tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703861414547309188.post950844774339792261..comments2024-03-25T20:40:44.806-04:00Comments on Literary Rejections on Display Now Has Long COVID: Rejected Story II: Should It Be Published?Writer, Rejectedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17241982229214057815noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703861414547309188.post-72052017725492019092008-03-25T11:26:00.000-04:002008-03-25T11:26:00.000-04:00I loved the story. Thanks for allowing it to be po...I loved the story. Thanks for allowing it to be posted online, so I could have the opportunity to read it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703861414547309188.post-87945093685000991402008-03-21T18:19:00.000-04:002008-03-21T18:19:00.000-04:00I'm buying my harness elsewhere....I'm buying my harness elsewhere....Stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12532623224069202379noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703861414547309188.post-54691297796823480392008-03-20T11:24:00.000-04:002008-03-20T11:24:00.000-04:00I too guessed at the death of the father as soon a...I too guessed at the death of the father as soon as Ray asked the question.<BR/><BR/>I'm not sure if I'd change anything after that point or not. Maybe I would begin a new paragraph with "Then silence."<BR/><BR/>I enjoyed the "Shane" bit and thought maybe you could have had a little more fun with that. A few more quotes here and there, maybe one near the beginning, Ray hinting at some line from a movie of the era. But that's just an idea for embellishment; the story reads "complete" as it is.<BR/><BR/>Conclusion: story is publishable; story should be published. <BR/><BR/>I feels like a mainstream story to me, like it would appeal to the general audience of a mass circulation commercial magazine. Or am I expecting too much out of what people read (or want to read)?<BR/><BR/>However, I don't know where to place it either. The Atlantic? I'm coming up empty, so in that I also echo the post above me: is this kind of literature being marginalized now? I would say yes. Apparently made fun of, too.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703861414547309188.post-28213029532228478772008-03-19T16:08:00.000-04:002008-03-19T16:08:00.000-04:00I'll try to say something of substance about the s...I'll try to say something of substance about the story. <BR/>I thought it was a very good psychological study. When the idea of murder emerged I was surprised, but it also seemed to be exactly what would happen.<BR/>I could find faults, but overall the story succeeded, so why quibble with this or that? (Though did anybody else find the last paragraph too flat and abrupt? Or was that the right way to end it?)<BR/>One commenter mentioned a problem with the dialogue. I thought that was one of the story's strengths. Ray's monologues did much to create his character.<BR/>I liked the plain, clear, smooth writing. Nice and unobtrusive. <BR/>There is a Twilight Zone eeriness.<BR/>I too would like to know the original title.<BR/>Where to be published? A lot of stories with a murder in them appear in literary anthologies -- Huxley, Faulkner, Trevor, etc.<BR/>That's not the problem. <BR/>Reading the comments which are polemical, silly or mean (from the first "yawner" to post) I think I'm seeing a division in literary fiction that has nothing to do with quality. <BR/>But isn't that a point being made in this blog -- that some writing doesn't get a fair shake?<BR/>(Is that Ivy Professor pulling our legs?)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703861414547309188.post-56743452639307528422008-03-19T13:53:00.000-04:002008-03-19T13:53:00.000-04:00What price does a story fetch these days?Does any ...What price does a story fetch these days?<BR/><BR/>Does any literary-minded author even <I>pretend</I> to live off his freelance earnings? Or don't your 2 free copies have much buying power outside of the English department??Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703861414547309188.post-15827518329979409782008-03-19T10:27:00.000-04:002008-03-19T10:27:00.000-04:00I definitely will ditto the Twilight Zone comment....I definitely will ditto the Twilight Zone comment. I do think it's publishible, so yes it should be published.<BR/><BR/>But the question is: where??? Writer Rejected, what are you thoughts for where (as you mention above)? I think the language and murder theme will keep it out of certain markets, but I don't know if the murder is enough to make it a sell in (say) Ellery Queen. It's not quite enough of a mystery or crime story for those genres.<BR/><BR/>What would you call it, commercial-literary fiction with a murder theme?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703861414547309188.post-34870704653020211532008-03-18T21:27:00.000-04:002008-03-18T21:27:00.000-04:00I seriously want to know the price of a harness!! ...I seriously want to know the price of a harness!! <BR/><BR/>(For my war pony?)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703861414547309188.post-45614555768794943502008-03-18T20:52:00.000-04:002008-03-18T20:52:00.000-04:00Puts me in mind of an old Twilight Zone episode.Puts me in mind of an old Twilight Zone episode.