Discussion: Q2 Volume 37

Wow. Update. I now have THREE good friends as finalists this Q2. Elizabeth Chatsworth just announced. Dave referred her to me for some editing work, how we first met. I have never had three friends in the running before. One at best. This is incredible! I want all three IN!

May the best women win!

All the beast!

Wulf Moon

Wow! I've spoken to Elizabeth a few times on Twitter. She and I both have books coming out next year with CamCat Books.

Thanks all, I really appreciate the support. The night I got the call was such a rollercoaster. I was trying to rescue a street kitten that had been stuck in a garage storage unit when Joni called. I was ecstatic to get the news (and am crazy on edge to find out the results), but the kitten passed away as I was trying to save it... so a lot of mixed feelings that night. Thanks for letting me share.

Oh, how sad. And how happy. You are a good person and a great writer BrandieJ.

Thanks all, I really appreciate the support. The night I got the call was such a rollercoaster. I was trying to rescue a street kitten that had been stuck in a garage storage unit when Joni called. I was ecstatic to get the news (and am crazy on edge to find out the results), but the kitten passed away as I was trying to save it... so a lot of mixed feelings that night. Thanks for letting me share.

So sorry about the kitten, but I'm happy that you had some good news to balance things out.

Thanks all, I really appreciate the support. The night I got the call was such a rollercoaster. I was trying to rescue a street kitten that had been stuck in a garage storage unit when Joni called. I was ecstatic to get the news (and am crazy on edge to find out the results), but the kitten passed away as I was trying to save it... so a lot of mixed feelings that night. Thanks for letting me share.

So sorry you couldn’t save it, Brandie. That hurts when you try so hard. We’ve rescued many...why we have seven cats.

May you take consolation in your win.

Best,

Moon

Wow! 3 finalists from the forum for Q2! Way to go!!!

Got another HM. Really kinda getting tired of these, to be honest.

I feel a little bit the same! But at the same time, I've learned a few things over the last six months or so, and so I'm trying to expand out and improve what I do. Some of what I do, I already do well -- some, not so well, and some things I suspect I never even considered, and so they have historically been glaring blind spots. Only time will tell if filling those in changes the equation for me here or not.

Hey guys. I don't post a lot here, rather keeping to the shadows. But I found out I'm a finalist for this quarter. I am so excited and so nervous. And then excited again.

That's great news Brandie. . Hope you get that calling punching your ticket to the gala.

Hey guys. I don't post a lot here, rather keeping to the shadows. But I found out I'm a finalist for this quarter. I am so excited and so nervous. And then excited again.

You Go Girl!!! 

Thanks all. You guys rock.

Well done!

Hey guys. I don't post a lot here, rather keeping to the shadows. But I found out I'm a finalist for this quarter. I am so excited and so nervous. And then excited again.

Well, this is a heck of a way of stepping out of the shadows! Congrats and good luck!

Thanks all, I really appreciate the support. The night I got the call was such a rollercoaster. I was trying to rescue a street kitten that had been stuck in a garage storage unit when Joni called. I was ecstatic to get the news (and am crazy on edge to find out the results), but the kitten passed away as I was trying to save it... so a lot of mixed feelings that night. Thanks for letting me share.

Blurgh, definitely a big up and a big down right there. Fingers crossed for you to claim a win with WotF, though.

I just realised my Q2 HM was only a third draft. How many drafts do people do generally?

My previous rejections and HMs would have been at least 4 or 5 drafts, sometimes as many as 7 or 8. It's taking me longer to write stories*, but less drafts feels like a good thing!

*On that note, I should add that my first draft was written as part of a 24-hour challenge. I added around 3,000 words since and edited a fair bit.

I just realised my Q2 HM was only a second draft. How many drafts do people do generally?

My previous rejections and HMs would have been at least 4 or 5 drafts. It's taking me longer to write stories, but less drafts feels like a good thing!

For me, it really depends on the story. Generally, I'll do a rough draft, then work out what I can on my own for a 2nd. I have three people in my writing group who will read it, and I will update the draft with their suggested feedback. Then, I'll do a final line edit and read-through before I submit. So, I probably go through about 5 or 6 drafts myself on each story.

I just realised my Q2 HM was only a third draft. How many drafts do people do generally?

My previous rejections and HMs would have been at least 4 or 5 drafts, sometimes as many as 7 or 8. It's taking me longer to write stories*, but less drafts feels like a good thing!

*On that note, I should add that my first draft was written as part of a 24-hour challenge. I added around 3,000 words since and edited a fair bit.

Two for my story that just got the HM, but I'm guessing I'll be doing more like four or five going forward.

