Monthly Archives: May 2013

May 26, 2013 · 9:12 am

Write 1/Sub 1 check in: week 21 the one with a long weekend

Week 21! I’m still working on Pansy, as you can see. I’m maintaining a good pace–not writing so much that I burn out, but enough that I don’t get all twitchy, either.

I’m also all signed up for The Southeast Review’s 30-Day Writer’s Regimen, which starts next Saturday.

And … I wrote a blog post that wasn’t a check in, so there’s that as well.

Writing:

Pansy~ 7,500 words.
Blog post ~ One way to capture those fifteen magic minutes

Rejections:

Leap of Faith
The Short Sweet Life of My Invisible Prom Date ~ very nice rejection from UFO2 anthology. Not quite funny enough, but Alex did call it a beautiful story. He invited me to submit something else, but I have nothing that is both speculative and funny. Maybe by the time UFO3 rolls around.

Submissions:

The Short Sweet Life of My Invisible Prom Date ~x2. Since this came back in a day, I decided to send it back out again.

Acceptances:

None

Other:

I got the most charming sorry you didn’t win, but … note about The Life Expectancy of Fireflies:

Although the four finalists have been selected from the sea of talented entries, we wanted to let you know that your piece sparked conversation between the editors and is still being considered for possible publication online. With that in mind, we ask that you hang in there like a kitten on a tree branch while we sort the details out. Thanks for participating. You are magical.

I haven’t heard back yet, so we’ll see what we’ll see, won’t we.

4 Comments

Filed under Write 1/Sub 1, Writing

Tagged as Accidental novel, Short story, Writing

May 22, 2013 · 5:45 pm

One way to capture those fifteen magic minutes

In late November of last year, I was searching for a way back into my writing. I was searching for a way to do what Ray Bradbury urged here:

“I don’t believe in optimism. I believe in optimal behavior. That’s a different thing … Action is hope. At the end of each day, when you’ve done your work, you lie there and think, Well, I’ll be damned, I did this today.

It doesn’t matter how good it is, or how bad – you did it. At the end of the week you’ll have a certain amount of accumulation. At the end of a year, you look back and say, I’ll be damned, it’s been a good year.” ~ Ray Bradbury

Terrific and inspirational advice but how, how, do you get there? How do you turn your hope into action? One way is to create a writing habit (which works an awful lot like an exercise habit–in fact, exercise has a lot in common with writing, but that’s fodder for another post).

Take a quick look at Rosanne Bane’s post on Why Habits Work When Discipline and Will Power Won’t and you can also read her post here about those fifteen magic minutes. To everyone who says you can’t create something worthwhile by writing for fifteen minutes three to five times per week, I say:

You can’t create anything worthwhile if you never start.

So go. Start something. What that something is matters less than you think it does.

So anyway, back in late November, when I was trying to figure out a way to start, I stumbled upon The Southeast Review’s 30-Day Writer’s Regimen. They were gearing up to run a version during December. I nearly didn’t do it. Come on, December? The holidays? How on earth was I going to write? Then I decided it would be a Christmas gift to myself.

It was very low stress. All I needed to do for each prompt they sent was write a single page, longhand (that’s maybe 250 words for me). It didn’t even need to be about the prompt, just whatever came to mind after reading it.

I missed a day or two (but oddly, not Christmas itself). One prompt inspired exactly nothing, so I wrote about my reaction to that prompt (wow, I have a whole lotta nothing for this one …). Some prompts got a page. Some built a continuing story, one became a poem, another a flash fiction piece. And one was the jumping off point for my very first Write 1/Sub 1 for the year, which ended up at ~8,000 words.

All because I decided I could write a single, longhand page per day for thirty days. By doing so, I built a habit, one I happen to love.

And … they’ll be running the Writer’s Regimen again in June. All new material. Still plenty of time to sign up. Anyone want to join me?

2 Comments

Filed under Getting Schooled, Reading & Writing, Write 1/Sub 1, Writing

Tagged as Getting Schooled, Ray Bradbury, Writing

May 19, 2013 · 9:47 am

Write 1/Sub 1 check in: week 20 the one with an accidental novel

Week 20! This is the week I hang my head in shame. Did I stop writing? No, quite the contrary. This is the week I admit that what I have on my hands is a novel. Worse, it’s a very strange novel.

Yes, I know. I’m not sure I can truly count it as a “write 1” but there you go. I mean, what am I going to do? Not write? Given the choice, I will always go with the writing.

Writing:

Pansy~ 7,200 words.

Rejections:

The Life Expectancy of Fireflies ~ I don’t have the official status yet, but I know the outcome. It made the “long list” (top fifty) in the Women On Writing Flash Fiction contest, but not the top ten (which includes publication). That is made any sort of list at all is nothing short of amazing. You’ll see below why I’m counting it here.

Submissions:

The Life Expectancy of Fireflies ~ there was another contest where I wanted to submit it. This worked out rather neatly.

Acceptances:

None

Write 1/Sub 1 check in: week 19 the one with a revised novel

Week 19! What a week. A software release at work (this is no small thing) and revisions on Speechless. Plus, I managed to write a short story and submit two.

I credit this to my participation in Write 1/Sub 1. Sure, the accountability factor helps. But it’s more than that.

In a way, the slow and steady writing is a lot like exercise. When you need to give it your all and run the race as fast as you can, you’re in shape for it. While I’m looking forward to relaxing and filling the creative well (so to speak), I don’t feel burnt out from this round of revisions.

Writing:

Sunset~ 1,200 words.
Revisions on Speechless, edits up to the end. As tempting as it was to rush, I kept a steady pace. I ended up adding about 8,000 words to the story (this is a good thing) and I’m pleased. I’m also looking forward to relaxing a bit.

Rejections:

Just a Matter of Time ~ not surprised, it was a long shot.

Submissions:

Filling the Space
The Patron Saint of Lost Things

Acceptances:

None

Write 1/Sub 1 check in: week 18 the with … wait, is that a sale?

Week 18! With a little luck, this week, we’ll have some sunshine, and warmer temperatures, and maybe spring. Crazier things have happened.

My brain is totally into the revision of Speechless, so the 1,000 words I managed were a little rough. But … I managed them, and that’s the main thing. Plus, I had some good and surprising news this week as well. Keep reading to find out.

Writing:

Vigil ~ 1,000 words.
Revisions on Speechless, edits up to chapter fifteen. With all the changes, I’ve added ~5,000 words so far. I’m hoping to be done this week. I wanted to be done this weekend, but better slow and steady than rushed and sloppy.

Rejections:

Filling the Space ~ uh, this one went off into the ether, I think. I don’t know. Anyway, it will be the sub 1 for this week.

Submissions:

The Burden of So Many Roses ~ to a reprint market.

Acceptances:

Elvis Has Left the Building ~ I sold this to Untreed Reads and it will come out as its own little e-book. From what I’ve seen/heard, they have fabulous distribution and editing/proofing. This was an older story that I still thought I should/could send out, so I’m pleased to have found a home for it.

Other: