| mark tomlinson online | https://marktomlinson.online/ |
Well, the 4th Quarter Writer's of the Future results are in, and my story Legacy has received a Silver Honorable Mention. Most people never get an Honorable Mention, so I should be proud. But, I've never been able to crack into Finalist, so I'm wondering if there are improvements I can make. Or, equally likely, these small stories about humanity and love don't resonate with the judges. Most likely, it's a little bit of all of the above.
I reworked a previous Honorable Mention story, Empathetic Response, and frankly thought I elevated it a few notches. But, apparently, not enough notches to bring it to Silver Honorable Mention or Finalist. Still, two H.M.s ain't bad.
What do you think? Major Award winner or Valiant Effort?
https://www.marktomlinson.online/sci-fi/emaa/empathetic-response/
Fox anchor Bret Baier did something unexpected on Monday night: He eviscerated Donald Trump. In a wide-ranging first part of a two-part interview, Baier surprised critics by actually asking hard-hitting questions of the former president, which Trump then stumbled over badly. In response, Trump produced word salads, non sequiturs, deflections, and, importantly, some key admissions that could expose him further in his federal criminal case, now pending in the Southern District of Florida.
In some ways it was bound to happen. For months the public focus has been on Justice Clarence Thomas. Per excellent reporting by ProPublica, Thomas had secretly accepted myriad unreported gifts from billionaire-with-an-archvillain’s-name Harlan Crow: lavish private flights, luxury trips, years of private tuition for a family member, and money for the sale and renovation of his mother’s home (where she still lives rent free). With all that rotting out in the open, it was naturally time to look at the records and practices of other justices who seem to operate outside ethical rules.
Well, this was a surprise.
I threw together a short story that was an experiment (to try to evoke an empathetic response for an unemotional machine). With no clear ending, I invoked Deus ex Machina.
I submitted it to a contest because I'm trying to desensitize myself to rejection. And, lo and behold, another Honorable Mention. 😲
https://www.marktomlinson.online/sci-fi/emaa/lawnmower-woken-at-midnight/
Bit of a long shot, but could my good mastodon follower folk give me some boosts?
I'm starting work on a documentary podcast series about the future of space; renewable/sustainable technologies, commercialism in the sector and the public's perception of it all.
I'm hoping to connect with people who know space to complement my client's contacts, so any signal boosting would be appreciated!
Jay Kuo
George Takei 
🏳️🌈🖖🏽
Drew Toynbee