Yes, I write horror. And, yes, my characters are no different than those of writers who create characters defined by masculine traits who tend to fall in love with a feminine counterpart. My characters are simply (predominantly) men who fall in love with and have an attraction toward other men. It doesn't necessarily mean that any heterosexual guys should cringe. After all, if you've read any Christopher Rice or Clive Barker novels, you should be safe. Considering that their characters are just as "gay" as mine, doesn't necessarily mean that male readers of such works are gay themselves. Come on, this is the 21st century, and I tend to think that we are in an age of acceptance. Gay characters in literature are no more awkward than the fictitious five-horned beasts awaiting to rape a young virgin.
Needless to say, my short story (Joseph's Request) has been released upon the world of fiction. I completed the final edits on Saturday and submitted it to Cleis Press' Best Gay Erotica 2009 today. That being said, I tend to think of Joseph's Request as every male's fantasy. The thought of being able to come back from death and still enjoy the everlasting bliss of unending sex exactly fits into that category. And, although there are many sexual scenes in the story, I maintain the moral of 'what is lost can never be forgotten.' Female readers will surely discover that male animal magnetism is synonymous and may be no different from similar emotional attraction felt by a woman.
Therefore, I give up my ghost! Well, my ghost story that is. I throw it to the world of literary acceptance and hope that it finds a home. After all, it is he who shall reside in the crux of the story, my ghost.
As always, I will keep you all updated on the fate of this story via this blog and/or my official website (www.andrewwolter.com).
As a writer, it is sometimes difficult to place the destiny of a written work into the hands of a publication. On one hand, there is the excitement that comes with the waiting period of the publication's decision to publish the work. When submitting a story (or novel for that matter) it is customary for the writer to adhere to the publication's guidelines. Those guidelines include the response time it will take for the publication to render its decision of the story. Whether its the author's first time submitting to a publication or their fiftieth story they have submitted to a publication, I have to believe that there is always that brimming anticipation of checking one's email or mailbox for that letter fateful of acceptance. On the other hand, there is also a fear that that accompanies such high hopes. Some call it "fear of failure/rejection" and others deem it "lack of confidence." I recognize it as a subconscious entity that I relate to as my "writer's beast." What it boils down to is that most artists--whether they be writers, sculptors, or vocalists--are their own worst critic; therefore, it is common to experience such self-doubt when submitting their art for examination.
On that note, I finished editing my story, Puppeteer, this afternoon, prepared that all important query letter (that should accompany any story) and have submitted it for possible publication. The waiting game ensues.
In Puppeteer (as with many of my latest writings), I wanted to create a blend of realism and the dark fantastic to the final product. Therefore, to achieve a modern reality that could segue into a world of horror, I began brainstorming the concept of true evil. Of course, the first thing I thought of was how Man himself is his own worst enemy. Not to mention, Man is quite possibly the most evil being inhabiting the Earth. This is due to Man's ability to express emotion. Think of it...Man has the ability to affect others with his emotions of sadness, happiness, jealousy, fear, control...ahem...CONTROL. We have a winner!
Control was the key premise to the creation of Puppeteer (does the title make sense now?). Soon, using the power of a writer's best friend--brainstorming--I began thinking of a realistic scenario of control. The idea of control in a relationship immediately came to mind. I can't even count, on two hands, the number of people I have met in my life who have suffered the spiteful wrath of a domineering boyfriend (or girlfriend) while in a relationship. Just think...how far would one go to control his or her better half? To what extent would he or she profess his love to MAKE the other KNOW that he or she loved him? For better, for worse. How much worse? Where is the imaginary line that draws the boundary of going too far in the name of love? What's more, can the control of a person's love be so great that extends into the afterlife?
With all these thoughts at hand, it became easy to understand who the adversary of my story was and who the victim. It was plain to associate the act of control with that of a monster reminiscent of legend. Hence, Puppeteer was born.
I could go on and on, but I don't want to spoil the story. I need my readers to be able to enjoy the end product! However, it's funny to think of how much thought goes into a plot when the story itself is short. After all, Puppeteer is approximately 1500 words in length. Still, it make a statement and punches the reader into a reality turned maddening.
Of course, I will keep you all updated on possible publication of Puppeteer. Simply tune in to my future blogs. Until then, remember that control begins and ends with you.
Bummer!
I have one slight problem with this: if a major player such as Amazon was closed to submissions for their line of Amazon Shorts, why didn't they just state that they were closed to submissions from the beginning instead of sending their submission guidelines when recently queried? Nonetheless, I am still a fan of Amazon Shorts and the authors whose works are available. I simply feel that I got the short end of the stick.
Hence, I have the short story back in my hands (so to speak). There are two other publications with guidelines that are suitable for my story "Jailed." Today, I submitted the manuscript to Apex Digest. While Apex Digest predominantly deals with science fiction, they are also open to dark fantasy and horror. Turn around time for a response from the publication generally ranges from three to four weeks.
If all else fails, I will plan to use "Jailed" as a piece in the short story collection I'm currently working on.
I'll keep you all updated with the status of the story.
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andrew_wolter- Andrew Wolter
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