Long Rambling Post about teh Writing....
Jun. 26th, 2008 07:25 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
j_cheneyI finished the roooough draft of The Hero's Wife last night and stuck it in a file to age. I think there's a good idea behind this story, and it's an Urban Fantasy-ish piece, which I rarely do, but right now I'm gonna step back. I suspect I was trying to 'say' too much all in one story, and need to go back and prune and shape. I'm just not ready now.
I felt kind guilty when I realized I've only had two sales this year. I saw that I only had 4 things out on Duotrope. And then I suddenly realized....
Oh, yeah I actually have 6 stories out, but two of them don't show up on Duotrope. Since my all-time-max for short stories out in the field is 7, this isn't so bad.
It's the long return times that are getting me down.
What's Out
1)286 days Fantasy story with unsympathetic narrator. This story is an oddball, so I'm more willing to wait. Market is notoriously slow, with the results I've seen lately being around 400 days. I'll wait. I'd like to place this one there.
2)248 days Mundane SF story at its first market. The 248 is actually the number of days since this moved up to the next level, not since it first hit there. Very good market, though, so I'm willing to wait...with fingers crossed. I have a feeling that I may not hear anything until October.
3)140 days Slipstream-ish Fantasy. I would reeeeaaaallly like to place this story there. Really. It's a strange little story, but I believe in it. I should hear within two months. I hope I hear 'yes', but I'll happily take 'could you re-write...?'
4)28 days Fantasy story with 'literary feel' at its 2nd market. A 90ish day market. Don't know if it has much of a chance there. I can hope, anyway. Again, a re-write request would be enough, and my mother actually told me she liked this story, so it really is good.
5)Not out long Epic Fantasy. I love this story. It has been to a few markets, gets 'held for consideration' or a positive R, but hasn't found the right fit yet. That's really what it is, it needs the right publication. It's a good story.
When I sent this one in, I didn't get the promised automated reply. After a few days I sent it again and got the auto-response, but also a note back from the editor that said, "If this is the same one I already got, I'm still considering it." I replied to explain that it was the same story, but since I hadn't received the first auto-response, I'd resent, and thanks for letting me know. I got another auto-response.
::blushes:: I hope this guy doesn't think I'm an idiot.
6)Not out long Fantasy story with internal conflict. The IC makes it a much harder sale, but I'm hoping these guys like it enough to kick it up to the next level. Again, a really good market. Please? Pretty please?
Still Living at Home
a) Epic Fantasies 2, 3, and 5 (done, but could use a polish before sending them off) Since they are actually a series, it makes them harder to market singly.
b) Slightly gruesome tie-in story, but it really stands alone...I still don't know how I want to market this story, (H, DF, or F?) which is what's keeping it close.
c) The Hero's Wife, which is so rough it could rub the calluses off my heels (and I'm not certain this one hasn't been done before).
Circus story will definitely NOT be written in time to make that anthology window next month. Seventh Son story hasn't come up with a plot for itself yet.
I AM SO SLOW!
OK, /angst. I spent a lot of time so far this year working on novels. That eats up the time, and I admit that I like it better. But I need to keep at the short stories so I can learn to do them more efficiently. And I need to try to get the 5 lounging around at home out the door. I'll work on that for the next couple of months. (Along with all the other stuff).
Enough with the writerly stuff.
My heel continues to feel better. I keep noticing that I'm walking funny, with my foot curled around the old hurt spot. I'm working to get rid of that, as it's a learned behavior. Oddly, I didn't notice I was doing it before...not until the hurty spot was gone. Then I kept thinking 'Why am I walking like that?'.
Another thing to work on. Going joggin' now.
I felt kind guilty when I realized I've only had two sales this year. I saw that I only had 4 things out on Duotrope. And then I suddenly realized....
Oh, yeah I actually have 6 stories out, but two of them don't show up on Duotrope. Since my all-time-max for short stories out in the field is 7, this isn't so bad.
It's the long return times that are getting me down.
