Post: Another Shout-Out and Submission!

I am floored by how cool people are. Seven days later, the Laire finds six more followers! This is wonderful and a real surprise to me, that people would actually choose to tag along on this writing starship. Just for that, I feel you all deserve a great big shout-out! Here goes...

First up is Melissa Wideen (no blog?), a fantasy writer who loves the genre as much as I do, if not more, and dedicates her time to write it. Welcome to the Laire!

Elizabeth Mueller - I've known her for a few years now - from conventions for the most part - and she is a stellar writer with a bright future (and blog). Welcome!

Lynda Young - though we've never met, we sure have a lot in common, right down to advisory posts for aspiring writers. The Laire welcomes you with open arms!

DEZMOND -a Hollywood spy with a blog geared toward your latest movie news needs. What a great place for the nosy movie lover. We've beamed you up, Dez!

Alexia Chamberlynn - is a fellow aspiring author in pursuit of publishing her novel and writing others with a unique visual style that captivates me. Welcome!

and last of all, but not least of all . . .

Marieke (last name?)- is an aspiring author of YA who enjoys time travel (tough genre - I don't envy you) and has a terrific voice. Check her blog. See for yourself.

I think that's everyone. Onto the new stuff!

Update: Chapter 14 is . . . DONE! That's right. Done. Like fried apple-dumpling done, with chapter 15 already started and the very last chapter completely mapped out. I've never written a better ending as this one is going to be, so I'm really excited to weave as many words as I can each day until I turn these notes into a for-real chapter (I'm a planner/linear writer - which means I don't do so well if I write out of order).

On another note, I felt impressed to pick up my shelved short story Forerunner and work on it. This is the story that Writers of the Future rejected a few months back. Well, after careful consideration and feedback, I made several big changes to it, which my critique group and Alpha readers really enjoyed, giving no suggestions for improvement at all. So, I'm taking a first stab at submitting a short story to a magazine - specifically, Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show.
Below is a short synopsis to give you a taste:

Derrick Bergman, a renowned oil driller, is accused of murder while on duty inside the Reaver, the world's largest submersed drilling station. Locked inside his cell, Derrick has no choice but to find a way out and return to the surface before his Forerunner kills someone else . . .

Keep in mind that I don't see myself as a very good short story writer. Actually, this is the only short story in my collection that isn't from an English writing assignment, so we'll see how it goes. Come back Thursday for another Aspiring Advice about Fantasy Names - Cool or Tongue-Twister?

I'm David - and a nine-year-old thinks I'm famous.