The W1S1 Check-in and Chill Lounge and Bar

CheG said:

OMG! I just sent a really recently completed piece to an anthology call that closes the 31st! Talk about cutting it close! I hope I hear something!!!

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I'm still half through something for an anthology that closes on the first. So no, you look calm and comfortable from where I'm sitting.

Also, my opening having now been critiqued by ASIM, I shall send last week's story off to F&SF.

Thanks guys!

Good luck Nathaniel! That is cutting it close!!

Sigh. I have six stories out and all but one of them are new submissions. I'll be waiting for a while *fidgets*

1k words down, only 5k or so left to go. I think. Assuming the MC doesn't demand even more space. >__<

I'm already questioning his choice of openings, but it shows him in a different light than the shorter version and I guess I'm okay with that.

Rose: I too have six stories out. All of them except one subbed in the past three weeks. The crickets are loud around here.

I just finished the first draft of my steampunk story at the grotesquely overlong length of 8,950 words (stuff just kept happening!). In editing, I'm going to try and knock off at least 2,000 words and hopefully more.

Sort of going along with that, what lengths do most of you generally work at? I know it varies from piece to piece, but I start to get uncomfortable around 5,000 words and it gets much, much worse past 7,000 or so. Most of my stuff is between 2 and 3 thousand. Probably just the result of hearing again and again that longer works are harder sells.

Nathaniel Katz said:

I just finished the first draft of my steampunk story at the grotesquely overlong length of 8,950 words (stuff just kept happening!). In editing, I'm going to try and knock off at least 2,000 words and hopefully more.

Sort of going along with that, what lengths do most of you generally work at? I know it varies from piece to piece, but I start to get uncomfortable around 5,000 words and it gets much, much worse past 7,000 or so. Most of my stuff is between 2 and 3 thousand. Probably just the result of hearing again and again that longer works are harder sells.

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It's funny 'cause I was thinking about this the other day.

If I can latch onto an idea that fits into 3k, I'm good. Or I'm okay with 6.5k - 8k. But I can't seem to find my groove with stories that are more than 3k but less than 6k.

Maybe this is because I really most comfortable at novel-length. So anything that seems like a chapter is all right, but after that... I don't know. I just like writing longer, better. Authors who can consistently turn out short story after short story leave me in awe.

And, on that note, I have decided to leave the steampunk short as it is. Well, edit it, but leave it as is. It would rock at a longer length but I don't have time right now (what with the deadline so close). I'll put the other ideas on the "make this a novel" shelf and come back to it later.

Nathaniel Katz said:

Sort of going along with that, what lengths do most of you generally work at? I know it varies from piece to piece, but I start to get uncomfortable around 5,000 words and it gets much, much worse past 7,000 or so. Most of my stuff is between 2 and 3 thousand. Probably just the result of hearing again and again that longer works are harder sells.

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Fun question! I write most comfortably between 1k and 3k - I like to write short. I have written some sprawling short stories - like the novella I didn't mean to be a novella - but I tend to write shorter rather than longer. I'd like to get more stories in the 4-8k range.

Going along with what Aggy said, I think - I also write novels. So if I'm writing short, I think I tend to write SHORT.

But, I'd like to broaden my horizons on length.

About 1300 words on the story today, so far. But my characters are doing things that I didn't intend for them to do originally and things that may not be believable. Grrr.

But getting closer to THE END at least.

Got a rejection this morning for Pixie Dust. Resubbed to Strange Horizons. Have some editing to do. Plus I need to get my butt in gear and get my Write 1 for the week done.

On the block for new story-age I have A) cyberpunk dystopian noir OR B) speculative Southern. *strokes chinbeard* Choices, choices.



And *yay* for Soapdish. Getting closer to The End is such a great feeling.

Edited and subbed my steampunk short. I'm not completely satisfied with it, but then, I never am. So, it's off for consideration.

Going to work on something new this evening while I brace for more rejections.

Happy writing!

I just finished editing my steampunk story. The first draft came in at 8,950 words. It's now 5,213 words. No, I'm not totally sure how that happened, though I'm damn glad that it did. I'll give it to my first readers tomorrow and see what else I need to change before I sub it.

Good luck with your beta readers, Nathaniel!

I meant to post in here this morning, but got confused by all the threads I'm subscribed to. The titles were too similar

so here...

soapdish said:

I CAN'T BELIEVE I DID IT! I finished mine just now.

Kept the wannabe cowboy after all, and he ended up being vital to the ending. A totally different ending than I'd planned (I'm an outliner) but that's common for me.

It stands at 8, 252 words and there are spots that have to be developed more in a second draft. But that's a later sort of thing...I have to distance myself from this a bit before I attack it like that. I imagine a final, final version will hit that 10k mark.

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Izz said:

Well done all, for chugging through March!

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Izz, what a great likeness of you! I'm so glad you made your avatar a self portrait.

I feel funny because I don't have a story to work on. And I'm not sure what one I'm gonna sub this month. One day (not even a whole day) into April and I'm a little panicky already.

Hah. I <3 steampunk.

And last night I started something in celebration of the Mammoth Book of Steampunk. I'll post a bit later. It's a shame I didn't think of it sooner. It's pretty badass.

But that's the way it goes.

Happy Friday, people!

I have the sudden urge to try my hand at steampunk.

Odd, I'm not sure where it's coming from ...

"Scribe and Launch" - I love it!

Good timing on that steampunk story, Nathanial.

I've got a steampunk idea I've been batting around. I didn't think it'd be ready in time for the mammoth book of steampunk but maybe I should work on it some this week. I suddenly have the urge to reread some H.G. Wells or some Jules Verne for inspiration...

Hey.

I've been away. Actually, I've been completely crushed by depression, so I've been sort of here but unable to think.

Let's say that March was an absolute loss when it came to writing. But now it's April, and I'm sitting here watching the last of a snowstorm (because winter will NOT let go this year) and thinking maybe I can manage to open a story and see if I remember how to revise.

Congratulations, hugs, a round of all the important stuff to everyone who needs it.

Ta.

Well, since it's Glorious Steampunk'd day, I think I'm going to submit something to Lightspeed. I think it's so named because of how fast they issues rejections.