So I have succumbed to the procrastination beast yet again and taught myself how to crochet. Well, to be accurate, technically I already knew how to crochet, but my foray into the craft was so long ago, and my knowledge so rudimentary, that I don’t think it counts. (I learned the basic single crochet stitch and that’s all.) I made a fairly large swath of knotted-together yarn in ages past and then promptly set the unfinished effort aside. In rummaging around my (dusty and disused) sewing cabinet to make my wing warmers, I found my abandoned first crochet project, the yarn I’d purchased for it, and my crochet hooks. After my satisfaction with the socks-turned-into-warmers experience, I lugged the neglected swath out. Using this and this site as refresher course and instructor, I taught myself some more stitches and finished the thing:
Basic in design and with amateurish unevenness throughout, but it is my first completed “from scratch” yarn venture.
I am too easily sidetracked from writing. I need my laptop back so I can sequester myself away in the library where there are fewer distractions. But on an up note, I now have a warm afghan thingy to drape over my lap when I do return to my writing base.
Writing Stuff
Received:
– 83-day rejection . . . I think, from TQR. I took it as an oblique rejection when my story didn’t make it into their newly published issue and requested they re-send the original rejection on their forum as I hadn’t received it. A short while later I got the communiqué confirming the pass, although their email sort of implies that they want me to do another rewrite on it:
“Although I can’t take the time to detail these issues in this email, I will certainly do so in the near future if you permit me. Given the proper attention, I believe that your story could find its way onto our pages in the near future.”
Erm. So yeah, I’ve sent an email back asking for a clarification on that.
That is a lovely first crochet project. You should’ve seen the horible twisted mess I made when I first returned to crocheting after a long absence.
That is a lovely first crochet project. You should’ve seen the horible twisted mess I made when I first returned to crocheting after a long absence.
Thanks! To tell you the truth, there was a lot of ripping out and re-doing before I got something I was reasonably satisfied with. At least it’s a lot easier to tear out crochet stitches than sewing ones. I was tempted to let Hobkin have a go at the de-crocheting parts, but saner thoughts overrode the impulse.
Thanks! To tell you the truth, there was a lot of ripping out and re-doing before I got something I was reasonably satisfied with. At least it’s a lot easier to tear out crochet stitches than sewing ones. I was tempted to let Hobkin have a go at the de-crocheting parts, but saner thoughts overrode the impulse.
Writing one
I just didn’t bother. TQR sent me a similar email and I just assumed it was a form letter rejection and didn’t much care either way.
Writing one
I just didn’t bother. TQR sent me a similar email and I just assumed it was a form letter rejection and didn’t much care either way.
Re: Writing one
Yepper. I’ve decided to go ahead and send that story to another market.
Re: Writing one
Yepper. I’ve decided to go ahead and send that story to another market.
Re: Writing one
Granted the “here’s what worked and what didn’t work” rejection letter is always nice.
Re: Writing one
Granted the “here’s what worked and what didn’t work” rejection letter is always nice.
TQR??
what market is that?
TQR??
what market is that?
TQR seems to be a new webzine. They use business jargon to refer to themselves, in their writers guidelines, etc., which I guess is their gimmick. Haven’t had a chance to peruse their first issue yet to see what I think of their editorial tastes. Initially I was put off by the jargon, but after putting my business-speak hat on and interpreting their guidelines with it, I found it more amusing than irritating.
TQR seems to be a new webzine. They use business jargon to refer to themselves, in their writers guidelines, etc., which I guess is their gimmick. Haven’t had a chance to peruse their first issue yet to see what I think of their editorial tastes. Initially I was put off by the jargon, but after putting my business-speak hat on and interpreting their guidelines with it, I found it more amusing than irritating.
i checked out tqr’s website. maybe it’s me but they sort of seemed a little on the pretentious side.
i checked out tqr’s website. maybe it’s me but they sort of seemed a little on the pretentious side.
That was my initial impression when I first checked them out too. I think the corporate jargon is their attempt at being humorous. Business speak is, by its nature, ostentatious and pompous, so I’m trying to give them the benefit of the doubt. Their correspondences with me have been cordial, although it has taken me a bit longer trying to decipher out the meaning of their emails, as the jargon isn’t exactly user friendly (even to someone who spent over a decade working for a high flutin’ mega business corporation).
