And it was a booger. I understood that August was going to suck, for me. I just didn’t realize how much it was going to suck. It will be two years at the end of this month that my mom passed away. No, I’m still not over it. And that’s all I’m going to say about that.

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There have been a lot of things rolling around in my head. It’s like a pool table out of control in there. I have had a Very Busy Week, and it looks like it will turn into a Much Busier Week. It has been a time of frustration and trials with a few really nice things happening. One of them is the publication of my short story, “The Blood is Not Enough”, in the August 2010 Vampire Edition of Skive Magazine. It’s the first story listed. *blush*
Skive Magazine is one of the largest literary magazines in Australia, edited by Matt Ward. Isn’t that cool?

I am really happy about this for a few reasons. I wrote the first draft of this story when I was in a workshop with two of my oldest internet friends, only they weren’t friends yet. We have stayed in touch over the last eleven years, I believe it is. Amazing. Anyway, at this workshop, writing prompts were posted all the time. They became more and more elaborate as time went by and we all got to know each other a little better.

I had never written a horror story before, and remember, this was before the whole Twilight craze. I don’t remember what the prompts were, but you had to choose between three different scenarios, or characters, maybe a list of items. I saw the prompt and thought, “How cool, maybe I can do that,” and so I did. Trouble is, I got to the last 200 words or so, and realized I’d gotten caught up in the story and I hadn’t included any of the prompts. I quickly wrote them in, and the ending actually came out quite funny, even though it was a dark story. (Heh. I’m twisted, don’t look surprised.)

I received good feedback, and was pretty proud of that story. Until Brenna and Peter started speaking to me in the middle of the night and poking me with sporks. It was quite annoying. I knew the only way to shut them up was to write them and wear them out. So, I changed the end of the story. And a few other little things.

Still not satisfied. Yammer, yammer. I think I took apart “The Blood” letter by letter, word by word, paragraph by paragraph. Even wrote Brenna’s mother’s backstory. I harassed requested a few crazy cooperative colleagues to read it over and give me feedback about what was wrong with it. The best advice I received was from a close friend of mine, Taer, who told me to chuck the entire beginning and start over. That was an eye-opening experience for me. I normally wouldn’t have considered that, because I liked the beginning — but it wasn’t the right beginning for the story, can you dig it.

So after all this time, the final draft found a home. It had been rejected a few times, and I stopped sending it out because I wanted it to appear in a magazine worthy, and I can’t lie. The story means a lot to me and the rejections stung for a moment, although I didn’t let it depress me. I know better.

To this day, Peter and Brenna still mean a lot to me and I’m glad that people are getting to meet them. I feel really good about that. Now, if I could only get fan mail or a naked minion out of it, I’d be ecstatic. Heh.

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I take a lot of my inspiration from music. One of the greatest musical influences on me as a young lass was Queen. Love, love, love their music, always have, always will. I saw them in concert February 8, 1977 when I was but 19, and although I may have forgotten the majority of what happened in the 70′s (don’t ask, don’t tell, heh) that particular concert will never be one of them. It. Was. Amazing.

This is one of my favorite songs:

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I know! No one like them, ever. That Freddie, what a voice. *Sigh*.

I always get this picture in my head when I hear it, of a young man back in the early 1900′s, who just arrived in America from some foreign country, maybe Italy or Greece. He’s wearing knickers and (I think they called them) a newsboy cap. He’s in a big city. He’s running the streets to survive, and he thinks of what his life might be like in a year or a hundred years. “For my life, still ahead, pity me!”

Imagine my shock when I poked around and found out this was actually Brian May’s idea of a science fiction short story. You can read the true meaning of the song here. Still, I have my own interpretation in my head. Music and short stories, flash fiction all have that in common. You may mean one thing when you write a story, and someone else could take a completely different meaning from it. Weird.

Never would have taken it in a sci-fi direction. I wonder what that says about me as writer. Hm.

