak?

2008-04-03T02:08:27Z

I'm still under the weather, now with an acute sinus infection, but I would be remiss in not mentioning the premier of Battlestar Galactica - Season 4 on Friday.

If you're new to the show or just want a refresher, there is an eight minute recap that will give you the gist of where we are at:

Flu and Loglines

2008-03-23T04:25:33Z

Blogging with the flu might not be a smart idea. Please forgive any spelling/gramatical errors.

My brother was in town this week. He caught the flu from my mom, and then shared it with us. Runny noses, sore throats, fever, and body aches. Not exactly how we intended to spend Easter weekend. Sharing is caring!

In between fever dreams and restless bouts of sleep, I've been reading about loglines. I'd heard of the concept, mostly applied to script writer. Ray-Anne Lutener blogged about why loglines are relevant to fiction writers.

All too often I've tried to describe a story of mine to someone and ended up confusing myself. If I haven't thought the story through enough to summarize it in one sentence, something is probably wrong. That logline can serve as a reminder as I write of what it is I'm trying to say.

I went back through some of my stories from the last year and thought about what the logline for each one would read. As I go back to revise or write new stories, I'm going to take a little time to write develop that one line summary, even if it's only useful to myself as a writing tool.

RIP Arthur C. Clarke

2008-03-18T21:50:15Z

Arthur C. Clarke has died, according to the Associated Press.

February updates

2008-03-05T22:52:15Z

February was a short, busy month that ended with a bang.

I wrote and polished one new story and continued work on second.

I received one rejection and four submissions are out in the wild. A fifth story, conceived during dinner at last year's CSSF workshop, isn't far behind.

We picked up The Hard SF Renaissance edited by David Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer and The New Weird edited by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer.

Eric Reynolds announced the Return to Luna short story contest, with the winners published in an anthology by Hadley Rille Books, whose previous anthologies Visual Journeys and Ruins Extraterrestrial have had stories recommended for a Nebula Award. Good company to be in. I'm already hard at work on my entry.

Since this was a leap year, I did something special on leap day. I won't say just what yet but it's safe to say I'm pretty pleased with the outcome.

I am sensing a trend here...

2008-02-28T19:59:39Z

I just took the latest meme spreading through my friends list this week and experienced deja vu:

I am:

Philip José Farmer

This prolific author brings surprising depths to he-man adventure tales, and broke science fiction's prudery barrier.

Which science fiction writer are you?

This sounds familiar. I guess I really am Philip José Farmer.

Scribbling away

2008-02-18T09:31:55Z

February is now just half over and Mother Nature can't seem to decide if it's winter or spring. In the last few days there we have seen snow, rain and thunder. The area has been under flood warnings all day and most of the snow is now melted or replaced with a layer of ice.

Andrea and I have been digging through market lists and guidelines, figuring out what deadlines are looming and what anthologies or markets we'd like to submit to. Ralans and Duotrope are invaluable resources, to be sure. Following the blogs of authors/editors I like has also yielded some leads on upcoming anthologies although I feel like there's still a secret handshake I have yet to discover.

In addition to the clockwork fable story for Shimmer due at the end of the month, I have a handful of stories in the edit pile that I'd like to get out the door and one WIP that I'd like to get finished. There may be a few anthologies with deadlines this quarter that I'll be able to submit to and the Writers of the Future quarterly deadline is just 40 or so days away.

A new year brings another round of workshops to consider. Clarion applications are due by March 1st, if I decide to apply this year. With Neil Gaiman teaching in San Diego this year and Cory
Doctorow in Seattle, it's a real temptation. There's also the CSSF workshop that I completely enjoyed and would do again in a heartbeat. Otherwise I'm just going to keep plugging away and keep on submitting.

February deadlines

2008-02-02T14:50:54Z

Here are a few upcoming deadlines for the month of Februrary:

Shimmer's Clockwork Jungle, a double-length, themed issue revolving around steampunk fables.
Eclipse Two is an anthology of original Science Fiction and Fantasy.

Happy writing!

The cold days of winter

2008-01-30T04:56:32Z

January has been a busy month. I haven't blogged as much as I'd like. I've had two court dates for the divorce and now I'm putting together all of the paperwork and documentation I'll need to move forward. Work has been crazy and stressful and never seems to end.

We went to see my Dad and brother a few weekends ago. Northern Wisconsin is not the warmest places to visit in January. The wind chills were forty below zero and neither dog wanted to stay outside longer than they needed to. I worry about my Dad a lot but he seems to be getting along quite well. He's always busy helping someone or doing something. He added a wood burning heating system to his trailer last year and I was amazed at how well it works. My little brother is doing well, despite his recent and continued medical problems. It's difficult and frustrating to see him in pain and knowing that there's nothing that can be done to help but he's still in good spirits.

