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).

Good-bye 2014

I had set writing goals (500 words most days, send 1 submission per month) for 2014. Those who occasionally drop by here will note the lack of updates. Well, I'm not going to make word count goals for this year. Those just set me up to fail. I'm going to try a project view instead.

First, the 2014 round-up.

2014
Submissions - 13
Acceptances - 0
Rejections - 12
Outstanding - 1- I'm waiting for more information before I talk about this one.

Revised - 2 spicy romance novels (1 - the paranormal - requires further revisions as I discovered a few things during the revision process that I hadn't realized) Both revisions took place during Camp NaNoWriMo months

New - 2/3rds of a new paranormal romance / 2 short stories

2015 Goals

Submissions - 1 per month (I have already sent out January's.)
Projects - complete first draft of in-progress romance
              - complete 2nd revision of paranormal romance
              - restart Chaos #1

My only other goal is the perennial 'update this blog more often'.

Thanks for stopping by.

October 14

Let's see. August's submission came back as did both of September's. I hadn't meant to send two but a computer/email glitch made me think the first one hadn't gone through. Thankfully I was smart enough to send a different story to the second market.

Today, I took a personal obligation day to extend the long weekend. I spent a few hours at the library and began a new short story for an upcoming anthology. Over 500 words for the day - a good start.

I also set up my fundraising page for NaNoWriMo. If you'd like to help them bring free creative writing programs to more than 2,500 classrooms, 206 international regions, and 650 community centers worldwide, here is my link. For my US friends, donations are tax-deductible.

July Round-up & August 1

A good chunk of July was eaten by a head cold. Well, the days were actually still there but I had almost no energy or creative power left after working the day job. However, in the end, I did accomplish what I set out to do.

July Stats:


Total Words - not all were new but 50,218 (winning Camp NaNoWriMo)
Completed - Another pass through the spicy shape-shifter romance novel
Submissions - 1
Rejections - 1
Outstanding Submissions - 2

August 1 and I have already sent out my submission for the month. Fantasy & Science Fiction is accepting electronic submissions until August 15. Why not try my luck? I doubt it will make a difference if I submitted today or in two weeks.

Camp Day 1

Well, I didn't write as many words as I had hoped today. In part, it has been very hot here - the humidity hasn't broken in a couple of days - so I haven't had a good night's sleep in a while.

But I did write. Tomorrow is questionable since I'm travelling but I will try to write while in transit.

Title - Beasties (needs a new title)
Words today - 1,653
Words total - 1,653
Music - fireworks, very close by

June Roundup

I returned home from vacation in May to the news my team was changing offices the night of my first day back. On one hand, it is great! I went from a 'three bus/10 minute walk/total of an hour' commute (or $25 cab ride) and working from home three days a week to a 'block & a half to the bus/5-8 minute ride/block to the office' commute. On the other, I'm still getting used to being in the office every day after almost two years of working from home.

It all boils down to not a lot of words or progress on the writing front this month. However, Camp NaNoWriMo begins tomorrow and I have great hope that I will rewrite the Beasties novel. Tomorrow is a holiday here, so I have plans to write a good chunk of the day.


June Stats:


Total Words - not many
Completed - nothing
Submissions - 1
Rejections - 1
Outstanding Submissions - 2
Days with writing related activity - not sure

June 22

Well, the story I started early in June fizzled out. I still need to decide which story will be this month's submission.

July brings with it another installment of Camp NaNoWriMo. My plan is to rewrite my 2012 NaNo spicy romance novel with the aim of sending it out. Okay, *after* polishing & reader feedback.

My current plan is to post daily updates ... or updates on the days I write. I already know one day that I will likely not be writing. (Yeah! I get to see Welcome to Night Vale live!)

June 2

Today was the first day back at work after two weeks of vacation. I'm not completely surprised that I'm finding it a bit difficult to focus on writing tonight. There may not have been as many as last night but a few are better than none. Hopefully tomorrow I'll be more focused and a little less tired.

Title - as yet untitled short
Words today - 163
Words total - 714
Music - Carsie Blanton - Not Old, Not New

June 1 - New Story

There's a short story market I recently discovered with a June 16th deadline. We'll see if what I started tonight ends in time and holds together.

Title - as yet untitled short
Words today - 551
Words total - 551
Music - The Delta Saints - Death Letter Jubilee

May Roundup

May was a bit of a crazy month. From my birthday in the first week through the pressure of getting things caught up at work to two weeks of vacation (oh, how I needed those), it was almost non-stop.

I don't have much in the way of solid numbers for the month but I did come to a decision. Rather, while talking with the friend I was visiting, I had to acknowledge something. The big fantasy novel isn't really working right now. When I sit down to look at it, I feel stressed and not in a good way. For the next little while, I'm going to let it rest and focus on the spicy romance novels.

May Stats:


Total Words - not many
Completed - nothing
Submissions - 1
Rejections - 0
Outstanding Submissions - 2
Days with writing related activity - not sure

April Roundup

I "won" Camp NaNoWriMo by revising my NaNo book from last November. It's in the hands of two beta readers as I type.

Otherwise, I sent one submission, received one rejection and am thinking about how to get back into the big fantasy novel.


April Stats:


Total Words - net gain of 2,800 words
Completed -revision of Tidal Wave, the book still in search of a better title
Submissions - 1
Rejections - 1
Days with writing related activity - 24

April 20 - Update

I received a rejection this morning for April's submission. March's is still outstanding which isn't a total surprise given it's a brand new market. Also, the closing date for submissions was March 31 and these things take time.


2014
Submissions - 4
Acceptances - 0
Rejections - 3
Outstanding - 1

April 19 - First pass complete

I had set my goal for Camp NaNo at 30,000 words or 30 hours. So far, I have spent 29 hours working on revisions.

I just sent the second draft off to my alpha reader. She is going to try to read it tomorrow or the next day. Once she's done, I will definitely have at least another hour of work to do on it. (Anyone who has read early drafts of mine is now laughing.)


Title - Tidal Wave (but still needs a new name) 
Words today - 2,500
Words total - 29,000
Music - Sixx AM - This is Gonna Hurt

April 18 - Very Close

There are only a few scenes left and then I'll be finished the first pass. I do have more scenes to write and some things to discover (ah names) but I could be done tomorrow.

Title - Tidal Wave (but still needs a new name) 
Words today - 2,500
Words total - 26,500
Music - computer fan and neighbours