Discussion: Q1 Volume 39

...and today, I think I found that missing core--and in finding it, realized that I'd made the story much better, but also much more complicated to write well. Three weeks out, and I still need to give this one a considerable chunk of thought, but my character and their background are both fixed in place now--and I feel really good about it.

Come what may, again, I'm confident I'll come out of it with a good story. I think it may have just trashed my test opening, but I do sort of expect to lose my initial 500 words anyway, as I usually write them in an eager half-hour to see if the idea feels good to me. If it does, I'll keep on rolling. These felt good, but they don't quite fit this new expanded concept, so I have more work to do.

Fortunately, I have the weeks either side of Christmas as vacation, so I'm going to have a lot of time to get this one down pat.

I didn’t think my Q3 was my best story but I did think it was the most suited to WotF. I was so disappointed with HM that I unsubscribed to various tips and packed in. My Q3 entry was late and had a few typos and clunky sentences, it also has a word used in place of swearing that might still have been frowned upon – dunno if that made a difference.

A burning idea brought me back – can’t turn my brain off. Just got to finish this one sooner and edit it properly. My biggest obstacle is my cat who doesn’t just demand to sit on my lap, she insists on resting her head on my arm.  So I’m a left-handed typist.

My biggest obstacle is my cat who doesn’t just demand to sit on my lap, she insists on resting her head on my arm.  So I’m a left-handed typist.

I had one like that, still miss her terribly. The two we have now are sweethearts, though.

And I'm glad you bounced back too! I have a recent track record of guessing very wrongly about which of my stories would do better than others--I'm still learning which things make one story place better than another. But I am learning, and again, I'm hopeful for my next one.

Fingers crossed for us both!

Planning on sending a story in, maybe today. I have 6 stories ready to go, even though two are not for this contest. Need to find markets for them, but that is a different matter. 

@DoctorJest - Thanks DJ.

You're getting closer - your time will come.

Posted by: @doctorjest

I have a recent track record of guessing very wrongly about which of my stories would do better than others--I'm still learning which things make one story place better than another.

Dude, I'd given up guessing by the end. I developed a pretty solid expectation of being likely to earn an SHM after awhile, but that certainly wasn't a guarantee. I'd gotten frustrated enough trying to figure things out that, if the story I entered in Q2 hadn't won, odds are good I would have finished out the year and then shifted my focus away from the contest simply for the sake of my sanity.

Posted by: @disgruntledpeony

Posted by: @doctorjest

I have a recent track record of guessing very wrongly about which of my stories would do better than others--I'm still learning which things make one story place better than another.

Dude, I'd given up guessing by the end. I developed a pretty solid expectation of being likely to earn an SHM after awhile, but that certainly wasn't a guarantee. I'd gotten frustrated enough trying to figure things out that, if the story I entered in Q2 hadn't won, odds are good I would have finished out the year and then shifted my focus away from the contest simply for the sake of my sanity.

Go on the assumption it's a rejection thoroughly scribbled through with a red pen. After that everything is wonderful.   (where did the playful/sexy wink go, or was that just the alcohol?). 

Posted by: @disgruntledpeony

Posted by: @doctorjest

I have a recent track record of guessing very wrongly about which of my stories would do better than others--I'm still learning which things make one story place better than another.

Dude, I'd given up guessing by the end. I developed a pretty solid expectation of being likely to earn an SHM after awhile, but that certainly wasn't a guarantee. I'd gotten frustrated enough trying to figure things out that, if the story I entered in Q2 hadn't won, odds are good I would have finished out the year and then shifted my focus away from the contest simply for the sake of my sanity.

I'm 100% sure that my guesses will be wrong, too! I managed to be dead wrong on all four this year--the first two did better than I thought, the latter two worse than I hoped. I think to date, out of fifteen entries, I guessed where I'd place correctly for exactly one.

