Farewells

Tomorrow there is a BBQ and farewell for my boss. I have to be honest and say that I don’t want to go. I’d prefer something low key, just me and other people within my unit. As a sufferer of panic attacks, I find that big social gatherings scare the hell out of me and can trigger one of these unpleasant episodes.  There are going to be people there that I do not like and don’t want to spend any time with. There is also another two day camping event to farewell the same people. It may seem rude, and the people might hold a grudge for me not going, but I simply can’t do it.  

In other news one of my stories has been added to the recommended reading list for 2006 Best Australian Fantasy and Science Fiction, which I’m chuffed about.

http://www.tabula-rasa.info/MirrorDanse/YearsBest2006recommended.html

I’m thinking of starting up a  new blog for my writing endeavours.  

In other positive news I’ve booked a holiday in Perth over XMAS.

Keeping me guessing

Last night I thought my knee was cactus. This morning I think it is improving. As I sit here writing this I’m not sure how this knee injury is going to go. Happy ending or a slide down into a knee replacement by the time I’m 50. At the rate this crappy VMO is building up I’ll be 50 befire my knee goes back on track. I just spent another10 minutes on the exercise bike. I imagine it is getting easier to do.

My latest story is out in Antipodean Science Fiction Issue 113.

http://www.antisf.com/stories/story08.htm

Tuesdays grey and Wednesdays too

I’m on the list of contributers for the black box e anthology.

http://www.brimstonepress.com.au/blackboxauthors.htm

So that’s good news. Haven’t done much writing during this injury. Sitting at the computer hurts the knee after a while.

With the patella tendon strap and taping my knee has been a lot less painful today.  I suspect some of my discomfort may be coming from my patella tendon.

There is a lunar eclipse tonight. Supposed to be quite spectactular. Might take a snap with the digital camera.

I ran about 300 metres last night, to avoid a pepsi max accident. That stuff is an horrendous diuretic. There wasn’t a lot of knee pain. The lunar eclipse was facsinating. The moon turned a coppery brown colour. There was a big crowd at Beacon Hill watching it.     

Good News

Had a story accepted for the Black Box e Anthology, which I am really happy about. Apparently the editor received hundreds of submissions. So it was a fairly competive selection. There where some aspects of the story the editor said needed work. Great that it was accepted despite needing some work. This will be my seventh story published.

Also my knee hasn’t been too bad today. The new shoes and taping technique are bringing me some relief. I put some bandaids on that have cleared up the nasty blister. My ankle has been bleeding the last few days.  

The knee was good up until lunch time, I thought it was really improving. Then it fired up on the lateral side. I finished up taking the tape off. Then most of the day the knee was tight and sore, and I was left thinking that despite all the work I’ve done, it really hasn’t improved much at all since last year.  Perhaps it was the sessions on the exercise bike that have really fired it up. I have to admit to getting so angry with my knee that I gave it a thump. Not that it will help.

Got rejections for 2 stories today. I will give the editor credit for being prompt, I submitted them last night.  

Thursday

Writing wise, I have submitted three flash fiction pieces to the Black Box e anthology. Hope I haven’t made the editors slush pile grow again with “slush”. I hope they are worthy of some consideration. One story was based on a nightmare I had. Where I was running along with a closely packed group of boys across a field. Sort of like Tompkinson’s School days from hell. There was something nasty in the nearby hills waiting for a runner to fall behind, then picking them off one by one. I woke up before I found out what was watching.

Another story was about a town that weeds out undesirables to keep it’s tidy reputation at all costs.

Had another swimming lesson today. The teacher showed me how to kick on my side. I’m not really good at it. It’ll take heaps of practice. Tried to walk without the cho pat strap, my knee was very unhappy.

Trees for mum

Last year I enquired about being involved in a tree planting for mum in the Sutherland Shire. There was an event to be held at Lili Pili. A couple of days ago I received an email asking if I wanted to basically organise the event  Coffs Harbour. They want me to be a site host and a media talent. Below is an email indicating that my interest is ONLY in the Sutherland Shire.

 Hi Lauren,  Thanks for your email re the Trees for Mum event.   Unfortunately, I do not wish to be involved in the event inCoffs Harbour. My interest is being involved in tree planting for mum is only in the Sutherland Shire. This is where I grew up with my mother. My mother is buried at Woronora cemetery. I have a very strong emotional attachment to Yowie Bay and the Sutherland Shire. My mum loved the parks and gardens of the Shire particularly the azalea and camellia garden. My childhood in the Shire was the best time of my life thanks to my parents. 

