Paige Hawthorne: Blog

First of all, props to my editors. Loathe though I sometimes am to admit it, these guys know what they're doing. Often. Sometimes. My award-nominated story - "Winter's Vengeance" - had only 27 spelling errors. A record in and of itself.

Now Ed Noble may not be as well known in, say, London or Stockholm, as he is in Kansas City. But - not for nothing - he does own one-half of the third-largest used bookstore in town.

I join four other authors in the pantheon of Noble finalists. And to think I got my start right here on SOL …

Namaste,

Paige

"The world can be divided into the people who like to look under the rock and the people who don't."

Standard disclaimer: I'm not comparing myself to the author / producer / showrunner Gillian Flynn. In fact, I haven't read any of her novels, although we did stream "Gone Girl".

She gave a recent interview in the "Times" which got me thinking about the criticism my protagonist, Winter Jennings, receives in SOL. And the way men react to Flynn's characters … well, it resonated. Specifically about defying expectations of what a woman should be. Should do. Shouldn't do.

One of her characters, Amy Elliot Dunne, frames her husband for murder, fakes a rape, murders an ex-boyfriend, and steals her husband's frozen sperm to impregnate herself.

Winter Jennings is a pussycat compared to Dunne, but some SOL readers are outraged that Winter bends the law (exempli gratia: creeping a suspect's home), is married to a lesbian while having an affair with a man, has opinions on subjects like politics and guns, has a flirty, sexy relationship with her son.

Okay, that last one is borderline.

Now, I'm certainly not feedback-complaining. This is, after all, a male site, populated by male readers and writers. And I'm here happily and freely.

However … I do have a couple of thoughtful words for a couple of you misogynist fuckwads!

Paige

One of my editors … whoa, back up. The header should have been Rare Reading Opportunity. Which - that miscue - illustrates my point.

One of my editors had to cash in his early retirement package because of health issues. He will be missed both as an editor and a fan.

So … a replacement. Poofers always welcome. Make that proofers.

Any additional talents such as casting a gimlet eye on story overview, character development, plotting, continuity, etc. would be welcome. You would be joining two of the best editors in the biz, but don't be intimidated; they rarely … hardly ever … do … you know, that felony stuff anymore.

Editorial salary and benefits are commensurate with SOL Standards and Practices.

"Once more into my britches, dear friends, once more."

Paige

Despite that reader-petition, so unfair, to ban all Paige Hawthorne stories, I've completed a new one. Which my editors now have in their clumsy paws. "Winter's Game" takes us into terra incognita … the world of professional sports. Baseball, if I remember correctly.

Although there is a certain upside for you haters. Just because the editors have that potential masterpiece in hand, doesn't mean they'll finish anytime soon. Dyslexia, PTSD, dementia … this could take a while, gang.

Excelsior!

Paige

Who knew? Isn't it remarkable how much influence - real-life influence - this site has? My fictional character, Winter Jennings, muses on changes - okay, she bitches about alterations that the author doesn't like.

Two recent examples: Burnett's Vodka changed a perfectly classy bottle label into an ugly eyesore. Then, two Brookside grocery stores started using paper sacks without handles.

Guess what?

After posting derogatory Winter comments on SOL, I was delighted to see that Burnett's and the supermarkets reverted to their original products. Whimpering probably. Mewling.

Paige