For some reason, I'm still getting traffic even though I haven't updated in ages. 2 to 5 views per day -- lame, I know. Still, I feel guilty for not providing fresh content.
I may have mentioned (or tweeted) that I've not written a single new story this whole year. March is ending, plus November and December 2010...that's 5 months without writing anything new! Well, I've re-written "Kuda Kepang" (under consideration at the moment), and I'm now re-writing "Remember Atlantis". Funy thing about the latter story is that it always makes the final pass, but gets rejected right at the end. Spot-on writing, good story (though a story about Atlantis is hard to sell), but there's something about it that's not quite shining. Not enough to make the sale. So now the story's new incarnation is a first-person YA, with a slightly different ending. Let's see where it goes.
Moving along to other writerly news, at first I thought I didn't make the cut, but a couple of days ago I received an email from the editor of SFReader stating that "Blood Debt" (a pontianak horror story) placed second for their 9th Annual Short Story Competition. I'm getting USD150, yo! Once it's available online, I'll update my publication credit list.
"Act of Faith", published in COSMOS Australia's 36th issue, is now available online. So for those who couldn't get a copy of the magazine, here's the link. By the way, I've updated the link in my list.
Naked Snake Press has accepted my flash horror, "Hospitality of a Goddess", for Poe Little Thing: In Space No One Can Hear You Scream, and I'm getting a professional rate (USD 0.05 per word) for it. That's USD49.50 for it, I think. The story will come out in print sometime this year.
Also, CCC Press has released a promotional poster for its Malaysian Anthology, in which "A Long Sigh Goodnight" is included. Here's the poster:
What else...hmm.... In my effort NOT to write, I'm now addicted to online gaming (again). Reza has pulled me into his League of Legends world (something like DoTA). Not my usual cup of tea, but it's fun playing with him, his brother, and his brother's friends. I'm also playing World of Warcraft again, albeit tentatively. It gets lonely now that Faiz, Reza and his brother don't play the game anymore.
Wait. I actually put an effort in avoiding writing? What gives? Here's the thing. Maybe it's my mistake not to dream big. One of my life-dreams is to be a professionally published writer before I hit 30. And I've achieved that. I've proven to myself that I can penetrate the professinal market. Now the flame of passion has somewhat sizzled. I should have aimed for a Hugo or a Nebula.
Pfft. I know, right?
That's only part of it. I've written over 30 short stories in the span of one year alone (late 2009 to late 2010), and I've published...let's see...hmm...18? 20? I think that makes me a prolific short story writer. Sorta. The problem with writing is that it's a creative process, and creative processes take a bit of your soul every time you do them. I'm still feeling burnt out, but I'm recuperating. Once in a while I'll come up with Hallmark-moment statements. The well is filling up. I think I should be drawing, but I've not raised my pencils to do it (other than drawing operative notes).
Yes, I'm funny that way. When I can't write, I draw. Sometimes I paint, though I've not done it in a long time (and I'm not THAT good at coloring). When I can't do either, I read fiction. I'm glad to announce that I've finally finished reading several books instead of stopping halfway to read another. I've completed NK Jemisin's "The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms" and "The Broken Kingdoms", and am waiting for the third and final book. I strongly recommend those books. Awesome read, and an atypical fantasy style. I'm now halfway through "I Am Number Four". Not exactly my favorite style, but it's a good book nonetheless.
When I can't do any of the above, I watch movies. I especially like romantic comedy and chick flicks. You know, the you-don't-have-to-think-just-feel-good-watching-it kind of movies. Sure, I get creatively inspired by movies like "Avatar" and "Inception", but romatic movies appeal to my hopeless-romantic nature. If I really feel like escaping, I watch Korean dramas. They're good, I kid you not.
If everything goes well, I'll be going back to Kelantan to start my Master's Degree in Neurosurgery in September. That gives me 5 months to complete one of the three major projects I have in mind:
1. An anthology (I plan to have 15 stories).
2. Stormcaller (Urban Fantasy set in Kuala Lumpur).
3. Adrian & Rina (New Adult contemporary love story).
That's just writing, editing and submitting. Publishing is another matter. I know it's going to sound wrong, but I don't doubt the publishability of my writing. It's the bloody discipline that gets at me. Oh well. One step at a time. It's not like I cannot write stories once I'm in the Master's program.
Okay. I promise to write something meaningful next time. Some advice on writing, perhaps? Not that I'm any good, but I like sharing what I know.
Cheers,
Fadzlishah Johanabas
Good on you. You are definitely qualified to put out a full-length manuscript now!
Posted by: John Ling | Monday, March 28, 2011 at 06:11 AM
Let's see... romantic movies...try the old (1940s) "To Have and to Have Not" with Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, if you can find it for rent. It's more action-adventure/romance than straight romance, but boy does it sizzle.
Or if you want to laugh, try "Romancing the Stone" with Michael Douglas. ;)
Glad to see you're still alive, and I can't wait for when your story-well is full enough to draw from. I'm sort of in the same place myself.
Posted by: Raven | Thursday, March 31, 2011 at 01:15 AM
Hi, Any updates on your anthology? When will it be released? Thanks:)
Posted by: Rumaizah | Thursday, December 29, 2011 at 12:16 PM