War Profiteering and John Cusack Interview
Current mood: pissed off
Category: News and Politics

I don't normally spout my political views on blogs and such, but I honestly don't understand why the American people have put up with the war profiteering, the ineptness, the lies, the torture, etc. I think Bush should be impeached and brought up on criminal charges, along with others.

Here's a video from MSNBC: John Cusack Interview

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Life and Writing
Current mood: sleepy
Category: Writing and Poetry

I've been sick for like two weeks now. First was a bad sinus infection and the medicine to treat it makes me feel like shit. So, I haven't felt like doing much.

I did jump on an old story that I'd started a year or two ago. A lot of times I start something and have no idea why or where it's going. Sometimes it is a name or just a title. This title popped into my head: "The Death and Times of Madeline."

Without knowing where you are going, you kind of just go with the flow, a stream of conciousness thing. So, I now have a psychic in the story with a dead twin sister who is her spirit guide and an Amerasian vampire. Go me! I have the introduction done and no idea what's next. So, I'll put it away and work on it another.

My problem is I have a novella and like five other novels I need to finish, but I keep sidetracking to work on stories because I like doing it so much. So, eventually the books will get done.

Don't forget, mid-May "Family Reunion" will be appearing in Werewolf Magazine 8 from Blood Moon Rising Publications. The mag isn't expensive, so please order a copy.

It's my bedtime now. Sweet dreams friends.

8:18 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

An Acceptance!! WooHoo!
Current mood: accomplished
Category: Writing and Poetry

I received a nice letter from the editor of Necrotic Tissue Magazine telling me that he accepted my flash story "Paying the Dark Man" for the fourth issue. It comes out in October 2008.

This is a new magazine and they are fantastic. They pay well, their design is kickass, as well as their staff, and their PDF publication is free. So, please, do me a favor and check them out. Be sure to read my story in October too. :)

Yesterday I did a small rewrite on "Green Girl" and changed the title to "Green Water Blues." I just can't find a title I like for that story. I even got out the thesaurus, but to no avail. I sent it off to Heliotrope. I don't have a lot of hope for it, since it is a pro-market and pays .10 a word. However, I could be wrong. They could love the story. I'm learning that it all depends on the editor. One editor might hate your story, while another loves it. While most of the time, your story does need work, some of the time it is just a matter of finding that certain editor who likes what you're doing.

I did a major rewrite on "Bad News" and retitled it as "The Predictor." It's more scifi, than horror. I discovered that a lot of what I had in the story really had no bearing on the story. So, I cut and cut and added where it helped. Now I'm going to send it off to Asimov's. They don't take electronic submissions, so this requires a trip to the post office.

My neck and shoulders are really bothering me today. I have arthritis in my cervical spine, which I think affects everything. I can only work on the computer maybe and hour before I start hurting. Which is why I am not more prolific. I also have fibromyalgia, so I am in pain 24/7. I am learning to work through that though.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and send me some comments. I know you guys are reading, but I'd like to hear from you.

8:09 AM - 2 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

Yet Another Rejection. Woohoo.
Current mood: blah
Category: Writing and Poetry

Got a rejection for "Angel of Mercy" today from AlienSkin Magazine. I was so close. Well-written, fit what they wanted, but was too predictable. ARGH.

Tomorrow I'll change its status in my Sonar submission tracking program, take another look at it for possible creative changes, and send it elsewhere. Never give up, never surrender!

Other news:

I'm now at 13,000 words on the novella VENDETTA. So, not far off from my target; however, I have a feeling I can go beyond that. Not sure if I could go novel length or not. I guess I'll just keep writing until the story is done. I wanted to have it complete and published before DragonCON in September. So, I'm stepping up my efforts.

My story "Family Reunion" will be appearing in Werewolf Magazine 8 in May. So, buy a copy please. :) I won't make any money off it. I just want people to read the story. So, buy a copy and if you come to HyperiCON (Nashville, June) or DragonCON (Atlanta, September), I'll sign them for you. Or you can tell me how much you hated it in person. ;)

Oh, also, my literary flash story "Liberty Takes Inventory" will be appearing in the literary magazine Thereby Hangs a Tale sometimes this spring.

This stuff is on my website, which is in the middle of reconstruction:

www.tonistauffer.com

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Website
Category: Writing and Poetry

I'm revamping my website. The computer that I have PageMaker on has a fried power supply. I'm clueless, so I'm fumbling around with my host's tools. It's coming slow, but sure. Maybe I'll have it all finished this week.

