March Results
I didn’t expect too much from March as the job and family sicknesses have continued, but my results came pretty darn close to what I wanted. The running had some obstacles, and we completed week one of the program, but we didn’t progress very far. On the other hand, I did a good bit of exercise, what with the file room move at work.
- Short Stories Written: 1 flash
- Short Stories Revised: 2
- Short Stories Submitted: 2 new plus a total of 6 resubmissions
- Rejections: 5
- Crits: 1.5
- Read: 6 (3 audio novels, 2 novels, 1 memoir)
2011 Quarter 1 Submissions Check In:
- Short Stories Submitted: 15
- Short Stories Rejected: 13
- Stories in Submission: 9
April Goals
I don’t anticipate work or family needs dwindling, so I’m focusing my goals on the critical. I’d love to accomplish more than this, but I’m being realistic.
- Short Story Revisions: 2 (two deadlines on 4/15)
- Short Story Writing: 1
- Children’s Story Writing: 1
- Crits: 2
- Novel Writing: 4/16 – 4/30, whatever I can swing, but it’ll be my only project during that time. Guessing about 2k daily. Maybe enough to finish off the novel.
DAWN BONANNO 
Do you submit to a lot of anthologies? Other than WOTF, I almost only send stories to magazines, so I rarely have deadlines to worry about.
Good luck with your April goals.
Hang in there! I’m sure you’ll keep making progress, and even a little is better than none (and keeps you motivated because you haven’t stopped.)
Good luck!
Elizabeth: not so much “a lot”, but a few a year. Anything JJ Adams puts out, Ekaterina Sedia’s werewolf antho (I missed the deadline on that one this year), Warrior Wisewoman, Sword & Sorceress, Triangulation. If the smaller press publishers put up something interesting, I’ll submit, but only if it really appeals. I’m working the “top down” approach in submitting. I do have one story published in an anthology, and I’m very happy with it, even if I didn’t make hundreds of dollars off of it. 😀 I do want to start submitting to other contests. WOTF and Parsec are good places to start, but there are more. But first I need to increase my output on revisions – got to get more stories out there.
Eileen – thanks. 🙂
Hm, I should try Sword & Sorceress again. I try to keep my eye out for themed anthologies, but usually it’s pretty close to the deadline before I hear of them, and I’m a slow writer.
I’m slow too, but in the revision. First drafts can come quick, that’s why I like the Story A Day challenge on FM so much, but the revisions. I enjoy the process. It’s not as emotionally charged as getting a first draft done, but it takes me time. The revision is like a puzzle. First I need to figure out what I’ve created and identify the heart. Then I need to highlight that heart and make everything in the story relate to it somehow. Lots of rewriting. Making it right. So I usually schedule two full weeks for a revision. And I need three rounds before it’s right. It used to need more. Some still do, like my older stories. So I really try to vary what I write, and try to see what I have that’ll fit an anthology rather than writing a story to fit the antho. Triangulation is the exception. I wrote something last year to fit their theme, as well as the Parsec contest. So that’s also why abuot once a month I scan Ralan for the anthologies that are open. To see if any of my stories fit the themes. That’s how my one story made it to publication.
anyway, I ramble. 🙂