Eschew Bad News. Refuse the Blues.

Selected friends and family have read advanced drafts of my poem, "Think of Pink," but no one has yet read the latest, probably final revision. I improved it last night, mostly by excising some of the repetitive lines, but also by relocating two poems from the top of the poem to the bottom. It flows much better, now.

"Think of pink. Think of pink!"

I submitted an earlier, but decent draft of "Think of Pink" to "Lighten Up Online," the same quarterly e-magazine of light verse that published "Where Angels Dance," but editor Jerome Betts gently rejected it as "not quite in LUPO's territory." 

Too bad. Even though LUPO is a non-paying market, and I may not be able to hope for better when it comes to light verse. At least there, I my work is in good company. (There's a lot of good poetry on the site. I recommend giving it a look.)

On that note, The Winning Writers' Wergle-Flomp Humor Poetry Contest publishes quality stuff and potentially pays, but is (therefore) even less likely to accept my work. 

Despite earning an Honorable Mention in that contest in 2019 (for "Where Pixies Relax") I have had no luck since. More discouraging, I've read some incredibly well-written poetry among the winners, but too few I found humorous. To sum up: 1). What I consider funny doesn't seem to amuse the Wergle-Flomp judges; 2) What the judges choose to win--while reliably high art--is less reliably funny. Ergo, I don't feel particularly hopeful about the prospects of succeeding in that market.

Speaking of major rewrites, I'll confess I've often contemplated replacing some mediocre lines in "Where Pixies Relax" (specifically, the verse about backpacks). 

A broader problem I have are humorous poems that rely on cultural references, since those quickly lose their meaning. "Santa Claus is Coming and He's Pissed" (an old favorite, never published) contrasts Charles Bronson's menace (see "Dirty Dozen" and "Death Wish") with Tinkerbell's harmlessness. "A Spaceman," (published in Clarendon House Publishing's, Poetica 3: Inner Circle Writer's Group Poetry Anthology 2021" likens a starry sky to "Liberace's sequined robe."

[Before I leave the topic of perishable references, I'm currently rewriting a short story that, in earlier drafts, mined humor out of "Rambo" and famous extraterrestrials: "E.T., Kal-el, Chewbacca, Spock and Doctor Who." None of those references will survive another draft.]

Back to poetry for a final subject. After Dad passed away, I inherited a stack of my own creative writing that he had saved for me. Among the stacked papers was a long-lost love poem I wrote for Sara while we were still newlyweds, living in Oakland, California: "The Light of My Life."

It's very nice, but not precious. So, I'll probably submit it soon to a vanity venue such as "Clarendon House Publishing's Poetics anthology series, or perhaps, "Spillwords.com". Once it's published, I'll likely come back and share it here, too. It begins:

The Light of My Life

Some days, I commute before sunrise,

On a train that dives under The Bay,

To a job in a windowless office,

Where I work without daylight all day...

Hungry Thing 2nd Edition Now Available (in Four Formats!)

When Hungry Thing was first self-published in December of 2019, I listed the publisher as my own,"Jot in the Dark Publishing." I even registered the business name in my street address at the time, which is still printed inside old or unsold copies of the book.

It was news to me that once I let Lulu.com provide a free ISBN, they became the actual publisher, no matter what I had printed inside the books opening pages, aka "front matter". This was disappointing news, but for the best, since I am a military dependent in the habit of being relocated every three years, which means that address was promptly obsolete. (A stranger lives there, now.) 

Moreover, Norbert and I decided together on two versions of the book: hardcover and paperback, in only one size: 6x9. (He formatted the covers, back and front, and I formatted everything else.) 

Norbert shared with me that when he first held his own copy of the book in his hands, though he was proud of it, he was also crestfallen by how small it is. The largest illustrations fill most of a single, 6x9 page, framed with plenty of white margin. By comparison, his painstakingly detailed original artworks are each triple that size up close. A 6x9 book is not the ideal presentation.

Ever since, Norbert and I have dreamed of updating the book, including a larger edition (8.5x11 or "US Letter Size) but I kept putting it off. 

