Discussion: Q1 Volume 38

^^ Sweet!

LouisD, check your PMs.

Amstard, good luck!

I'm in a holding pattern until the 31st this time, as changes have scuppered what I wanted to do (or at least, robbed me of the energy to want to do it--fortunately, as of this morning it's taking a turn for the better, but it's been exhausting).

In the meantime, I have a short story or two in submission elsewhere that I'd like to fall back to as entrants for v38.Q1, but I don't know if they'll come back in time. So as a stop-gap, I'm also fleshing an old flash-fiction story, adding a little meat to its bones and drawing the storyline out. It's missing a piece of the puzzle for sure, so I don't know if I'll get it into the state I would ideally like before the deadline, but if push comes to shove, I'll at least enter the story I have for consideration. Can't win if you aren't in, and I wouldn't be the first person to be surprised when the judges liked a story that the writer didn't think was The One. 🙂

Almost ready to submit! Just leaving it one or two days over Christmas so that I can remove myself from the story a little before a final edit but then I'm all sorted. It's my first time submitting, the last few quarters I've chickened out at the last second. However, I'm feeling good about this entry. Best of luck to everyone submitting!

Think I am ready to submit. It is a stand-alone story from my long-term WIP. I feel extremely vulnerable because these are ideas that have been in my head for years. *deep breaths*

I feel extremely vulnerable because these are ideas that have been in my head for years. *deep breaths*

I'm really feeling this way about my Q1 entry, too. Let's hold hands and jump into the deep end of the pool together!

My pep talk to myself is that I'll never write this beloved story idea if I don't try; if this story flops it doesn't mean the ideas are bad, but that they didn't make it onto the page; and this contest is the perfect place to figure out how close I am to making it work because I can revise and resubmit, and other markets don't let me do that.

I feel extremely vulnerable because these are ideas that have been in my head for years. *deep breaths*

I'm really feeling this way about my Q1 entry, too. Let's hold hands and jump into the deep end of the pool together!

My pep talk to myself is that I'll never write this beloved story idea if I don't try; if this story flops it doesn't mean the ideas are bad, but that they didn't make it onto the page; and this contest is the perfect place to figure out how close I am to making it work because I can revise and resubmit, and other markets don't let me do that.

Thanks, GlibWizard. That is really great advice and I wish you the best of luck with your entry!

Just re-submitted a tweaked version of the story I put in for Q2. Good luck everyone!

Almost ready to submit! Just leaving it one or two days over Christmas so that I can remove myself from the story a little before a final edit but then I'm all sorted. It's my first time submitting, the last few quarters I've chickened out at the last second. However, I'm feeling good about this entry. Best of luck to everyone submitting!

All we can do is write the best story we can write. Yes, they’re itty bitty baby soul chunks, but a rejection doesn’t make that any less true. We can and should still be proud of the work and heart that went into them - regardless of the ultimate result. Don’t self-reject. Submitting is an act of courage and as such is a triumph all on its own.

Almost ready to submit! Just leaving it one or two days over Christmas so that I can remove myself from the story a little before a final edit but then I'm all sorted. It's my first time submitting, the last few quarters I've chickened out at the last second. However, I'm feeling good about this entry. Best of luck to everyone submitting!

All we can do is write the best story we can write. Yes, they’re itty bitty baby soul chunks, but a rejection doesn’t make that any less true. We can and should still be proud of the work and heart that went into them - regardless of the ultimate result. Don’t self-reject. Submitting is an act of courage and as such is a triumph all on its own.

What Becky said, RedKite. It is hard for aspiring writers to submit their work, for a variety of reasons. You have to find a way to get past that. It helps to realize that every famous writer you know began by sending that first story out, wondering if they were any good, but they got up their courage to send it out anyhow. And they kept sending them out, and got better with every story they wrote. Finally, their writing craft and storytelling skills rose to such a level, they made that first sale, they won that first contest. Their career began . . . because they got past their fears and did the work involved to make their career happen.

Some of the biggest names in the industry, including the coordinating judge, David Farland, got their start right here.

Why shouldn't that be you? Why couldn't that be you?

I did some freelance editing for Elizabeth Chatsworth on her first novel. I asked her with such wonderful writing skills, why wasn't she submitting to Writers of the Future? She said she hadn't really thought about it and didn't know much about the Contest. I filled her in. When I checked back toward the quarter's end, she still hadn't written anything for it. I told her to get a story in, that it could only help her upcoming first novel if she won.

She listened. She wrote a story. She sent it in. And it won on her first try. You'll be reading it in Writers of the Future, Volume 37.

Five days left to send that story in, RedKite! And that goes for the rest of you! Don't miss your deadline!

Fortune favor the brave.

Wulf Moon

Hi, everyone. I've missed you all. Sorry I've been absent... 2020 really left me bereft where writing was concerned. Recently I started working on a musical, which (thankfully) jump-started my creativity. I've pulled out a 290 word flash piece. As to be expected, I have no idea if it's any good. LOL So if anyone would feel like swapping on a beta, please let me know. It's pretty short, so even if it's horrid it shouldn't be too hard of a stretch. Give me a shout if anyone's interested.
--Tracy

LouisD, check your PMs.

Amstard, good luck!

I finally did. Took me longer than it should have to remember to come back here.

