Discussion Q4 Volume 38

Posted by: @pdblake

I wrote my q4 in a couple of days and edited the following up week. It was one of those stories that just jumped up and wouldn't go away until I'd written it down. 

oh man, I love (writing) those kinds of stories! That's so awesome.

~A.

While letting my 4th quarter submission breathe, I got started on another story and surprisingly, happily, finished the first draft in less than a week, which is much faster than I usually finish that draft. I largely credit my speed to two things: 1) I initially hand-wrote the story. I'd never done this before and rather enjoyed the intimacy of seeing the ink dry on notebook paper. With the change in process, I came to my writing desk excited, fired up. I plan to do the same for my next story. 2) Each day, I began my writing session with a warm-up of 10 minutes of free-writing whatever came to mind w/o any care to what I scribed. I never read what I wrote. It was liberating! It got the juices flowing. I heard of other writers doing this before but never gave it a go. Recently, I read, really consumed, the book Spellbinding Sentences by Barbara Baig. It's fantastic! Free-writing is one of many writing exercises she suggests.   

Posted by: @jeschleicher

While letting my 4th quarter submission breathe, I got started on another story and surprisingly, happily, finished the first draft in less than a week, which is much faster than I usually finish that draft. I largely credit my speed to two things: 1) I initially hand-wrote the story. I'd never done this before and rather enjoyed the intimacy of seeing the ink dry on notebook paper. With the change in process, I came to my writing desk excited, fired up. I plan to do the same for my next story. 2) Each day, I began my writing session with a warm-up of 10 minutes of free-writing whatever came to mind w/o any care to what I scribed. I never read what I wrote. It was liberating! It got the juices flowing. I heard of other writers doing this before but never gave it a go. Recently, I read, really consumed, the book Spellbinding Sentences by Barbara Baig. It's fantastic! Free-writing is one of many writing exercises she suggests.   

Nice! Wow. I'll check out that book too. Thanks for the recommend.

~A.

The dirty draft of my Q4 is finished. Now to polish and get it critiqued.

Posted by: @jeschleicher

While letting my 4th quarter submission breathe, I got started on another story and surprisingly, happily, finished the first draft in less than a week, which is much faster than I usually finish that draft. I largely credit my speed to two things: 1) I initially hand-wrote the story. I'd never done this before and rather enjoyed the intimacy of seeing the ink dry on notebook paper. With the change in process, I came to my writing desk excited, fired up. I plan to do the same for my next story. 2) Each day, I began my writing session with a warm-up of 10 minutes of free-writing whatever came to mind w/o any care to what I scribed. I never read what I wrote. It was liberating! It got the juices flowing. I heard of other writers doing this before but never gave it a go. Recently, I read, really consumed, the book Spellbinding Sentences by Barbara Baig. It's fantastic! Free-writing is one of many writing exercises she suggests.   

Barbara has some wonderful free writing lessons on her blog: Where Writers Learn

And, in! I'm actually really happy with the finished result, which owes no small amount to some wonderful critiques, so now it's time to try and not get my hopes up too high. Time to get moving properly on V39.Q1, that should serve as a suitable distraction...

Posted by: @doctorjest

And, in! I'm actually really happy with the finished result, which owes no small amount to some wonderful critiques, so now it's time to try and not get my hopes up too high. Time to get moving properly on V39.Q1, that should serve as a suitable distraction...

Nice! And it always helps when YOU are happy with your own work. I've finished stories before and said to myself, "Sheesh, I'm glad that's over with."

Seven days left until takeoff! I know most of us, if not all of us, have subbed a story, then read it again a week or so later and found that one ugh-ugly typo! Or omgosh, how did I not see that word was missing! Ahh! LOL
If you want last minute eyes on for proofreading--not a critique of the story--help finding unwanted added words, missing words, commas, forgot that end quotation mark, etc. Shoot your story at me and I'll look over it and help you submit a cleaner manuscript! ♥

PM me and I'll send you my email address.

Best of LUCK to everyone! eeep! this is getting exciting.

~A. ♥

Woo! Got finally mine in on something other than the last possible moment! That's a first for me! Maybe my incorrigible procrastinator days are finally behind me.

Probably not.  Definitely not. But hey, it's good to know its possible, at least.  

Posted by: @derbestin

Woo! Got finally mine in on something other than the last possible moment! That's a first for me! Maybe my incorrigible procrastinator days are finally behind me.

 

Probably not.  Definitely not. But hey, it's good to know its possible, at least.  

My earliest sub was the 23rd of the 3rd month. We're tied for the earliest subs evar!

Seriously, if I ever subbed in say, month two, my head would explode. ? 

I have been out of the short story ring while I finished edits on a novel. It is ready to go out of submission now, and I have completed the first rough draft of a short story. By my usual time line of skidding in at the last minute, I am early on this one. 