I'm a little frustrated because a couple of the sites for the magazines my work is appearing in this spring are behind on their updates. But, no matter. Can't stress over what is out of my hands.

If anyone wants to check out what I have so far, just go to www.tonistauffer.com. I wish I could afford to hire someone, but that ain't happening at this time.

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Update & Writing Discussion

I’ve been writing on Vendetta nearly every day. I can only work an hour or two because my shoulders begin to hurt and I start losing focus. I’m now up to 12,000 words and I’m starting on Chapter 7. If I work every day, I should hit novella length (17,500) by next weekend or the middle of next week. It just depends how much I get in at a time.

Last time I talked about the how an idea came to me in the shower. This time I’ll talk about research. A lot of times I’ll do quick research when I’m writing. There’s a scene in Chapter 6 when a flock of blackbirds erupts from a tree. A lot of times I don’t intentionally use symbolism, but there are times when I recognize the possibility and need to check for it to make sure it fits. So, I did some research on birds in symbology and myths. I was right now target with the blackbirds. Black is the symbolic color of fear apparently.

Out of curiousty, I also looked at other birds. One that stuck out was the horned owl. I heard one outside last week a couple of nights. A creepy sound when you are outside at night in the country by yourself.  The myth (southern U.S.) is that if the owl hoots three times it means death. It didnt’ get specific, but I would take artistic liscense anyway with something like this, so it didn’t matter.

The blackbirds were what I had been looking for. I found it, problem solved. In a half-waking state this morning, I remembered the owl and Old Mable, the black witch in my story, came to me. A scene played out in my head and after I got up and dressed, I went to work and wrote the scene.

The brain is an amazing organ. No wonder zombies love them.

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POEM, Love
Category: Writing and Poetry

PEACEFULLY PERFECT

by Toni Stauffer

(for my husband)

               
             I think of touching

The slope of your jaw,

High bone of your cheek;

Fine arch of your brow.

I yearn to stroke the

Short stalks of your beard,

Flesh maze of your ears;

Field of your hair.

But most I desire

The warmth of your lips;

Yet I do not touch

Because you slumber,

Peacefully perfect—

A still-mirrored pond

Without a ripple;

The illusion gone.

I would rather wait

For when you awake

And can feel my heart.

Now sweet dreams, my love.

4:56 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Squeezed Out
Current mood: blah
Category: Writing and Poetry

I do a lot of my best thinking in the shower. I have visions there and without trying. Sometimes I wonder who is really running things, because sometimes I have no idea what the hell is going on. I began thinking of the deadly sins and before I got out of the shower I had an entire scene of dialog in my head regarding the deadly sins and especially wrath. I did some research and came up with some really intriguing and rich information. I wrote the dialogue and fit into the right place in the novella and it is perfect for it. I wrote it down in five minutes and spent another five editing it. The weird thing is that I wasn’t thinking of Vendetta at all. I wasn’t thinking of anything except how good the hot water felt on my back. I can’t complain. While the inspiration and clues led me to the research which in turn helped me finish the bit, it is clearly and undeniably of me.

I received a rejection today from Shroud magazine for "The Midnight Roundup." It is a flash fiction piece I published in Flashshot: Year One. I did a rewrite on it, but it is still only 150 words. I got a form letter, but a really nice form letter that told me not to feel it was a rejection, but a matter of space. Apparently my tiny story could not fit. No matter. I just wonder what they send the writers who really suck. Not to be big-headed, but this is an excellent story. I figured the problem would be that it had been previously printed, not that it couldn’t fit. But, a rejection is a rejection and without a personal note, I have to trust what I get. So, I’m going to look at it, see if there is anything I can do? Give it a little water, some fertilizer, let it grow a bit maybe. Then, once I’m satisfied with my efforts, I’ll send it back out. However, I’m reallly not wanting to put much time into it. I’m really focusing on the novella and need to stop side-tracking on the short stories.

We’ll see what tomorrow brings.

5:12 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Writing Update
Current mood: accomplished
Category: Writing and Poetry

Wow, lots of new friends. Hello everyone. I wanted to send a special hello out to Tim Waggoner. :)

I’ve just been busy with life. I won’t bore you with the details.

I received an acceptance yesterday. My short story "Family Reunion" will be appearing in Werewolf Magazine 8 (May) and in Blood Moon Rising magazine 36 (September).  

