The W1S1 Check-in and Chill Lounge and Bar

Still working on The Patient Prince, the as-yet unfantasy fantasy story (though I have worked out some fantasy elements which will be included). 7,000 words in, which is considerably larger than my usual fare, and I'm really not anywhere close to done. Starting to look like this one is going to be in the 10,000-15,000 word range, which is cool since I've never written anything that long.

Back to the grind.

Worked a teeny bit last night on a piece of erotica that I have no idea where I might sell it.

Planning to edit The Collections Agent before subbing to the AW antho.

And waiting on crickets. >_<

Finished 'The Picture Show of Gregory Moore' last night. It will probably need polishing before I send it out, but I'm glad I finally got it done. I was thinking of sending it to Chizine, but since they're closed I'll have to figure out what other market would be a good fit for a 'The Picture of Dorian Grey' riff.

I'm debating the Science in My Fiction contest. I should have my story ready to go, but I'm not entirely sold on these contests. Except WoTF.

MattJ said:

I'm debating the Science in My Fiction contest. I should have my story ready to go, but I'm not entirely sold on these contests. Except WoTF.

Click to expand...

I'm not a fan of contests. I've done Shock Totem a couple of times, but it's a little different. And I did a couple several years ago--second place and shortlisted. I really think general submissions are a better choice, but I guess it's a personal decision.

I've never entered Writers of the Future, either. I haven't ruled it out, but it's never really grabbed me to do so.

After your big win, I'd think you might really be all in for contests. Yours will get an editor's attention on a cover letter, maybe make them look a little more carefully. It is really good for that, Matt.

Shelley

After a final round of edits, I sent off "A Brief Respite from Eternity" to Apex this evening. It's my first time using HeyPublisher for anything and I was a bit taken aback by the lack of the cover letter feature. Or was it there and I did something wrong?

Fighting tooth and nail with my current WIP. In my attempt to strangle this one into staying a short story I've turned it into more of an in-depth outline. Got a lot of adding to do. /cracks knuckles.

Alex,

Make sure you will out the author information--- that's where the cover letter stuff goes. Otherwise, like me, you may get a response that begins, "Hi Writer".

alexshvartsman said:

After a final round of edits, I sent off "A Brief Respite from Eternity" to Apex this evening. It's my first time using HeyPublisher for anything and I was a bit taken aback by the lack of the cover letter feature. Or was it there and I did something wrong?

Click to expand...

MattJ said:

Alex,
...Otherwise, like me, you may get a response that begins, "Hi Writer".

Click to expand...

After so many "Dear Editor"''s that would seem somehow fitting

Lol.

I'm trying to write mythpunk and failing dismally.
I might do up something from one of the flash challenges and sub it out. Then at least I'll have done something this month.

I have got a fairy tale retelling that might pass as mythpunk, but it's subbed out and I don't know if it will be back in time for the whatever it was that wanted Mythpunk this month.

Does anyone know where I could sub a humorous 'Book of Revelation' pastiche?

alexshvartsman said:

After a final round of edits, I sent off "A Brief Respite from Eternity" to Apex this evening.

Click to expand...

Good luck, Alex!

Darkshore said:

Fighting tooth and nail with my current WIP. In my attempt to strangle this one into staying a short story I've turned it into more of an in-depth outline. Got a lot of adding to do. /cracks knuckles.

Click to expand...

And good luck to you, too, Darkshore. I know this song and dance well.

Lillie said:

Does anyone know where I could sub a humorous 'Book of Revelation' pastiche?

Click to expand...

No idea. Sorry, Lillie.

I subbed a story to the AW Anthology last night, so I guess that counts as my submission for this month. Fingers crossed!

Tomorrow, I'm relocating from NY to Ohio for academic reasons. Crazy to think it's happening so soon. As a result, much as I'm finally nearing the end of monster-short-story-that-tried-to-be-a-novel's draft, it's going to be damn hard to reach the end. As is, I've realized I need to rewrite the first 80% in first person. Hopefully I can reach the climax today so I can edit on the parts of the trip I'm not driving (though I could probably double my productivity if I edited during both...).

