'TIS THE SEASON . . . FOR SOUL-CRUSHING REJECTION!

Well, I got a cruddy little lump of coal in my stocking a couple days ago. I finally heard back from "Strange Horizons" concerning "The Eternal Movie." DENIED!

One of my real strengths as a writer is my thick skin and high tolerance for rejection, a talent honed while trying to get a date in high school. Still, this one stung. I felt good about the story, and I really worked hard on it. Plus, we really could have used the money. And, lastly, it's freakin' Christmas! I mean, come on! My birthday's only a couple weeks away. Couldn't they have waited to crush my spirit until then?

Another frowny face- they sent me a generic form rejection e-mail. That sucks. This also reminds me of high school. I liked it better when the girls told me exactly what they found unattractive about me. I used to hand out little "feedback" cards like you find in restaurants. Gave me something to work on. The icy "Uh, no thanks," just rubs me raw.

Oh, well. It's like Lea said: "You can't win them all." To which I of course replied: "Yeah, but I can't win ANY of them!"

Thus ends my pity party. (Jeez, a party would have been nice.)

I am soldiering on. Just started work on a new screenplay, about a female rock star/ actress who uses black magic to become famous. I changed all the names, though, so Courtney Love won't put a hex on me. (Or maybe she already did. I knew sending her locks of my hair was a bad idea.)

For the past six months or so, I have been cycling through all of my 20+ active projects, doing a little work on each one. I am nearly at the end of this rotation, and from there I will knuckle down and actually (gasp) finish "The Black Monkey." Here's to happy writing in 2007!

I hope this blog finds you and yours happy, healthy and in good holiday spirits. May Santa Claus bring you everything you want, and may the Scrooges, Grinches and on-line sci-fi magazine editors pass you by.

Happy X-Mas, War is Over (if you want it.)
Love, Christian