The New W1S1 High Tea Bar and Lounge (with extra-comfy sofas)

[Izz]

And there’s the rejection letter. Very complimentary final-round rejection, so that one’s going in the kudos folder.

Oooh, nice!

So the creative chaos has continued...

Have fallen into a mindmapping program called Xmind. It allows for collapsible trees, which is just gravy. I'd also love to find a mindmapper that allows cells/topics/tags (I'm not real caught up on the terminology) to have headers and a collapsible body, but I haven't come across anything like that yet. Anyhoo, I've been trying Xmind out for developing the characters for my Challenging Yet Fun Premise and really like it so far.

Then, when we were away visiting my folks this past weekend I got to thinking about writing a piece of flash every day to try to help with, well, lots of things, and also about story prompts and how much I enjoy them, and whether I could build a story prompter. So I kind of have done the latter, in Excel, using a formula that generates me random options taken from a list (or 3 lists in this case, that I'm continually adding to). The prompter will give me something like: 'Superhero, Unintentional Deception,' where the first word is for setting, and the next two for a story theme.

And the upshot of that is, I'm now at the end of the week sitting on a 4500-word short story draft. Which, seeing as I haven't finished a short story draft in ages, is pretty cool. Though a lot longer than the flash piece I was originally envisaging it to be

 

[AnnieColleen]

Lots of new shinies! And the kind of shinies that produce words, which is always nice.

A flash per day is ambitious! Especially when they grow like that, but, whatever works.

I’m revising my flash pieces from the CW group & need to get a couple of submissions turned around. But not tonight!

 

[Izz]

A flash per day is ambitious! Especially when they grow like that, but, whatever works.

Yeah, I don't think I'll be writing a flash per day. My brain just likes to say, 'Let's do this, it'll be amazing,' before later on asking, 'How did you ever think this would work?'

I’m revising my flash pieces from the CW group & need to get a couple of submissions turned around. But not tonight!

Noice!

 

[soapdish]

Here to cheer everyone else on.

I am still very behind and will likely not get back on track until September. Maybe August, but I’m not so sure.

I have high hopes of revising and submitting (my R1S1 plan) 3 stories to make up for my lag June/July/August. But…yeah. We will see.

 

[Tamlyn]

That sucks, Annie.


August! I did better in July, in terms of actually getting stuff edited and submitted. In fact, I submitted lots of stuff! But I also got everything quickly and form-ly rejected. So... sigh.

I've already lost my renewed motivation a bit. *pokes dispiritedly at writing folder*

Uncanny is open though. I know it'll always be rejection from them, so it's easier to just throw something their way. Can't be disappointed if you never had hope to begin with

 

[AnnieColleen]

Since the topic came up earlier, I noticed I have a possible story that’s right at that “ok, what now?” point.

What I have is:
- title, from my Plot Bunnies list
- narrator voice
- first few paragraphs
—> a few seeming-unrelated thematic threads
- a couple of vaguely sketched characters
- vibes that might eventually be a setting
- one plot event required by the title, but no specifics
- one snapshot from somewhere mid-plot event

…and an AW cross-connection that might have just given me a direction. (Rubber-duck plotting?) If this one holds, it suggests some warm fuzzies in the ending and a puzzle to put together to get there. So I suspect the next steps are poking at character/setting/theme to find some puzzle pieces.

 

[Tamlyn]

AW withheld half these posts from me yesterday *suspicious look*. Well, I'm caught up now!

Go, Izz! I love writing to prompts, it just works for me. Good luck with however many flash you get out of it (and if you do get a flash a day, I will be very impressed!)


Edit: And when I saw withheld I probably mean I didn't notice the new page

 

[Izz]

Here to cheer everyone else on.

Here's some cheers right back at ya! Go soapy, go soapy!

August! I did better in July, in terms of actually getting stuff edited and submitted. In fact, I submitted lots of stuff! But I also got everything quickly and form-ly rejected. So... sigh.

I've already lost my renewed motivation a bit. *pokes dispiritedly at writing folder*

At least you got stuff out though, right? Can't sell what's not out there, or however the saying goes

Since the topic came up earlier, I noticed I have a possible story that’s right at that “ok, what now?” point.

Very noice. Looks like got plenty to get you going

Go, Izz! I love writing to prompts, it just works for me. Good luck with however many flash you get out of it (and if you do get a flash a day, I will be very impressed!)

Just the one story so far plus an idea for another (which also definitely won't be flash).

