[stylist] A Haiku I Wrote This Morning

Mon Oct 24 20:56:54 UTC 2011

I forgot to give my thumbs up on Shawn's story. I loved the surprise 
ending and it was held right to the very end, very cool. And I'm not 
a big Sci Fi person but it drew me right  in. I was thinking it was 
going to be somewhat an autobiographical piece, and whoops, the guy 
lost his face.

Brad

On 10/24/2011  12:38 PM Jacqueline Williams said...
>Shawn,
>I saved this story to read it twice more. It is fascinating and the last
>line gives not only surprise, but another interpretation of science fiction
>to one who is an alien. I like the characters you describe. It most
>certainly is timely for Halloween.
>Good luck with the reading. How do you do that?
>Jackie
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>Behalf Of Jacobson, Shawn D
>Sent: Tuesday, October 18, 2011 8:01 AM
>To: Jacobson, Shawn D; 'newmanrl at cox.net'; 'Writer's Division Mailing List'
>Subject: Re: [stylist] A Haiku I Wrote This Morning
>
>Here's a little story, about 650 words, that I plan to read at the state
>convention talent show.  I trust it will fit the Halloween theme.
>
>Shawn
>
>The Fear of Rejection
>by Shawn Jacobson
>
>I looked down over the balcony railing at the hotel's swimming pool.
>Drained and deserted in the October chill, its tiled surface collected the
>light from the full moon.  The editor pulled my thoughts back to the
>business at hand.
>"You'd be surprised how many stories we reject are for very basic reasons
>obvious lapses in science, inconsistent characters, poor grammar, things
>like that.  The form rejection letter actually covers most reasons for
>rejecting a story yours included"
>I looked at the form letter for my latest story, but any of the myriad such
>letters I'd received would have done.  "I'm not sure what basic think I
>missed though.   Is it that the story has been done many times before?"
>"Well" said the editor "we do see a lot of stories about aliens in human
>form that eat people, but you had some interesting twists, the one about the
>aliens breathing fire like dragons to cook their food was a nice point.
>Even man-eating reptile-looking aliens don't want to mess with food
>poisoning.  In fact, the scene where the alien bad guy lures people out on
>the hotel balcony to be eaten was rather well done.  You do look cold, are
>you OK?"
>"Yes" I replied "just a little chilly, but the cold doesn't bother me much".
>In fact, I would rather have been in the hospitality suite where it was warm
>grazing off the snack table and doing damage to my diet, but the chance to
>talk to the famous editor about my work was just too good an opportunity to
>pass up.
>I continued looking down the bullets of the form letter by the ghostly lunar
>light.  "I know you like happy endings in the stories you publish and the
>story ends happily for the hero even if a lot of the other characters get
>lunched."
>"Nothing wrong with the ending either" the editor said "in fact a lot of the
>aliens had a happy ending to.  It was nice that you pointed that out.  Most
>authors I run into wouldn't have bothered with what happened to the aliens;
>you kind of stand out that way.  In fact, it's one reason I'm talking to you
>and not all the other folks whose stories I reject.  You'd be surprised how
>voracious a reader you have to be in my job.  You also need a cast-iron
>stomach to deal with the stories that are hard to swallow."
>"And I read that you want strong characters and extraordinary challenges; I
>thought my characters were strong and quite interesting."
>"Yes, yes," the editor continued, and the challenges were difficult to
>surmount.' Meanwhile someone in the room said "gee it's getting chilly in
>here, how about I shut the balcony door;" as the door slid shut, the raucous
>conversation from within was muted.  "As I said, the characters were great,
>delectable as a matter of fact; it's just that one basic thing that makes
>your story wrong for us."
>"What could that be?" I asked as a cloud scudded across the moon darkening
>the scene.  Across the way, another couple returned to the warmth of their
>room leaving us alone in the night.  Suddenly, the stars seemed somehow
>closer than they really were.
>"I thank there's one bullet on the letter you haven't discussed; in fact,
>it's the first bullet if I'm not mistaken."
>I looked down trying to read the letter in the uncertain light from within
>the hotel room, a light repeatedly blocked by conventioneers moving about.
>My bafflement  grew as I strove to read threw the shadows.  How could my
>story, the precious work of my imagination, have failed this test.  As I was
>about to vent my frustration, I heard a ripping sound and looked up.
>"You see" said the editor as he pealed the skin from his face "we only
>publish science fiction."
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Jacobson, Shawn D
>Sent: Monday, October 17, 2011 1:19 PM
>To: 'newmanrl at cox.net'; 'Writer's Division Mailing List'
>Subject: RE: [stylist] A Haiku I Wrote This Morning
>
>Robert
>
>Thanks for asking, but I think I need to take care of this myself.
>
>I'm getting ready to perform my treasurer duties at State convention
>(October 28th through 30th in Ocean City); I've also been asked to do a
>short reading during the Friday evening talent show/story telling contest.
>
>I took my son to the local science fiction convention over the weekend but
>had to leave early Saturday to help at the scholarship fundraiser that
>evening.  And around all that I had to work laundry, mowing the lawn etc.
>
>Anyway, I hope to get more active (with a story or two) once the smoke
>clears.
>
>Shawn
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>Behalf Of Robert Leslie Newman
>Sent: Monday, October 17, 2011 11:02 AM
>To: 'Writer's Division Mailing List'
>Subject: Re: [stylist] A Haiku I Wrote This Morning
>
>Gee, Shawn! Anything we can help with?
>
>(Good poem, I could follow it.)
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>Behalf Of Jacobson, Shawn D
>Sent: Monday, October 17, 2011 9:16 AM
>To: 'Writer's Division Mailing List'
>Subject: Re: [stylist] A Haiku I Wrote This Morning
>
>And here's a haiku that kind-of explains my absence from the list of late.
>
>Mighty flood of life
>That sweeps me to the future
>In vain I struggle.
>
>Shawn
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>Behalf Of Homme, James
>Sent: Friday, October 14, 2011 4:03 PM
>To: Homme, James
>Subject: [stylist] A Haiku I Wrote This Morning
>
>Harvest
>
>How many layers
>in my onion? pealing prompts
>pain, pleasure, my core.
>
>Jim
>
>Jim Homme,
>Usability Services,
>Phone: 412-544-1810.
>
>
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Brad Dunse

"Music is the only language in which you cannot say a mean or 
sarcastic thing." --Unknown

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