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Oh, one more thing. I write in my head a lot. I mean, a lot. Inside my head, I am articulate and every word is perfect. When I try to squeeze those words out of my mouth or through my fingertips, the words get mangled like they went through Grandmother’s wringer washer, with the rollers that liked to nip small fingers. I cough on them like giant hairballs, and I just can’t seem to express what I want to say very well. I hate when that happens. Do you ever do that? You know, write letters or blogs in your head, or stories, novel outlines, then when you grab a pen and pad you’re as constipated as if you had eaten five pounds of Wisconsin cheddar cheese?

Yeah. It’s like that.

There’s always something happening in the writerly world of Nettaland, and I really should be spanked for not blogging regularly. I could promise to be better about that, but I hate breaking promises. The shards are sharp and really hurt when you step on them.

Anyway, here’s the hodge-podge of what’s currently on the table:

~ I am closing on on the completion of a Special Project, and I’m excited. My client is happy with me, and says so here. Truth is, she’s been a dream client, and I can’t wait until “Lovers and Beloveds” hits the shelves. Believe me, you will love it. I think the pre-orders are open until July 15, but you can find out more information here. Hop on, because I have a feeling this thing is gonna blow wide open. Remember, you got the scoop here

~ With the completion of this project, I will have two openings for editorial services in about two weeks. Contact me for details.

~ Some of you who have followed me on my private blog are most familiar with my whining about “The Blood”. This is a short story whose history is ten times longer than the final word count. I won’t tell the story behind the story here (but I will if it’s published, promise) but suffice to say it’s been a long, torturous road with this thing. It is one of those stories that JUST. WON’T. LET. GO. I wrote the initial inception SEVEN years ago. Yes, you heard that right. It has been reworked and rewritten until I was satisfied, has garnered more rejections than a pimply-faced thirteen-year old at a high school dance, and I finally got to the point where I figured it was just going to be one of those stories that meant more to me than it ever would to anyone else.

Until one of my favorite magazines put out a call for vampire fiction. I sent it in. No word yet, but all signs look promising. I’ll post the link and tell the story should it be picked up.

~ One of my favorite authors has a new story up at Strange Horizons and it is LOVELY. Love her work. Check it out.

~ For those who are looking for a website and book cover designer, I can’t recommend Matt highly enough. He’s not only talented, the man’s a machine, great to work with, and an all-around nice guy, even if he is an Aussie . If you have a need, he’s your guy.

~ I’ve been asked to guest blog on Cape Cod Holistic, so that’s something I’ll be working on. I’ll post the link when it goes live — but it’s a great website and I’m honored to be asked to be a part of it. I’m contemplating subject matter, and hope to have something up in the next few days.

~ Ah, yes. Pallas. She tasks me, so she does. I’m really wondering, at this point, since the ending seems to be giving me fits, if I should just leave the ending alone and start editing from the beginning since the first chapter continues to bug the hellfire out of me. It’s the weakest chapter of the lot, in my opinion, and the more this beast sits in the trunk the more I see what’s wrong with it and how to fix it. I realize there’s no rules and I can do what I want, but the truth is I’m in uncharted territory here. I really need to finish this thing, but stuff like Life and Paying Work has had to take precedence. Stress. I haz it.

Other than that, I continue to plod along, and wonder why I didn’t choose an easier career. Heh.

It’s been awhile, I know. Already it’s been one of those years, and we’re not even halfway done yet. Oye.

I do want to bring your attention to two past posts of mine — It Can Happen To You and An Update On Writershire(dot)com. By all accounts, this company is mighty shady at best and a scam at worst. Like I said, most of my clients are wonderful to work with, but there seems to be one in every bunch. Fact of the matter is, if it feels too good to be true, it probably is. Beware of “rush jobs” at the last minute, and don’t be afraid to ask questions or investigate the company before you take on any work. If possible, get a deposit up front. I know there’s a lot of complaining from potential employers about being taken for a ride by unscrupulous writers, but the road goes both ways. Protect yourself.

