Sorry this is a few days late. The Indoor Writer returned from Bruges (I'm still waiting for my
chocolate) with a stinking head cold, which she is generously sharing. Here is her writing round up for May:
Write 1 Sub: 2 new short stories written, 1 new flash piece, 2 new novel openings (for Words With Jam competition), 1 new filler, 13 submissions (including 1 play)√
Publish e-collection: as before - am collating the stories and have decided to enter The Scott Prize (Salt Publishing) which opens end July.
Re-start the novel: wrote another short story around a major character (submitted to Bridport Prize, well sometimes you have to aim high...) Plan to draft a synopsis and start first chapter by end of June.
Crack the Weekly News: Good news is I received an email from Jill Finlay (Fiction Editor), but of course the bad news is she didn't want my story. After waiting over 8 months to find this out I probably won't be submitting again.
Crack Woman's Weekly: To try and work out why my stories keep limping home I'm attending the Woman's Weekly Workshop (writing short stories and serials for women's mags) in London on 7 June. Watch this space...
Write and sell a serial: as above for WW, hoping to learn more about the serial market before I try again (or never).
Will re-assess all of the above and may set some new goals for second half of 2013.
The Good: .
Income = £100 in book tokens, which I'm trying to spend on writing handbooks. One of my first purchases was Robert McKee's 'Story' (one of the most expensive paperbacks I've ever bought).
Filler and a question for Della Garton published in Writers' Forum
Flash story 'Tantric Twister' published on CafeLit (a bit saucy...), a 75-word story 'Pig's Twaddle' published on Paragraph Planet, 'Gretel and the Chocolate Wolf' published in Rattle Tales 2 anthology
Highly commended: The Yellow Room Spring competition, Writers' Forum
Shortlisted: The Yellow Room
Longlisted: Kenneth Branagh Drama Award (one act play, my first attempt at a play so pretty chuffed with this result), Flash 500, Jane Wenham-Jones diet plan filler, and heard I'd reached the outskirts of the longlist (final 32 out of 400) for Cornerstones Wowfactor Novel Opening Competition.
The Bad:
Rejection from The Weekly News. Didn't make the shortlist/longlist etc for several competitions: Grace Dieu, Mslexia (again)
Hmm reading this over May wasn't such a bad month after all. Quite productive for new work and a smattering of good news and publications. Maybe this writing malarkey isn't all doom and gloom.
Keep writing and submitting...
Sounds to me like you're doing brilliantly, Tracy! I'm always amazed by your output.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sally. It does help to jot down a summary at end of the month - in my head I thought I'd hardly written anything, but reality was quite different.
DeleteWhat's really good is that you submit to all sorts of different things - I think I am rather a one trick pony in comparison! Hope the cold gets better and see you Friday.
ReplyDeleteMy writing tutor called me a butterfly writer and not sure if it was a compliment! My problem is being a chronic list ticker, sometimes once ticked I need to try something new. You may need to sit well away from me on the train Wendy - wouldn't want you to get my Belgium cold (it's the viral Jean Claude Van Damme!)
DeleteMay seems to have more good than bad, so that sounds like a success to me!
ReplyDeleteThanks Simon - I think it helps to scribble these things down as you tend to remember only the BAD!
DeleteGo you honey! :)
ReplyDeletexx
Cheers Vikki :)
DeleteDefinitely sounds like a good month, Tracy - good luck with all your new submissions! Looking forward to hearing more about the WW day some of you are attending as I haven't cracked that yet either (despite having read the mag since my mother bought it when I was young!)
ReplyDeleteThanks Rosemary. I'm hoping post the workshop to finally get some success with WW - and recoup the cost of the day too! Expect posts from me and Wendy on our Grand Day Out...
DeleteDid the workshop encourage you to have another bash at a serial? I'm tempted to try myself - if I get an idea I feel might work.
ReplyDeleteYes, definitely! I pitched a serial to PF, which with adjustment could be a goer for WW (trotters crossed).
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