Also, I wanted to own the ISBN next time, so that I would be free to change publishers without losing all the 5-star book reviews, etc. ISBNs are expensive, and I would need a different ISBN for each format of the book.  For U.S. based publishers, a company named Bowker sells a block of 10 ISBNs, which is a good deal if you plan to publish more than one book. So, kept putting it off until I was almost ready to publish another title--probably my planned, debut short story collection.

Meanwhile, my writing output had slowed, and most of my recent finished work kept getting rejected. The dilemma of whether to keep refining rejected works or focus on completing unfinished stories or even writing new ones was nearly paralyzing. Watching deadlines pass by, while losing momentum is very dispiriting. Yet somehow, this year I have reached a stage of having half a dozen unpublished stories collected, all of which are theoretically publishable, if I only keep submitting them (or improving them). Therefore, my next priority became overcoming my procrastination.

As we approach its six-year publishing anniversary, republishing Hungry Thing finally struck me as most urgent on the list of long-neglected imperatives. 

So, after some struggle, I have finally finished a 2nd Edition. Hungry Thing is now available in new formats as well as old. For the first time, it is available as an EPUB  (digital book) readable via Kindle, Apple, Google Play, or Kobo. It available again as a 6x9 paperback, but via Kindle instead of Lulu. Because Kindle will not publish a hardcover book having fewer than 75 pages (HT has roughly 40), I have kept Lulu as the publisher for the 6x9 glossy hardcover you may remember, PLUS a new, US Letter Sized matte-finish hardover on premium, 80lb paper stock.

"Ship of the Dead" published in The World of Myth Magazine

As of July 15th, 2026, the fourth and final installment of my serialized horror story, "Ship of the Dead" became available in issue #151 of "The World of Myth Magazine." 

Also in this issue, a drabble: "Prayers of Dread: Matthew 5 Heresy," and my humorous science fiction poem, "Jenny's Junkyard Rocket."

Serialized chapters began appearing in April, starting with

"A Fateful Meeting" in issue #148;

"A Perilous Invitation" in issue #149

"Night of Catastrophe" in issue #150

And concluding with, "Nightmare Seance," in issue #151

Meadowsweet and the Eldritch Codex (The Witch, Ghost, & Troll Rise from the Dead)

On May 7th, I blogged that my short story, "The Witch, the Ghost, and the Troll," intended for the Black Hare Press "Emerald City" anthology had been rejected for incorporating obvious Wizard-of-Oz references, owing to a misread of the submission guidelines (including an emphatic warning to avoid Oz mythology or "fan-fic".)

Fortunately, those Oz-related details were not essential to the story, and I was invited to rewrite and resubmit, since plenty of time remained before the submission deadline. A helpful critique which I was advised to heed if I followed through, was that my story had ended with a key emotional thread unresolved. Honestly, this happened because I believed my story had already reached the maximum word limit, and so I chose a rushed ending. It wasn't until much later someone else pointed out that the word limit was 10k, not 5k. *Heavy sigh*.

Anyway, while still believing my revision had an upper limit of 5k, I was forced to cut mercilessly in order to make room for a more complete ending. Somehow, I completed a new, more satisfying draft in fewer than 5k words. The ending was poignant, but summarizing. I was still being economical. 

And then, because as I was preparing to submit, I noticed that the actual word limit was 10k words,  I explored a more thorough, descriptive ending. My own readers assured me this 6k-word version was the strongest yet, and so I submitted it this week. No word yet, whether it has been rejected.

Time Travel Drabble Published by Black Hare Press Patreon

"Belated Foresight," a time-travel-themed drabble I submitted for the Dark Moments monthly contest, did not win one of the twelve, top spots, yet was accepted for an "honorable mention" of sorts, to be published on the publisher's Patreon site, and should be reprinted in the year-end, Dark Moments/Patreon drabble anthology.

Unfortunately, only subscribers to the Black Hare Press Patreon can read the story until then: https://www.patreon.com/blackharepress/posts/belated-by-shawn-161943208

Since I've been experiencing a publishing dry spell while working on longer projects, I was delighted to have anything published. The $4 payment was welcome, too. Just enough to tip the  time-travel taxi driver.

