The End... Plus a dollop of And that was August...

Okay time for my usual 'what I did last month' post - including 16 of my 17 days holiday from work which I devoted to writing short stories. Sad, I know.

1. Finished the first draft of 'The Poisoned Apple 2" (still untitled) - of which 14,796 words were completed this month.

2. Restarted my 'Matchsticks' novel, gave it a new title (which I'm keeping under wraps for the moment. As I'm writing it out longhand I can only say how many A4 pages I've filled - 63 so far.

3. Four Flash Stories

The Coffee Fairy - Wrote this one for the Weird Tales Spam contest - it didn't win. It needs to be longer, requires a better ending, and I will fix it eventually.
Curious Robot - Sent to The Morrigan ezine - hold notice
Nobody Smiling - Entered into the Apex Election Horror Contest (cool theme).
The Restoration of Purple Curtains & Other Things - Accepted by Northern Haunts. Just made it under the wire before submissions closed. Phew!

4. Six and a bit Short Stories

A Strange Artificial Light - my attempt at something for 'The Book of Tentacles' anthology. Rejected, slight rewrite, and now subbed to Hub.
Ugly Duckling - subbed to Cinema Spec - hold notice.
Hand Scratched Note - originally written for the Potter's Field 3 anthology. When it was rejected I chopped 500 words (which had been necessary for the antho's word count requirement), tightened it up and sent it off to Postscripts. You know the rest. (If you don't read a few posts down).
Uncle Eric's Leather Bound Tale - Written for the Dark Jesters anthology, rejected, and now with Arkham Tales who have requested a rewrite (chewing fingernails as we speak - I know I said I had none left but I lied).
Trench Foot - out with Clockwork Phoenix 2.
Lazarus Jones' Creepy Carnival of Corpses - out with Potter's Field 3.
Cyclone of Painted Shells (title subject to change) - WIP - for the Catastrophia anthology. Currently 2361 words.

5. Plus a bit of fun to tie off the month - one tiny competiton entry of 74 words (it had to be between 25-75 words).

Add another one to the list...

Apex Digest have announced the below Halloween Contest.

This year’s theme is: ELECTION HORROR

Guidelines:Your story must incorporate the theme of ELECTION HORROR.
Word count maximum is 1,000.
Your story must have first rights available.
Submit your story to halloween@apexdigest.com.
Submissions are open NOW.
Deadline is 11:59 PM, October 15th, EST.

This year’s celebrity judge is noted SF author Jay Lake!

Winner receives payment of 10 cents per word and publication in Apex Digest Online.
Second place receives payment of 5 cents per word and publication in Apex Digest Online.
Third place receives a free Apex Book Company hardcover.
Fourth place receives a free Apex Book Company trade paperback.
Winning and second place story will be published on November 4th (election day).
Good luck and have fun writing some election horror!