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That being said, I’m going to introduce you to some potential employers I’ve done work for and with whom I’ve had a good experience. They pay, they pay on time, and they pay regularly. Some may not pay top dollar, but a bird in the hand and all that. I hope one or more of these work for you.

Constant Content is a great site to sell articles on just about any subject you might be interested. The pay rate is set by you, the writer, but keep in mind that CC takes a hefty commission. To me, it’s worth it because if there a topic for which I’ve done a lot of research for one client, I can spin that research and post it up on CC for sale. They pay once a month via PayPal, and the other thing I like about CC is their public request system. A client posts a request for an article, detailing the keywords required, and if it’s a subject with which you are familiar or may have research material hanging around, you can submit your article for consideration. If it’s not picked up by the requesting client, it is simply added to your articles for sale.

Constant Content does have a high standard and guidelines, so be sure to read them over carefully before submission.

Another reliable site in my experience is Textbroker. Pay is determined on your rating, and assignments are offered in a variety of different topics. You are rated by the client and the editorial staff, and the higher your ranking the more you are paid. Most assignments are short and sweet, between 200-500 words, and you can request a payout anytime after you reach the threshold of $10, paid twice per month via PayPal. The only drawback, if you can call it that, is you can only pick up one topic at a time. Pay close attention to the due dates…although there’s no penalty for missing one — it simply goes back into the pool — I think it’s rather rude to take a topic and not follow up, you know? Although it has been known to happen to me, too.

Although their vetting process could be seen as grueling, WiseGEEKS pays for all the testing articles, which is definitely a plus. Pay is dependent on the subject matter, but ranges from $10-$12 per 400 word article. There are three rounds of testing — you write three articles at a time, the topics are your choice, then reviewed by an editor. You are expected to improve and implement the changes suggested by your editor. They pay immediately during testing, but once you’re through the process, they allow you to write up to five articles but won’t pay until the proper paperwork is signed and submitted. (This is where I’m at right now.) You are also required to write at least five pieces per week. They have a strict format, and the questions you are answering can take some research, but you choose which ones you want to handle.

Those are just three sites I have done work for and recommend. If you have any questions, leave them here in the comments or email me at annetta.ribken(at)gmail.com and I’ll help you out if I can.

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The next post will be about my friend, Peat, who is currently being held hostage in the UK. I hope he gets home soon, and safely. In the meantime, the dude is kicking ass and taking names…with good reason. More tomorrow

Today is the National “The Princess Bride” Status Day on Facebook. Since TPB is one of my favorite movies of All Time, I thought I’d take this opportunity to share with you some of the life lessons I’ve learned from this oh-so-excellent movie.

1. “Life is pain, Highness. Anyone telling you differently is selling something.” This quote by Westley may seem a little cynical, however, if you keep this in mind you’ll be able to resist the lure of late-night infomercials. If a life lesson doesn’t hurt, you probably won’t get much out of it but an empty wallet. Oh, and exercise equipment you’ll never use.

2. “I just work for Vizzini to pay the bills. There’s not a lot of money in revenge.” Inigo Montoya would know — after all, he spent 20 years chasing the six-fingered man for killing Montoya’s father. Although Montoya does finally receive closure, the point here is revenge isn’t going to pay your bills.

3. “Well, I’m not saying I’d like to build a summer home here, but the trees are actually quite lovely.” Your situation may not be ideal, but you can work with it. Westley looked at the Fire Swamp as more of a challenge than an obstacle. There are beautiful things to appreciate in any circumstance.

4. “Yes, you’re very smart. Shut up.” Nobody likes a know-it-all, especially Grampa. And if you piss Grampa off, he won’t tell you any more wonderful stories. So, shut your mouth and listen.