The Witch The Ghost and the Troll--Rejected

 

For a recent anthology call, I wrote a story about the title characters (a witch, a ghost and a troll) traveling to the Emerald City. Unfortunately, I but failed to read the stipulation that it should NOT directly reference Oz. Today, I received a friendly rejection notice for my submission, making that point. Sad face.

I believe the story can be rewritten and reused elsewhere. I'm just sorry I was never given a chance to fix it for the intended anthology. Oh well. Onward.

[Really cool image by ChatGPT]

Ship of the Dead

I recently re-edited a rather long short story, "Ship of the Dead", that has been languishing in my unpublished manuscripts file for a few years.

It was first conceived for an invitation-only, ship-themed horror anthology before some sort of issue between the editor and publisher led to a change of publishers. Ultimately, I missed the deadline and had to finish the story on my own, anyway. As far as I know, the intended anthology was never published (though I may be wrong about that). 

There aren't many markets for a story in the 8,935 word range, so I decided to submit Ship of the Dead to an online magazine that accepts serials (provided the individual chapters are less than 3,000 words in length). I divided it into four chapters, finding the most interesting breaking points available in the necessary ranges.

Below is a scene directly from the story, rendered by the CoPilot AI in two versions: Film Noir and Vintage Poster. (From numerous available styles, these two seemed period appropriate and I couldn't resist seeing both options.)

 As of this moment, I haven't heard back from the publication about whether they have even received the story, much less whether they intend to publish it. Once i do, I'll update this post.

 

 As a side-note, there's a greater than zero chance that I may refine this story still further, if it's not published before I have the chance.

Better Without AI

After a wave of AI-generated slop inundated their submission piles, Magazine editors like those at Asimov's Science Fiction and Apex Magazine published rules prohibiting submissions that used AI in any fashion. Here are their stated policies:

Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine:

"We will not consider any submissions written, developed, or assisted by these tools Attempting to submit these works may result in being banned from submitting works in the future. [This includes using ChatGPT for plot, character, setting, and other story development ideas.]

Apex Magazine's policy is similar:

Apex Magazine does not accept submissions of any kind that were written, developed or assisted by tools such as ChatGPT. While we love publishing and reading stories about AI, we want them created and conceived by flesh and blood beings. Any attempt to submit AI-aided work may result in being permanently banned from our magazine.

Personally, because I take pride in both my originality and integrity, I would never put my name to something not entirely my own, unless I am sharing due credit with another collaborator/other collaborators. This includes anonymous collaborators such as AI--meaning, I would never put my name to something made with AI.

As for art or writing generated primarily by AI, I am cautiously fine with it being published as memes or ad hoc illustrations, provided it is never misrepresented, nor allowed to compete with human artists and writers. This usually means no human is credited or paid. Possible exceptions include sufficiently sophisticated and artful human-directed creations, including certain animations.

Setting to one side environmental and existential concerns, I have tried to keep an open mind about AI. I have even experimented with images and, very recently, with stories. I need to explain the latter very carefully.

The illustration above is Generative AI, for example. It loosely illustrates one of my stories, but I would never publish it as a book cover, though I see no harm in publishing it here. The story in question was written entirely and exclusively by me: story, characters, setting, dialogue and description, etc. But I did use ChatGPT in ways I thought were not "cheating".  I'll let you be the judge:

The story involves human space travelers interacting with human colonizers of an alien planet. For plot reasons related only to internal logic, I wanted a planet which might take less than ten years to reach by a ship accelerating at 1-G for half the voyage, then decelerating for the other half.  I asked ChatGPT to suggest a known, possibly habitable exoplanet within that zone. It suggested Ross 128b, which orbits the red dwarf, Ross 128, about 11 light years from Earth. Note that while I'm clinging to scientific plausibility wherever I can, I'm simultaneously taking as much slack as I require for the sake of story.

The scientific boundaries are arbitrarily drawn.