It looks like my creative chaos has subsided a bit, which is probably good. Had the week off work last week, which we spent out and about doing fun stuff but I did manage to spend time most days brainstorming one of the Ideas. This week I'm trying to be more organized - yay for kanban boards - so I can find concrete ways to spend the creative time I have. I've given the short story draft a read through and a very light edit, and am currently formatting the novel draft so I can upload it to my kindle for the *said in a very dramatic, deep voice* Final Readthrough. My other writing tasks for the week are all brainstorming/mindmapping-related.

I'm enjoying the mindmapping process, but boy those mindmaps get big quick!

 

[ap123]

Hi everyone, nice to see the updates here

I haven't been doing much in terms of shorts, every so often I send out a sub, and that's about it. Actually, not doing much writing at all, but when I have it's been dipping in and out of a WIP that's meant to be a full.

One interesting bit that popped up this morning. 16 months ago (April 23) I subbed a short to a mag with a generally reasonable response time. I don't remember exactly what I expected, and it's been so long since anyone got a response the stats on Grinder and Duotrope are skewed. I'd sent a nudge in November, no response. Asked around and was told by someone who knows them they were still active, had just sent in noms for awards, ok. February they sent a form to all in their sub queue, apologies for delay, unforeseen circumstances, everyone would get a response by the end of April, new issue would be forthcoming in the summer. Aaaaand nothing. Becky Tuch had them listed as a "Bueller" in her Lit Mag News. Haven't actually withdrawn my piece bc I'm lazy. Today I saw it has actually flipped to in-progress on submittable. This sub was a long shot in terms of fit, but I'm now very curious to see how long before a response, if they actually are putting together a new issue or now closing down the mag, and whether or not there will be acknowledgement of the long, long, long, long wait.

 

[soapdish]

…and an AW cross-connection that might have just given me a direction. (Rubber-duck plotting?) If this one holds, it suggests some warm fuzzies in the ending and a puzzle to put together to get there. So I suspect the next steps are poking at character/setting/theme to find some puzzle pieces.

Sounds like you got some solid scaffolding to work with! Have fun with it!

AW withheld half these posts from me yesterday *suspicious look*. Well, I'm caught up now!

Go, Izz! I love writing to prompts, it just works for me. Good luck with however many flash you get out of it (and if you do get a flash a day, I will be very impressed!)


Edit: And when I saw withheld I probably mean I didn't notice the new page

Oh, I’m quite certain things get withheld from me ALL the time. But I think it might be that I still don’t have the hang of how this new forum format works.

One interesting bit that popped up this morning. 16 months ago (April 23) I subbed a short to a mag with a generally reasonable response time. I don't remember exactly what I expected, and it's been so long since anyone got a response the stats on Grinder and Duotrope are skewed. I'd sent a nudge in November, no response. Asked around and was told by someone who knows them they were still active, had just sent in noms for awards, ok. February they sent a form to all in their sub queue, apologies for delay, unforeseen circumstances, everyone would get a response by the end of April, new issue would be forthcoming in the summer. Aaaaand nothing. Becky Tuch had them listed as a "Bueller" in her Lit Mag News. Haven't actually withdrawn my piece bc I'm lazy. Today I saw it has actually flipped to in-progress on submittable. This sub was a long shot in terms of fit, but I'm now very curious to see how long before a response, if they actually are putting together a new issue or now closing down the mag, and whether or not there will be acknowledgement of the long, long, long, long wait.

Ugggghhhh! I hate this sort of limbo.
I hope you hear soon.

I finally heard back from a long-shot sub of my own the other day. And it wasn’t a rejection! Well, it wasn’t a rejection in the true sense. In a way we ALL got rejections. This amazing sweet-ass project ended up getting canceled.

They did say that it was the strongest submission pile they’d ever had…so I guess there is that.

Which reminds me to ping the editor with my condolences. I could tell it was a really hard decision they had to make.

Anyway…

I managed to complete my one REVISION of the summer for my R1S1 plan. Yay me! But also:

I guess there is still a little time left in August, maybe I can get a couple more done to make up for June/July. Prolly have to be microfiction revisions though

 

[Tamlyn]

ap123 - I don't mind long waits, sometimes, since it means I don't have to think about the story, but that is a very long wait indeed.


I would say I'm struggling, but that's my every post here, so I did, however, realise part of my problem was stalled in my current long-form writing. So I just finished that book there, in a kind of summary way, and so now it's a very short novel, but I think it was the right call. It was an sf mystery, set only on a small station, and I think that was the problem, since I had made the mystery bigger than the setting, and I would have had to either leave the station or just have the chars sitting around getting information in. (Which is essentially what I did with the summarised ending).

