I've heard many expressions of disappointment, frustration, and sometimes despair about story rejections. As a veteran of many story rejections myself, I totally get it. But sometimes I think new writers (or maybe I should say newer writers, since I'm relatively new myself) have an unrealistic notion of how long […]
Here is my personal fiction report for 2010: I wrote 80,700 words of new fiction this year. This figure is a little misleading, because it doesn’t include rewrite work. Still, it’s worse than either 2009 or 2008. I completed: 10 first drafts 4 second drafts 4 third drafts […]
Here (very late) are my monthly statistics for September 8,500 new words of fiction written this month. 1 23 first drafts currently in progress. 2 10 first draft currently "ripening" before second draft. 3 4 second drafts currently in progress 1 second draft currently in the […]
Here (a little late) are my monthly statistics for August: 7,800 new words of fiction written this month. 1 24 first drafts currently in progress. 2 9 first draft currently "ripening" before second draft. 3 4 second drafts currently in progress 1 second draft currently in […]
Here are my monthly statistics for July: 14,600 new words of fiction written this month. 1 25 first drafts currently in progress. 2 7 first draft currently "ripening" before second draft. 3 4 second drafts currently in progress 0 second drafts currently in the hands of […]
Yeah, I know, I haven’t done a monthly progress report since February. I’d like to claim that I didn’t have time because of All the Writing I was doing, but actually I was ashamed that I was getting so little done. (I actually predicted this in my report for February, […]
Wow. The Kickstarter project worked. I now have a bunch of backers who have done me the honor of paying me to write. I owe them regular reports, copies of drafts, etc. Some of them are going to appear as characters in the stories. Some are going to give me […]
With 19 days left to go, we are 53% funded, which is pretty nearly on track. I’m thrilled and amazed that there’s been so much support. This is so neat. Still, we have $1,188 to go, and the project gets nothing at all unless the goal is reached. (Some people have asked me […]
I saw several other writers do this, and it looked like fun. First Lines Meme Below are the first lines from each story on which I am currently working. Not included on this list are stories I have submitted for publication. The stories are in alphabetical order by title. And, […]
Here are my monthly statistics for February: 5,500 new words of fiction written this month. 1 22 first drafts currently in progress. 2 1 first draft currently "ripening" before second draft. 3 5 second drafts currently in progress 0 second drafts currently in the hands of […]
First, the good stuff: Small Beer Press will soon release A Life In Paper, a collection of short stories by the French fabulist Georges-Olivier Châteaureynaud, translated by Edward Gauvin. Edward was my classmate at Clarion, and is a gifted literary SFF writer as well as a skilled translator. Putting Châteaureynaud […]
I have my monthly writing/submission stats for both December and all of 2009. First, December: 8,400 new words of fiction written this month. 1 21 first drafts currently in progress. 2 5 first drafts currently "ripening" before second draft. 3 3 second drafts currently in progress […]
Monthly stats for November: 4,800 new words of fiction written this month. 1 21 first drafts currently in progress (some untouched for a long time) 4 first drafts currently "ripening" before second draft. 2 3 second drafts currently in progress 1 second draft currently in the hands of "trusted readers." […]
Monthly stats for October: 10,182 new words of fiction written this month. 1 20 first drafts currently in progress (some untouched for a long time) 3 first drafts currently "ripening" before second draft. 2 4 second drafts currently in progress 2 second drafts currently in the […]
GUD (Greatest Uncommon Denominator) has bought "Liza’s Home", which was one my submission stories for Clarion. It’s slated for Issue #5 (Fall, 2009). I shall be shamelessly urging you all to buy it. I’ve previously commented on what a nifty magazine GUD is, so you can imagine how delighted I […]
Here are my monthly stats for August: 7,600 new words of fiction written this month. 1 19 first drafts currently in progress (some untouched for a long time) 4 first drafts currently "ripening" before second draft. 3 second drafts currently in progress 1 second draft currently […]
There are some people who think that the main advantage of Clarion is the networking. And, sure, it’s neat to have seventeen new friends who are all great writers. But the theory is that doing 100+ critiques in six weeks (35,000+ words of crit, for me), plus listening to 80+ […]
My report from the Clarion Writers Workshop, Weeks Five and Six
