Statistics

Last year I submitted 35 stories. That netted me four acceptances and nineteen rejections, and the other twelve haven't replied yet. Two of those will probably reply later, and six might still reply. Call it four acceptances and twenty-three rejections. That's the best ratio I've had in a long time.

Incidentally, the last submission of the year broke the land speed record for getting into print. I sent my dark flash story off to rspublishing (http://www.rspublishing.com.au/viewbookshop.php ) on December 30th. Iit was accepted on Jan 7th, and up on the site the same day. You can read the beginning of the story for free. If you want to download the rest you have to pay $A1 (that's $0.75 US or £0.42) by Paypal, and I get $A0.30 each time someone does that. It's my first time at a pay-per-download site. Should be interesting.

Butterflies and Helicopters

My son, Julio, was telling me he was nervous. "It feels like a helicopter in my tummy."

I told him that most people describe it as butterflies. Then I explained that the tingly feeling was caused by your body sending the blood away from digestion and towards to the big muscles, making you strong for an emergency. "So the heli in your belly gives you more welly."

When you're nine years old, that sort of thing is hilarious.