5.”You truly love each other and so you might have been truly happy. Not one couple in a century has that chance, no matter what the story books say. And so I think no man in a century will suffer as greatly as you will.” Here is the proof — the story books are fulla shitzki. I knew it, now here’s proof in black and white. There is no “happily ever after”, but there is “and they lived until it was time to die.” I like the second ending better — it’s honest and probably a lot more interesting.

If you haven’t even seen The Princess Bride, you are missing out. It is one of my favorite “feel good” movies, with everything from magic, revenge, true love, danger, humor, and drama. All that AND life lessons…it truly doesn’t get better than that.

It’s hard for me to be wordless. Oh, I have my moments, but they are few and far between. It’s a blessing and a curse, as anyone who has spent any time with me knows. Heh.

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A potpourri of sorts, today.

– I am very sad to read of the death of Captain Phil Harris. For those of you who are unfamiliar, he was the captain of the Cornelia Marie on the Discovery Channel’s show, Deadliest Catch. This program deals with fishing for crab on the dangerous Bering Sea, and once you see an episode, you’re hooked. I loved Captain Phil, he was my favorite. The guy was a force of nature. During one fishing expedition, he suffered a blot clot that passed through his heart and lungs…and kept on fishing. He didn’t know anything else, didn’t want to know anything else — he’d been fishing since he was seven years old, and at twenty-one was one of the youngest captains to run a fishing vessel in the Bering Sea. My condolences to his sons, Jake and Josh, and to the rest of his family. He was a mighty man, and will be sorely missed by millions.

– Women are a mystery, as many a confused male can attest, but these Women of Mystery offer that little something extra. Today, they’ve posted some very interesting flash fiction contests that might be of some interest to my fellow flashers. Check it out, I know I will.

– Speaking of submitting, Flash Fiction Online is accepting submissions and they pay for them, too! Publication here counts toward the requirements for membership in the SFWA, and that’s a definite plus.

– Speaking of flash fiction, I was able to polish up a piece I wrote a while back, and I’m going to post it Friday for #flashfriday. It started out as a romance and turned….well, twisted. I know, try to contain your shock. I actually giggled through most of it, which just goes to show you how twisted I am and why I don’t write romance. Heh.

– And, because no day is complete without a time-waster or two, not to mention if you’re as sick and tired of this nasty winter weather as I am, a friend of mine sent me this link to help lift the February doldrums. Anything that provokes a smile in February is a wonderful thing.

So much for a Wordless Wednesday, right? Maybe next week. Heh.

Yes, that’s right. Monday is the new Saturday, at least for me, and I have to say I like Monday dressed up in Saturday’s clothes a lot better than what it usually wears. Of course, having a day off is most unfamiliar these days, but so far I’m digging it.

The Big Project has gone well, although it has been extended for another two weeks. This means fiction is still on hiatus, since writing 70k words in 4 weeks on the same subject tends to wear out the brain cells. That being said, I’m working on a piece for #fridayflash just in time for Valentine’s Day. I wrote it a long time ago, but it needs a good overhaul and some serious editing. I hope I can have it done by Friday.

In other writing news, check out this post from author Peter V. Brett on the e-book wars. He nails it dead-on, I’m thinking.

The Super Bowl was amazing this year, and although I’m not a Saints fan (sorry, the Giants have had, and always will have, my football heart) it was nice to see them win. I will admit that sometimes the commercials outshine the game, but not this year. In spite of that, this was my favorite Super Bowl commercial and it just tickles me to no end:

Doritos Samurai

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And finally, if you are at all interested in health care reform (and you should be!) check out this brilliant link from Kenny Wyland, who very effectively debunks the more persistent and stoopid of health care reform myths.

So, since it is a day off, I’m going to see what kind of trouble I can find. Heh.

You may remember this post from a company I did business with this past summer. I have been remiss in updating the full story, and for that I apologize. Let’s catch up, shall we?