Wishing you all the best of luck.

Posted by: @derbestin

Woo! Got finally mine in on something other than the last possible moment! That's a first for me! Maybe my incorrigible procrastinator days are finally behind me.

 

Probably not.  Definitely not. But hey, it's good to know its possible, at least.  

Getting in a week early is pretty solid. Great job!  

Posted by: @axeminister

Posted by: @derbestin

Woo! Got finally mine in on something other than the last possible moment! That's a first for me! Maybe my incorrigible procrastinator days are finally behind me.

 

Probably not.  Definitely not. But hey, it's good to know its possible, at least.  

My earliest sub was the 23rd of the 3rd month. We're tied for the earliest subs evar!

Seriously, if I ever subbed in say, month two, my head would explode. ? 

 

I felt the same way until last year, when I started writing during baby naps, and suddenly I had more fresh stories than I did WotF submission windows. Which was weird, let me tell you. At that point I started treating it as a race with myself and started getting in as early as possible instead. Not sure if that helped, hindered, or was a neutral factor in my contest results, but it felt good not to have to stress about whether a story would be entered on time. That said, I definitely wouldn't recommend it for everyone, as it routinely results in four to six month waits for results and that can be, uh, stressful.  

Posted by: @jvashley

I have been out of the short story ring while I finished edits on a novel. It is ready to go out of submission now, and I have completed the first rough draft of a short story. By my usual time line of skidding in at the last minute, I am early on this one. 

Wishing you all the best of luck.

Go go go!  

@jvashley Looks like you're right on schedule. With a novel to boot, that ain't too shabby! Happy revising with the short! And go get em' on them novel submissions!  

Not sure if that helped, hindered, or was a neutral factor in my contest results, but it felt good not to have to stress about whether a story would be entered on time.

I might give that strategy a shot. It'd be nice to not worry about that deadline. I got a first draft of a story written for an anthology call. As first drafts go, I like it. It needs some cleaning up and some other eyes to compensate for my blind ones, but I like it. Then again, WOTF is my numero uno market, so   

Maybe this is a silly question that has already been answered, but did everyone get a confirmation email when you submitted? I seem to recall getting them for earlier quarters, but haven't yet seen one for this go around. I see a confirmation of sorts on my entry profile; maybe the new entry process makes a confirmation email unnecessary?

I dunno, now I'm just second-guessing myself on everything. Did I submit the right file? Did I dot every figurative 'i' and cross every metaphorical 't'? Did I irreparably bungle up something simple and now the judges are all going to take turns laughing at me? This contest is one of the best things I've ever stumbled across, but it does quite the number on my anxiety levels!

And with my 1000th post - I'm in!

@derbestin

No, but I asked the site administrator in a post on the new system and he confirmed that if you saw the acknowledgement on the screen, you were in. Joni said the same thing. So rest assured and carry on . And best of luck!

I sent in my story last night. A brand new one. Hopefully one of my best but I have said that before and either I was wrong or my best is not good enough no matter what I learn.  But with this new system does they still send out a got it e-mail immediately? 

In.

After giving the humor piece a rest and reread, I was completely satisfied with it. That rarely happens.

Continuing work on the next piece.

Still available for crits.

@ldwriter2 It will send confirmations one day when they finish tweaking it. It does acknowledge you are in when you submit. If you want an emailed confirmation as well, Jason Toth will be happy to send you one. Best of success!

@wulfmoon   Thank you. I wanted to make sure my story went through okay, with this new system. 

Posted by: @axeminister

And with my 1000th post - I'm in!

Ooh, nicely done. Good luck Dustin!

& I'm in!   Good luck everyone!  

Good luck everyone! I'm moving on to thinking about v39 and 1QTR ideas with a KYD. Now that I am on the chopping, I started asking my self if the story would be better from the other character's POV. Oh well I have time to explore options and more prompts.

Posted by: @craydimensional

Good luck everyone! I'm moving on to thinking about v39 and 1QTR ideas with a KYD. Now that I am on the chopping, I started asking my self if the story would be better from the other character's POV. Oh well I have time to explore options and more prompts.

My story that I'm pretty sure I'll enter for v39 Q1 went through a pretty big overhaul including a POV change. I fully expect it to be done pretty soon and I'll maybe send it out to some of the quick markets first before entering it to see if I can get any personal rejection notes

@disgruntledpeony Yes, ma'am.  

Posted by: @lost_bard

Posted by: @axeminister

And with my 1000th post - I'm in!

Ooh, nicely done. Good luck Dustin!

You are a Trooper, Dustin!

All right, gang...I'm in for Q4. This is the first time I've entered the contest in a couple of years. Sure feels good to be back.

Good luck, everyone!