A Round of Words in 80 Days and HEAP

A quiet sort of check in today as I've slowed down a bit since I finished editing Out of the Water and sent it out to readers.

I try not to think about what they might be doing to the MS with their red pens and their eyebrows raised in disbelief...

Let's not think about that. Remember MAD Magazine? The really old ones from the 50s and 60s? Does anyone remember HEAP? The full colour version is available on Dr Hermes. I learned a bit of the background from that post:

"The two main elements giving basis for this story are the old time radio show, INNER SANCTUM, with its famous creaking door and its sepulchral-voiced host Raymond (his ghoulish puns and wisecracks were obviously a big influence on the hosts of EC's horror titles like TALES FROM THE CRYPT.

But the story presented by "Ramon" here is interesting in itself, in that it does a take-off on the Heap. You can read more about the Heap by clicking on the tag below. He was a long-running character in a back-up strip in AIRBOY COMICS. Inspired by Theodore Sturgeon's great story "It," the Heap is the source for every stinky shuffling muck-beasts like Swamp Thing and Man-Thing. And although there have been any number of odd Swamp Thing stories, I don't recall any where he fell in love with female garbage heap and started wearing a Zoot Suit...!"

Here's a sampling of the black and white version. I took photographs of all the pages in my parents' copy, since they're crumbling and I'm always afraid I'll find they've been reduced to dust one day. This story never fails to make me laugh (if you'd like the whole story, try to squint and read the colour version or e-mail me and I'll send you all the black and white images).



And oh yes, A Round of Words in 80 Days. I've been tweaking my query and synopsis. Now to draw up a list of ideal agents... Wish me luck! I've also returned to writing a regular column for the Bizim Anadolu newspaper (follow the link, scroll over the bar down the left-hand side of the page until the names appear, and click on my name) - latest column is on tasting exotic fruit.

 Dragon fruit, anyone?

Comments

Best of luck, Deniz! And good job finding something to think about other than red pens.

Keep us all informed on the progress, and have a great week!
Trisha said…
Good luck!! This is an exciting time. I look forward to hearing how you go.

I'm excited to say I seem to have found myself a beta - yes, just the one, but it's more than I had before! - so once I've done with my paper edit transferral, I'll be passing it onto her. Yikes!! Scary stuff... hehe

Anyway...I remember Mad comics but the ones from the 90s, not the older ones. hehe
Nas said…
Best of luck, Deniz! Keep us all informed on the progress, and have a great week!
Brynne said…
I have a good feeling about your manuscript, Deniz! Hang in there...it will be over soon and then you'll be doing twirls all around the house!:) Hope its a beautiful week for you!
Good luck! I just started the ROW80 today. It sounds like you have it going good. And yes, I remember those magazines and the radio shows! Guess I just dated myself, huh?
Talli Roland said…
Good luck, Deniz. And yes, I do remember MAD!
S.P. Bowers said…
No eyebrows raised here...
Deniz Bevan said…
Thanks so much Elizabeth!

Betas scare me too Trisha - what if they say it's all stuff and nonsense? Come join us on the Compuserve Books and Writers Community if you like and share some snips.

Thank you Nas, Brynne Kwee, and Talli!

Glad to hear Sara :-)
Trisha said…
Thanks for the mention of the Compuserve community. Will have to check it out!

You cut 20k, huh? So far, since I began editing my second draft, I've cut about 45k...got another 5k odd to go before I'll be happy.
Anonymous said…
Best of luck on your agent search!

Love those old pages. "Tomb it May Concern." :) *smile*
Deniz Bevan said…
Yes, come by Trisha!

Thanks Liz and Eagle :-)
J.L. Campbell said…
Sounds like you've been busy. Oh yes, I remember MAD magazine from my teenage years.
Deniz Bevan said…
Thanks for coming by Joy!
sage said…
Thanks for this link. It was in the late 60s that I began reading Mad (my uncle, who is six years older, had the first copies I remember reading.
Deniz Bevan said…
I'd like to get all my parents' copies from my grandmother's house!