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Drabble-Beers in the Night

June 13, 2014

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Here’s the second drabble I wrote for this year’s “Dueling Drabbles” panel at Balticon 48.  The prompts for this one were:  San Francisco, A Private Eye, and a bottle opener.  Enjoy!

 

The detective huddled into his coat and stepped out into the chilly July night. San Francisco winter. He was searching for a needle in a city of haystacks. He passed darkened storefronts and seedy alleys. Dive bars and the kind of places where a man found salvation, and lost his soul. He kept searching. That wasn’t what he was looking for tonight. He thought about his client, a dame with the kind of looks that made a fireman play with matches. She was waiting for him.

Finally, he came back and gave her the bottle opener. “Next time, buy cans.”

Introducing…ME!

June 4, 2014

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It’s about time I introduced myself.

At Balticon last month, I was on a Social Media Promotion panel with the brilliant and talented J. R. Blackwell. Her advice was for authors to introduce themselves once in a while, and while I do have my ‘about’ page, I figured it is about time that I gave it another shot.

Hi, I’m Hugh.

I’m a writer. Mostly the things I write are fantasy or science fiction stories, but sometimes I do other things. I’ve had stories published in Over My Dead Body! The Method to the Madness Anthology, Bards and Sages Quarterly, Every Photo Tells, Air Out My Shorts, and a few other places.

I’ve also published a few short stories electronically.

I’m working on a slightly off-kilter sword and sorcery stories called “The Freelance Hunters.” I have written a handful of novels but I haven’t published any of them because I’m very bad at long form editing.

When I started writing, my goal was to become a SFWA member. I’m not sure what my writing goals are now beyond finishing the next project.

I’m a podcaster. I host and edit The Way of the Buffalo podcast. We read short fiction and interview writers, artists, and podcasters. I meant it to be a showcase for the amazing creative people working in electronic media. I hope that shines through.

I’m in the middle of producing the podcast audio book of The Dark Wife by Sarah Diemer. The project is read by Veronica Giguerre. I’ve taken several hiatuses on this project to learn what the hell I’m doing. Creating an audiobook is very different than making an unrelated short fiction podcast. It’s coming back this summer, but I’m not releasing it until I’m done.

I’m gay, and two years ago I was able to legally marry my husband. Neither of us really planned for a marriage, but having that right recognized makes me feel indebted to the world. I’m trying to stand up for my community more. I’m not always sure I succeed.

I’m 32 years old. This makes me older than my parents age when I was born, and I still don’t feel like an adult yet.

But enough about me. Tell me a little about yourself!

 

Drabble: The Goodbye Party

May 31, 2014

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Here’s one of the two drabbles I wrote at this year’s Dueling Drabbles panel at Balticon.  This story’s prompts were:  Antarctica, A Colonel, and A Palm Tree.  Enjoy!

 

The Colonel stared at the banner and frowned.  ‘Bon Voyage’ was scrawled across it in cheerful rainbow letters.  He wasn’t sure, but he suspected the font was comic sans.

“You don’t like it,” his sister said.  She had promised she wasn’t throwing him a surprise party.

“it’s not that,” he said, even though it was.  “But you do remember where they are sending me, right?”

“Oh,” she said.  “I had thought you said Antigua.”  She had decided to make it a beach party.  Plastic palm trees, beach balls, the works.  He tried to relax.  Tomorrow, he was flying to Antarctica.

Balticon and the State of the Hugh-nion

May 28, 2014

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Another Balticon has come and gone, and once again, I’m left with a heady mix of thoughts and feelings. I saw caught up with old friends, some of whom I met for the first time, learned a lot, and of course ate and drank my fill. In a lot of ways Balticon feels like a ‘home’ convention, even though it’s a seven hour drive away.

I think that sense of community was especially true this year. A lot of folks who missed last year’s festivities returned this time, although there were still some absences. Felt and yarn did their best, but I missed seeing Nathan Lowell, The Clockwork Doctor, and Cynical Woman, amongst others. Having a nice, big Flash Mob presence was great, though.

