What's been happening?

That is the question. Again, it has been months since I updated here - which is a statement on how things fare on the creative front.

I chose Restore as my word for 2016. One of the things I've restored is submitting a fiction piece each month. Thus far, I am 4 for 4 on rejections, with 1 story outstanding. It was a little disheartening to fill out the submission form on the last submission and realize the last time someone paid for my fiction was 10 years ago.

And I've been stuck. Editing and revising but not really creating anything new. (Editing, revising and uncertain what to do with the end product.) It's been months since I wrote a short story and two years since I've written a new novel. I'm feeling totally disconnected from the world of the Chaos books and I'm not sure what it will take to get me back there again.

The second section of Camp NaNoWriMo happens in July. I'd like to take part again but I have no idea what to write. I just know I need to step away from editing and revising.

NaNoWriMo

It's NaNoWriMo time again. The plan is to the write the antagonist's half of my fantasy novel. So far - day 6 and doing okay. A little behind but the work was was crazy.

I am also fundraising for NaNo again this year. Like to see your name in my book? See here for more information on how we can make that happen.

July 6

I spent a chunk of the weekend researching language, making notes and looking at maps. Tonight, I finally wrote the next scene. I think I know where the story is heading now. There will be more research (especially around names in the region where the story begins) but that's for later.

Title: Mick's Story
Type: Short Story
Accomplished: Finally stopped researching and wrote
Time: 60 minutes (or 1,000 Camp words)
Total: 3,500 words

July 1 - end of day

Thanks to a LiveJournal post listing two possible upcoming anthologies, I have the basic idea for my first short story. As is usual with me, the name is a placeholder until something else presents itself.

Title: Mick's Story
Type: Short Story
Accomplished: Research on tigers / wrote opening scene
Time: 90 minutes (or 1,500 Camp words)

July 1 - First day of Camp

Camp NaNoWriMo is back.

I tried in April but things weren't gelling and I found myself frustrated every time I opened the file. I'm not saying I won't get frustrated this month but I'm doing things a little differently. 

I have a list of markets with upcoming deadlines & a plan to write short stories and/or poetry to submit to each one. (I'm using the 1 hr of work = 1,000 words equation since I have no idea how many words will actually be accomplished.)

As it's a holiday here, I'll see if I can get more than one hour of writing behind me. Just in case the rest of the month becomes crazy. ::carefully not looking at my work schedule::

Wish me luck. Or words. Or what have you.

That's a draft

Only 2.5 months after the end of NaNoWriMo, I reached the end of the first draft. It's a very drafty kind of first draft but it is finally finished.

My next step is going to be going back to the first book to finish revisions. Then I can come back to this one and fix the things that don't mesh with book 1. I also want to get back to working on the Chaos books.

Maybe I need to start scheduling these things.

That was quick

Received a rejection for the January 1 submission. I'm not surprised, really. I just wish it took a little longer before the stories came back home. Next week, I'll start looking at possible markets for the next submission.

I've finally broken 40,000 words on the paranormal romance. I should be able to wrap it all up in another 10,000 words. Then will come the rereading, revisions and revelations (aka the things I didn't realize I had included until the second or third time through).