NERVES

Hallo there all.  I just wanted to take a moment to talk about submissions.  Of the writing kind.

Today I submitted a story to Writer's of the Future.  Now, when I was deciding I wanted to put my writing out in the great big world, the query-go-round was the first huge obstacle.  It didn't take me very long to decide that wasn't the type of career I wanted to have.  I wanted something that would seriously reward me as an author, not just my pride in being "in print".

Then along came these fancy e-reader things, and I knew I wanted one the day they were announced.  I lived in Japan and I begged and begged and begged my parents, "If you get me anything for Christmas - just get me this, and I will be THRILLED."  And, that's all I got that Christmas, and I was THRILLED.  (See how that works?)  The best part was that I could get English-language books to read while in Japan.  I have to say, there is a shortage of English texts in the land of the rising sun ;)

But somehow it didn't occur to me that I could get MY works on that fancy digital book.  And then, one day, like magic, it did.  I was busy working on another story that sits forlornly in the "Whoops, I abandoned you!" pile and I came across KDP.  Incidentally, I came across it on the internet because sometimes while writing, I go on brief research spurts to make sure I'm not talking out of my hat, and that I actually know what I am saying is true.

So anyway, then I started doing lots of investigating into KDP.  But the problem was - I hadn't written a novel.  I had come close a couple of times, lengthy, sometimes rambling manuscripts, but never anything concrete.

I moved home.  Stuff happened, and then I wrote a novel.  A complete one, my first one, "Shackled".  And let me tell you, by the end of it, I was thinking, "Why would anyone ever want to write one of these?"  Because I was brutal on myself and I forced my arse into the computer chair to write and write and write the freaking story until I was done.  It took me about three months total and looking back more effort was spent getting over myself than actually writing.  That's not to say it's not good - I think it's an awesome story - but I was quite melodramatic about it, to myself.

I got it all ready, and I put it up on Kindle and crossed my fingers and toes and eyes and... well, not much happened.  I sold a few copies and I got a couple 5 star reviews.  Luckily, that's more than some (so I've heard.)

Well now I've turned this into kind of a rambly backstory, sorry.  But the short of it is, I don't have a lot of experience with submissions.  I haven't received a hobojillion rejections like Konrath or others.  I actually haven't even received one.

Mostly because I haven't submitted anything :P

But I mean to be serious about this writing thing.  Remember the whole 52 Shades of Short Stories I want to participate in?  Well, I seem to do short stories well, and if I'm not writing novels, then they need to be submitted somewhere.  Today started my submissions journey - a 1,250 word short entitled "Moebied" and cast to the great dark waters of Writer's of the Future.  May they treat it gently.

And again, sorry for the rambly but... NERVES.

On the Twelfth Day...

So last time I posted, it was about finishing the short story, "Need".  Twelve days later, and I just wrote another short story, "Moebied."  It's 1,247 words long... about a thirdish the length of "Need".  I also have another unpublished short I wrote awhile back called "Singularity."  Now I'm puzzled as to which to submit for Writer's of the Future!  Obviously I'd like to submit my best work.  I'd like to get two or three beta readers for "Moebied", if anyone's interested?

Well, I'm happy to be writing again.  :)  Twelve days is a much shorter break than er... three months.

I was really interested in joining 52 Shades of Short Stories.  I still am, actually, even though I'm coming in mid-year (but it was really only started mid-year hehe).  I wrote "Need" on 7-8, a Sunday, which I could say started that week.  Now I wrote "Moebied" today (Friday), which is technically the next week.  That makes me two for two weeks ;)

Hmm, it might be pushing it next week to be three for three hehe, but we'll see!  Anyway, yay writing :)

3 Months~

Wow, I haven't posted in three months and I have no good excuse.  Truthfully, I haven't written pretty much since I stopped posting.  How's that half a million word challenge going, you ask?  Well, don't :P

The good news is that I broke the long drought and in a marathon writing session (I'm talking 6+ hours, with goofing around splattered in the middle) I wrote a complete short story called "Need".

The story begs the question, "What is the last thing a man will ever need and how far will he go to get it?"

At 4,136 words I wrote this a lot slower than usual.  Not merely the goofing around, I was incredibly picky about my phrasing.  How picky?

Final check of the documents shows ZERO PERCENT passive voice usage.

I know.  -I- didn't even realize it was so low, until I looked at the checker.  I know there were a few sentences I changed around to remove the was/were/to be.  I know the characters probably used some passive voice, but to register at zero percent?  I think that's pretty rocksome!

Also, I got to use the word "slattern".

Intrigued by this story?  I'm considering submitting it to Writer's of the Future... and if I do, it will be my first... EVER... actual submission.  I just haven't been interested in that part of publishing.  But I'm getting there.  In fact, with the way I write short stories, I'm becoming VERY interested in the short fiction market, in general.  I've been browsing submission guidelines.

So, that's what's new with me :)