Greg’s Internet Fiction Library:    

 

What’s the Big Idea?

I had a problem. Specifically, I have a huge backlog of unpublished fiction. All kinds of stuff, realism, SF, mystery, fantasy, crime fiction, humor. I could, in theory, dedicate lots and lots of man-hours to submitting, tracking, editing, repackaging and resubmitting these. But the fact is, my time is far, far more profitably spent ransoming stuff for REIGN, doing video game dialogue and, oh yeah, being a full-time homebound prison guard/cruise director for my two sons.

Periodically, I’d send a story out, submitting to one place at a time (just like they say to do) sending it with a SASE and cover letter and, almost universally, I get it back after a month or two. Just about the time I’ve forgotten I ever sent it out. It’s discouraging, it’s boring, postage ain’t free and it’s making me nothing but headaches.

I know, I know. Boo-fickety-hoo, Greg’s so successful at one career that he can’t be bothered to pursue another. Some people have real problems.

That’s another issue for me. I’m a total freaking softie with overdeveloped empathy. I do a little volunteering with the homeless and I’m aware that rising food and gas prices are (like everything else bad) going to hit them hardest and most proactively.

So I looked at the two problems and thought, "Let’s you and him fight."

Here’s How It Works

1) I put a story up on the block. First up is "These People Mean Nothing To Each Other," described below. I set a price based on word count, just like a normal ransom.

2) People send me money through PayPal. (If you need help doing this, click here and I’ll talk you through it.) Send any amount you like, from a buck upwards.

3) When the designated sum is reached, I release the story with a Creative Commons license. Specifically, a Share-Alike, Attribution, Noncommercial license. Some stories may get podcasted as well.

4) NO REFUNDS. This is not a Fundable ransom. Any money you send in ain’t coming back, fair warning. But on the plus side, that means there’s no time limit.

5) If you contribute, you’ll be invited to have your name listed as a supporter. You’ll also be notified automatically when the story is released and when new ones go up.

6) All proceeds go to charity. 100%

First On The Block

"These People Mean Nothing To Each Other" is a short, bitter piece of crime fiction nicely in keeping with A Dirty World. It’s gritty, oblique, ambiguous and ugly. It also has a scene where a woman insults her husband’s penis, right to his face. When I get $220.00, this 2,200 word story becomes free for all, in perpetuity. All the proceeds from this one go to Hesed House.

So Far: 43%. Thank You, Donors of the Strong Euro!

Fantasy Fiction

The Doom of Swords. My first podcast experiment is imperfect, but it was free, after all. It's from the setting of REIGN. and is soon to be available in text form in Worlds of Their Own. It has swordplay, adultery, revenge, and an incontinent donkey.

Modern Bizarre

A Long, Romantic Weekend. The wreckage of my first attempt to ransom fiction, which ran aground on the reefs of long-form uncertainty. I had a lot of fun writing this, though. The first time major characters get introduced, you get a catalogue of their body scars. It also features a car crash, impromptu surgery, and a tornado. As you might surmise, the title is ironic.

Ghosts: The Straight Dope. Reluctant as I am to write stories about writers, this one also has possession, cruel magic, epic halitosis and oh so much alcohol.

Realism

Someday, Laughter. A brief thing, prompted by the detonated fiction experiment. A short, bruising story about teenage theater humiliation.