Links and Stuff

It’s June already, month six of 2016. Time keeps rolling on. So, before we get to the links, a quick update on the short story I finished a few weeks ago. On the evening of May 31st, I submitted that story to a magazine, having edited and polished it to where I think it’s nice enough to be seen in public. Of course, submitting to a magazine is no guarantee it will be published. It just means a popular mystery story publication has it in its inbox. It might be a few months–perhaps up to six or eight–before I even hear whether or not they want to publish it. But it’s a start. An important start. And hopefully not the last short story I unleash on the world. I’ve got ideas for more, so we shall see…

I’m currently reading Neil Gaiman’s collection of short stories called TRIGGER WARNING to help spur me on to write more. There’s nothing like reading short stories to learn the art of short story writing. The short story form allows for exploration of ideas, and even dipping into a variety of genres, without the commitment of a novel. Much the same could be said about flash fiction, only with short stories you have a bit more room to develop characters and build the story.

This leads nicely into our first link of the week: this piece by Amber Sparks from Electric Lit about short stories, and those who write them. It’s true that many people see the short story form as a stepping stone toward writing a novel; that any short story writer worth their salt will one day, inevitably, put away the toys and go play with the big kids. The fact is, while a number of novelists also do well at short stories (Gaiman, and Stephen King, for example), not every short story writer can, or even wants to, write a novel. The unfortunate side of this is the fact that major publishers aren’t particularly interested in short story collections, especially from relatively unknown writers. So there’s not as much money in short stories. It’s a shame, and hopefully a situation that self-publishing, and other non-traditional venues can help resolve. Amber’s article is worth reading, whether you’re a reader or a writer. Food for thought.

Continuing the writing theme, archaeologists have uncovered what they believe to be the earliest sample of writing in Britain. According to this article on The History Blog, the writing dates from around the mid-first century, and is in Latin. Back then, they wrote on wooden tablets coated with beeswax that they would scratch with a stylus. It seems some of these tablets have survived, and while the beeswax has long since gone, with technological wizardry, they can make out the scratch marks left behind on the wood. The one they think is the earliest is an ancient I.O.U. Another has the alphabet, indicating it belonged to a school child. How cool!

Switching gears completely now, I couldn’t help but note this article on The Hill, where popular news anchor Katie Couric “takes responsibility for deceptive editing in gun documentary.” It seems she put together this documentary, and in one part she edited an interview with a gun advocate in a way that made it look like they had no answer to her question. She says that wasn’t her intention, though she acknowledges it could be interpreted that way. My point has nothing to do with the gun control debate here in the U.S. Rather, it’s this statement from Ms. Couric: “I never intended to make anyone look bad and I apologize if anyone felt that way.” A question for Ms. Couric: did anyone think you made them look bad? Answer: YES. So why is your apology conditional? Why not apologize to those people who believe you made them look bad? Which leads to the broader question: is an “I’m sorry IF…” really an apology? Isn’t it an apology with a get-out clause? If you’re really sorry, just say you’re sorry. “I know the way I edited the piece made the people I was interviewing look bad, and for that, I’m truly sorry. That wasn’t my intention. Please forgive me.” Doesn’t that sound a lot more contrite and genuine than “I’m sorry if anyone felt that way.” That just smacks of, “I’m sorry you felt that way, but you’re wrong.” What do you think?

Finally, another celebrity death to report. This time, it’s the popular English comedy writer Carla Lane [Warning: there’s a video clip in the link that starts automatically]. I don’t know how well-known she is outside the UK, but she was responsible for some good shows like “The Liver Birds,” and, “Butterflies.” She also had a big hit in the 80s with a series called “Bread” that I didn’t watch much of, though I caught the episode featuring Paul and Linda McCartney (of course). If you get the chance to catch any of these, they’re worth your time. Aside from being funny, the dialog is top notch. Carla was 87, so she lived a good innings. Still, it’s sad to see another celebrity pass from us.

Any thoughts, or links and stuff of your own to share?