On October 14th, almost two months after the project was completed, I received a payment from an unknown (to me) source. Not knowing from whom the payment originated or what it was for, I was concerned I had received it in error, so I emailed the source with an inquiry, and an offer to return the money (less the fees involved in the transaction.) In return, I received a very nice email from a new PIC (Person In Charge) saying that it was payment for the services rendered to this company, and the former PIC was no longer a PIC, and a sincere apology was offered for my inconvenience. I politely replied that these things happen, and I appreciated the payment. I further stated that I hoped we could continue a working relationship, but in the future I would require a deposit upon my services.

The PIC thanked me for my patience and understanding, and said they totally understood my position.

The End. Oh, wait…not The End.

In December I received another message from my financial institution, saying that the payment had been disputed, but since it was over the dispute period, no action had been taken. Confused, I emailed the originator of the dispute, asking what the problem was and how could I fix it?

Now, as if this whole thing wasn’t weird enough, it got weirder.

The originator of the dispute told me to return the money. That’s it. No other information. Now, I’m just a wee bit irritated because I have no idea what’s going on.

We swap a few emails, and this person was claiming that the payment was made out of their account without their knowledge or permission, and they wanted the money back, like NOW, because it was close to Christmas and they had to buy gifts. Um…

I forwarded the information I had regarding the payment and wished him good luck with his mission. I have no idea who this person was, or how someone could make a payment to me out of their account without their knowledge, and the whole thing smelled fishier than a three-day-old octopus washed up on the beach. This person (are you confused yet? Because I sure am) said this whole thing was a scam, and “we’ll get them”. We? Scam? All I know is I finally got paid TWO MONTHS LATE for services I rendered, so I haven’t been scammed. I think. I’m so confused.

I emailed the PIC I spoke with in October, and they told me it was a mistake, the dispute had been withdrawn, we’re all cool. I never did get an explanation of what was really going on, and at this point, I’m over it.

The End…oh, wait. Not The End.

Today, I received an email from someone I’ve never heard of demanding I take this original post down. That’s all the message said — “Please take this post down immediately. Thank you for your cooperation.” Um….

So, I emailed back and said hello, who are you and why would I delete it? It’s the truth.

Response? One line… “You got paid, hence it’s not true.”

I still have no idea who this person is. So, I emailed back and asked again.

It’s the head of accounting.

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I just want to say, for the record, I did eventually get paid, although that part is wreathed in mystery, which is really not my problem and I don’t care. I am a reasonably nice person, and I try to conduct myself in a respectful and professional manner. What is really irritating me here is the total lack of professionalism and respect on this other end. I don’t think I’m out of line here. If you want to discuss a problem, I’m all ears. If you want to start demanding, like I’ve done something wrong, well, talk to the hand.

This is my blog. This is my experience. Period.

Beware. That’s all I’m saying.

His red hair flamed against the cobalt blue of the California sky, his white teeth flashing in a charm-filled smile. His cocoa brown eyes warm, and full of love.

Bristly cheeks, a hearty laugh. Big hands, gentle in his touch and deft with a painter’s brush. “Look, princess,” he’d say. “What do you see?”

A world of color, a maelstrom of emotion too mature for young eyes. The heart of an artist speaking the only way it knew how – with oils and strokes, palettes of hues and whorls of feeling.

He never came in rescue from the monsters of childhood nor the tears shed in the face of life’s bruising. Never chased away the unworthy boys; never walked down the aisle with his princess on his arm to give away. He never held his first grandchild, or even seen his face.

He was not there, or ever would be, yet he lingered in every curve of my heart. I thought I could see him out of the corner of my eye and I would turn, only to face my fear. He lived; he was dead. Dead to me, but alive to his second, and favored, family.

Thirty years later, all I have is an enameled box filled with the remnants of a life that should have been.

I opened the box and released my father’s ashes on the California hillside.

I have been having technical difficulties with the website lately, and nothing but the run-around trying to get it resolved. This makes me cranky. Couple that with a Monday and a decreased caffeine intake, and what do you have? Ohhhh, it’s not pretty.

However, we shall persevere.