I submitted late last night.

Im also real excited about this upcoming year because im more skilled than i was last year and still feeling motivated to enter a piece each quarter!!

And, I'm in for the quarter. Not the story I expected to sub, but I spent a little time fleshing out, roughing off the corners, and revising it to the state I wanted it to be in. I think it's missing something in it, despite my efforts to flesh out that absence, but I'm about to run out of available time to spend on revisions, so I figured I'd do what I can now and submit while I have the chance. I have low expectations for this one, but at least I did submit!

Submitted at last. I feel like I sat too long on this story, although I have a good feeling about this one. Finally, I don't have to look at this story for another three months.

Not to finally start working on my other story for the quarter...hmmm, three days left.

Best of luck to everyone!

At this point, whoever you are, just submit something! If your a new writer or an old hand, got a sure winner or a rotten banana, SUBMIT. It's at least good practice and will lessen chances of technical difficulties when you really want to. Plus you have a cool R, or higher, for your signature panel. No one cares (in a good way) what you submit, ideally a story, of course, but it needn't be the best, that's what next quarters for.

Ditto on that. The people I find most inspiring are those who went through a string of R's before winning.

Just hit submit on my Q1 entry.

Best of luck, everybody!

Submitted on Christmas. Good luck to all! Woke up twice yesterday realizing two errors in my subbed story already. If the result is disappointing, I can look forward to the chance for it to be fixed in the next quarter!

In like Flynn with a grin on his chin.

I have written a few stories in the last two months with the intention of submitting them for this quarter. Sunday I decided that what I had written was crap and sacked them. I pulled out the beginning of a story I started in June and just completed it. Will submit it either tomorrow or the 31st after one more round of edits, which will be the closest to the wire I have come.
Does anyone else do this?

1-R
2-HM
1-SHM

Will submit it either tomorrow or the 31st after one more round of edits, which will be the closest to the wire I have come.
Does anyone else do this?

It looks like I'm going to be submitting right before the deadline for my third quarter in a row, so you're definitely not alone! I think I'm going to try writing my Q2 story right after this one so I can have it done before school starts again.

By the way, nice job completing a story so fast!

I have written a few stories in the last two months with the intention of submitting them for this quarter. Sunday I decided that what I had written was crap and sacked them. I pulled out the beginning of a story I started in June and just completed it. Will submit it either tomorrow or the 31st after one more round of edits, which will be the closest to the wire I have come.
Does anyone else do this?

I did it all the time, Haskell. I don't recommend it, it's hard on the nerves. But it is how I produced "Super-Duper Moongirl..." Check out the story on my Facebook page today. The pressure can sometimes force the best out of you.

May that be the case for you!

Glad to hear so many are working hard to meet deadlines. That skill will serve you well. It's the mark of pro writers!

I've got more tips for becoming pro writers in my upcoming WotF Podcast with John Goodwin. I hope you guys are listening to every episode.

All the beast!

Wulf Moon

Does anyone else do this?

Yes. I will often have several stories in various stages of incompletion before concentrating on one shortly before the quarterly deadline.

However, were I to teach the subject, I would recommend market research and targeted plots to achieve success in the industry. Read what is being published. Learn to write to at least that level of expertise. Choose subject matter that more readers (as witnessed by sales) find appealing. Set a solid deadline for each story (Why? If accepted, editors will ask for revisions on a deadline. Get used to it.).

Have fun,
Kent

I didn't make my "draft early" goal for Q2 (at least, not yet), but I'm in for Q1!

It'll be another tight squeeze for me as I work on edits to the last few minutes before the deadline. Why has this become my norm now?

For those of you who are like me and at this stage feel defeated with the manuscript, don't let it stop you from submitting. I don't think this story of mine will go far or place. I love the idea but in my hands I've managed to take something great and turn it into crud. Even so, submit! One day I'll have enough skill to write my ideas as good as they sound in my head (hopefully).

I just got back a pretty harsh critique from a good friend. The funny part is, I just spent two days doubting the story and my ability to finish it (and my value as a writer...and human, but whatever). When it finally came together last night, I was thrilled. So, I looked at the issues he brought up, addressed what I could, and sent it off to another good friend. Hopefully, I'll get it back by tomorrow. In any event, the story will be submitted.

Submitted the shortest story I've ever entered and the most whimsical one I've written. Good luck to everyone who has entered and to those of you still writing/editing!

I just got back a pretty harsh critique from a good friend. The funny part is, I just spent two days doubting the story and my ability to finish it (and my value as a writer...and human, but whatever). When it finally came together last night, I was thrilled. So, I looked at the issues he brought up, addressed what I could, and sent it off to another good friend. Hopefully, I'll get it back by tomorrow. In any event, the story will be submitted.

Last night I highlighted this in Deborah Chester's latest book on revising fiction: "Do not panic. Do not set fire to your story and bury the ashes in the backyard." It was comforting evidence that the doubt stage is part of many writers' creative process.

Get those stories wrapped up and submitted! Last call for the quarter!

You can’t win if you aren’t in!

All the beast!

Wulf Moon

Last night I highlighted this in Deborah Chester's latest book on revising fiction: "Do not panic. Do not set fire to your story and bury the ashes in the backyard." It was comforting evidence that the doubt stage is part of many writers' creative process.

This, it is true.