It's been a fairly mild winter so far. The temperatures themselves haven't been bad but the wind has been killer. I'm looking forward to the spring and getting the yard cleaned up and maybe putting up a fence so the dogs can run freely. Dora, the border collie/blue heeler mix, seems much happier when she gets her exercise. She loves being outside and playing. The flatulent boxer, Perl, on the other hand, wishes we lived somewhere warmer -- like the equator.

Otherwise we've been keeping busy at home. I dusted off a couple old tables I had sitting in the basement. Now I have a nice little workbench for working on models and miniatures and Andrea has a desk and computer to play games and write at. We've been taking turns at the cooking and doing fairly well at it.

I'm a little behind on the writing I wanted to get done but not badly. I'm working on my Steampunk fable entry for Shimmer and I have a new story almost ready for submission. We both have upcoming writing deadlines and story ideas running amok. Now we just need to iron out a consistent schedule for writing.

Sins of Omission

2008-01-30T04:55:55Z

Occasionally we omit the truth, not out of malice but to protect ourselves or someone else. It doesn't make it right, though. In our effort to protect we may do more harm than good. The truth, while painful to face, is preferable to the alternative. I would have preferred to find a way myself but a process server did the job instead. I would rather have had the opportunity to explain it myself and set the record straight but that choice was made for me. I can't change the past but I can do one thing: no more omissions.

Things have a way of happening unexpectedly. I didn't intend or seek to meet someone so much like myself but I did. The timing of it could have been better for the both of us but it is what it is. Andrea and I are happy together and that is what's important. Some people might not accept that and that's okay. A few will be angry and make assumptions without getting all the facts and we'll have to live with that. We should strive to live our lives to the best of our abilities and the most important thing is being happy.

Writing Progress

2008-01-05T08:21:28Z

I finished the latest round of revisions to "Alien Gurgitator" tonight, weighing in at 1,630 words. The feedback from my beta readers (and you know who you are) was invaluable. Another few reads, a bit more polish and I think it's ready to hit the slush piles.

This marks the first fully complete story written since the workshop last summer (where I got the idea for this story). It's given me a nice sense of accomplishment. I spent the summer and fall working on revising the stories I workshopped. I felt like I was just spinning my wheels a bit, so I shelved them, broke out my notebook and started writing longhand. Boy did that work out well for me.

I'm pleased with the progress I've made writing-wise so far. I plan on showing my gratitude for what the fine folks at the CSSF Workshop (Jim, Chris, and Kij) have done for me by getting published in 2008.

Subscription of the Month w/bonus Anthology

2008-01-03T04:18:29Z

With all of the personal upheaval in the past sixty days, I missed my monthly subscription to support the short fiction market. To make up for it, I've started off the new year with a fresh and shiny subscription to Locus, the industry rag for Science Fiction writers. I spent more than a few hours reading through back issues at the CSSF SF Workshop last summer and I've been meaning to subscribe ever since.

As a bonus, I ordered Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse, edited by John Joseph Adams (slush master extraordinary of Fantasy & Science Fiction. The anthology includes stories from notable authors such as Tobias S. Buckell, Cory Doctorow, James Van Pelt, Gene Wolfe, and Elizabeth Bear. What are you waiting for? Order your copy today!

Goals for 2008

2007-12-30T22:38:36Z

It's traditional to make a list of resolutions for the new year both personal and professional.

Personal:

Finalize the divorce
Get out of debt
Be happy

Pretty simple plans for the next year. There are endings and new beginnings. Take care of my finances and embraces the things that make me happy.

Writing:

Write 12 new short stories
Revise and polish 12 stories
Submit 12 stories for publication
Submit a story to the Writers of the Future contest quarterly

Writing my first drafts longhand has turned out to be very productive. There's no reason why I shouldn't be able to produce one first draft a month. I should also be able to revise one story a month. After that, submitting the polished piece is easy. I'd also like to go back to CSSF again and I would love to go to Viable Paradise but I'll have to play it by ear as the year progresses.

Work:

Finish migrating out of my hands-on role to more of a managerial one
Successfully manage and complete all planned projects
Come up with brilliant new projects for people to work on
Grow the company

Perhaps the most challenging of tasks for me but ultimately the most rewarding, as it means more time for my personal and writing time. I'm in the process of letting go of what I've spent the last several years crafting and building and letting others take control of it. It frees up my time to work on larger tasks that have a bigger impact on the success of the business.