j_cheney: (Sleepy)
J. Kathleen Cheney ([personal profile] j_cheney) wrote2007-10-23 08:14 pm

Done, for now...

OK, so the first draft of Inheritance of Fire is done...I promise. It is actually done this time, and came in at 12K, almost on the nose. I went ahead and included every scene that I'd laid out in my head, and all the dialog and exposition....I think. Now I'm just going to let it settle for a few days.

Oddly, after allowing myself to go over 10K, I now think it will end up below that after I cut all the fluff. Hmm.

For the next little while, I'll be working on Faces of War and The Dragon's Intended--BTW, I'm aware that title is terrible. Should I get these up and running, that means I will have completed the 10 stories for the year. That doesn't mean sold.
 
January-- 
February--Stupid flash story (trunked after not selling to a specific market)
March--Whatever Else (at Clockwork Phoenix)
April 1--Shared Dreams (haven't decided what to do with this...not quite happy with it just now...need to think about it)
April 2--A Mention of Death (sitting on Trunk)
May--Afterimage (at Baen's)
June--The Dragon's Child (at IGMS)
October--IOF--first draft done
November--FOW--started, no FD yet
December--TDI--started, no FD yet 

It also seems as if all the running around only produced a lot of angst that I'm not happy about, trying to accomplish goals rather than just writing.  I think I'm going to come out of this year having accomplished those goals, but not all that...satisfied.  Note that one of the stories has already been trunked, one is sitting on the trunk, and four of the ten are still being massaged.  I think I'll end up with eight good stories out of this effort, one passable one that won't sell, but that I need for continuity, and some that are part of a series.

SD and AMOD are both stories that involve Shironne Anjir.  TDC, IOF, and TDI are the series, in which I'd like to have at least 5 stories.  (4 is in the planning stages, not sure about 5 yet).



So, goals for next year?  Don't rightly know yet.  Not 10 shorts.  I think I'd like to go back to a more organic aproach to shorts.  More novel writing time....definitely.  Need to get DitD written.  I've been so busy with the short stories that I've given the novel the short shrift.  While at this point in my career that might be a proper move, I agree with some others who have recently noted that they shoud get back into the novel business. 

[identity profile] jtglover.livejournal.com 2007-10-24 02:00 am (UTC)(link)
I should take stock like this too... I've also been thinking about goals for next year, and I don't rightly know what they will be. Sad about the trunked stories, though I know it happens. I've occasionally had that happen too -- such a specific story it's not likely to sell to any but a very few markets.

[identity profile] j-cheney.livejournal.com 2007-10-24 02:04 am (UTC)(link)
Yeah, and I try not to lose any sleep over it....

(And one day when we're rich and famous moderately well-known, perhpas someone will be interested in buying them then)

[identity profile] j-cheney.livejournal.com 2007-10-24 02:05 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, and by 'sitting on the trunk' I mean that I still think it's a good story, I jsut don't want to mess with it right now.

[identity profile] jtglover.livejournal.com 2007-10-24 09:18 am (UTC)(link)
Understandable. Based on my growth as a writer I sometimes think nobody would ever want a story that I wrote, say, last year. On the other hand, in the story notes for Fragile Things, Neil Gaiman mentions that at least one of the stories published there sat in his attic for many, many years before it sold. That's encouraging.

[identity profile] reudaly.livejournal.com 2007-10-24 12:58 pm (UTC)(link)
Just keep the trunked/sitting on stories in mind though. You never know when the perfect market will pop up. Just happened with one of mine -- which was nearing the trunk. Due to that specificity... ooh, "specificity", big word. Coffee must be kicking in...

[identity profile] j-cheney.livejournal.com 2007-10-24 01:03 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah, I'll hang onto them. Who knows?

My coffee hasn't kicked in yet, so I'll stick to small words.

[identity profile] reudaly.livejournal.com 2007-10-24 01:10 pm (UTC)(link)
Never can tell -- of course, the famous writer collection is always a great goal. 8-)

I did the Starbucks thing (even though I don't care for Starbucks) this morning. Hence the word usage -- I bought a pound of coffee so I wouldn't have to go into Wal-Mart and they threw in my venti coffee of the day for free.

Wheeeeeee.... 8-)

[identity profile] j-cheney.livejournal.com 2007-10-24 01:14 pm (UTC)(link)
Ooh, free coffee. I feel a visit coming on!

[identity profile] reudaly.livejournal.com 2007-10-24 01:27 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm not sure if that's a standing policy or just a cool thing they did today, but it's worth a shot, and I'm not complaining.

They were inside slow this morning, so I got some excellent service.

[identity profile] reudaly.livejournal.com 2007-10-24 01:56 pm (UTC)(link)
Tell me about it, and according to the Co-Worker, the free brew with purchase of bulk is a standard policy...

[identity profile] reudaly.livejournal.com 2007-10-24 02:40 pm (UTC)(link)
So go forth and over caffeinate. I did.

[identity profile] j-cheney.livejournal.com 2007-10-24 02:44 pm (UTC)(link)
;o) Will do.

[identity profile] keesa-renee.livejournal.com 2007-10-24 03:40 pm (UTC)(link)
Aww, I kind of like "The Dragon's Intended". Makes me wonder if we're talking bride or dinner, here...

[identity profile] j-cheney.livejournal.com 2007-10-24 03:48 pm (UTC)(link)
;o)

(I'll take that into consideration)

[identity profile] dotar-sojat.livejournal.com 2007-10-24 11:30 pm (UTC)(link)
I had a goal to write six short stories by November 18... I've got three done, and a little over three weeks left. I've kinda got three ideas that I could try to do, but am not sure.

It's weird, had I already done four stories, I could give it a pass, or write a fifth and call it good, but since I've only got three I feel like I have to go for broke or not bother.

[identity profile] j-cheney.livejournal.com 2007-10-24 11:46 pm (UTC)(link)
Decisions, decisions....

thank you

(Anonymous) 2008-04-05 09:51 pm (UTC)(link)
thats it, guy