The Writers Aspirant Accountability Thread

I have just finished writing my Q2. Yay. Depending on the time of day, I go between hating it and loving it. If anyone would be willing to do a critique (swap, 450-word, or whatever you'd be willing to do) I would appreciate it so much.

In other news, I ended up winning the writing contest I was participating in, so I at least have one small success to log this quarter. Next up, I hope to write something for Resnick and revise my Q2 when I get feedback. Submissions-wise I am down to one being held, one no response yet, Q1, and two rejected. 

Posted by: @kz_richards

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 I at least have one small success to log this quarter. 

What is this nonsense?! That's a huge success! Congratulations!

Is your winner somewhere we can read it?

And I'll always do a 450 for anyone, no return expected (though I do have a piece I'd love to exchange if you're keen). How long is it? I'm about to get busy (two kids' birthdays within the next week, then family visiting from overseas) so probably can't handle anything particularly long.

And great work on the submissions. You're doing great, K. Z.

Congrats, @kz_richards on your successes! I'd be happy to take a look at your story, 450 word swap or full. DM me if your game. Same to you, @ease. I got a 5400 word story in the docket that could use some eyes and opinions. 

@ease Thank you so much for the congratulations! It was a small-scale flash competition but I’ll take it. The story is 1000 words (not speculative) and the link to it can be found on their website if anyone is interested (are we allowed to post links here?)  https://thewritergames.wixsite.com/thewritergames/about-5

My Q2 is not terribly long. About 5000 words. But if that is too long I would also welcome a 450-word critique! I’ve got a week with kids birthdays and it is one of the busiest weeks of the year, so I totally get it. Look for my DM

@jeschleicher Thanks so much! I would definitely be up for a swap, and mine is about the same length. I’ll message you!

Posted by: @kz_richards

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I have just finished writing my Q2. 

One foot in front of the other and just keep writing.  I also have the love/hate relationship with many of my stories.  I feel they can be better, but I just don't know how to do it or if I try I feel like I may mess them up worse.  haha

Posted by: @kz_richards

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In other news, I ended up winning the writing contest I was participating in

Great news on the contest.  

@kz_richards Just read your story and I loved it!

@writhmic oh thank you so much!

Posted by: @ease

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For February, I'm going to revise my Q2.

Done, and with 5 days to spare! 

Posted by: @kz_richards

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@ease Thank you so much for the congratulations! It was a small-scale flash competition but I’ll take it. The story is 1000 words (not speculative) and the link to it can be found on their website if anyone is interested (are we allowed to post links here?)  https://thewritergames.wixsite.com/thewritergames/about-5

Good story, @kz_richards! Congrats on your win and thanks for sharing!

Right. I have 10 submissions out, including my q1 and q2. Two are on hold having reached the final rounds of their particular targets and I'm twitching just a little bit. 

My novel is in the final stages of editing. I can't wait to get a query and synopsis done so I can start sending it out and get on with something else. That is this month's target. 

Posted by: @kz_richards

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The story is 1000 words (not speculative) and the link to it can be found on their website if anyone is interested (are we allowed to post links here?)  https://thewritergames.wixsite.com/thewritergames/about-5

Lovely story! Thanks for sharing! 

@jeschleicher @lost_bard Thank you so much!

Posted by: @kz_richards

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@ease Thank you so much for the congratulations! It was a small-scale flash competition but I’ll take it. The story is 1000 words (not speculative) and the link to it can be found on their website if anyone is interested (are we allowed to post links here?) https://thewritergames.wixsite.com/thewritergames/about-5

Fantastic story. Very well done. I nearly wrote about my favorite bit but don't want to spoil it for others!

@pdblake, excellent check-in. I hope your twitching isn't drawn out too long and ends with success!

@ajschultz6, @clfors, @doctorjest, @writhmic, @annax, @toddjones, @joel-c-scoberg, @storysinger, @physa, we're in the final month of this quarter. How are you all progressing with your writing goals? Getting those Q2's out for critiques? My offer for 450s pro-bono remains open as always. 

@jeschleicher, you've been in here a bit recently! Want me to add your name to the list of those-to-be-pestered each month?