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703861414547309188.post-37350725190348752982008-03-18T17:12:00.000-04:002008-03-18T17:12:00.000-04:00Snobalicious, Ivyprof!Snobalicious, Ivyprof!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703861414547309188.post-52632161300084999222008-03-18T17:00:00.000-04:002008-03-18T17:00:00.000-04:00Good story, but don't like title. What's the origi...Good story, but don't like title. What's the original?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703861414547309188.post-34166401715793288722008-03-18T16:41:00.000-04:002008-03-18T16:41:00.000-04:00There are some strong claims being made here in th...There are some strong claims being made here in this blog that are simply preposterous.<BR/><BR/>The faultly logic is displayed in the illogical attack on the very institutions that are working tirelessly to aid and assist literature. Who else promotes short stories, fine literature, and writing in general, but institutions of higher learning? Is it any wonder, then, that they also produce the magazines to publish and promote this writing, to fill the commercial void? And read thousands of your submissions, free of charge, every week, in addition to their normal workloads? They have also rushed to provide complete programs that not only teach how to write but offer a means of support for the struggling artist.<BR/><BR/>In your ignorance, you risk biting off the very hands that feed you! This may be a cliche, but like any cliche there is truth in it.<BR/><BR/>Similarly, your claims of being an underserved minority rings patently false. For again, in fact, it is the institutions of higher learning who have bent over backwards to assist every possible minority. And has done so to general acclaim, I might add. Might I suggest that the so-called "minority" view you claim to represent is simply the tired majority view of another time? And being such, it is out of place, a relic that is no longer relevant. Life has moved on.<BR/><BR/>It seems to me that if these frustrated writers would stop daydreaming about how good things were in some supposed past, when unchecked Capitalism was the order of the day, they might look around and see the real world differently. It's not so bad now. And if they would only apply themselves to work, by gaining the proper schooling, they might actually achieve a foothold in the career they claim to love so much.<BR/><BR/>The problem is, that doing so takes an investment of time, and all too many would-be writers are unwilling to make the effort.<BR/><BR/>To their peril.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703861414547309188.post-72509031390334054172008-03-18T12:14:00.000-04:002008-03-18T12:14:00.000-04:00Q's:- how long did it take to start/write/finish t...Q's:<BR/><BR/>- how long did it take to start/write/finish the story?<BR/><BR/>- how much $/time did it take to collect the 18 rejections?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703861414547309188.post-13011986933405014442008-03-18T12:03:00.000-04:002008-03-18T12:03:00.000-04:00And their prerogative!And their prerogative!Writer, Rejectedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17241982229214057815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703861414547309188.post-21355167816601008282008-03-18T12:00:00.000-04:002008-03-18T12:00:00.000-04:00I would hardly call the first two commenters "LROD...I would hardly call the first two commenters "LROD or PR haters." I think they didn't love this second story, which is certainly their perogative, having been asked. That said, I appreciate your enthusiastic comments. Battle forward, soldier. <BR/><BR/>For what it's worth, I think there are some fine online publications that would take this story.Writer, Rejectedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17241982229214057815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703861414547309188.post-14916979007671377052008-03-18T11:52:00.000-04:002008-03-18T11:52:00.000-04:00* * *I forced myself to self-edit here, but I will...* * *<BR/><BR/>I forced myself to self-edit here, but I will say that two haters of this story didn't like your first one either and from what I know of them I believe that is a great compliment, PR. I hope that their type goes into attack mode, not only here but I hope there is ample opportunity for more - much more. I want to see them attack with all their might.<BR/><BR/>Why? Because there's a war on, that's why, and it's a shame that only certain HTML tags are allowed here, because this is the point to raise the type size to 288 points to quote Ray and do a big F you to the controllers of the publishing world and all who support them.