They say you never see the one that kills you. But they might have been referring to weapons fire in an open battlefield, not a plasma charge on a crowded lunar tube.
He sits facing me, and the way he's looking me right in the eye, I have a feeling this will be the end. With the close proximity, I'll see his green hand reach for it, concealed beneath his double-breasted, razor-sharp pressed suit.
These aliens and their penchant for outdated human fashions.
You can read the rest of it here, if you're so inclined. This is my first pro-paying sale to the SFWA-qualifying Daily Science Fiction, and to say I am beyond stoked would be an understatement. Back in July, I blogged about how this story was based on real-life events, and in the email sent out to DSF subscribers along with my story, the editors had this to say:
"As many have noted, Science Fiction is often more about our current reality than "realistic" fiction can ever hope to be. This story, in particular, fits that mold." —Michele and Jonathan
I am honored to have this tale appear at Daily Science Fiction, and I hope to place another submission with them as soon as possible.
"Tomorrow's Dawn" was my Write1Sub1 for Week#21, which begs the question: Would I ever have submitted this story to DSF if it wasn't for W1S1? Probably not.
W1S1 has forced me to write a new story every week, stories about characters I've never "met" before, if you know what I mean. Sure, I've written more than a few about Mercer the soul smuggler, Captain Quasar's misadventures, and Coyote Cal and Big Yap; but I've also explored new worlds that warrant further discovery.
Visit us at Write1Sub1, and see where this challenge takes YOU.
28 comments:
Congratulations, Milo! I've no doubt it's the first of many.
Really great story, Milo. 7 out of 7 rocket dragons from me. And congrats on the pro sale, very cool!
Oh wow. You're having a great year.
Milo- I loved your short, loved the suspense of being inside the main character's head the entire time. Your story does, indeed, illustrate the human condition as it is today. Scary to think that some day we'll be colonizing distant stars and--not having learned from History (as often seems the case) doing the same thing we did to others, such as the American Indians.
Congratulations--well deserved! :)
Milo, that's awesome. Most successful writer I know.
7/7 rocket dragons for that man.
That's a seriously great story, Milo.
Rocket Dragons? Of course :D
Steve: I surely hope so; but for now, this is a pretty good feeling.
Tony: Thanks for reading -- and rating!
Martin: I'm pretty sure I owe it all to Write1Sub1's weekly kick in the behind.
Jayne: What is it again that we learn from history? Thanks for reading!
Alex: Thoreau once said, "The secret of achievement is to hold a picture of a successful outcome in the mind" -- and I'd have to add "No matter how many rejection letters you receive in a week!"
Deborah + Lydia: Thank you both for reading and rating!
Now that IS awesome.
Could have sworn I left a message before...
Anyway, GREAT story! 7/7 rocket dragons!
Congratulations! I subscribe to Daily SF, and I enjoyed your story.
More inspiration to join W1/S1 - thanks!
Fantastic, Milo!
David: I think so too, but I'm probably biased.
Joe: Thanks for reading and rating!
Jennifer: Thanks for reading; climb aboard the W1S1 train anytime.
Stephanie: Gracias.
Milo, A slightly belated response, sorry - but fantastic stuff. Really well done.
That was an excellent story, Milo. And I loved the Author's Comment at the end. Congratulations! :)
Simon + Madeline: Thank you both!
I remember reading that blog from July. Did they (the DSF editors) ever tell you when the piece would be published?
How soon before publishing your story did they send you the sample email?
Ah! I forgot to mention that I loved the story. Awesome work, Milo.
Thanks for reading, Joel! No, they didn't give me a publication date, but it went out to subscribers four months after they accepted it. I religiously checked the TOC they post on their site every month until I found it. They sent me a "proof" about a week before the subscribers received it in their inboxes, two weeks before it went live on their site.
Great story! It really does make you think about the consequences of society's actions against others, and how it's the individual citizens that have to pay the price.
Thanks for reading; you're right about that.
Just got done reading it. Awesome! Cool how you got to add some of your notes.
I always appreciate the opportunity to share where a story comes from -- this one, in particular.
Congratulations, Milo, both on the story itself (fantastic!) and on the first sale to DailySF--it's an A+ market.
I'll bet you are stoked, Milo! That's awesome news. Sadly, October was the first month in 6 that I missed submitting something. Still, W1S1 has been a big help to me. One of these days, I might find the time to tackle W1S1 weekly :-)
I encourage other to check it out too!
Shane: Thanks for reading!
Lisa: Thanks for getting the word out. Next year, I'll be dropping from weekly to monthly; the weekly challenge has been a real stretch at times. But having 52 new stories at the end of the year that I'm proud of? Priceless.
Congrats. SWFA!
1/3 of the way to membership!
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