But I do still feel like I'm learning. At this point, my target is mostly to improve my contest-craft and raise my SHM ratio. The rest I'll concede to the fickle whims of the universe(*).

(*) There remain few, if any indications that David Farland is in fact the universe.

Posted by: @pdblake

Go on the assumption it's a rejection thoroughly scribbled through with a red pen. After that everything is wonderful.   (where did the playful/sexy wink go, or was that just the alcohol?). 

One of the worries I've had more than once is that, with my writing so frequently hitting HM rather than higher or lower, I felt I might be either playing it too safe or, rather more likely given the thematic notes of my life, not taking the time needed to learn the lessons I need to acquire to genuinely progress. I felt like I made progress during this volume--it's my best performing year, despite the way it faded--and so at the end of this next volume, I'm taking time to genuinely step back, think, study a little, and let myself properly absorb some of the lessons learned. I'm historically bad at this, so I'm hoping the time taken to do so will prove to be worthwhile, when all's said and done.

Regardless, I owe a lot to folks on this forum, especially a particular handful who I hope know who they are. It's hard to overstate how badly my writing had stagnated, or how close I was to just giving up on it altogether, only to be saved from that by the support and camaraderie I found here.

Posted by: @time

A burning idea brought me back – can’t turn my brain off.

Tim,

I think we're stuck, like Groundhog Day. I just hope if/when we win this thing it's in the same year. Seems like you'd be a blast to hang out with.

@Dustin Adams - Your name's usually at the top of the SHMs (or higher). You clearly didn't leave the starting gate for Q4. Must be training hard for Q1.

Past form suggests you're a favourite for this year. Is anyone running a book? Ah - I'd have to promise not to bet on you. My backing tends to jinx horses.

Thanks Tim, I’m hoping so, but I’ve been hoping so since V.29. 

I’m TJ Knight in the HM conglomerate. I got tired of advertising my father’s brand, so I’m going with my middle initials and ancestral surname. 

Posted by: @doctorjest

Posted by: @pdblake

Go on the assumption it's a rejection thoroughly scribbled through with a red pen. After that everything is wonderful.   (where did the playful/sexy wink go, or was that just the alcohol?). 

One of the worries I've had more than once is that, with my writing so frequently hitting HM rather than higher or lower, I felt I might be either playing it too safe or, rather more likely given the thematic notes of my life, not taking the time needed to learn the lessons I need to acquire to genuinely progress. I felt like I made progress during this volume--it's my best performing year, despite the way it faded--and so at the end of this next volume, I'm taking time to genuinely step back, think, study a little, and let myself properly absorb some of the lessons learned. I'm historically bad at this, so I'm hoping the time taken to do so will prove to be worthwhile, when all's said and done.

Regardless, I owe a lot to folks on this forum, especially a particular handful who I hope know who they are. It's hard to overstate how badly my writing had stagnated, or how close I was to just giving up on it altogether, only to be saved from that by the support and camaraderie I found here.

I think what pushed me to the next level last year was a combination of a well-timed writing conference and the formation of a writer's group that really got what I was trying to do with my writing and helped me figure out new ways to approach the areas I'd been struggling with. (I still struggle with things, don't get me wrong--I just have a larger arsenal of coping mechanisms than I used to.)

Posted by: @disgruntledpeony

I think what pushed me to the next level last year was a combination of a well-timed writing conference and the formation of a writer's group that really got what I was trying to do with my writing and helped me figure out new ways to approach the areas I'd been struggling with. (I still struggle with things, don't get me wrong--I just have a larger arsenal of coping mechanisms than I used to.)

This is definitely something I need to do. After moving house and state this year, I know exactly zero(*) people in my area--I work remote, and although I enjoy spending time around people, my natural impulses tend to lean me into being an accidental recluse. My approach always ends up being to try and absorb as much as I possibly can, and turn my efforts and thinking inwards. Even reaching out for critiques has always felt strangely awkward. But without doing some of that, I'm inherently constrained in how far I can progress.