Then flailed a bit trying to start something new, but now I have a couple of characters in my head very distinctly. No clue on a plot, but characters are a good start!

Hmm. I typed and posted this yesterday but it doesn't appear to have posted? I have definitely become bad at forums. (or forums are bad at me, since typing this, my line breaks keep deleting randomly)

Soapdish - ugh, cancelled

 

[ap123]

Thanks, Soapdish! I am sorry about that Anthology (assuming it was an anthology, maybe not). Very frustrating.

Tamlyn, you're better than I. I hate long waits. The Dark is actually my favorite to sub to bc of their fast responses, even when they've held my work, it's only been for about a month (which, of course, = 83 years in other lit mag time, lol)
So, the longform you're working on, it's like a locked room mystery? Or maybe it was meant to be a novella?

Good luck to all with writing and subs, maybe some good news is coming! I hope.

 

[Tamlyn]

It was a locked... station mystery? So a little bigger than a room

I don't outline. I do notes, and I did a chunk for the mystery, but otherwise I am a discover things as I write sort of person. Just did not work out in this case.

But that's okay! Maybe I'll come back to it and edit it one day, and maybe I won't.

I subbed a story, then remembered the reason I hadn't subbed it for a long while was because I had wanted to make some changes (since I wrote a longform version of it lol). Oops. Oh well, I'm sure they'll reject it soon.

 

[TheBleedingTypewriter]

I hope everyone is doing well!

I've subbed 10 stories so far this year. I'm a little ahead of schedule. I've only had one acceptance, but that's an acceptance I wouldn't have had otherwise, so that's chill.

Trying not to think about a writer I saw on Substack who has had 50 acceptances this past year. I don't even have 50 stories yet (this challenge has been helping with that). I know it's useless to compare, I'm just like...man...I gotta get more stuff out there.

 

[Tamlyn]

One acceptance is awesome, TheBleedingTypewriter!

50 in a year is... amazing, and, yeah, if you compare yourself to that, you will probably just end up disappointed.


(Do you have a preferred short form of your name? Bleeding? Typewriter?)

 

[TheBleedingTypewriter]

One acceptance is awesome, TheBleedingTypewriter!

50 in a year is... amazing, and, yeah, if you compare yourself to that, you will probably just end up disappointed.


(Do you have a preferred short form of your name? Bleeding? Typewriter?)

That's a true point!
And nah, no preferred short form—BT, TBT, Typewriter, whatever works.

 

[ap123]

I hope everyone is doing well!

I've subbed 10 stories so far this year. I'm a little ahead of schedule. I've only had one acceptance, but that's an acceptance I wouldn't have had otherwise, so that's chill.

Trying not to think about a writer I saw on Substack who has had 50 acceptances this past year. I don't even have 50 stories yet (this challenge has been helping with that). I know it's useless to compare, I'm just like...man...I gotta get more stuff out there.

Congrats on your acceptance! Please ignore that 50 acceptances bit. That type of thing can leave your acceptance feeling sour, and it absolutely shouldn't. You don't know who they're subbing to, what they're subbing, etc.

 

[soapdish]

I agree with others, @TheBleedingTypewriter , congrats on your acceptance and do not even try to compare yourself to others!

I am here to report that I did get my August R1 done (had to go back today and put just a few more words on it to tie up a loose end). And I also got my S1 done (different story, actually a reprint grab).

I'm anxious to start September with a full month ahead of me to revise another story and keep submitting. I think maybe I can make up for my missed June and July goals in September. We'll see.

 

[Izz]

Good stuff, everyone, and congrats on the acceptance @TheBleedingTypewriter!

So September has cometh... That means spring in my part of the world, which means... well, I don't know what it means in terms of my creativity

I did something I haven't done in ages a couple weeks ago: I subbed a story! Was reading through it and thought, 'I still quite like this,' then looked through its already collected Rs and was reminded that most of them were forms with 'hope to see more of your work soon' at the end, from markets I know have different tiers, and then remembered that the reason I stopped subbing was that there weren't any appropriate paying markets open at that time for that length (6800 words), so I decided to give the thing a quick polish and get it back out there. Have collected one rejection already and am now waiting on the next

The other projects are plodding along. I keep flitting between them because... attention span, but I'm making progress, slowly but surely, so that's good. Happy writing, all!