September Slipped By

September. What a month. My head is still spinning. To the point that I can only think in bullets:

• My poem "He Asks" came out in the print-only Rattlesnake Review.
  
• Surprise Valley Writers Conference asked me to be their submissions chair for next year's conference.  I also (somehow) ended up as their "new media" administrator.  So come visit me on their page on Facebook and their stream on Twitter.  Let's get this party started!
• Nanoism nominated my serial-tweet story Dakar 1989 for Best of the Net.  SO jazzed about that.  Caught me way off guard, since I was busy nominating everyone else for Folded Word.
• I also have some lovely editing projects that got underway in September.  They're going to be my secret for just a little longer...
• I started a Folded Word group on Fictionaut.  So pop on by and join the conversation.

Each of these items deserves a post of its own, but I'm afraid I have to dash.  My gram has been neglected far too long.  It's Friday Lunch Date time!

Cheers,

J.S.

Tilt at 50 to 1

After two weeks of sinusitis and migraine, I felt like my head was under water. So it's funny that my latest story, Tilt, just made it into today's 50 to 1 issue, appropriately dubbed Head Under Water. I am pleased to share this issue with Judith Kelly Quaempts, Jon Harahan, Elizabeth Wylder, and more.

I've been fascinated by the concept 50 to 1, ever since I read Mel Bosworth's first line & 50 word story there. Since that introduction, I've enjoyed reading the brilliance of Ben White, David Erlewine, Ethel Rohan, Craig Lamont, and and and... If you've never crawled around over there, definitely dive in. It's worth the squeeze into your swim suit.

Many thanks to Glen Binger for giving Tilt a home AND writing me the most detailed acceptance letter I've ever received. It's now printed and glued into my journal. Thanks also belong to the Show Me Your Lits krewe, as this is another gem from my playtime there. It's good to be breathing again!

Cheers,
J.S.

Safety Goggle: Tilt at 50 to 1

(think before you read)
my content = TV-PG
other content = TV-PG

Crush on CPR

If you're a writer and you haven't played Show Me Your Lits, get over there and DO IT! I don't play every week, but I make a point to flash at least twice a month.

It's a good thing, too. Now that the kids are back in school, I have a stack of stories to polish and submit. This morning I sent out three of them...and Crush has already found some love from Camroc Press Review!

Huge thanks to Barry Basden at CPR for his lightning speed and proofreading prowess. And big hugs for Errid, Terry, Liz, and the rest of the SMYL krewe. This story wouldn't exist without you!

Cheers,
J.S.

Safety Goggle: Crush at Camroc Press Review

(think before you read)
my content = TV-PG
other content = TV-PG & TV-14

Dream Process

Ever start composing something in your sleep, wake up with lines, edit in your head for hours (even though you're desperately trying to sleep), finally drift off, and then a thunderstorm jars you awake and the whole process starts again?

It happened to me three days ago, but the lost sleep was worth it. Thanks to Junior and a mum-in-law's babysitting contribution, I got the sleep-sucking "Choice Cut" out of my head and into Camroc Press Review. That's right, from conception to publication in three days. I LOVE e-publishing!

Cheers,
J.S.

Safety Goggle: "Choice Cut" at Camroc Press Review

(think before you read)
my content = TV-PG (but suggestive)
other content = TV-PG & TV-14

Tweessert

I "did lunch" with a girlfriend today. We're both trying to squeeze in the last bit of grown-up time before summer break holds us captive. Why does this matter? Because as I finished my asparagus ravioli (VERY green), my mobile phone chirped. I know, I should have had the ringer off. But we both get calls from school principals on a routine basis, so she didn't take offense.

Only it wasn't a principal, teacher, or even the bus-barn. It was Nanoism posting their issue 23...featuring me:-) And I got to share the moment (plus my mobile) with a friend. And we were both so excited we forgot to order dessert. Yay!

BTW if you missed the stunning conclusion of "Dakar 1989," you can now catch the entire 4-tweet series here. I'm off to scrounge some cookies or cinnamon toast or something. Tweessert's nice, but the high has worn off and I'm jonesing for some real sugar.

Cheers,
J.S.

Safety Goggle: 23 at Nanoism

(think before you read)
my content = TV-PG
other content = TV-PG

While Out of Range

I spent this weekend in the mountains with my family doing cabin-maintenance chores. While I enjoy time amongst the pines, I definitely miss internet access & cell phone reception while I'm there. For example, the third installment of my "Dakar 1989" went live on Nanoism while I was away. But I missed the thrill of my cell phone's chirp since the tweet never reached my phone. Oh well, I will have to console myself with seeing/learning of a new plant: Snow Plant (Sarcodes sanguinea). Brilliant!



Cheers,
J.S.

One Nemesis Revealed

Got a lovely Mother's Day present from Twitter. The second installment of "Dakar 1989" went live today at Nanoism.

They say everything you write reveals something about yourself, whether fiction or non. Today's story-tweet places a major source of anxiety for me in neon lights. To this day, I must have an aisle seat. Always. On planes, in trains, in church, at the cinema--anything short of an aisle seat and I'm white knuckled with a migraine.

But I'm good today. My family served me breakfast in bed: my husband's homemade scones, maple sausage, and Irish Breakfast Looseleaf tea. (Ooooh, that was a subtle topic switch...)

Give the moms/mums in your life a hug today!
J.S.

Safety Goggle: Dakar 1989 at Nanoism

(think before you read)
my content = TV-PG
other content = TV-PG

Rock On, Little One

Had to beat my head against the cliff once before scaling escarp. Submitting poetry to this Twitter-zine is the quirkiest experience I've had yet in the literary world. Not only do you submit via direct message (Twitter's version of text-messaging), but you get the editorial decision via direct message. Handling rewrite requests that way is a trip!

At the moment, you may read my prose poem on escarp's home page. But I'll update the link once I'm indexed in their writer's archive. It's a short, sweet tweet. A real treat!

(OK, someone slap me now.)

Cheers,
J.S.

Another Flight

Again? Already?

I swear--these pieces were written at entirely different times. It's just a coincidence that "Seat 13C" and now "Dakar 1989" ended up launching on the same day; both about air travel. "Dakar 1989" is a serial piece, with one 140 character section posting each Sunday for four weeks. The challenge was to write it so that each section could stand on its own--something I've been forcing my PicFic authors to do for two months. So I officially dedicate this serial story to Mel, David, & Ben for their bravery and dedication to duty. I'm feelin' you now!

I LOVE writing teensy-tiny stories, plot stripped naked. But it would be most decidedly UNCOOL to publish my own work at PicFic. So a double high-five to the editors of Nanoism for giving me a place to play.

And in the time you just spent reading this post, you could have read the entirety of the Nanoism archive. So fly! Be free! And don't forget to join me on Air Afrique.

Cheers,
J.S.

What I Get for Flying

I recently took a father/daughter trip to visit my uncle in Dallas, TX. I'm a nervous flyer, anyway, but the return trip begged to be immortalized. Or at least my imaginings of what the return trip COULD have been. Curious? Then read my flash fiction Seat 13C, Flight 221.

Thanks to the ever-patient and brilliant editors of Flash Fire 500 for giving my flight of fancy a place to land!

Cheers,
J.S.

Safety Goggle: "Seat 13C, Flight 221" at Flash Fire 500

(think before you read)
my content = TV-PG (D V)
other content = TV-MA (D L S V)