I came up with the idea and the title for the story decades ago but I couldn't see a market for it so I never bothered to write it. Then, last year, Barb announced that she was going to edit an anthology called Crime Travel, featuring crime-related tales of time travel.
And I realized my old idea fit. Sort of. It was about a physicist who hoped to invent time travel, only to discover that that is impossible - however, it turned out that he could travel through an apparently infinite number of universes.
But heck, I had my story now. Might as well look for a market. Mystery Weekly Magazine had published one of my stories last year, a tale with a science fiction bent. So I sent it to them and voila. Decades after it was first dreamed up, "In Praise of my Assassin" is available now for your reading pleasure.
It's about time.
Congratulations on placing your story, Rob! Some things just take longer to find a home, but I'm glad this one did.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! I've always thought longevity was one of the keys to success in the arts and persistence does seem to pay off in writing.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, Rob! Some stories just take a little longer to place - my record is, quite literally, 20 years with "Zoo Story", which finally found a home at AHMM back in the 90's.
ReplyDeleteHappy to help! And congrats on the publication. It was a good story, so I'm sure Mystery Weekly readers will enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteRob, congrats. It's like the old Indian said in the movie, The Outlaw Josey Wales, "Endeavor to persevere."
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear I'm in good company with a time travel story that got rejected by Barb. LOL.
ReplyDeleteLike yours, mine is also about to find a different market.
Looking forward to reading your story!
bobbi c.
Glad your story found a home, Rob ... and Mystery Weekly is a good one!
ReplyDeleteJosh
Rob, I hadn't encountered that magazine until now. (Damn, I miss Borders.) Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, Rob. I love stories like this. May you have many more such successes! I'm sure you will because you are persistent.
ReplyDeleteThanks, all. I always say another term for persistance is being too stupid to know when to quit. Fortunately, I qualify.
ReplyDeleteA few days ago I was reminded of a great line attributed to Robert Benchley: "It took me fifteen years to discover that I had no talent for writing, but I couldn’t give it up because by that time I was too famous."
Sounds like a great story, Rob. I love cross-genre mysteries with a scifi bent. Will get the mag soon. Stay safe. Best, Bill
ReplyDeleteCongratulations. The magazine is in my inbox, and yours will be the first story I read. BTW - Barb rejected mine, too, and this encourages me to send it out again. Thank you.
ReplyDeletePat
Rob, good work! Thanks for the espresso jolt of inspiration + suspense.
ReplyDeleteThis looks like a killer issue of Mystery Weekly -- & with libraries closed, we'll each have to buy one.
CJ