This was my fourth Balticon, and I can track my growth across those years as a podcaster and as a professional writer. My first was in 2011. I came down with my friend Mackenzie Lambert. He was good company, and we did some events together, but we were often at opposite ends of the con. Him there for the indie-horror vibe as I was there to learn to be a better podcaster. I tried to network as well, but that year I was way too overwhelmed by the whole experience. Everyone I did meet was incredibly nice and welcoming, but I mostly hung around and breathed the air around the creative pioneers I saw as giants, unable to think of what to say to the faces behind the voices.

The next year, I was ready to be a bit more involved in the community. After having dipped my toe in the first year, I had become more active, and that year I stayed with two other podcasters, Tony Miller and James Keeling. By this year, my podcast game was improving. I even was able to take part in the reading of a great story for The Drabblecast B-Sides. I was coming out of my shell a bit.

Last year was another crazy Balticon. 2013 saw a lot of the old guard podcasters called away with family commitments and other professional engagements. It was also my first year as a guest. I had never been a guest at a convention before, and I probably overtaxed myself. I was running around all weekend, but I still had an excellent time. That year I celebrated my first semi-pro sales as a writer. I was going places, and Balticon was helping me get there.

Which brings me to this year. After four years, I think I’m starting to get a feel for the rhythm of the convention. I scrambled to get ready for this one, but the social and professional anxiety that had shadowed me in the past was gone. Maybe part of it was having attended the Smoky Writers retreat in Tennessee earlier this year. Working alongside a selection of my favorite writers, and sharing our work at the draft stage helped to dispel a lot of my doubts. I felt ready this year.

If my schedule wasn’t quite as full as it was last year, I still had a lot on my plate this year. I moderated some panels on Podcasting Basics and Drabble-Writing, once again hosted the infamous Podcasters Against Humanity, and I even launched the Freelance Hunters series alongside Paul E. Cooley‘s twisted muppet noir, The Street.

If I listed every memory from this year’s Con, or paused to thank every friend I saw there, this post would be a novel. There will be more content from Balticon coming, both here and in the feed for The Way of the Buffalo. But I’d like to say two things now. My thanks to Patrick Scaffido, and everyone else who keeps the Rube Goldberg device of Balticon running. You oil the gears and feed the boilers. I just show up and party. We all wouldn’t have this without you, so thank you for everything.

And to the readers, and listeners: 2014 is just getting started. And I am, to steal a phrase from Stephen Granade, the most excited I have ever been. Stay tuned, because things are going to get awesome around here.

 

Elanterra Journal 006: The Half Elves

May 8, 2014

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Although they aren’t officially one of the Five Peoples, Half Elves represent a sizable population in Elanterra, and their numbers seem to be growing rapidly. Legends indicate that the earliest Half-Elves were scions of romantic pairings between Elves and Humans, often chivalrous Human knights and fair Elven maidens, whom they rescue from some danger or other. In these tales, the pairing is always stressed as taboo, and the couple brings disaster upon themselves by eloping. The child is left an orphan, and either becomes a great hero or, more often, a terrible villain. What historical records survive are sketchy at best, but paint a similar picture. Elves, for all their self-proclaimed Immortality, fare poorly outside of their forests. They sicken, rot, or kill themselves, usually within a few decades of leaving the Ironwood. Sometimes they simply disappear, abandoning their human spouse and children. These trysts are becoming more and more rare as the years pass, but it is not uncommon for an Elven ‘Ambassador’ to leave a clutch of bastards in his wake after his assignment is completed. These unfortunate mothers and their children are often exiled when their crime comes to light. In some Human kingdoms the children are even drowned, a practice which draws no comment at all from the Elves.

Half-Elves are tall, thin beings whose appearance draws about equally from their heritage. Half Elves are especially long lived, aging at about a third the rate of a normal human once they reach puberty. Half-Elves can usually be found in the great cities, where they band together for mutual protection. They are considered monstrosities by their Elven kin, and far less than Human as well. Half Elves are effectively a slave caste in many Human kingdoms, ranking even lower than serfs. Since they are stronger than they appear and live long lives, they are often used in the most dangerous jobs, such as mining and sailing.

Even with their high mortality rates, Half Elves reproduce at a similar rate to humans, but remain fertile for most of their long lives. It is not uncommon for a Half Elf matron to be caring for five or even six generations of grandchildren. Humans try and tightly control Half Elf families, for fear that they will be overwhelmed by sheer numbers.