That was my initial impression when I first checked them out too. I think the corporate jargon is their attempt at being humorous. Business speak is, by its nature, ostentatious and pompous, so I’m trying to give them the benefit of the doubt. Their correspondences with me have been cordial, although it has taken me a bit longer trying to decipher out the meaning of their emails, as the jargon isn’t exactly user friendly (even to someone who spent over a decade working for a high flutin’ mega business corporation).
I’ve always thought that TQR was weird. There’s a funny attitude that comes across in their guidelines. I also like to play the game “Find the stories!” with websites like theirs. IMO, if you can’t find the stories on a fiction site within 5 seconds (not counting load time), the site is not designed well enough. On TQR‘s site, I think it took me several minutes to find the stories.
I’ve always thought that TQR was weird. There’s a funny attitude that comes across in their guidelines. I also like to play the game “Find the stories!” with websites like theirs. IMO, if you can’t find the stories on a fiction site within 5 seconds (not counting load time), the site is not designed well enough. On TQR‘s site, I think it took me several minutes to find the stories.
I agree. If they’re going to use jargon, I wish they’d put the non-jargon translation beside their navigation links. Their fiction offerings are on their front page, but calling them “Capital Gains” is not exactly intuitive.
I agree. If they’re going to use jargon, I wish they’d put the non-jargon translation beside their navigation links. Their fiction offerings are on their front page, but calling them “Capital Gains” is not exactly intuitive.
Exactly.
I haven’t done much independent investing; I don’t think I have an aptitude for it. All that Wall Street talk bores me to tears. In fact, I have a short attention span regarding anything related to economics (beyond my own paycheck and tax bill).
Which is why, I think, I still find TQR‘s gimmick annoying rather than amusing.
Exactly.
I haven’t done much independent investing; I don’t think I have an aptitude for it. All that Wall Street talk bores me to tears. In fact, I have a short attention span regarding anything related to economics (beyond my own paycheck and tax bill).
Which is why, I think, I still find TQR‘s gimmick annoying rather than amusing.
I just read TQR’s guidelines. LMAO!!
Those guys are a laugh riot!
Unfortunately, the stories they print seem to drone on and on. Or at least appeared that way when I saw the story had 53 pages. Really, really short pages, but still.
Forcing Capital Gains via shotgun, indeed! LMAO!!!
Sigh. Too bad most most readers at their site will only stumble on the fiction accidentally since they probably won’t think to click the Capital Gains link. I know I wouldn’t have at first.
I just read TQR’s guidelines. LMAO!!
Those guys are a laugh riot!
Unfortunately, the stories they print seem to drone on and on. Or at least appeared that way when I saw the story had 53 pages. Really, really short pages, but still.
Forcing Capital Gains via shotgun, indeed! LMAO!!!
Sigh. Too bad most most readers at their site will only stumble on the fiction accidentally since they probably won’t think to click the Capital Gains link. I know I wouldn’t have at first.
I noticed, with more than a little stunned blinking, the astonishingly high page count of their “capital gains” too. That, paired with the teeny font they’ve used is not making me eager to read their offerings. Too bad. I’ve been wanting to check out Jetse De Vries’s work for a while now.
Well, maybe they’ll take on a web developer with a better eye towards usability.
I noticed, with more than a little stunned blinking, the astonishingly high page count of their “capital gains” too. That, paired with the teeny font they’ve used is not making me eager to read their offerings. Too bad. I’ve been wanting to check out Jetse De Vries’s work for a while now.
Well, maybe they’ll take on a web developer with a better eye towards usability.
tqr
yeppers, hiya eugie. we have fixed our current capital gains locationing problem, me thinks. check it out and drop a post in the “queen’s rump” (public forum) telling us what you think. — boligard doomey
Re: tqr
Oh, I am so glad that I found this thread as we at TQR so welcome such detailed response, good and not so, to our site.
I can assure you all that we are anything but a stuffy bunch of pods looking to denigrate writers with pompous shout, incoherent jargon, and condescending commentary.
We are new, ’tis true, and evolving as we develop. Come back and make your comments known in the Queen’s Rump. Help us develop a unique concept not into an obscure insider club but an interactive, entertaining, and seriously writer-friendly e-zine.
