More writing this week, up about 2,000 words, for a nice 1,000 words per day pace. This, I might add, is a good pace to write at. Also, the total manuscript word count is currently at 65,065, which is so symmetrical I almost hate to add to it.
Well, almost.
This week, I also received an email from a professor at a university in Pennsylvania. She’s teaching an introduction to creative writing class, and as part of the course work, her students had to comb through online journals, find stories they liked, and then hold a mock prize committee to select the best one.
Why was she emailing me? Well, her students found my flash fiction piece, Straying from the Path, that was published last month over at Flash Fiction Online. Not only did they find it, they awarded it first place.
The professor not only sent her note, but all the commentary from her students as well. I can’t tell you what a wonderful experience that was. As a writer, you hear from critique partners, beta readers, editors, and eventually, reviewers. So seldom, if ever, do you get the chance to see your story so completely through someone else’s eyes.
In this case, several pairs of eyes. Oh, they each had their own take on the story, some I never even thought of.
All in all, it was delightful and truly made my day.
Writing Work:
- The Time After ~7,214 words
Submissions:
- None this week (soon, soon)
Rejections:
- What Little Remains
Acceptances:
- None
Publications:
- None, but coming this week, Sucker Literary Magazine Volume 3 will be out, with my YA novelette, Just a Matter of Time.
Writing Wrongs 
Oh wow, Charity! What a fabulous experience for you. Well deserved honor–Straying from the Path is a splendid story. Congrats on the publication of your novelette. 🙂
Thanks, Von! It was a terrific surprise, and in some ways better than a “real” award.
Congrats. May I ask, when you do submissions, who do you submit to? I want to send queries for an agent, but I don’t know where to start. I guess start calling in my registry of agents and see if they are accepting new clients? I don’t know how that words. I’ve been self published for the last 5 years.
I write a lot of short stories, which I submit on my own. I use https://duotrope.com/ to find markets, but http://thegrinder.diabolicalplots.com/ is free and also works very well. Once I find potential markets, I follow the submission guidelines on their website.
For agents, have you tried: http://www.agentquery.com/? They seem to have a pretty good list that they keep updated. I would use the same method as above. Find a list of agents who take what you write, check the submission guidelines on their website, and then send accordingly.
Thanks a lot!