I asked ChatGPT what conditions on Ross 128b might be like for human colonists. It noted that the planet is so near, it is probably tidally locked, but allowed that a theoretically feasible, synchronous orbit (a local year would be 9.9 earth days) might allow convenient fluxuations in daylight. For purposes of description, it helped me visualize the relative size of the local sun in the alien sky. Being over-helpful, ChatGPT suggested the phrase, "like a hammered copper coin", which meant that description was now dead to me. I would have to "coin" my own description (and I did). The actual relative size and even the color of the local sun had no great impact on the story. The Ross 128b sky and landscape are glimpsed only briefly as a shuttle is landing on the surface. Had I not chosen to base the star and planet on real celestial objects, this detail would have mattered to no one.

To avoid confusion between the star Ross 128 and planet, Ross 128b, I decided the colonists would have renamed it. I also needed names for three colonies. I let ChatGPT generate suggestions--purely as placeholders, so that my writing flow wouldn't come to a halt while I spent half an hour thinking up realistic names. Of course, I swapped out all the placeholder names before calling the story finished.

When the story was done, I asked ChatGPT for editorial feedback.

My purpose was partly thoroughness, partly emotional need (writing is lonesome work). But here, let me testify, that the feedback it offered proved surprisingly adept. It pointed to redundant exposition (this information was already given, why have a second character repeat it?); it highlighted dialogue that dragged or deviated from optimal tone (levity here distracts prematurely from mounting tension), etc.

I have human beta readers who've always offered me this sort of feedback. Feedback from ChatGPT had gratifying immediacy, but it was a slippery slope, as I'll illustrate.

After I revised my story to incorporate the tidbits of advice I appreciated, the finished story came to just over 3,000 words. I looked at places to submit the story, and found one that only permitted stories of 3k words or fewer. So, I submitted the story to ChatGPT again and asked where it thought I should most easily trim the story.  It offered several options. One of the best suggestion sharpened a bit of dialogue. But this was a trap: When you say the same thing but in fewer words, there is far less margin for rewording. Ergo, a temptation to accept the suggested dialogue verbatim.

And so, I did, but immediately afterwards, regretted this choice. I knew I was going to have to scrub out any phrases that belonged to ChatGPT. My final ask of ChatGPT was for it to help me identify any of its own work, so that I could replace it. 

At last, the story is finished and it's all mine. But could I honestly submit it to Asimov's or Apex? Alas, their conditions clearly prevent it. [They are such a highly competitive market, it would be quite an achievement for my work to every be accepted anyway.] Even though I wrote the work entirely before asking for feedback, and even though no meaningful trace of ChatGPT remains in my final draft, I can't claim the AI didn't assist me. It told me what to remove.

Well, lesson learned. Months ago, when I first began experimenting with ChatGPT, I instructed it to NEVER create anything nor SUGGEST anything unless it was explicitly requested. (I had noticed that it's default was to end every conversation with a battery of suggestions.) The moment it offered a poetic description of Ross 128, I should have realized that this instruction had lapsed.

On the bright side, I have a new story and it's good. I don't regard it as corrupted. Other (less prestigious, lower-paying) markets exist where it is not categorically disqualified. But even if I never get it published in a magazine or anthology, at least this story will almost certainly be included in my future science fiction collection. 

(Frankly, I largely empathize with Asimov's and Apex. I am repulsed by the idea of submitting to any place that doesn't forbid MOST AI.)

Where Angels Dance Published

My humorous poem, "Where Angels Dance", has just been published in the December 2025 issue of  Lighten Up Online, a quarterly e-zine I heartily recommend to fans of humorous verse.

(The phrase "heartily recommend", quoted from Art Linkletter's endorsement of the LIFE board game, has been permanently imprinted on my brain like any unforgettable movie quote).

In other publishing news, I'm working on the final stories for what I hope to be my first collection of short stories, tentatively titled, "The First Star is Always the Farthest: Science-Fiction Short Stories by Shawn M. Klimek".

I hope to follow up with a collection of fantasy stories within six months. Should I use the same title, and make it a volume 1 and 2? It might help with subsequent sales to market them as a pair. (The title is admittedly rather hefty, so that begs careful consideration).