It’s damn hard to find a market for a werewolf story. I rewrote this story several times and got four or five rejections on it. I couldn’t figure out what was wrong. But then I changed the POV from third to first person. It reads like an entirely different story now. It’s funny how sometimes you can’t see the obvious.

Today I worked on a character sketch for a new story idea. I use OneNote by Microsoft. I love it. I also updated my publishing history.

My most pressing project at the moment is my novella VENDETTA. I’ve put the novel DYING MOON on hold for the moment.

I originally intended to publish V as a chapbook; however, after re-reading it, I realized that it had more potential that I originally thought. It has 13 sections or chapters. I like that number. I didn’t try to make it that way, it just happened. The story is done. I’m just going in and add detail and doing minor changes. I’m now on section 4 and I’m almost at 10,000 words. I should have no problem getting to novella length.

This is a project that I would love to publish myself, if only I had the funds. I know how to lay a book out. I’ve found a great artist who has done many horror covers and he’s reasonable. The only thing is printing. The only way I could afford it is to do a POD. If I could, I’d just do a print run of a thousand and market them myself. That way I’d make most of the money.

I get so pissed at these places that inventory and warehouse the books. Ingram, etc. They take 55% of the profits. The printer gets paid. The publisher gets paid. And then the bookseller gets paid. The writer is the last one to get the money, unless you get lucky and get an advance. It just doesn’t seem right to me. Bookstores will not sell your book unless it is listed with one of these warehousers and they won’t list your book unless you pay up front. It’s a racket and it needs to be stopped. Why should anyone other than the writer make 55% off the work? Okay, enough bitching from me.

I’d like to tell you a little bit about VENDETTA.

My hometown is Memphis, Tennessee. There is a place in Memphis that is referred to as Voodoo Village. That’s not its actual name, but that is the name that it has been given by outsiders. In the 60’s, and maybe even now, it was guarded by men wielding machetes. When I was a kid, a baby sitter threatened to take me there and leave me if I didn’t behave. See why I’m a horror writer?

This is the premise:

It’s close to Halloween. Four college students are hanging out in their favorite bar. The subject of Voodoo Village comes up and they decide to go. One of the rules of Voodoo Village is that pictures are not allowed. They break the rules and what was meant to be bit of fun turns into a nightmare. Someone wants revenge and they’re going to get it.

I’m working slowly because of a busy household and the fibromyalgia. I have productive days like today, but most days are spent just trying to keep the house from falling down around my ears.

So, if you can, order a copy of Werewolf 8. The website is www.bloodmoonrisingmagazine.com. I’ll probably be at HyperiCON in Nashville in June and I most likely will also be at DragonCON in Atlanta on Memorial Day weekend. So, if you attend, bring your copy and I’ll be happy to sign it. I’m probably going to be getting a PO Box soon, to seperate writing related mail from the deluge of crap I get on a daily basis. I’ll post the address when I do.

It’s not a high profile publication like Cemetery Dance, but hey, I’m gonna be in it. ;)

(exit stage left)--

Toni

9:48 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

JOURNAL ENTRY 9
Current mood: blah
Category: Life

Today the 10yo got his cast removed. He can now walk unimpeded, but has been ordered not to run for a week. There is still some time for me to finish my plans.

After the appointment, I took him and his 8yo brother to lunch. It was nice, though the meat was too salty. We had another appointment after lunch, a very important appointmnet. The 8yo is getting his tonsils out on the 5th and today was the preop appointment.

I wasn't even out of the parking lot when the 10yo started throwing up. He was like a puke volcano. Panicking, I raced back to the house (20 minute drive), because no paper towel was going to help that mess. I told his brother to stay in the car while I helped him in the house. I ran back to the car, stopped for gas on the way, and sped like a demon. Almost there, I turn to tell the 8yo we were close only to discover there wasn't an 8yo in the car. I freaked, thinking he got out of the car at the gas station.

He wasn't at the gas station. So, I'm hoping he's at the house and not kidnapped or trying to walk home. I found him sitting in the living room playing video games. We were twenty minutes late for the appt, but it turned out okay.

See how they try to drive me mad? But I refuse to give them the satisfaction. My mission is to get them to adult hood in a reasonably stable and independent state. It is a tedious and unappreciated task at best, but I am hoping that some day it will pay off. Maybe when I'm old and decrepit, one of them will take pity on me...if I live that long.

6:42 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment