Tag: Escape Pod

Flash! Ah, ahhh…

~ Scott W. Baker ~ Leave a comment

In the spirit of fostering competition and all that, I want to mention that Escape Artists (the fine folks that bring you fine the podcasts Escape Pod, Pseudopod, and PodCastle) are kicking off their third Flash Fiction Contest.  Apparently the last time they did this over 6 months with all three podcasts, but this year they will have three separate contests — one for each title — with a shorter submission window for each.  They are starting with the Escape Pod contest, so that means sci-fi.  Read the rules on their forum.  Deadline is September 15th.

I’m already digging into my stockpile of unsold flash to see what might work.  I’ll probably write at least one new story for it.  Since each writer can enter two, a mix of new and old might be the best way to go.

To the archives!

How do I miss these things?

~ Scott W. Baker ~ Leave a comment

I guess I hadn’t sufficiently Googled myself in a while, but a search of “leech run” baker turned up some interesting things. This one is an analysis of the theme of “Leech Run” as it relates to identity. Profound? Not really, but it was never designed to be a profound story. Then there’s this Science Futures article inspired by “Leech Run” and published through Escape Pod. Neither of these are new; I need to Google myself more often.

Speaking of Escape Pod, they have just offered to buy another story.  “Chasers” was originally in Triangulation 2004 back in…well, in 2004.  It has a similar narrative style to “Leech Run” so I thought they might like it.  Apparently I was right.  No clue when it comes out; watch here for details.

Escape Pod Favorites Poll

~ Scott W. Baker ~ Leave a comment

Every year at about this time, Escape Pod conducts a poll asking what your favorite EP stories were from the previous year.  The forum topic is here, including links to the 49 stories Escape Pod ran for 2011.  Yes, my space pirate story “Leech Run” was one of them.  Not pressuring anyone, I’m just saying…

I’m not sure what MY favorite EP stories were last year.  I didn’t listen to them all, but I listened to a fair number.  That is, excluding my own story (which is obviously the finest work of literature ever composed by a mortal).  I’ll likely do a little re-listening and toss my thoughts out there…if I ever get the time.

 

A Writerly Update

~ Scott W. Baker ~ Leave a comment

Distracted as I am by the countdown and launch of the school year, I find myself pushing writing to the background. Even good news is being tossed to the wind (Twitter, Facebook, whatnot) and left to drift without much attention. So here’s an update.

*****

Poop. Technical difficulties truncated my multi-paragraph post to near nothing.  And I had links all through it.  Not happy.  Let’s try again.

The big news is that Daily Science Fiction just accepted a flash piece called “Ten Seconds”.  Happy.  DSF is a market I’ve wanted to break into for a while now.

“Leech Run” has received mostly positive comments at Escape Pod.  There is some debate over the quality of the read (which I am fond of) and a few folks that were less than fond of Titan’s character, but most people seemed to enjoy the story for the thrilling blockbuster it was meant to be.  (That’s right, blockbuster.  You Hollywood types listening?)

“Not Rats” is still scheduled to be in the Untied Shoelaces of the Mind Anthology, which was pushed back but should be out within a month or so.  Both those stories came from the Codex Weekend Warrior flash fiction contest.  Clearly worth doing again.

Another flash piece that I wrote during the Weekend Warrior contest but was not an entry got a rewrite request from Every Day Fiction, a little flash zine I am friendly with.  I rewrote the one little bit that (understandably) bothered them and now I suspect the rewrite will be accepted.  Small money, but a fun zine.

I have a few others out there: a steampunk story to an invitation-based antho that has fewer openings than previously anticipated, a zombie story that’s been lost in an editor’s shuffle, an old sale hoping for new life as an audio reprint, a zany story at a new and mysterious market.  They all have chances; none will stagger me if rejected.

All in all, a lot of good going on in my writing world.  I need to push more stories out of the stable so even more good can happen.  My cover letters are getting more impressive: WotF, Escape Pod, DSF.  I’m starting to feel like a real writer; makes me want to get back to that novel I’m supposed to be working on.  Where did I leave that thing?

Story up at Escape Pod

~ Scott W. Baker ~ 5 Comments

If you don’t listen to the Escape Pod podcast, you should.  I love audio fiction, and audio short fiction has the feel of a television episode on the radio.  They used to do that, back when radio was a thing people sat around and listened to in their homes.

So why am I advocating Escape Pod today?  Because my story “Leech Run” is their latest audio offering!  Go have a listen.  It runs about half an hour.

Alasdair Stuart reads it and does a great job.  I love the accent.  It’s my first story to get the audio treatment and I’m psyched at how it turned out.

“Leech Run” first appeared in Pill Hill Press‘s anthology Zero Gravity: Adventures in Deep Space.  If you like the story, buy a copy.  Lots of good space adventure between those covers.

Odd success and other Horrible things

~ Scott W. Baker ~ 1 Comment

I’ve been going about this short story submission thing all wrong.  As it turns out, the only sale I’ve made in the past six months is one I withdrew (details to follow).  So maybe I just need to go pull all my stories out of slush so they’ll get bought.  Or perhaps I should take this anomaly for what it is and move on.

I am selling “Leech Run” to Escape Pod podcast/ezine as a reprint, my first reprint sale.  More excitingly, it’s my first audio sale!  It’s just as exciting as having “Poison Inside the Walls” illustrated.  Having another artist/performer interpret my work is very exciting to me.

The Escape Pod sale was not without hitches.  I won’t bore you with the details beyond the fact that the fine people at Pill Hill Press — the editors of the anthology Zero Gravity: Adventures in Deep Space where “Leech Run” originally appeared — have been fantastic in their help to allow things to progress naturally.  (You should go buy Zero Gravity on Kindle.  Five bucks for thirteen awesome stories in deep space.  Or buy it in paperback.  Or special edition hard cover if it’s still available…but I think that was just through the end of 2010.  Or buy all three!)

This reprint sale has me wondering how many people would enjoy “Leech Run.”  Would it translate well?  There is money to be made in foreign sales, even for short fiction.  Other stories might also do well translated.  Or in audio.  “Excuse Me” would probably be better performed.  Maybe I could do an audio recording for this site?  It could be fun.  Surely I can find a student actor or two willing to read some lines.  Hmm… [sticks idea on shelf to revisit later]

Now on to my latest obsession: Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog!!  It’s a short film done by Joss Whedon (and family, it seems) starring Neil Patrick Harris as the eponymous villain-on-the-rise (was that Horrible or Howser?), Nathan Fillion as his heroic but egotistical nemesis Captain Hammer (or was that Reynolds?).  Funny, dark, and musical.  The cleverness and musicality of the songs hearkens to the South Park movie.  Afterall, NPH is a Broadway guy.  I love it in all its cheesiness.  I’ve been listening to the soundtrack on my iPod nonstop for two days.  If you have not seen this 42-minute marvel, find a way.  I’ll likely bring my copy to ChattaCon for a potential (small) viewing party/sing-along.  Consider the love shared.  If you too love it, I have done my duty.  If not, well, you may want to have your funny checked.  (You should do that every ten thousand miles anyway.)

When I get details regarding Escape Pod, I’ll let you know.  Until then, read Zero Gravity, watch Dr. Horrible, and eat Mezzetta Garlic-Stuffed Olives.