Though I doubt anything will change drastically before my Q1 is ready to go this year.

(*) My wife receives a special exemption from this group.

Okay, I'm in & it's my favorite story thus far. Let's see if Dave agrees.

@doctorjest I'll be more than happy to trade with you when you're ready. I need at least another set of eyes on mine before I send it off. 

Posted by: @nvhaskell

I am so far behind this quarter. Between finishing my manuscript and battling illness I haven't put any words together yet. I suppose that I could reformat and edit a previous entry but I typically don't enjoy doing that.

We've still got six weeks right? I will just need to buckle down in the next few weeks to make it happen. 

Just wanted to say, no. No, you don't have six weeks. Nor 3 weeks.

'Cuz, you won and stuff.

Posted by: @axeminister

Posted by: @nvhaskell

I am so far behind this quarter. Between finishing my manuscript and battling illness I haven't put any words together yet. I suppose that I could reformat and edit a previous entry but I typically don't enjoy doing that.

We've still got six weeks right? I will just need to buckle down in the next few weeks to make it happen. 

Just wanted to say, no. No, you don't have six weeks. Nor 3 weeks.

'Cuz, you won and stuff.

 

Thanks @axeminister, this gave me a much needed laugh!

I only wrote half a story before Joni called with the news. I will finish it eventually but am not under the quite the pressure to do so as I have been previously.

Posted by: @gmanwriter

@doctorjest I'll be more than happy to trade with you when you're ready. I need at least another set of eyes on mine before I send it off. 

I'll trade if I can, but I may be running close to the wire for this quarter. More than happy to give yours a look and a crit in the meantime though!

@doctorjest Cool beans! Send me your email in a PM and I'll send it over. You can send yours whenever you're ready. Turnaround time should be quicker than usual with the holidays coming up. I'll have some much needed time off from work.

Well I'm officially in for Q1. Got some necessary feedback on my story, cleaned up the areas that needed adjustments, and gave it a couple last minute checks for grammar and spelling before sending it in. This quarter was definitely a struggle just in figuring out which idea to polish up for the contest. Hopefully it has a respectable showing. Good luck, everyone!

Did anyone else get an email from WotF that you have a "draft" in the Q1 Vol 39 portal? I have a draft on my Mac, but haven't put anything on the submission portal (at least not intentionally).  

@dommichaels I did. Same basic situation (but not on a Mac. Eww. )

@dommichaels  I've sent copies to Jason. It's definitely a program error.

@dommichaels Thanks for the heads up. This email was supposed to go to anyone that had started a submission but had it in draft status. It was supposed to be a kind reminder to get your story in, but I see that this was not very clear in the message. I have alerted the team that sent out the email and will help get this resolved for the future. Best, Jason

Thank you all for the heads up on the draft email.

So the new system creates a draft every cycle for anyone in the system. This is an auto generated draft for that current quarter cycle to be filled out.

Hope this clarifies why there is a draft when you log into the submission portal, as it was auto generated.

The email again is just friendly reminder that we are getting close to the end of the quarter and there is a per-made draft ready for you to fill out with your story for the new cycle if you have not completed it!!!!! Hope that helps.

Jason

@jason 

Thanks Jason.

I received that draft email. Were writers that had already submitted included?

I got woken two hours early today by a relentless idea that closed out the final missing piece in the story I've been mulling over. It's time to write it...just as soon as I can make the time to write it.

Having to work is such a drag sometimes.

Posted by: @doctorjest

I got woken two hours early today by a relentless idea that closed out the final missing piece in the story I've been mulling over. It's time to write it...just as soon as I can make the time to write it.

Having to work is such a drag sometimes.

Isn't it awesome when your subconscious goes to work on a problem for you while you sleep?
Of course, it would be awesomer if it stopped waking me up at 3AM to tell me all about it...

Nice work!