The Writers Aspirant Accountability Thread

@ease For some reason I've been locked out of the forum but I got it fixed(weird password issue that I was too busy to deal with)

My August goal is to complete my illustration assignment for volume 41. I will likely write my Q4 story in September. 

My brain is too scrambled to remember what I said I'd do in July but I know it was a good month. I think I'll start saving these goals in a folder so I can look back at them more easily.

Hi, hope this finds everyone well,

Wow this is late, so late there's not even any point in laying down the August goals so I'll prob just skip to September. First though, what a rollercoaster of a month, uni started and that's full on, both my poor kiddies have been sick so had them home while trying to do it all as well as fleshing out my idea for Q4. I've written (accidently went nuts with the wordcount again) 13,000 words for the first draft so far. And then I got my Q3 result back which was bitterly accepted. A straight R and it's the first story I've submitted that I love, and it did worse than the rest. Haha, I suppose you never can tell. Onward and upward though, September time.

1. Finish first draft, edit, polish and submit Q4.

2. Submit a story to a magazine.

3. Finish reading WoTF volume 40 (better late than never, and wow what an incredible array of stories! So inspiring)

Enjoy the rest of August, and good luck with your Q4 submissions.

@bon Wow, 13,000 words during a rollercoaster month?! Amazing. Previously I have recommended against longer stories, but they do seem to do well at WotF. The downside being that there's few other places you can submit them afterwards. And those look like good September goals!

Because the next week or so looks like it might be hectic, I'm reporting in early:

Posted by: @ease

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August Goals:

• Write and upload 4 more Kindle Vella episodes.

Success - wrote and uploaded 6 more, making 11 in total. Had some minor frustrations with Amazon having a noon deadline that I thought was a midnight deadline, but managed to gain eligibility in The Vellys. (Y'all can 'Follow' my story to give it a vote, and if you enjoyed Ashes to Ashes, Blood to Carbonfiber you might enjoy this prequel, too.)

• Write another chapter of the Ashes to Ashes sequel novel.

FAIL - I got sent on a work trip that consumed a whole week of my life, then had a work emergency the day I got back that consumed another week. I have managed to dictate a ~4k word story, but it's unrelated to Ashes. I might get it done in the next couple days, but I doubt it. Fortunately the deadline isn't for another couple weeks.

September Goals:

• Get something finished for a mid-September workshop. Probably that Ashes chapter or my 'short' story (which spans 14 billion years!)
• Regardless, get both finished by the end of September.
• Revise and submit an Alien Crab story that just got pooh-poohed by BCS.

It's not much, but I'm working at least one weekend in September, probably two. 

August was so slow. Meh. Only 1 objective out of 4 completed.

• Rewrite novel, 1 chapter a week - Only 2.5 rewritten, so a half fail.
• Edit at least 1 short story or 2 flash. Done, edited 1 short and 1 flash.
• Keep on having a minimum of 8 submissions pending at all time - Only 7 right now, I had quite a string of Rs all month, so it was hard to stay afloat.
• Submit for Q4 - And a big NO. I have chosen the story though and will polish it.

So, what will I do for September? Not sure.

• Rewrite novel - getting out of Chapter 3 would be nice LOL.
• At least one new story drafted.
• At least one story edited/polished.
• Keep on submitting, let's say minimum 5 at a time (more and more stories are finishing their sub lives and end up in the trunk, so I don't have enough left in stock).
• Submit for Q4.
• Submit to Apex, gosh, fingers crossed I can manage something.

I feel a bit deflated. The only good news this month was my HM for Q3. The rest was all doom and gloom.

EDIT: gosh, was I a bit dark up there? 🧐 No, it wasn't all doom and gloom. While arranging my files and recording some stuff, I realized this was my best month down the trenches. Sure, no sale whatsoever. But I have one story held by a fantastic pro-market, and a publisher I queried a while ago, and who now has a full of one of my novelette (last year Q4 HM), has requested a synopsis, saying they quite like the story so far.

That's why this accountability thread is so helpful. It's easy to get submerged when waves of rejections and failed objectives gnaw at you. BUT any achievement, however small, must be celebrated!

I don't think I made 15k in August, but I don't think I missed it by much.
I definitely didn't read as much as I would have liked.

So why not aim higher? Haha.

September: 20,000 words (take my WiP from 50k to 70k)

And freekin read more. I've got lots of good stuff on my shelf. Just need to dig in.