I just finished a flash for a personal narrative writing competition and am now hoping to just sit down and churn out my Q2 entry. I honestly don't know if I'll make it in time for the deadline, what with new personal commitments, but I will try nonetheless. I think the part that's stalling my progress is the middle. I have a vague idea of what I want to happen but the details are eluding me. I want it to be clever but can't think of how to make it clever. At least the beginning and end are clear.

@kz_richards congratulations Amazing news, well done!

Posted by: @ease

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How are you all progressing with your writing goals?

Hi @ease, I just finished a very rough first draft of my planned entry this quarter. Truthfully, this page helped as did your 450 word review. I had hit a bit of a bump in terms of motivation and finding time, but what I originally thought would be around 4,000 words has stretched to 7,000! I need to edit it and decide on a few world building things ([placeholder words] are everywhere!), but I am feeling much more hopeful I can get it submitted on or before 31 March, thus keeping up my aim for four entries for Vol40 (#4440).

Posted by: @ease

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Posted by: @kz_richards

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Want me to add your name to the list of those-to-be-pestered each month?

 

 

@ease, pester away! I'm in need of some good acountabudies!

For March, my main goal is to focus on productivity. I'd like to finish two short-story first drafts. On the submission front: I aim to keep 10 krakens perpetually out to market. Whenever a story gets return, I'm gonna kick it back out to another market. Mind you, I'm gonna do it, the kick, lovingly w/ some positive affirmations.

& of course, I gotsta submit to WOTF for Q2! That's a given and almost done. My Q2 is all but ready minus only anonymizing and hitting submit. 

 

Website: https://www.jeschleicher.com/
Blog: https://www.jeschleicher.com/dopaminesdelight
V40: Q1 3rd Place Winner ("Squiddy")
V39: SHM, HM, HM, HM
V38: HM, SHM, HM, HM
V37: R, R, HM, HM
V36: R

 

Posted by: @ease

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@toddjones we're in the final month of this quarter. How are you all progressing with your writing goals? Getting those Q2's out for critiques? 

Thank you for the prompt. I am taking you up on the offer to have someone critique my work. My wife and mom do it now as potential audience readers. They're not writers and don't read fiction anymore, so their input is helpful to find those parts that trip a reader up, and/or make them re-read a section, and/or if they simply want to pull out a lighter and set the whole thing on fire. Note: That hasn't happened yet, but they may just be suppressing the urge to be nice.  

A fellow writer doing a critique will be very helpful. I'm going to work on reviewing two other authors works this week and hopefully I don't tick them off and help. We writers need to stick together and help each other grow.

In regards to goals for March, I have two stories in final draft; one new one for WotF Q2 and one previous WotF HM for Mike Resnick Memorial contest. I am planning to get back to my horror novel, which if any of you have tried a novel is a monumental task. I have had several requests to write part 2 to a story that earned me my first WotF SF. I may do that, since I've never wrote a sequel before and always wanted to.  

Happy writing to all of you and stick to your goals.  

Posted by: @toddjones

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I am taking you up on the offer to have someone critique my work.

I second the offer anytime you'd like to swap critiques.

Posted by: @toddjones

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hopefully I don't tick them off and help

This! I always have some degree of anxiety when I send my critiques back, especially when connected on the interweb. 

@ease

I’ve been working, sadly. I finally got my desk last week, didn’t have time to assemble it before I came to visit family this week. When I get back, I’ll assemble the desk, set up my computer, and get back to writing.

I have a completed a Q2, but I need to change it a bunch to make it more speculative.

I’ll try to get everything done soon. Thanks for keeping me accountable. ?

@ease @ease Hey! Well I finished the first draft of my novel. I switched paintings because I was inspired at the last minute and really want to get this in for second quarter. So the plan is finish this painting this week and then I have the last week of the quarter to write my short story! ?

@writhmic - I know you can work out the middle. Don't be afraid of changing your ending if it's restricting you and stopping you from writing the middle!

@joel-c-scoberg - Brilliant work finishing that first draft! Any chance now that you've finished you can see the 'theme' of your piece, and use that to inspire your [placeholder]s?

@jeschleicher - Q2 done bar anonymizing? You get to avoid the pestering for the rest of the month! See you in April! 😉

@toddjones - You're smashing it out of the park for Q2. Have you submitted to Resnick yet? And have you started on that sequel? Wouldn't mind seeing that SF one day: I hope you're sending it out to some markets.