Anyway, here are some ChatGPT rendered book cover mock-ups, generated strictly for inspiration.

 (I would never publish an AI book cover).

Rejections and Acceptances

It's been a while since I updated this site.  Not only has "ALONE" been long since published, I've already ordered and received my own copy. 

So, what's new in creative writing?

Not a lot, publishing wise. It's been a long time since I submitted anything.

A few weeks ago, I finished my very untraditional superhero story, Token Heroes, and submitted it to Clarkesworld, earning a one-day form-rejection. (Totally expected, but their quick turn-around is one of the reasons I started there). Next, I submitted it to The Colored Sky, for another one-day rejection—this one personal, and with some useful feedback. 

"...I thought this was an entertaining, dynamic story, but I think I might have liked a little clearer understanding of the motives of the aliens. Additionally, I think I would have liked a little more character development..."

Having received such useful feedback, it only makes sense to rewrite it before sending it out again.

To keep up the momentum, I submitted Mercury is a Hellscape and Survival of the Humblest to Star*Line Magazine, who had personally rejected some poems back in 2020 (thus, a good experience despite the rejections). I subsequently realized that Survival of the Humblest was among those rejected in 2020. Based on their usual response speed, I should find out whether both have been rejected in the next few days.

I submitted three poems to a U.K. based online publication, "Lighten Up Online", and they asked to publish one of them, "Where Angels Dance," in their December issue (or else their March issue, if they run out of space).

So, a single win, thus far, though unpaying. Hopefully, not the last acceptance before this year is out.

ALONE to release September 30

Two anthologies featuring my microfiction have launched or will launch in September, 2005:

"Isolation isn’t just silence—it’s a presence. It whispers, stalks, devours. In this collection of chilling micro-tales, some find themselves abandoned, others exiled, many trapped in grief or madness. Each story reveals a different face of solitude, where absence becomes a tormenting companion and shadows take on lives of their own.

Step inside Alone, and discover what lingers when the world falls quiet. These brief but brutal visions remind us that sometimes the scariest thing in the dark… is being the only one left."

ALONE, an anthology of flash fiction horror (200 scary words) is set to launch on September 30, 2025.

This anthology contains my flash fiction story, "The Lonesome Curse." 

Prepurchase Link: https://books2read.com/BHP-ALONE

A SINGLE MOMENT –– A HUNDRED WORDS –– A UNIVERSE OF POSSIBILITIES

What happens after the unknown has arrived? When the echoes of first contact fade, humanity is left to navigate the tremors of change — new alliances, fragile peace, simmering conflicts, and the birth of strange, dazzling futures.

This anthology of drabbles — stories told in exactly 100 words — gathers a chorus of voices exploring the second wave of discovery. From hopeful to harrowing, exhilarating to unsettling, these bite-sized tales reveal how the aftermath of contact can shape civilizations, destinies, and the very meaning of being human.

Prepare...

The Second Wave is here!

Paperback: ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0FND9Q9J9; E-book: ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0FNB9VJSH

This anthology contains TEN of my science-fiction drabbles: 

 1.        Surface Tension

 2.        Peace Prayer 

 3.        Visit with a Capital V

 4.        True Sounding

 5.        Make Room for Mooms

 6.        Mixed Connection

 7.        Getting Along

 8.        AI Oversight Taskforce

 9.        Ugly is as Ugly Does

10.     Warped Art Heist 

https://www.amazon.com/Drabbles-Second-Wave-S-Charly-ebook/dp/B0FNB9VJSH

https://www.amazon.com/Drabbles-Second-Wave-S-Charly/dp/B0FND9Q9J9

THE UNLIKELY MIRACLE OF INTELLIGENT LIFE

[Unlike most posts on this blog, this one isn't about my creative writing--although the subject has often stirred my imagination. I've read multiple articles over the years on this topic (the rare miracle of life)  but couldn't locate just one quite so complete as this one (compiled by ChatGPT 3.5, if I remember correctly). The Illustration below was generated by Dall-E.].