I meant to jump in here in August, but September's as good a month as any to add some accountability! Here are my goals for the month.

• 6,000 words on my longer work in progress (novella or novel, not sure how carried away with it I'm going to get with it yet)
• Finish a draft for Q1, 2025 from one of the 3 pieces currently hovering somewhere between "once upon a time" and "the end"
• Keep at least 5 pieces out on submission as close to at all times as possible

Happy September everyone! Where has that summer gone? I'm sad that it's over so quickly, but looking forward to football, autumnal colors, coffee on the porch with a book, and everything else live-laugh-love adjacent. 

@hannya, you are too harsh on yourself. I think you're totally kicking ass. And a huge congratulations on the full request and further requests following that! I hope to follow your footsteps one day 😊 

@tj_knight, you're nuts, but I'm sure you'll get those words penned. You've built up so much momentum.

@clfors, get that Q4 written! My inbox is ready and waiting for the first two pages 😉 

@mulch, welcome, welcome, welcome! Fantastic goals. Was your first submission really an SHM? That's awesome!

@ajschultz6, @writhmic, @pdblake, @annax, @kz_richards, @toddjones, @joel-c-scoberg, @storysinger, @physa, @pegeen, @kent, @jeschleicher, @sconn, @gideonpsmith, @ericstallsworth, @tiinag, @olivia-ava, @abeona, @thewritingwolf, what are you going to achieve this September? Did we all get a lot of beautiful words down in August (that's rhetorical. I know the answer is a resounding "you betcha!" from all of you).

Posted by: @toddjones

August 2024 Goals:

• Complete a new story draft for Q4 WotF - FAIL (Started, but didn't get too far)
• Complete draft for part 2 of Semi-Finalist WotF story - FAIL (Started, but didn't get too far)

 

September 2024 Goals:

• Update Q3 WotF RWC and submit for Q4 (I said I wouldn't resubmit old stories moving forward, but this story needs a proper ending and I failed to do that.)
• Complete a new story for October submission to Flame Tree Publishing  (Edgar Allan Poe-ish style story)
• Complete draft for part 2 of Semi-Finalist WotF story

As expected, I achieved bugger all in August. 

September's plan is to finish off a novella. Then do a bit more on a novel that has been sat waiting for far too long. 

@ease Yes it was, and thak you! I'm very proud of that one and hopeful I can get it placed elsewhere.

I had two stories I was trying to outline/draft in August. One of them is still more Ideas and Vibes -stage with a few scenes written. the other is more methodically plotted out and written to a point (maybe one third in?).

Now I have started a third story which is plotted out/outlined, and I am sticking with that for this quarter as it is the one that excites me most, and I have the clearest idea of.

I keep doing this to myself, but also as long as I get this story done by the end of the month (which I will), I am, for once, good way in the next story as well! 

So yeah, September - Finish a story and enter the competition. Enjoy September! (I freaking hate summer, love Autumn, so I am getting to my happy time of year.)

I succeeded in writing a new story for August, and I started outlining Q4, but I didn’t get nearly as far as I would have liked. September’s goal is to write and polish Q4. 

I am still in shock, but...

I got 3rd place!

I can't stress enough how much help this forum, and particularly this thread, has been in my development as a writer and encouraging me to keep going. You get out what you put in.

A special shout out to @ease for starting this thread and keeping us all accountable but also giving me great advice and checking in on me after I hit a low a few months back after a few stories fared worse than I'd hoped . Also to add how influential your analysis of recent volumes was. My winning entry was a fresh story but it had been percolating and abandoned for over a year because I could not keep the word count low (which I thought was a help). However, after your analysis showed quite a few long stories, I just went ahead and wrote until I was done without thinking of the word count (save the 17,000 word limit, of course), and here I am! 

The funny thing is, I had emailed Jason a few weeks back about changing my address to receive my certificates (last two went to my old house) but he was on holiday and said to contact Joni / Joni could get in touch. Then I had a missed call from Joni when I was at a football (soccer) match but because it was August I thought it was much too early for results. So when I answered I was not expecting to be told I was a finalist !

Posted by: @joel-c-scoberg

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I am still in shock, but...

I got 3rd place!

I can't stress enough how much help this forum, and particularly this thread, has been in my development as a writer and encouraging me to keep going. You get out what you put in.