Depends on how you define drafts? I'm pretty sure I fell away from standard drafting at some point, although it was a gradual thing. I save a new document every time I make some manner of major revision to a story, so my current WIPs are marked 0.9 and 0.6 respectively. Only probably three or four "major" drafts among them (and my 0.6 doesn't actually have an ending yet), but sometimes there's prose I cut from my story and want to have handy in case I need it later or some such.

I consider major revisions a new draft, though I realise major will mean different things to different people. I'm making fewer major revisions now compared to 6 months ago. I save a new document each time too. I've just made some small line edits to the HM I mentioned, so as they're small edits I wouldn't consider that a new draft. So I know that in future, it's draft 3b rather than draft 4.

I don’t really do “drafts” per se for short stories. I edit a story until it is done. I’ll often reread and make major and minor changes for a week or so until I consider it “finished” and might take a personal rejection as an opportunity to tweak. So I don’t really have drafts. I’m also rarely precious with my words unless I’m cutting whole scenes.

I just realised my Q2 HM was only a third draft. How many drafts do people do generally?

It depends what you mean by a draft. I don't usually change major things, at least not if I plotted everything out structurally beforehand. If I pantsed it, I'd say I do at least two drafts. But for my Q3, I wrote it, not always in order, then pieced it together. Throughout I would skim through it and change some words or lines and add a little detail, but the story didn't change much so I wouldn't say I really made a second draft. I certainly read through it and polished it a little. But I prefer to just... get it right the first time. Of course it's not a perfect story (I'll take that back if I win ;). While I have learned a lot from going back through an old story and making it better, I'd rather just go on to the next story and make it better, unless I have a really good idea or something.

HM

Poop. I was hoping this would be your quarter.

Ha ha! I love your optimism! I missed this earlier. It is always fun to see the forumites do well. Seems we have several finalists to root for this go around. May we have as good a showing next quarter.

I just realised my Q2 HM was only a third draft. How many drafts do people do generally?

For me, my most major revisions come if I have an idea that significantly deepens the story overall. I also tend to have scenes I couldn't write properly the first time through (I suppose filling those in might technically be part of the first draft, though), and also if I'm trying to layer in or reinforce the thematic imagery in the piece.

(Note: the worse my mood is when I start writing, the more likely I am to have clunky, bad scenes that need rewriting or revision, but I do hold to the idea that it's better to have something to revise than to not have it.)

As for the number...I don't really keep count. Once the story is essentially complete, I do read-through revisions, looking for things that feel odd, and also checking off my mini-list of things that I need to make sure the story is nailing (particularly true as the number of core plot threads goes up, as I need to make sure I don't accidentally edit away one of them when tightening the prose. I've done that before, and left the end of that thread feeling like it came out of nowhere.)

I just realised my Q2 HM was only a third draft. How many drafts do people do generally?

I usually read through a story multiple times as I'm writing and a couple of times all the way through after, tinkering with minor things. The only different versions I save are my actual submissions to different places so I know exactly what I sent them after adjusting formatting, etc.

Just got my second R...hope I can finally break my streak of Rs next quarter

That's the spirit! Let's exchange 450's this quarter and see if we can both up our game.

Great idea! But what’s 450?

First 450 words of your story.

That's the spirit! Let's exchange 450's this quarter and see if we can both up our game.

Great idea! But what’s 450?

First 450 words of your story.

Thanks

Depends on how you define drafts? I'm pretty sure I fell away from standard drafting at some point, although it was a gradual thing. I save a new document every time I make some manner of major revision to a story, so my current WIPs are marked 0.9 and 0.6 respectively. Only probably three or four "major" drafts among them (and my 0.6 doesn't actually have an ending yet), but sometimes there's prose I cut from my story and want to have handy in case I need it later or some such.

I do something similar. I might do 2 maybe 3 rewrites of a short story, but I keep a running numbering system with each draft as major changes are made (ex. Folder "Draft 2", File "TITLE 3" "TITLE 4..5..6...") It gives me comfort to cut ruthlessly in this method and retain a map of where I have been.

Hey guys. I don't post a lot here, rather keeping to the shadows. But I found out I'm a finalist for this quarter. I am so excited and so nervous. And then excited again.

Well, this is a heck of a way of stepping out of the shadows! Congrats and good luck!

Thanks!!

Well... not a winner. I appreciate getting this far, but I was hoping for a different call.

Well... not a winner. I appreciate getting this far, but I was hoping for a different call.

Well... not a winner. I appreciate getting this far, but I was hoping for a different call.

I'm sorry, BrandieJ! 🙁 Making Finalist is an amazing accomplishment, though! You are so, so close!!