“Free” Half Elves in the great cities still find themselves to be the victims of prejudice, since they are the product of a taboo pairing. Higher education and skilled labor are usually denied them, and many turn to underground or criminal organizations for support. It is said that a Half Elf, given enough time, can get you anything, if you pay their price.

Compiler’s Note: The Half-Elves have suffered greatly over the centuries, bing the arrow fodder of every army, working the most uncomfortable and dangerous jobs, and suffering innumerable degradations. It is distasteful to say, but a Human who disdains a Half Elf for the ‘unnatural acts’ of her parents will often not think twice of taking one against her will as ‘spoils of war.’ The Half Elves wait, and maintain their population. And those outside the Human kingdoms wonder when the Half Elves’ anger will turn to violence.–G. B.

 

Fiction: The Space War

May 4, 2014

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The Space War began twenty-five light years from Earth. Mankind had never actually managed to figure out a way past the speed of light, so our exploration of the stars progressed slowly, with whole generations losing contact with home just to set foot on the soil of distant worlds. The first dozen or so missions visited dead, Mars-like worlds, and the general public lost interest in deep space exploration. Then, the Hawking IV craft was lost.

The initial reaction was one of puzzlement and sadness at the tragedy, though no one could confirm what, exactly, the tragedy was from sifting through the quarter-century old data. The Hawking V was sent to continue the mission, with special cameras designed to record everything the crew saw. Before it too was destroyed, it sent back murky, unfocused footage of an attacking space craft.

There was a tightly controlled panic in Mission Command. The enemy craft had been too quick to film, and overwhelmingly powerful. The Hawking wasn’t able to gather much data before it was destroyed, but two things were clear: We weren’t alone in the universe, and the company wasn’t friendly. The distance between stars made communication with our own ships nearly impossible. Finding a way to speak with the aliens was out of the question. Eventually, they decided that war was the only option.

The carefully released information caused a predictable wave of chaos and fear, but in the wake of the riots, mankind showed a resolve it never had before. All of humanity banded together, buried their differences, and worked together to protect themselves. The next few decades saw huge advances in scientific achievement. Humanity built a great fleet of warships that would travel far out into space, and face our unknown enemy. Outposts were built, and we made ourselves ready for the coming conflict. More ships were mysteriously lost.

Finally, there was the ultimate breakthrough. A team of scientists developed a method of time-travel that would allow troops and armaments to seem to go faster than the speed of light. The next fleet could arrive as soon as it left, or even before it was built! The war could be over in months instead of years. The generals in command agreed to the plan. Earth and its neighbors were nearly stripped bare to provide resources for it. If mankind was safe at last, the cost would be worth the price.

After ten years of work, the scientists unveiled their finished time machine. The ship was sleek and fast. It was outfitted with bleeding edge weapons technology. Due to the stresses of time travel, the ship was unmanned. It launched to its destination, and transmitted instantaneous data back to Command. There was a ship at the coordinates. The generals and scientists were ecstatic. When they saw the vessel clearly, however, their joy turned to shock. The vessel had Hawking IV, IDSA stenciled in bright white letters on the side. For they had met the enemy…

 

The Canals of Mars

May 3, 2014

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The first humans on Mars had a good idea of what to expect. Or at least they thought they knew. The canals had been well studied by robot and remote camera before any boots hit the red, rocky soil. The evidence for and against the habitation of Mars had been studied, and the papers had settled the question. Science had proven that Humanity was alone in the solar system. Except for maybe Ganymede, of course. But while science was sure that the famous canals were a natural formation, the team was unable to explain the presence of the water skis.

The Plan for 2014: The Page of Awesome

February 22, 2014

hughjodonnell Writing , 1 Comment

My goal for 2014 is to act more professionally as a writer, and to keep myself motivated. In order to complete this task, I have to keep myself working. When I began submitting short fiction in 2009, I created a spreadsheet to keep track of what I’ve sent where. It has been very helpful, and when I reviewed it late last year, I discovered that I have a tenancy to let a story sit after it gets rejected. This doesn’t do me any good.

I also noticed that I let my blog go fallow, writing in fits and spurts rather than consistently. I want to have a steady output of work in 2014. This means not just showing up at the page, but being visible to editors, and my audience. So I devised the Page of Awesome.

