Books for Joe

Via Facebook: Colin Wells reads One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, still "kuwaiting" for a flight into Afghanistan. He reports he's safe, but bored.

Stopped by the gym today. Quite crowded with everyone and their new year's resolutions. By February, it'll ease up.

Update on my Ten-in-Six:
One sold (Night Chills).
One on-deck with a 1 in 3 chance of being picked for publication.
Five in various editorial slush piles. (Actually more than that. The last story I submitted went to three publications all of which allowed simultaneous submissions.)
Three more stories to finish.
(Photo: history1900s.about.com)

Writing in the 80s

Some facts about my writing career just resurfaced as I emptied out old boxes:

My first published fiction piece was in an artsy mag called Chimera. - 1983

I wrote a pretty funny short story that I only sent out once back in 1986. Last night, I sent it out again.

For a time, I wrote poetry. - 1981

Comedian Tom Dreesen, who used to open for Frank Sinatra, rejected three jokes I sent him. - 1981

From 1985 to 1988, I sent out a lot of short stories, all rejected. The whole process was labor-intensive, from typing to return envelopes to postcards signifying arrival, to finding out months later that magazines had closed or moved without a forwarding address or weren't interested in what I had to sell. Then I decided whether to rewrite the stories or press on. (That last aspect hasn't changed.)

I have a lot of old boxes. - 2010.

Kuwait For Colin

Via Facebook: Colin Wells cools his heels, awaiting a flight back to "work."

Run, Emil, Run

Injured tendon and all. Mr. Perpetual Motion rolled down the Rose Parade route with other runners and now weighs the damage in light of a full 2010 running calender.

Monstropedia is Beast of the Web

Monstropedia catalogs creatures of all varieties, from rocs and selkies to dragons and cryptids. I use this site for speculative fiction ideas. Plenty to chew on - so to speak. (Photo: rottentoons.com)

Randy Beaman's Pal Returns to 'Ghan

Home safe for Christmas after his first tour, Colin Wells spent New Years in the Mideast, enroute back to the Afghanistan for a second deployment with the Strykers. Good thoughts and prayers to Colin and his unit. Let's hope they return to us safe and whole.

h/t: NanBel3377

Swedes Welcome You to 2010

Where every neighbor is a friend.

h/t: EduPresent