Here are my monthly stats for July. 24,000 new words of fiction written this month. 1 AND: 30,000 words of workshop critique written this month 2 19 first drafts currently in progress (some untouched for a long time) 3 first drafts currently "ripening" before second draft. […]
I hope to post periodic updates on my Clarion experience here, although not every day. What I’d most like to do is share the best writing advice that I hear from the instructors, and the insights that arise from the crit process. I’ll parallel-post on my other LJ, and if […]
Here are my monthly stats for May: 6,200 new words of fiction written this month. 1 19 first drafts currently in progress (some untouched for a long time) 2 first drafts currently "ripening" before second draft. 2 second drafts currently in progress 1 second draft currently in […]
Here are my monthly stats for April: 9,100 new words of fiction written this month. 1 17 first drafts currently in progress (some untouched for a long time) 2 first drafts currently "ripening" before second draft. 2 second drafts currently in progress 1 second draft currently […]
, in her lecture on the Odyssey Podcast, says that people (especially Americans) love to read details about how things work. So, if you know somethin’ about somethin’, and can work it into a story, you’ll make it more interesting to many readers. The things I know somethin’ about (apart […]
Here are my monthly stats for March: 6,500 new words of fiction written this month. 1 15 first drafts currently in progress. 2 1 first draft currently "ripening" before second draft. 3 1 second draft currently in progress 0 second draft currently in the hands of […]
Here are my monthly stats for February: 6,300 new words of fiction written this month. 1 14 first drafts currently in progress. 2 1 first draft currently "ripening" before second draft. 3 0 second drafts currently in progress 1 second draft currently in the hands of […]
Here are my statistics for January: 6,200 new words of fiction written this month. 1 13 first drafts currently in progress. 2 1 first draft currently "ripening" before second draft. 3 0 second drafts currently in progress 1 second draft currently in the hands of "trusted readers." 3 third drafts […]
Here are my monthly stats for November: 9,900 new words of fiction written this month. 1 17 first drafts currently in progress. 2 0 first drafts currently "ripening" before second draft. 3 2 second drafts currently in progress. 0 second drafts currently in the hands of […]
Here are my monthly stats for October 4,400 new words of fiction written this month. 1 15 first drafts currently in progress. 2 1 first draft currently "ripening" before second draft. 3 0 second drafts currently in progress 1 second draft currently in the hands of […]
Here are my monthly stats for September 2,705 new words of fiction written this month. 1 16 first drafts currently in progress. 2 1 first draft currently "ripening" before second draft. 3 0 second drafts currently in progress 0 second drafts currently in the hands of […]
I was happy to learn, today, that three of my drabbles will appear on Flashshot. The titles are: "Before Playing" "Imagination’s Curse" "Too Much Sense" I’ll let you know when I learn the exact dates. Meanwhile, here’s the montly update for August: 4,300 new words of fiction written […]
Here’s my monthly tally for July: 21,900 new words of fiction written this month. 1 14 first drafts currently in progress. 2 3 first drafts currently “ripening” before second draft. 3 0 second drafts currently in progress 1 second draft currently in the hands of “trusted readers.” 1 third draft […]
Here’s my monthly tally for June: 12,300 new words of fiction written this month. 1 12 first drafts currently in progress. 2 3 first drafts currently “ripening” before second draft. 3 0 second drafts currently in progress 1 second draft currently in the hands of “trusted readers.” 0 third drafts […]
Here’s my monthly tally for May: 12,100 new words of fiction written this month. 1 11 first drafts currently in progress. 2 2 first drafts currently “ripening” before second draft. 3 0 second drafts currently in progress 0 second drafts currently in the hands of “trusted readers.” 1 third draft […]
Here’s my monthly tally for April: 9,100 new words of fiction written this month. * 10 first drafts currently in progress. † 2 first drafts currently “ripening” before second draft. ** 0 second drafts currently in progress 0 second drafts currently in the hands of “trusted readers.” 1 third draft […]
As I’ve seen others do here, I’m going to begin posting a monthly tally of words written, submissions made, etc., just to keep me honest. Here’s the tally for March: 3,300 words of fiction written this month.* 10 stories currently submitted to markets 60 words in shortest story currently submitted.** […]