<BR/><BR/>That the intended recipients of the above curse does include a few regular LROD readers (and PR-haters) is kind of <BR/>unfortunate but a price of the battle; going beyond funny/stupid rejection slips into the area of showing <A HREF="http://literaryrejectionsondisplay.blogspot.com/2008/02/rejection-from-which-well-known.html" REL="nofollow">what</A> <A HREF="http://literaryrejectionsondisplay.blogspot.com/2008/02/subtropically-fast.html" REL="nofollow">a</A> <A HREF="http://literaryrejectionsondisplay.blogspot.com/2008/02/plagiarized-rejection-shenandoah-or.html" REL="nofollow">total</A> <A HREF="http://literaryrejectionsondisplay.blogspot.com/2008/03/pride-of-potomac-not.html" REL="nofollow">farce</A> <A HREF="http://literaryrejectionsondisplay.blogspot.com/2008/02/difficult-to-sell-is-in-eye-of-beholder.html" REL="nofollow">and</A> <A HREF="http://literaryrejectionsondisplay.blogspot.com/2008/03/not-magazine-for-untouchables-thats-us.html" REL="nofollow">scam</A> these shallow "<A HREF="http://literaryrejectionsondisplay.blogspot.com/2008/01/greensboro-your-manuscript-vs-our-needs.html" REL="nofollow">publications</A>" and <A HREF="http://literaryrejectionsondisplay.blogspot.com/2008/03/kerouacs-rejection-wisdom.html" REL="nofollow">agents</A> are, and even further by showing just <I>what</I> is being rejected (I mean, giving concrete examples of the <I>kind</I> and <I>type</I> of material that is now rejected in a world of werewolf comedies and chick/dick/slick/hick/trick lit), LROD is advancing boldly in the battlefield.<BR/><BR/>* * *<BR/><BR/>I've had to self-edit again. But <BR/>anyway ... this is exactly the kind of commercial short story deserving of a large audience (and pay to match) that, according to <A HREF="http://literaryrejectionsondisplay.blogspot.com/2008/02/one-rejected-writers-manifesto-listen.html" REL="nofollow">LROD's sharp observations</A>, <I>cannot</I> be published anywhere today, since no paying markets exist for it. The type of work that was said to have <A HREF="http://literaryrejectionsondisplay.blogspot.com/2008/02/has-short-fiction-gone-way-of-old.html" REL="nofollow">gone the way of the old fashioned movie star</A>. Gone, yes - without a place to be, lost in a waning, warring America, but not completely dead itself.<BR/><BR/>How to fix it, who knows. We've got to try. It won't be Antioch Review or Arkansas Review or whoever those mags are that rejected you. (Would love to know the names, anyway.) But it won't be them. Because even if Harpur Palate published you, who cares? You're far away from college yourself. You want to be out in the world. And you want to make it your career. I think it's actually good they passed on it - follow all those links above if you haven't seen them yet. These journals are not the way to stardom, they're not the way to being read. What are they for? Not For Us. The enemy will tell us to subscribe to more independent journals, but that's typical. A non-answer. These things aren't for us and they aren't for our readership. So who really cares about them? (The teachers care. And some of them read this blog. From them you can expect no clemency.)<BR/><BR/>PR, I hope to eventually find out who you are and find that you're still writing stories and novels, despite the fact that no way currently exists to get them to the readers who want them. At first, with "A Change of Season" I thought you were an acquaintance out of Chicago who has a file of stories like yours, all rejected in similar ways. You're not him and you're not the others that I know -- there's at least six of us now with enough commonality of I don't know I won't say "vision" but there's something there and it's against everything that the rulers want. I too have the two dozen "your writing is beautiful but not for me"/"you're clearly a great writer but alas I'm just not in love with the story" type comments. Most recently from a young agent whose attention span was affronted by "use of such a formal voice" that was stopping her from "getting into" the story. There's nothing to read into them, they mean nothing, just a load of polluted stinking crap from a system incapable of giving otherwise.<BR/><BR/>Those are tiny minds and our vision of the world is far from theirs. We have to fight for it, and be grateful that we've been privileged with this lot in life. Unlike those losers in the story, this isn't the time or place to surrender the spirit. It's at battle, and <I>this is war!</I>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703861414547309188.post-36930693189352530542008-03-17T19:16:00.000-04:002008-03-17T19:16:00.000-04:00It's okay.It's okay.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703861414547309188.post-55930156892637362972008-03-17T18:02:00.000-04:002008-03-17T18:02:00.000-04:00What price does a harness fetch these days?What price does a harness fetch these days?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703861414547309188.post-19218417305505963662008-03-17T17:23:00.000-04:002008-03-17T17:23:00.000-04:00I liked the first story, but this one gets the dia...I liked the first story, but this one gets the dialogue all wrong on several levels. IMHO, there's something amiss about the relationship between the two main characters that makes the story not work.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2703861414547309188.post-27061569777622563342008-03-17T16:51:00.000-04:002008-03-17T16:51:00.000-04:00Yawn.Yawn.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com