 A ceremony in Coffs
Harbour is the wrong place to acknowledge my mother.  Regards Paul 

The Coffs Pool is open for another month. Yeah! I swam forty metres today. I’m learning to float on my back tip over to my front then turn onto my back. It’s all about getting confident in the water. I can make about 12 metres kicking with the flippers on one breath.

Rejection from Black Box e anthology.

Hi Paul,I’ve read your Black Box submission, and have been deliberating over it for some time, but I’m afraid I won’t be accepting it for publication. It really appealed to my sense of the surreal for 3/4 of the story but I felt the ending fell a little flat and returned the story arc (almost disappointingly) to the mundane. It may be my reading bias, but I had a sense the story was building to something more than was presented.You are welcome to submit again if you have anything else suitable. The reading period ends on May 31.Regards,

Easter

I’ve got another story accepted for Antipodean SF. That’s my third story published there. The story is called Venom. The editor changed it form past to present tense because he thought it had more immediacy.

Had my second swimming lesson yesterday. I was taught how to kick using flippers. I’m pretty useless at it. Was able to kick to the 1.3 metre point. It’s hard to get used to. But I will improve with practice. Last night and this morning I went for fifty minute walks. This morning was better than last night. There was irritation in the knee/foot. More of an itchiness than the nasty pain of a month ago. I can feel that my quads are stronger when I walk. The fact that I can now get the tape to stick consistently is a bonus. I did my excercises as well this morning. I will have a kicking session in the pool shortly if they are open over easter.

I’ve stopped drinking pepsi max. Caffiene is a diuretic, which is bad for my knee injury. I believe water is important maintining a healthy cartilage structure.

Friday

Put the tape back on yesterday. It lasted until last night without tape. The knee was starting to tigthen up badly. The knee feels smoother when I have the tape on, but as the day went on the inflammation got worse. After work it was quite painful, I really noticed it when I went to buy a pizza.

Got a third review of my story “Road Kill” by Derek Smith in ASif.

http://www.asif.dreamhosters.com/doku.php?id=flashspec_volume_1 

The same story reviewed From Shane Jiraiya Cummings at Horrorscope. 

“A number of stories broke the mould, but something in each held them back from greatness. Paul Sheringham’s ‘Roadkill’ poses an innovative revenge premise, although it’s a little short on explanations. ” 

I respect this opinion because it is from an experienced writer and editor in dark fiction A little more positive than the second one at ASif. I guess I have to be relaxed about scathing reviews like that. The comments of the reviewer that he could do a better job, and wanted to get is writing and editing fingers  on the work of others, is what I found irksome and patronising, not so much that he hated my story. Would I want him to get his editing fingers on my work? No Thanks!

I have three stories submitted at the moment, one to Antipodean SF and one to the Black Box Anthology. The other story I submitted to Penny Dreadful Magazine months ago. Last week I got a rejection from Aurealis magazine.

Here are reviews to my previous stories in Antipodean SF. The first is from a another experienced Australian writer and editor.

 http://www.asif.dreamhosters.com/doku.php?id=antipodean_sf_issue_100

 http://www.asif.dreamhosters.com/doku.php?id=antipodean_sf_issue_94

A review of my story “Bloodletting.” I think I may have got a couple of rejections of stories I submitted to ASIM magazine from this person. It has the same tone to it. 

The same story reviewed at horroscope.

 “Bloodletting” by Paul Sheringham is the first story in this issue that works well with the constraints of flash fiction. While the premise is no doubt not original, it is written in a way that makes it interesting to read, and is guaranteed to have the reader nodding and smiling at the end.

I’m finding it hard to write this while Lenny the cockatiel is jumping on the delete button and pecking the mouse to death. She’s a little frustrated that I have hidden the mouse cord under a shirt.  

Hot foot shuffle

The pain feels like it’s in my foot. Not as excruciating a week ago but none the less annoying. I feel like I am walking freely, but the inflammation is constant.

 I’ve submitted a story to Antipodean SF. It’s a piece of flash fiction (500 words or less). At work I’ve decided to put back the workshop on the vegetation community analysis back a week or two, so the experts get sufficient time to comment. The Rugby league starts next week, I don’t give the Sharks much chance. Their backs are a bunch of no names. Ricy Stuart is not a miracle worker. He coached the Roosters to fourth last, with a much much stronger squad than he has at the Sharks.