The emergence and persistence of intelligent life on Earth depends on a remarkable chain of conditions and events—many of which seem extraordinarily improbable. While some may eventually be explained by necessity or probability across vast cosmic scales, from our limited view, they appear as striking “coincidences.” Here’s a catalog of major ones, grouped into cosmic, planetary, and biological categories:

🌌Cosmic-Scale Coincidences

1. Fine-Tuned Physical Constants

The values of fundamental constants (e.g., gravitational constant, speed of light, strength of the electromagnetic and nuclear forces) seem precisely tuned to allow matter, stars, chemistry, and life.

Slight variations would prevent stable atoms, fusion in stars, or the formation of complex molecules.

2. Stable Universe with Long Lifespan

The universe’s expansion rate (driven by dark energy) is just right—too fast, and matter would disperse before galaxies formed; too slow, and it would collapse.

This stability allows billions of years for stellar evolution and life to evolve.

3.  Formation of Heavy Elements

Only massive stars can forge elements like carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and iron in their cores—and only supernovae or neutron star mergers can disperse them into space.
These elements are essential for rocky planets and organic life.

🌍 Planetary Coincidences

4. The Sun’s Unusual Stability and Type

The Sun is a long-lived, relatively stable G-type main-sequence star—rare in the universe.

It provides steady energy for billions of years, essential for life to evolve.

5. The Right Location in the Galaxy

Earth is located in the Galactic Habitable Zone:

Not too close to the galactic center (with high radiation and supernova rates).
Not too far into the sparse outer regions (with fewer heavy elements).

6. Earth’s Size and Composition

Earth is large enough to retain a thick atmosphere and support plate tectonics.

Its metallic core generates a magnetic field that shields against solar radiation.

7.  A Large Moon

Our unusually large moon stabilizes Earth’s axial tilt, moderating climate.

It may also have contributed to tidal effects that helped early life emerge in coastal environments.

8. Plate Tectonics and the Carbon Cycle

Plate tectonics regulate CO₂ levels over geological time, stabilizing Earth’s climate.

Without it, the planet might have experienced runaway greenhouse or icehouse states.

9. Presence of Water in All Three Phases

Earth’s distance from the Sun allows liquid water, a solvent crucial for life.
Water vapor and ice also help regulate temperature via the greenhouse effect and albedo.

10. A Fortunate Impact History

The Earth-Moon system likely resulted from a giant impact with a Mars-sized body (Theia).
Subsequent impacts delivered water and organics—without destroying the biosphere.
Crucially, no sterilizing impacts have occurred since life became complex.

🧬 Biological and Evolutionary Coincidences

11. Abiogenesis (Origin of Life)

Life arose from non-life in a chemical process not yet fully understood—possibly in deep-sea vents, tidal pools, or ice.
The emergence of self-replicating molecules was a huge leap, requiring very specific conditions.

12. Development of DNA/RNA and Protein Synthesis

The transition from simple molecules to complex informational systems like DNA and RNA is an extraordinary leap in complexity and efficiency.

13. Photosynthesis and the Oxygenation of the Atmosphere

Cyanobacteria evolved photosynthesis, transforming Earth’s atmosphere.
Oxygen was initially toxic, but later enabled complex aerobic metabolism.
The “Great Oxygenation Event” was both a mass extinction and a requirement for complex life.

14.  Eukaryotic Cell Evolution

The merger of primitive cells (symbiogenesis) led to mitochondria and complex eukaryotic cells.
This allowed the emergence of multicellular organisms.

15. The Cambrian Explosion

Around 540 million years ago, a rapid diversification of body plans and organisms occurred.
It might have required just the right combination of oxygen, genetic innovation, and ecological feedback.

16. Mass Extinctions and Evolutionary Bottlenecks

Several extinction events (e.g., the Permian-Triassic and Cretaceous-Paleogene) cleared ecological niches, enabling mammals—and eventually humans—to rise.
The asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs was an especially critical moment.