The Page of Awesome is the front page of a very handsome writing notebook I received from my In-laws this Christmas. It works much like my submission-tracking spreadsheet. Each time I make progress in one of my goals for the year, I make a tally mark, and I’ll be posting my goals throughout the year. But unlike systems like the Magic Spreadsheet, which track showing up at the page, I’m keeping track of work that I send out into the world. My goal is to have three-hundred tallies on the page by the end of 2014. Here is how the page breaks down:

Short Story Submissions:

This is probably the most important box for me personally. The most important skill for a writer, even more than craft, is overcoming the sense of rejection inherent in submitting fiction. A rejection, particularly a form rejection, feels like a punch in the gut. And you’re going to get rejections FAR more often than you will acceptances. Sharing your work is the real wall a writer needs to climb over. Having a slush pile myself for The Way of the Buffalo helped. It became much easier to empathize with the mysterious editors behind the rejection emails when I was writing them myself, looking for the right words to say that the story was good, but not what I wanted. It was also good to get a sense of what kind of stories go into a slush pile, just how towering they can get, and what are good stories, and what are bad ones. But I was still letting stories go idle after they were rejected. So the first part is dedicated to short story submissions to magazines, and I’m hoping to send out at least 100 in 2014. I have five active stories in rotation right now, and I’ve got maybe three or four short stories that need just a little more editing before I send them out. So far I’ve been able to add one new story a month. I’m averaging one to two months per rejection, so I should make this goal fairly easily, I hope.

Podcast Releases:

This will almost certainly be the shortest of the three columns, because I release about two episodes a month, and I’m not great about keeping to a set release schedule. I’m hoping that I can use this motivation to keep me going regularly, and I still have The Dark Wife to finish, so this might be a solid 50 by the end of the year. I’m also hoping to take part in this year’s “31 Days of Podcasting,” so that will add to my numbers as well.

Blog Posts

Finally, there is this humble blog, which you may have noticed I’ve been a bit more active with this year. I’m still not the kind of blogger who posts every day, but I’ve been trying to implement more regular, recurring features, and increasing my output. I’m trying to get at least two posts out a week, and ramping up from there. I’d like to post 100 articles this year.

So how am I doing so far? Not including this post, my stats are:

Short Story Submissions: 9

Podcast Episodes: 3

Blog Posts: 13

I’ll certainly update this figure on the blog as the year rolls on, to let you know how this current motivation experiment plays out.

Elanterra Journal: 003- The Riverfolk

February 9, 2014

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Riverfolk are an amphibious people who mostly live along the banks of the mighty Cobaltine river in central Elanterra. Riverfolk have an extremely adaptable physiology, which allows them to survive both above and below the surface for long periods of time, but they cannot flourish very far from either environment. Their skin is extremely elastic, and a series of complex muscles allow them to alter their bodies’ shape. On dry land, they are short and squat. Their limbs actually fold in on each other to provide stability. In the water, they can stretch out to move more smoothly through the water. These unique physical properties provide several distinct advantages for the Riverfolk. Other peoples often mistake their reach and strength, which is exceptional.

Riverfolk have adapted their society to life along the river. Settlements typically extend along the banks, right down to and often under the water. In their capital city of Carabos, buildings often have foundations built under the water, and rise from the surface like icebergs. This construction is possible because the Riverfolk have access to a unique building material called ‘concrete’ which allows them to build under the water and construct some of their impressive architectural feats.

Riverfolk society is considered quite incomprehensible to outsiders. Unlike most of the other settlements of the Five Peoples, the Riverfolk organize their society along something they call “The Game.” Attempts to translate this concept to other members of the ancient compact have resulted in failure. The game is not limited to the power struggles and politics that Human nobility and the burgeoning merchant and artisan classes engage in, nor is it strongly linked to organized crime or tribal relationships, as with the Hillfolk and Half-Elves. The Game seems to involve every aspect and facet of daily life. It is a team sport, but exactly how these groups are determined is a mystery to outsiders. Some teams, or Houses, as the term is more often translated, are based on home region, or family, but some families support half a dozen different Houses. While there does seem to be rivalry, at the same time, Houses, or rather members of houses cooperate with one another to accomplish their goals. What these goals are and what they hope to achieve is another situation shrouded in mystery. To casual observation, nothing is out of the ordinary, and the Riverfolk consider prying into the House of someone who is not displaying their affiliation quite rude. A few outsiders have been known to join Houses, but if they have any greater understanding of the game, they are not at liberty to say. As masters of the Great River, as well as Engineers and Magicians, Riverfolk often come into contact with other Peoples. They are fond of saying that all People play the game, but only the Riverfolk know what side they are on. This sentiment, along with their bizarre physical appearance and habits, do not inspire trust in their fellows.

