That too, Barb. Thank you.

Java, thanks. If you do it too, it can't be all bad, right?

Laga, sorry about that. I should have given the entire context at the beginning. I think I was trying not to ripple the thread.

I think she had a story (good or not is hard to tell) and then went in and pasted things on to make it literary, or chick-lit, or maybe it was the other way around... I think I'll pass on it.

Thanks guys.

Am out of synch!

Sorry about the happy puppy wake-up call. That would have me cranky too, especially because I was up too late reading Wicked Game by Jeri Smith-Ready.

I think persisting is what she means, i.e., continuing. It's just badly written. The continuing present is hardly ever a good tense to write in. The initial participial phrase should be acting as an adjective modifying Zinny, but it's sort of an adverby thing instead. It should be something like "The hallucinations persisted when she got off the bus at Union Terminal, stiff and stick-legged, her bottom numb."

Also, the use of an ellipsis in that context is a Bad Sign.

Thanks, Ginger! I went brief. "Thank you again for your submission, unfortunately..."

I have a love/hate relationship with Google blog alerts. Every time I read submissions, it pops up with three more mentions of how I turned someone down and how that feels. Of course, it also tells me when someone finds something good we've put out, which makes me very happy.

The list of awards + tiny extra-flowery quote sounds like she's a bit of a special unique snowflake. Asking for more will only make her think you like it, but asking her to follow the guidelines may just make her realize that this whole business has something to do with communicating with other people. (Or at least, playing well with others.)

Yeah, speculative fiction is full of snowflakes.

I find the present tense awkward to read but I slip into it more often than not when I practice freewriting. I wonder why that is.

I fear that writing in general is full of snowflakes, or flakes for short.

I am trying to write about myself for my website. I would rather be boiled in oil than write about how I'm such a special snowflake that you should pay me a lot of money to do work for you.

but I slip into it more often than not when I practice freewriting. I wonder why that is.

Maybe it's how you think or how you verbally tell stories?

Yeah, speculative fiction is full of snowflakes.

This made me snort Diet Coke up my nose.

I fear that writing in general is full of snowflakes, or flakes for short.

BWAH! Hey, I resemble that remark! *g*

I find it easier to write first person than third, and I like stories written that way if they work.