Ouch and Oucher.
Not a great day, Thursday. Got home to find a rejection from Analog. A single sentence, as formulaic as possible. No feedback. No compliments. Just no.
Nearly but not quite an hour later, I discovered an email from Apex magazine. Apparently the story I sent them had “some wonderful prose” but the editor “couldn’t get emotionally invested.” At least I had lovely prose. Not sure I’ve been told that before. That story is one of my older ones and had really only gotten a facelift, tummy tuck, and implants from the original scheme. (That is, tightened the wording, trimmed down some scenes, and added something to make the character more likable…not that implants make someone more likable…I’m going to stop now before I say something I’ll regret.) Anything particularly “lovely” must have been there all along, like an ugly duckling.
I’ll have those stories back out by Monday. I jut need to make a fix to the Analog story (TOL) and make sure I’m sending the right draft of the other (SR). These are, incidentally, the two stories that were held and released by ASIM. I must find them a home.
Scott W. Baker: Chaos out of Chaos 
Keep on truckin, man!
I know you will, I only wish I had your constant determination. How have you been?
Clint-
Maybe I missed this on other posts, but what is the status of your novel (besides the cool progress bar that I want for my own blog)? Can you point to the posts? Many of us are in the same boat and is helpful for us writers to all paddle in the same direction, if we can.
Sadly my novel has been progressing at a rate similar to the expansion of the universe: it may take eternity for it to finish. I’ve been working on other projects, but even that’s been slow. Pesky day job is demanding attention. Midterm time. But I should get back up to speed in a few days.
I may abandon this project (doh!) due to underdeveloped story idea. Mostly the characters are still coming out like pancakes. That’s not just a revision issue since I’m not sure what I want the characters to be doing. Regardless, I get a few days off late this week and Monday of next, so I’ll get some momentum on something.
I know…discouraging.