17. Complex Brains and Self-Awareness

Intelligence evolved only in a few lineages—cephalopods, birds, and mammals—with only humans achieving symbolic language, abstract thought, and technology.
This required long periods of evolutionary experimentation and environmental pressures.

18. Survival Through Climatic Catastrophes

Ice ages, supervolcanoes, and other catastrophes could have ended the line of intelligent evolution.
Humanity narrowly avoided extinction multiple times (e.g., the Toba eruption ~74,000 years ago).

🧠 Final Reflection

Even with a universe containing billions of galaxies, stars, and planets, the number and specificity of these “coincidences” has led many to see Earth as a uniquely fortunate cradle of life. Whether viewed through a scientific, philosophical, or theological lens, it underscores how delicate and contingent our existence may be.

ALONE

I signed a contract today for my 200-word story, The Lonesome Curse, to be included in this recently announced anthology of horror flash fiction by indie publisher, Black Hare Press. 

 Also, note that Watership Sideways is already available.

WATERSHIP SIDEWAYS AVAILABLE JULY 19, 2025

Watership Sideways, a contemporary Wonderland adventure for a grown-up, modern version of the classic Alice, will be published July 19th, 2025, but is available for prepurchase today here: https://books2read.com/AA-Shawn-M-Klimek

Look for more books in Black Hare Press, "Alternate Alice"  series, by other authors:

https://blackharepress.com/products/watership-sideways-by-shawn-m-klimek

All Ten Drabbles Accepted

I’m happy to report that all ten of my science-fiction drabbles for the “Second Wave” anthology have been accepted by Starry Eyed Press. Publication date TBD.

Although this is a nonpaying call, I confess to a sentimental fondness for this publisher, because the editor has always been kind and very supportive of my work.

In addition to publishing one of my science fiction short stories, “New Buyers for Old Earth” in their first anthology, “Cosmic Convocation”, ten additional science fiction drabbles in “First Contact”, the preceding book in the science-fiction drabble series to which “Second Wave” belongs, they also published my non-winning entry to their inaugural drabble contest, "Pocket SciFi".

(Perhaps I should reconsider my fondness since they did not judge my entry to be among the top three!)

But when I joined my first Facebook writers’ group, years ago (about 2017) the editor (A.S. Charly) was the first to ❤️ my writing. Over those first years, our respective writing efforts shared numerous anthologies together.

Finally, she generously posted a selfie with my book, Hungry Thing.  She's good people, and a pleasure to work with.

Writing Update...Slow News

In roughly the same sense that two lungs full of pollen are a Spring bouquet, I have writing news. Nothing new published or accepted to report--nothing to sneeze at, one might say—but given my lethargic pace of late, I felt it best to offer some update anyway.

What have I been doing lately?

THE TROPHY

1. On February 28, upon finishing a new, much longer draft of an old science fiction story, The Trophy, (originally fewer than 2k words, now, just short of 9k words) I submitted it to both NewMyths and Planet Scrumm (both of which allow simultaneous submissions). Usually, I run my all complete drafts past a few, reliable beta readers first, but it was already the eve of the submission deadline for one of them (I forget which), so I was rushing. In this instance, I sent it to my beta readers next.

Within a day or two, two of my favorite beta readers separately shared their respective dissatisfaction with the story, alongside advice about each of them would fix it. Upon digesting their comments, I had to agree that both had valid points. Disappointed but realistic, I waited for the inevitable rejection emails to arrive. 

My plan was to let the rewriting suggestions marinate, and then rewrite the story before submitting an updated draft to two or more different paying markets. Meanwhile, I shifted my creative focus to rewriting yet another rejected story that I thought was worth improving.

It was late March (about three weeks later) before I received the rejection from NewMyths. It was mid June when I decided it was time to update my submission records in the online database, Duotrope. I tried to record my submission to Planet Scrumm as (never responded), but Duotrope refused to allow this. Their automated message assured me it I was giving up too soon. So, I wrote a follow-up query to Planet Scrumm asking them to suggest what date I should record for their rejection of "The Trophy". To my surprise, I received a prompt response:

"It’s still under consideration. Sorry for the long wait. It may be another couple months yet. - Tyler"

HOLLY HAD A HUNCH and TOKEN HEROES
Meanwhile, I spent time rewriting "Holly Had a Hunch", and finishing a first draft of a superhero story I named "Token Heroes", as suggested by my author friend, Dawn DeBraal. This time, I sent the superhero story to a few beta readers, who faithfully responded with helpful advice for changes. Both stories are still under revision.