And in regards to critiques, if you're worried about ticking someone off, then odds are you're already doing everything right, in my opinion. Sometimes critiquing takes some tough love, but protecting a writer's drive/thirst to write is paramount.

@annax, I hope your battlestation is complete and aiding you well in vamping up your Q2. 

@clfors, you gotta chase that muse! Screw writing (that's the only time I'll ever say that) if your muse is telling you to paint. 

@ajschultz6, @doctorjest, @storysinger, @physa, don't think I forgot about you. This is me not putting pressure on you. You have over two weeks to finish your Q2s (and Resnick's, if you're going for that too). Hope to see you in here proclaiming some submissions soon. Rooting for you.

Now back to your keyboards!

<edit>@kz_richards, apparently I did forget about you. I had quoted your comment in my last post, and thus completely overlooked your name right at the top of it! I am so sorry. Finished revising your Q2? Did you decide to write something for Resnick? 

Posted by: @ease

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@toddjones - You're smashing it out of the park for Q2. Have you submitted to Resnick yet? And have you started on that sequel? Wouldn't mind seeing that SF one day: I hope you're sending it out to some markets.

Thanks for the encouragement.

The sci-fi story is kicking my butt. I can't seem to get it right and I'm running out of time for the Resnick entry.  I don't think I'll write sci-fi again. It feels like pulling teeth right now. Not to belittle any of you out there that like getting teeth pulled, but it ain't my thing.

Q2 is almost done. I just have to smooth out the ending and then another read from my wife and I'll turn it in by Friday.

Heya, @ease -- no worries from me on that front! As I mentioned, I had my Q2 in at the very start of the Quarter, have my Q3 just about ready to go as soon as we cross over the boundary, and although I don't qualify to enter the Resnick award, I am in for the Baen Fantasy Adventure Award (and for anyone else who's keen to have another contest to enter, doors close for that one on April 30th, so you've still got some time to pick out a decent fantasy romp and throw it into the mix).

I'm feeling a little burnt out on writing right now thanks to other non-writing stress, but I'm staying in touch with edits and other minor things to make sure I keep the car idling, rather than stalling out.

Posted by: @ease

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@joel-c-scoberg - Brilliant work finishing that first draft! Any chance now that you've finished you can see the 'theme' of your piece, and use that to inspire your [placeholder]s?

Thanks for the check-in @ease it does help focus the mind!

I have a revamped draft after some feedback, those pesky [placeholders] are filled, and I am *looks over shoulder to check I haven't summoned a jinx* happy with where my story is at and hope to be able to submit it soon. Unless something drastically changes in my mind over the direction of the story, I think I will submit before 31 March. Always nice not to go down to the wire.

@doctorjest thanks for the Baen Fantasy shout out. I have a rough outline of a fantasy short (I usually write sci-fi short stories), which I may be able to get ready by 30 April. I am not eligible for the Resnick Award either but good luck to all those who enter it!

Well, I’m about halfway through my Q2 submission(estimate) at 4,000 words. I should have a draft finished today or tomorrow! Then we’ll see if I can get a thing written for the Mike Resnick contest. 

Posted by: @toddjones

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The sci-fi story is kicking my butt ...

Q2 is almost done.

 

Sci-fi is coming along. It isn’t going to make my top 5 best story list, but I do feel better about it. I may attempt another sci-fi, depending on the sub-genre. I get confused about what genre my stories are in.

Q2 submitted.

Amazing work gentlepeeps! To those whose Q2 is not yet submitted (including me): we've got one week left! That's a good amount of time, but if you depend on critiques and revisions you better hustle!

Somehow I'm ill again (I've genuinely been ill more times this year than the decade of 20-30 - must be getting old) and work is as busy as ever (58 hours worked so far this week) which is mildly irritating, but I'm still confident I'll get Q2, Resnick, and my Apex Anthologies in. The latter might not be as polished as I'd like, but I'm okay with that.

I hear ya! I'm putting the finishing touches on my Q2 story and have been for a month. It never is good enough!

@ease I’m sorry you are sick again 🙁 My household has been sick countless times since quarantine ended after going two years without a single illness. It has been rough! I hope you feel better soon. Those kind of work hours are hard on the body! 

sounds like your writing is going well though.

I got my Q2 done(might do small tweaks or edits with feedback) and have my idea ready to start on Resnick tonight.