I have been neck-deep in non-fic work, and while I’m very happy that I can make some kind of progress at chipping away at the pile of bills which grow fangs in the night and try to eat me in the morning, it has severely curtailed fiction-type endeavors. This does not make me happy, but it is what it is. I will say that anyone who tries to tell you writing for a living is easy work is a damned liar and you should beat them with a shovel.

I’m halfway through the Big Project, applied for a couple more gigs that seem up my alley, and am hurling words at a rate of about 2500-3500 per day. Considering that’s on the same subject, I’m satisfied with that although my brain likes to tell me otherwise.

Speaking of which, no, I have not completed the last three chapters yet. Pallas yells at me almost every night. She just does not get the concept of earning a living. I tell her when she can pay the bills, she’ll have my undivided attention, but until then I’m the boss of this rodeo. She laughs at me.

I’ll be so glad when that wench is written out and over. At least, for this round.

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That’s the update. I’ll leave you with this comedic tidbit, which cracks me up:

Don’t Waste The Shave

And, it’s a cold one! Frigid, even. Holy moly, these single digits are killa. Makes it difficult for the brain cells to fire.

I realize I have taken a hiatus from blogging, tweeting, and general internet stuff, and most of that was not on purpose. Oh, you have your usual holiday issues, then some health issues, and of course, the ever-present real-life drama issues, and next thing you know, a whole  month or more has passed by with nary a blog word written. Although only one out of the three have actually been resolved, it’s past time to dive back in to the blogosphere. I hope I haven’t lost all two of my readers (heh) but I’m willing to work hard to woo you back into the fold.

Let’s start with some Twitter-love, shall we? #Fridayflash is still going strong, and a “Best of” anthology is planned. For writers, I strongly urge you to participate in this weekly exercise, because…well, because it is so much fun! As a reader, I urge you with equal fervor to make the rounds and read…there is some astounding talent out there, and you won’t be sorry. As a matter of fact, I suspect you’ll thank me profusely and maybe even name your first born child after me. Yes, the stories are that good. Check it out.

The latest Twitter hashtag that’s come to my attention is #storystarters. How cool is this? Clifford Fryman had the brilliant idea (while in the shower, heh) to post 50 “story starters” to “kickstart creativity when your muse is a no show.” Each #storystarter is 125 characters, and he started posting them today in batches of five. I can see the potential for it to catch fire in the same way #fridayflash did. According to Cliff, who was kind enough to respond to my nosy questions, the idea is to provide a daily place to post or take advantage of a prompt. He posts three per day, usually. The 50 #storystarters were the result of a Twitter challenge Cliff posted, in order to raise awareness. It worked! He met the challenge, so today starts the posting marathon of the fruits of his labor. Anyone can participate and post a #storystarter by simply using the hashtag. He encourages people to first of all, write! And direct message him or Tweet the link to any story inspired by one of the story starters.

Cliff has tentative plans to release his personal story starters in a free e-book around NaNo time, but the future of #storystarters is still in the infant stage. The potential is shining and exciting. You can follow Cliff on Twitter here, and I highly recommend you do so… there could be more challenges to come, and you don’t want to miss them!

Cliff and I agree that Twitter has been a huge benefit, and he considers this his way of paying it forward. That’s the great thing about Twitter — many fine, talented people who are generous with their time and talents. I love Twitter.

I’ll be keeping a close eye on this, and have already scribbled a couple of #storystarters on my trusty notepad for future reference. Very cool, and the gods know that muse of mine needs a good poke now and then.

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This is my latest earworm by DJEarworm — a seriously talented young man. Dare you not to do some chair dancing when you see it

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Well, this is a start on getting it on with the new year. I have expectations tempered by a realistic outlook. This ain’t my first new year, but hopefully it will be better than the last two have been, which in all honesty, have sucked the hairy nutz of Lucifer. One thing I can say about the last sixteen months in particular…I may have been bent, but I am not broken, and I still have hope. I’m gonna take that and run with it.