Strange Horizons, At Last! Plus the Philippines Graphic

*cartwheels*

*roundhouse kicks*
*jumping jacks*

Who cares if that wound on my shin is gonna scar like hell (though let's hope it doesn't. I still want to wear my dresses). Last week was a hell of a bad week for me, but maybe bad luck fuels creativity?

Just too excited right now. I've been wanting, or more of dreaming to be a part of one of my favorite speculative fiction sources ever, Strange Horizons. (Town's End by Yukimi Ogawa is a recent fave. Go read it's not that long). About two years back, I read about how a Pinoy, Dean Alfar, got in there. I was so envious given that the speculative writing genre isn't so in among the Filipino writing community. It has been heavily criticized, the point of many writers being that genre writers are not literary enough, relying on plot devices to make stories stimulating and exciting. Another point is that it is redundant, as fiction in itself is supposed to be speculation/speculative.

Yet I beg to disagree. I've enjoyed speculative fiction since I was a child, and I may not be a lit major, but I can tell the difference between the so-called literary works and the specfic I enjoy. Literary works have this trend of being so heavy with symbolism that there is almost NO story in the story. There is also a trend to use the first person narrator, which is not bad in itself, but the stories have, for some reason, begun to sound alike, as though just one person wrote them. Heavy on inward thinking, and the character's preoccupation with how he/she feels, it gets tiring after a while. The stories smell great, but give me something to eat.

I tried getting into Strange Horizons via fiction first. Fiction is my first love, but maybe it doesn't love me back. So I combined my specfic writing skillz with my poetry, and voila, I've found something I love even more, and it actually looks like it loves me back! @_@

Ms. Adrienne Odasso, Poetry Co-editor of SH got in touch this morning as a poem of mine got in at last! *tears of joy.* Maybe I'll frame the letter? Or is that weird? Hahaha

Dear Anne:

We are pleased to inform you that your poem titled "Rehearsal for When He Wakes" has been selected for publication in Strange Horizons. [cut short by me]

I will be in contact with you shortly about minor edits to the poem (mostly punctuation, etc.)

Regards,

Adrienne Odasso
Poetry Co-Editor

This week is too good to be true! I mean... I should probably see a priest / medicine man to protect me from bad luck because I don't want to pay with another big wound. Please please please.

Earlier this week, Ms. Alma Anonas-Carpio, Literary Editor of the Philippines Graphic magazine also got in touch with an acceptance. (I'd have blogged sooner if my work weren't so darned heavy with an exciting new mobile app):

Hi Anne!

I am pleased to inform you that we are taking all your poems. However, because we need to give way to other authors, I am calendaring your poems to appear pair by pair three months apart, so you have work coming out in the next issue, then in September and December. 

I hope this is okay with you.

Alma Anonas-Carpio

Literary Editor

Philippines Graphic magazine

So that's June, September, and December 2013, where any of the following poems will appear:

• Things We Tell Ourselves After Elections
• No One Wants a Girl with Brains
• An Appetite for Words 
• Salt
• A Study of Swarm Intelligence

So I just have to control the happiness now because it might make me go pack up like a bear and hibernate. No, these aren't reason to take a break. These are reasons for me to push on harder and write better. One thing I've learned, the more hard work you put in, the better the work that comes out. Some people rely on being inspired to write, but I just go out and look for the inspiration. I'm fortunate to find them everywhere I look.

Thank you Strange Horizons and the Philippines Graphic Magazine for making my year.

Now, to do some Muay Thai...