SECOND WAVE


On May 22nd, Starry Eye Press, who has published two prior science-fiction anthologies featuring my works, announced a sequel to their drabble anthology, "First Contact". This latest anthology, titled "Second Wave" will have, as its theme, alien relations following first encounters. It took me until June 13th to complete and submit ten drabbles. I have yet to learn whether or not they've been received, much less accepted/rejected. They were fun to write, but this isn't a paying market.

YESTERDAY, having been recently inspired after watching DEPT Q on Netflix, I began to plot out an original mystery story. I've begun mystery stories before, but have yet to finish any, so this may lead nowhere.To confirm that I wasn't becoming prematurely enthused about an idea that had already been done to death, I began to share the plot with ChatGPT. [Note that I have never and would never allow AI to write the slightest plot point or paragraph for me, nor would I ever put my name to something AI has generated.]  It took me a couple of pages to share how much I had already come up with, during which point I accidentally submitted partial fragments more than once, and had to tell ChatGPT, "I'm not done yet!" Anyhow, I'm still not done, but ChatGPT has already usefully brought to my attention two stories that share elements with my idea (Strangers on a Train, and Double Indemnity). Having read the synopses for these, I'm reassured that my idea is sufficiently original to continue. I have yet to phrase a question for ChatGPT, but I will admit that it's summary rewrite of my draft is conveniently digestible. 

FINALLY, I received an anonymous message yesterday via this blog, from an old Army roommate during my days at Fort Lewis who required I guess his name from these details: A Scottish name. Not Smith. If I do recall the name, he suggested I may be able to find him on LinkedIn as a CPA.  

To my old roommate, if he's reading this: I'm going to need more clues. You can email me at astromote@gmail.com.

Expanded Short Story to become a Stand-alone (Short) Book!

Coming this July, 2025, an expanded version of my short story, "Watership Sideways", from the Alice-in-Wonderland-themed anthology, "13 Lives of Alice" (no longer in print), will be published as a stand-alone book by the same publisher, Black Hare Press. How nice to have another book with my name on it!

This same deal was given to most of the contributors to "13 Lives of Alice", so if you enjoyed other chapters from the anthology, you may be able to enjoy rereading (hopefully improved and expanded) versions of them, separately.

 Although "13 Lives of Alice" remains (temporarily) listed on Amazon.de (Germany) and Amazon.uk (Great Britain), the "out of stock" status will never be corrected. You can only find the book used, if you're lucky.

DRABBLES: FIRST CONTACT by Starry Eyed Press published

As foretold in a post last November, Starry Eyed Press' "First Contact" drabbles anthology has just released as an eBook. The printed versions will soon follow. I have ten micro-stories (drabbles) in this one.

Here are the purchase links: 

📖 Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DXBY42ZG

🌍 Global Link: https://books2read.com/DrabblesFirstContact

Available Today: Tumbleweed-themed Horror Anthology, "THORNS"

I'm happy to announce that my dark and quirky, short story, "Dust to Dust" has been selected for inclusion in Black Hare Press' tumbleweed-themed horror anthology, "Thorns", available today!

Order here: https://books2read.com/BHP-THORNS

Hungry Thing Sees 5th Anniversary

After two years of creative development, working by correspondence with Romanian illustrator Norbert Somosi, (me in Japan and he in Romania) our book “Hungry Thing” was published on December 19th, 2019: a dark fantasy tale told in five poems, illustrated with twenty, custom, black & white illustrations. To celebrate the publication’s five year anniversary, Norbert recreated color versions of two of the illustrations.

The End of Winter, by Norbert Somosi 

 

Hungry Thing, by Norbert Somosi