One hundo percento. Well, ninety-nine percento; many deserved souls are unlucky and vice versa. But regardless, I'm so darned excited for you, and I hope you're freaking proud of yourself. 

That is hilarious that you set yourself up for an extra-surprising phone call  

I cannot wait to read your story, and I hope (and know) that you're going to have the best time in Hollywood.

I've been meaning to join in on the thread for a while, and am inspired by Joel to start. So my target for September is to polish my Q4 entry (finished as part of my Aug goals) and submit, as well as polish up and get 3 of my old WoTF entries into circulation elsewhere (did first 2 in Aug, one rejected already and out again). I haven't really been subbing elsewhere, but figured it was time to start cleaning out that old cupboard, before starting a longer work later in the year. Funny how the old stories all seem to have flaws when I look at them now, but most of them also had some good parts to them too...

@ease Thank you! Yeah, I am feeling pretty proud right now, and also a sense of validation and more confidence in my self. I don't know why, but there was always a part of me saying "you're silly to believe you can win, it will never happen" and also being very reserved and even embarassed to talk about my writing with anyone outside a very small circle of family and friends. That's why this forum is so special. It provides a community of like minded people who may have similar doubts and hang ups. As I've seen forumites win over the years I have been genuinely happy for them as I know the hours and years of work that is behind those wins, and I will be rooting for other forumites to win in the future.

It is taking some time to sink in though. I have been reading the blogs again from Hollywood and can't believe it will be me next year !

My wife was like, "There is no way Joni would be personally calling you to change your address." That seems completely obvious now, but I didn't want to get my hopes up just in case. Can you imagine the anticlimax otherwise?!  

@joel-c-scoberg CONGRATS! I'm so happy for you 😍 

I hope you'll stay around with us a little bit more and that you'll tell us everything about your Hollywood adventures!

@hannya Thank you  

And I have no plans on going anywhere! I want to see which of you guys wins next quarter and will be joining me in Hollywood (and who wins the quarter after that, and the one after that, and the one after that... )

@joel-c-scoberg Such fantastic news! Congratulations and I hope you can soak up every minute of this

@ease thank you!

@joel-c-scoberg aaargh congratulaaaaations!!! You did it! Cannot wait to read your story, so excited for you. Hollywood whoop whoop

@joel-c-scoberg Congrats!!!! That's so exciting!!!

I believe my August goal ws to write my Q4 story which I unfortunately did not do. I still have one month, though! Plenty of time!

Regarding productivity in general, I wrote a decent amount of college essays, and I launched my personal project (link in signature)!!

Thank you @tiinag @writhmic and @bon !

I;m a little late reporting back and declaring Sept ones but never mind. Still time! 

August goals:

1. Write some more blog posts - have been more consistent recently and so got more traffic and I would like to keep that going

Success! In August I wrote a blog post for every week of the month

2. Write a new flash fiction piece

Success! I wrote a new piece and submitted it! (already got the rejection tho lol)

3. Bought a boat load new craft books and plan to try and break one of them open

Success (kind of) but only because opening it was such a low goal. I read chapter 1. I certainly didn't finish it 😐 

September goals:

1. Spread out my blog posts. Ironically the complete opposite of the last few months. But I realized that writing blog posts is easy. There's no rejection. And so I am putting more energy into that and not writing fiction which is the goal. So I aim to post one blog post this month and exercise the self-control that its not my focus for the month. Fiction will be.

2. Write another new flash fiction piece

3. Submit my Q3 elsewhere. Wotf might not have liked it, but I believe in this piece. So I'm going to send it elsewhere, not leave it on the hard drive, which is where most of my wotf entries remain.

Made it! 20k in August. WiP is now 70k.

I'm hoping to do updates on FB every 10k for my 20 friends. They can follow along with teasers as to what the characters are up to as the story rolls along. I'm hoping this also helps me to keep things interesting because I know I've got an update coming.

We shall see!

Now, to get some of that reading done I keep mentioning...

Posted by: @tj_knight

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Made it! 20k in August. WiP is now 70k.

 

August....September, whats a month between friends? But regardless, great achievement   

Haha. See, I need an editor!
September. I meant September.  

@tj_knight you’re a beast! Also, I didn’t know you were on Facebook. Make that 21 friends 😉

Final tally - 29k in Septembergust!

Today I am at 79k, so I'll offer my goal of reaching 100k by the end of Octomber.