Riverfolk are also notable for spending their winters in hibernation. Towards the end of the year, Riverfolk gather in Carabos for a great festival. Due to unknown, most likely magical means, the lake remains above freezing until the final day, in which every Riverfolk citizen in good standing parades into the waters, which freeze over behind them. It is speculated that they gather in some hidden grotto in Spire Rock, the formation at the center of the lake, but others suggest they simply sleep through the winter. A Riverfolk who misses the gathering is shunned by his people, should he manage to survive the winter.

Compiler’s Note: Riverfolk remain the greatest Engineers and Magicians in all of Elanterra. Their expertise is highly sought, and the Magical Academy of Carabos, which is now open to other peoples, such as myself, is the most respected center of learning on the Island. The Game goes on, as ever.

“Elanterra Journal” is a look into the People, Places, and history of the Island of Elanterra, the setting of the Freelance Hunters stories.   “Glory’s Gauntlet,” an ebook collection of four Freelance Hunters stories is available from Amazon and Smashwords.

Tactical Retreat: Smoky Writers 2014

February 1, 2014

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Last week I was invited to Pigeon Forge, TN to take part in the first annual Smoky Writers retreat. The outing was organized by Alex White, and included fellow writers/podcasters Pip Ballantine, Tee Morris, Lauren Harris, Rosemary Tizledoun, Bryan Lincoln, and Beth Hayes Bailie. It was, I’d have to say, a resounding success.

First of all, it was the longest and most remote of any retreat I’ve been on before. Driving twelve hours south to Tennessee in January isn’t exactly fun, but it gave me a great chance to clear my head and prepare for four days of uninterrupted word-grinding. And boy, did I need to step back. The day job has been a bit stressful to say the least, and trip could not have come at a better time.

Secondly, I can’t talk about the retreat without mentioning THE FOOD. Not only did I not have to worry about providing my own grub, but I don’t think I’ve eaten so well in my life. We had not one, but two gourmet chefs on hand, Alex’s wife, Renee, AKA The Domestic Scientist, and their friend Matt, who is a chef for high-ranking Army brass. From a plate of perfectly prepared pork tenderloin waiting for me when I arrived, to the flan that ended our last meal, we ate like royalty.

Thirdly, there was scheduling and accountability. Having a team of chefs gave us a regular clock to go by. We had breakfast, wrote, ate lunch wrote, and then before dinner, we shared a sample of what we had written that day. This was new to me, and it was brilliant. I don’t think anyone would have slacked off if we hadn’t shared, but I know that I worked harder for knowing that I was going to read.

It wasn’t a critique circle, but I did get an immediate reaction from other writers, and that really elevated the work I produced.

Finally, we reserved the evenings as time off for relaxing. This helped center me in addition to being a lot of fun. It might not have made a difference, but I don’t think I would have been as successful on the page if it weren’t for getting taken by cookie Matt in one hand of poker, playing an opportunistic former meth-dealer in Alex’s RP game, or spending time in the hot tub with Lauren, Rosemary, and Bryan.

Writing is, for the most part, a lonely exercise, and one that takes place mostly in our own heads. I was incredibly nervous approaching this retreat, because I was going to be working with artists that, frankly, blow me away. Tee and Pip were some of the first podcasting novelists. Bryan and Alex create absolutely breathtaking soundscapes in their productions. I didn’t know how I was going to stack up against creators like that. The Smoky Writers taught me to leave my Imposter Syndrome at the door.

At the retreat, I made about 12,000 words of progress in my Urban Fantasy novel Changeling, and completed the first draft of a short story called “Fire Bear’s Day Off.” I learned a lot about maintaining my work/writing/life balance, having the courage to share my work, and to have more confidence in my ideas, and to write to my passions.

Most importantly, I made a stack of precious memories that will last a lifetime. Thanks again to Alex, and everyone at the retreat for making it such a great experience.

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