Good news. Cygnus is now officially listed on Duotrope's Digest, which is a serious place for serious authors to look up serious publication markets. This is a very big step for the journal, and I have already received more submissions than in the last two weeks combined.
Also, the website has officially changed to simply cygnusjournal.com. It feels much more official without the Wordpress tag, doesn't it?
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Friday, June 10, 2011
Awk Word of the Day: Umbra
Today's word of the day is . . .
um·bra /ˈəmbrə/ n.
A dark area, especially the blackest part of a shadow from which all light is cut off.
This means umbrella has the Latin root of "shadow." Equally interesting is the idea that umbrage has similar roots. While umbrage generally means "displeasure or resentment," it can also mean the foliage of trees, which provides shade.
Just to spite the word, I've decided to use an umbrella in the pitch of night. I'm sure umbra will take umbrage to that.
um·bra /ˈəmbrə/ n.
A dark area, especially the blackest part of a shadow from which all light is cut off.
This means umbrella has the Latin root of "shadow." Equally interesting is the idea that umbrage has similar roots. While umbrage generally means "displeasure or resentment," it can also mean the foliage of trees, which provides shade.
Just to spite the word, I've decided to use an umbrella in the pitch of night. I'm sure umbra will take umbrage to that.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Genesis
Starting a journal is not easy work. Of course, I didn't expect it to be easy, and I'm willing to work. I've been enjoying it so far, putting everything together. Lucubrate, today's word of the day, is completely fitting.
The hard part is getting submissions. At first, I was worried I wouldn't get any art for this first issue. However, at this point the ratio of art submitted to short stories is 2 to 1--I won't count the "art" which Enzo sent me (see below). He used a secret e-mail, but I utilized my Sherlockian deduction powers to discover the culprit.
Worries at this point: That I won't receive enough writing submissions.
Submit!
This is me!
The hard part is getting submissions. At first, I was worried I wouldn't get any art for this first issue. However, at this point the ratio of art submitted to short stories is 2 to 1--I won't count the "art" which Enzo sent me (see below). He used a secret e-mail, but I utilized my Sherlockian deduction powers to discover the culprit.
Worries at this point: That I won't receive enough writing submissions.
Submit!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Welcome!
Greetings! This is my new and improved personal blog, where I'll tell editing stories, talk about interesting words or ideas, and post the occasional bit of nonsense. I haven't done anything like this since Captain's (B)Log--May (s)he rest in pieces. Likewise, I love my beard blog, but I haven't updated it in a while. I've been busy writing and brainstorming.
Since school ended I've begun work on my first novel--real work. And it's tough. If you know me at all, you know the inception, brainstorming phase of an idea is my favorite part. Sitting down and writing and enduring scares me. I'm really excited about this idea; however, I needed a little break, so it's going to sit in my brain for a little bit. A better idea came along.
I've been mulling over the idea of starting my own speculative fiction journal for a little while now. I'm doing it! The last few days I've been hard at work, being productive, setting everything up. I've worked on a fiction journal before (Warp & Weave) but I wanted to do my own thing, I wanted to be in charge. Valerie, who also has some editing experience, is going to be helping out. Eventually I'll need more editors, but for now it's fun to be all in the family. I really feel like I need more editing experience, as just a degree out of college won't get me very far. I love writing and storytelling, but I'm also a huge grammar nerd, and the thought of helping other writers by publishing them is too enticing to pass by.
First, I knew I needed a good name for the journal. It needed to be simple, somewhat vague, yet encompass the large umbrella that is speculative fiction. I had a few name ideas that I liked, but only one really fit.
Cygnus is the Constellation of the Swan in the northern sky; it is also has a rich history in Greek myth, as several characters were transformed into swans (Cygnus is actually derived from Latin and Greek, meaning "swan"). In Ovid's Metamorphoses, three separate characters named Cygnus are transformed into the bird. The name Cygnus reconciles the polar nature of science fiction and fantasy. The duality of Cygnus--a spatially distant constellation with connections to science, and a bridge to an archaic mythology--represents everything our journal is striving for.
I'm an escapist, through and through. Everything I do for entertainment, and now for "work," deals with leaving behind this world and falling into others. I cannot help feeling like Cygnus, constantly diving after a drowning Phaeton, only to fail without the help of transformation, escape. We represent the fiction of Stars and Earth. I'm excited for this chapter, but we need all the help we can get. Please submit, my creative friends!
For all the info, visit Cygnus.
Since school ended I've begun work on my first novel--real work. And it's tough. If you know me at all, you know the inception, brainstorming phase of an idea is my favorite part. Sitting down and writing and enduring scares me. I'm really excited about this idea; however, I needed a little break, so it's going to sit in my brain for a little bit. A better idea came along.
I've been mulling over the idea of starting my own speculative fiction journal for a little while now. I'm doing it! The last few days I've been hard at work, being productive, setting everything up. I've worked on a fiction journal before (Warp & Weave) but I wanted to do my own thing, I wanted to be in charge. Valerie, who also has some editing experience, is going to be helping out. Eventually I'll need more editors, but for now it's fun to be all in the family. I really feel like I need more editing experience, as just a degree out of college won't get me very far. I love writing and storytelling, but I'm also a huge grammar nerd, and the thought of helping other writers by publishing them is too enticing to pass by.
First, I knew I needed a good name for the journal. It needed to be simple, somewhat vague, yet encompass the large umbrella that is speculative fiction. I had a few name ideas that I liked, but only one really fit.
Cygnus is the Constellation of the Swan in the northern sky; it is also has a rich history in Greek myth, as several characters were transformed into swans (Cygnus is actually derived from Latin and Greek, meaning "swan"). In Ovid's Metamorphoses, three separate characters named Cygnus are transformed into the bird. The name Cygnus reconciles the polar nature of science fiction and fantasy. The duality of Cygnus--a spatially distant constellation with connections to science, and a bridge to an archaic mythology--represents everything our journal is striving for.
I'm an escapist, through and through. Everything I do for entertainment, and now for "work," deals with leaving behind this world and falling into others. I cannot help feeling like Cygnus, constantly diving after a drowning Phaeton, only to fail without the help of transformation, escape. We represent the fiction of Stars and Earth. I'm excited for this chapter, but we need all the help we can get. Please submit, my creative friends!
For all the info, visit Cygnus.
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