Thanks.
Gabrielle DePlancher
TQR
Wow, it’s huge! I have my defaults set to not accept images from non-local servers, so I read your post first without seeing the “rectangle.” I was expecting something handkerchief-sized, not small-country-sized! Nice work!
Wow, it’s huge! I have my defaults set to not accept images from non-local servers, so I read your post first without seeing the “rectangle.” I was expecting something handkerchief-sized, not small-country-sized! Nice work!
Thanks so much! But in the interest of full disclosure, a very large portion of that small-country-sized rectangle was done years ago. I only added on another skein+ of yarn, and then did the border/edging to finish it.
Thanks so much! But in the interest of full disclosure, a very large portion of that small-country-sized rectangle was done years ago. I only added on another skein+ of yarn, and then did the border/edging to finish it.
lol
Gotta love that editorial attitude.
“Fix this!”
“Um, okay. How should I…?”
“What, do I have to do everything?! Just fix it!”
lol
Gotta love that editorial attitude.
“Fix this!”
“Um, okay. How should I…?”
“What, do I have to do everything?! Just fix it!”
And I still haven’t heard back from them whether it’s a rewrite request or not. Oh, well. I sent that story to its next market regardless.
And I still haven’t heard back from them whether it’s a rewrite request or not. Oh, well. I sent that story to its next market regardless.
The afghan looks great. Years ago, I had crocheted my husband an afghan and was a tad bit disappointed with how it turned out — it had flaws and I knew it. His great-grandmother crocheted the most amazing afghans and sweaters and other things. Just incredible, really. He took me through some of the things he had she’d made and showed me the imperfections that only became apparent if one tried to fold the items just so. He told me the imperfections didn’t make the items less beautiful — it made them more beautiful because it was obvious that they had been made by her hands.
So, there you go. Good luck with the crocheting, the subbing of your story to another market and the quest for the laptop.
The afghan looks great. Years ago, I had crocheted my husband an afghan and was a tad bit disappointed with how it turned out — it had flaws and I knew it. His great-grandmother crocheted the most amazing afghans and sweaters and other things. Just incredible, really. He took me through some of the things he had she’d made and showed me the imperfections that only became apparent if one tried to fold the items just so. He told me the imperfections didn’t make the items less beautiful — it made them more beautiful because it was obvious that they had been made by her hands.
So, there you go. Good luck with the crocheting, the subbing of your story to another market and the quest for the laptop.
That’s a lovely perspective on the nature of handmade goods, one I shall cling to whenever I’m dwelling on the uneven borders and awkward yarn transitions of my afghan.
That’s a lovely perspective on the nature of handmade goods, one I shall cling to whenever I’m dwelling on the uneven borders and awkward yarn transitions of my afghan.
Afghan looks lovely. Maybe you just need some warmy fuzzies to get back to work. The editing of the first pass story seems to me to be a good, and potentially very productive, reintro into the writing habit from wherever in your home you choose to drag the afghan and wing cozies. wrote that her muse has also taken off. Maybe there was a convention and we weren’t on the mailing list?
On the muse front,
Afghan looks lovely. Maybe you just need some warmy fuzzies to get back to work. The editing of the first pass story seems to me to be a good, and potentially very productive, reintro into the writing habit from wherever in your home you choose to drag the afghan and wing cozies. wrote that her muse has also taken off. Maybe there was a convention and we weren’t on the mailing list?
On the muse front,
It would figure that the flighty muse trollops would be out getting drunk at hotel bars while we’re casting about, wondering where they are. As soon as I see a toe or fingernail of mine again, I’m shackling her to my desk.
It would figure that the flighty muse trollops would be out getting drunk at hotel bars while we’re casting about, wondering where they are. As soon as I see a toe or fingernail of mine again, I’m shackling her to my desk.
Oops. My “Muse Attractor” spell must have gone awry. I’ll send them all back as soon as I can reverse the spell, but it’s a little hard to concentrate what with them petting and fawning all over me.
Oops. My “Muse Attractor” spell must have gone awry. I’ll send them all back as soon as I can reverse the spell, but it’s a little hard to concentrate what with them petting and fawning all over me.