… you know, this whole promotion of my writing thing.

Anywho, Defining Patterns is now officially out in the UK.  The lovely George Ivanoff, who also has a story in the anthology, tells me he’s received his contributor copy so I’m sure mine is right around the corner.

As I’ve probably mentioned in a previous LJ post, my story in Defining Patterns, “The Book of My Life”, is a fragment.  I was asked, by the wonderful Ian Farrington, to write the middle of a story, with very little hint of how the story begun.  That’s not as easy as it sounds, because the natural thing is to throw a chunk of exposition in at the beginning of the story to explain what’s going on.  What made it easier is that I was only given 2,500 words to play with.  When words are at a premium you’re forced to pare back and find the core of the story – or in this case, the scene.  My idea was a bit “first year philosophy” and has been banging around in my head for ages.  But I think it’s a pretty good piece, even if it is only a fragment.

Ian seemed to like “The Book of My Life” enough to make it the last story of the collection – which is a bit of an honour.  But it makes perfect sense when you consider how the story end.  *Cue evil laugh*.

I also feature in another Doctor short story collection coming out later this year.  Transmissions, edited by the very wise and clever Richard Salter is all about methods of communications.  The story I came up with, for this collection, is unlike anything I’ve ever written or tried before.  Richard asked for stories outside the square so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to be a pretentious wanker and break from the traditional linear narrative.  So it’s a bit crazy and strange and yet…. possibly very familiar to anyone whose ever worked in the public service.  But more about that when the book comes out.

So there, two Doctor Who short stories for the year.  They were fun to write and it’s nice to see something by me published in 2008.  But, I’ve got to stop relying on Big Finish and Doctor Who as being my only source for published work.  I gotta start looking further afield.  And that’s what I aim to do this year.