Susan diRende's Blog

Put Rapunzel, the Jovian moon, Europa, the NASA mock “Space Tourism” posters, and octopuses together in a story and you have Sea Change. In this case, the prisoner is a genetically modified intelligent octopus designed for the underwater seas of Europa and the Prince is a researcher at the laboratory studying the environment.

The story takes the bones of the fable, the imprisonment of a dependent for her own good, an interloper who discovers the captive and works to free her, the discovery and blinding of the helper, and the final redemption thanks to the now-freed captive.

The story is part of a collection of sixteen. Each story starts with one of the humorous “Space Tourism” posters created by NASA and JPL. The posters apply the art deco style of the great steamship travel posters of the early 20th Century to imaginary escapes to the planets and moons of the solar system as well as to exoplanets first discovered in the 1990s.

I decided to pair each poster with a fable or fairy tale. The idea was to take the playful and emblematic imaginings of the visual designs and apply it to stories that are themselves timeless. Most are funny because that’s the way my imagination usually works. This story, however, is more serious than silly, like the poster it is paired with.

I’m beginning to experiment with ebooks on Kindle for my short stories. There are a lot of reasons for this. Partly, it is financial. Short story publishers can’t pay more than a few dollars these days, and if I sell even 20 short read books online, I make as much as I would from a periodical.

In addition, there is some hope of building and audience over time so that ALL my books sell better. My novels and book-length nonfiction have mostly found homes with reputable publishers. I have gotten many of my short works published too, but the time spent submitting and keeping track and submitting again and again after rejections is just wayyyy tooo much work for the return.

Sure it’s nice to see my stories put forward by someone else. It’s very validating. But none of the publications have resulted in an uptick in my social media following or sales of my books, so I plan to take the reins in my own hands, bit by bit, as I have time.

The Demon’s Debt is the first of what should be many books that I plan to sell myself though online and POD booksellers.

Crunchy With Ketchup is Wolfsinger’s latest fantasy anthology. Carol Hightshoe edited the collection full of dragons serious and silly, friendly and destructive, for those who can’t get enough of the mythical beasts.

My own contribution is set in a world ruled by dragons, a world where humans are their slaves. Some believe in a mythic past when humans had technology and created marvels equal to their serpent masters. Some, like teenager Peor, consider the believers fools, Even when those believers are his parents.

As It Ought to Be Magazine included a flash nonfiction essay of mine titled, Story, in its current issue. The painting that is paired with it is one of my Pareidolia series of ink on paper works.

As It Ought to Be Magazine included a flash nonfiction essay of mine titled, Story, in its current issue. The painting that is paired with it is one of my Pareidolia series of ink on paper works.

A short story I wrote a while ago, Jinx, just went live on Short Story Town. You have to scroll down to 5/12/21 to read it as the site doesn’t create separate pages for each story, but keeps a running sequence of tales.

One of my Year in Miniature paintings, a “selfie” of myself lounging in a pool, ink on polyvinyl panel, was included in Gaze Journal’s “Self Portrait” feature.

Thrilled to have one of my covid poem One Day at a Time in the Pine Hills Review F*ck 2020 special feature along with paintings from the housebound quarantine times. There’s one that runs with the poem, but others are scattered throughout, paired with other poems and essays in the special feature

Thrilled that this piece for a home on The Dewdrop. It’s a short read. Click the link below and let me know what you think.

Esso Station by Susan diRende

I had a great conversation with Eric Schieber of Sheeb Entertainment about writing and living the creative life.

LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW ON YOUTUBE