What's Out
1)286 days Fantasy story with unsympathetic narrator. This story is an oddball, so I'm more willing to wait. Market is notoriously slow, with the results I've seen lately being around 400 days. I'll wait. I'd like to place this one there.
2)248 days Mundane SF story at its first market. The 248 is actually the number of days since this moved up to the next level, not since it first hit there. Very good market, though, so I'm willing to wait...with fingers crossed. I have a feeling that I may not hear anything until October.
3)140 days Slipstream-ish Fantasy. I would reeeeaaaallly like to place this story there. Really. It's a strange little story, but I believe in it. I should hear within two months. I hope I hear 'yes', but I'll happily take 'could you re-write...?'
4)28 days Fantasy story with 'literary feel' at its 2nd market. A 90ish day market. Don't know if it has much of a chance there. I can hope, anyway. Again, a re-write request would be enough, and my mother actually told me she liked this story, so it really is good.
5)Not out long Epic Fantasy. I love this story. It has been to a few markets, gets 'held for consideration' or a positive R, but hasn't found the right fit yet. That's really what it is, it needs the right publication. It's a good story.
When I sent this one in, I didn't get the promised automated reply. After a few days I sent it again and got the auto-response, but also a note back from the editor that said, "If this is the same one I already got, I'm still considering it." I replied to explain that it was the same story, but since I hadn't received the first auto-response, I'd resent, and thanks for letting me know. I got another auto-response.
::blushes:: I hope this guy doesn't think I'm an idiot.
6)Not out long Fantasy story with internal conflict. The IC makes it a much harder sale, but I'm hoping these guys like it enough to kick it up to the next level. Again, a really good market. Please? Pretty please?
Still Living at Home
a) Epic Fantasies 2, 3, and 5 (done, but could use a polish before sending them off) Since they are actually a series, it makes them harder to market singly.
b) Slightly gruesome tie-in story, but it really stands alone...I still don't know how I want to market this story, (H, DF, or F?) which is what's keeping it close.
c) The Hero's Wife, which is so rough it could rub the calluses off my heels (and I'm not certain this one hasn't been done before).
Circus story will definitely NOT be written in time to make that anthology window next month. Seventh Son story hasn't come up with a plot for itself yet.
I AM SO SLOW!
OK, /angst. I spent a lot of time so far this year working on novels. That eats up the time, and I admit that I like it better. But I need to keep at the short stories so I can learn to do them more efficiently. And I need to try to get the 5 lounging around at home out the door. I'll work on that for the next couple of months. (Along with all the other stuff).
Enough with the writerly stuff.
My heel continues to feel better. I keep noticing that I'm walking funny, with my foot curled around the old hurt spot. I'm working to get rid of that, as it's a learned behavior. Oddly, I didn't notice I was doing it before...not until the hurty spot was gone. Then I kept thinking 'Why am I walking like that?'.
Another thing to work on. Going joggin' now.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2008-06-26 02:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-26 02:59 pm (UTC)I'm told this is a phase one hits when one reaches a certain 'career' level in fiction. Who knows? Writing is angst (though also, joy).
Perhaps if you sent these stories on vacation, rather than permanent retirement, they might come back seeming better than you remember them.
no subject
Date: 2008-06-26 04:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-26 04:47 pm (UTC)But then after year or so, I figured out how to fix it. No longer ashamed. ;o) Perhaps if you give them time they'll grow into better stories?
I've got some that I don't think will ever get out of the trunk, though...
no subject
Date: 2008-06-26 03:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-26 04:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-26 04:34 pm (UTC)I only had six responses total in the three months before June, but now I've had seven this month. Things are starting to pick up.
no subject
Date: 2008-06-26 04:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-26 05:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-26 06:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-26 06:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-26 06:57 pm (UTC)(That's the whole killing one's babies issue. It's MUCH more important in a short, I think, and therefore it helps me to keep an eye out for that in a novel.)
There are a lot of people who don't do shorts, so I'm not necessarily the expert on this. ;o)