A 2nd Me
December 8, 1998
5:07 a.m.
57 Day Rejection from Analog   RETROACTIVE FUN: Through the referrer logs I've discovered that PERSISTENCE was the  for October 16, 1997. That was also the day the site was CoolCentral's Site of the Day. Gee, who'd a thunk it. Picture me looking around dumbfounded and finding no one there. "Psssst," again. I peer incredulously into the dark shadows. "Can we use your name on our flyer?" My brow creases and I look perplexed. "Who, me?" I say. "Yeah, you . . . Bradbury couldn't make it, so we were wondering . . . " I'm going into Brigid's school this morning to give the kids a talk about how to become a published writer. I plan to break it into a couple sections, show them a manuscript, a cover letter, a rejection, a contract, marked-up galley proofs, and finally, the end product. Sounds like it should be a great time. Can't think of a better way to avoid working, can you? This is the part of being a writer I'm not sure how to handle sometimes--I didn't get into it so that people would recognize me, and of course, generally they don't--but people talk to me more often about my stuff these days, and I'v been asked for an interiew or two, I did a video interview with the WotF folks, and conventions are actively asking me if they can use my name. Who, me? It feels strange. I certainly don't mind the attention, you know? Heck, I keep a Web presence for something, don't I? I just never really thought much about this aspect of it when I started. Charles Eckert (another Columbus-based SF writer with a wonderful story titled "To Fast in Fires" in the latest Weird Tales) and I have talked a little about this. People act diffrently when they are "in public" than other times. Specifically we were talking about politicians, but I think it applies to anyone in the public light. When someone mentions I'm a writer, I feel a different personality come over me. I can't really describe it well. I detach a little. As much as I try to stay the same old Ron, I'm suddenly representing my work. The change is really odd. I mean really odd. I didn't even recognize it until Charles and I spoke of it. It's not a bad feeling. In fact, I kind of like it. But it's just different than I'm used to feeling. Does that make sense? "Go away," I say. It's early in the morning. Page 12 glows from my screen. "Who me?" "Yeah, you, the odd little feeling behind the monitor." The monitor flickers oddly. "Go away and let me finish this story."  Daily Persistence is © Ron Collins |
|
BACK TO 
|