Nate: Have a safe trip! Sorry to lose you from NY but I hope Ohio will be good for you.

Uhm hi, haven't been on here in a long time... last checked in before W1S1 got its own section. I've been writing at least one story a month (which was what I planned) but I've only subbed once (which I didn't plan).

So I'm back and seeing everybody's progress is so encouraging! I'm polishing a short for my town's literary festival. The deadline is next week so hopefully I won't chicken out. Night

Welcome back, OA. And yeah, no chickening out allowed!



Random of the night:
"A Superior and Expected Kind of Cricket" would make an awesome story title. (could also be Unexpected, depending on context.) Adventures of a Victorian naturalist? Or possibly a sportsman?


also: NaNoWriMo methods work vs the W1S1 Inner Editor. 1600 words in 47 minutes (3 sprints). On a story that really can't procrastinate any more, so this is good!

AnnieColleen said:

Random of the night:
"A Superior and Expected Kind of Cricket" would make an awesome story title. (could also be Unexpected, depending on context.) Adventures of a Victorian naturalist? Or possibly a sportsman?

Click to expand...

*snerk* I sort of like Unexpected better, because you wouldn't expect a cricket to be superior. It sounds like a Victorian story, too. Maybe a bug collector?

Does anyone know if there's a specific name for stories that are exactly 200 words? I wrote one yesterday for the Erotica forum prompt and I kind of like how it turned out. It's not too graphic either, so I figure it would make a good spec-fic sub, but not sure which markets prefer uber-short fiction. I might just flesh it out a little bit and sub it as regular flash fiction. If it doesn't blow up into something large and unwieldy when I try and muck with it. Aggy, so glad it's Friday

Aggy B. said:

Does anyone know if there's a specific name for stories that are exactly 200 words? I wrote one yesterday for the Erotica forum prompt and I kind of like how it turned out. It's not too graphic either, so I figure it would make a good spec-fic sub, but not sure which markets prefer uber-short fiction. I might just flesh it out a little bit and sub it as regular flash fiction. If it doesn't blow up into something large and unwieldy when I try and muck with it. Aggy, so glad it's Friday

Click to expand...

Aggy, I've heard that called a double-drabble, but only in fanfic circles. I think it's just called flash.

Leodegraunce only accepts fiction of 200 words or less and their current theme is DESIRE. Maybe that's serendipity?

Shelley

shelleyo said:

Aggy, I've heard that called a double-drabble, but only in fanfic circles. I think it's just called flash.

Leodegraunce only accepts fiction of 200 words or less and their current theme is DESIRE. Maybe that's serendipity?

Shelley

Click to expand...

Hmm. Interesting. Of course, what I wrote is really more horror that erotica but I'll see what shakes out in the edits. Thanks for the link.

zanzjan said:

Good luck with the short story. (-: Which town literary festival is that?

-Suzanne, also in MA.

Click to expand...

Thanks Suzanne. It is the Salem Literary Festival. Contest is retell a classic & the deadline is 8/15. Last year I went to a short story workshop and had a blast so hope I'm off that weekend and get to do more events this year.

Thanks Annie & those NaNo tricks do come in handy don't they! I just used Write or Die to finish a school paper on time

Opinionated Ant said:

Thanks Suzanne. It is the Salem Literary Festival. Contest is retell a classic & the deadline is 8/15. Last year I went to a short story workshop and had a blast so hope I'm off that weekend and get to do more events this year.

Click to expand...

Good luck, Ant!

I'm frustrated today on a few different levels. But I know the feeling will pass or at least melt into something a little less prickly soon enough.

Shelley

shelleyo said:

I'm frustrated today on a few different levels. But I know the feeling will pass or at least melt into something a little less prickly soon enough.

Click to expand...

Not fun being frustrated. Sending these guys to help cause wine gets messy through the internet. -->

sammyjwebb said:

Not fun being frustrated. Sending these guys to help cause wine gets messy through the internet. -->

Click to expand...

Heh, thanks. I would definitely melt into something a little less prickly with some wine. Wouldn't get much writing done, but I'd get caught up on sleep. I rarely drink these days, so one or two beers or glasses of something and I'm ready for a napsy.



Shelley