The Writers Aspirant Accountability Thread

Posted by: @pegeen

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@ease Glad to hear you got all 3 in on time. Rough schedule! I hope everyone takes care of their health and stress levels. If you can't do it all, don't feel bad about it.  Sometimes success is just getting through the week.

Thanks Pegeen. You're too right!

Posted by: @storysinger

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No time for resting Ease. The Jim Baen Memorial Short Story is due on April 30. It's fantasy time.

Haha, you're a cruel taskmaster... but I actually have a sword and board fantasy that might fit the bill with minimal editing...

DoctorJest, I'll avoid quoting/tagging you so that you don't get an unnecessary 'ding!' Best of luck with your non-writing endeavours, and hope to see you back soon.

Posted by: @joel-c-scoberg

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Thanks for the prompt @ease

De nada! It's why I'm here. I can't help but feel the story I read could be expanded to a novel pretty naturally. It almost reads like a couple of chapters, honestly.

Posted by: @storysinger

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That was an aha moment. Now I write and finish what I start most of the time.

If I'm mid-draft and I have another idea, I'll start a new document and jot down some cliff-notes, maybe an opening scene, and then jump back to the work in progress. I love having a not-blank-slate available to start working on as soon as I finish a piece. Keeps the momentum going, without robbing too much momentum from the current work with interruptions.

Posted by: @storysinger

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Now I'm doing the same thing with my effort to write a novel, I have 4 incomplete efforts.

They are all over the 50,000 word count but my plan is to pick one and finish.

Wow, four 50k pieces! That's quite some effort to devote without finishing. Definitely pick one and get it done! I have the opposite problem, I just keep refinishing the same piece... 14 years and several re-writes later I was ready to call my novel 'done.' Then I came here, learned a butt load, and am unhappy with the novel once more... I think I'm going to ignore it until the next one or two novels are done. It's had enough of my time and energy.

Posted by: @toddjones

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I read (somewhere) that around the 50K mark is where most writers give up on their novel. I would guess it has something to do with all the story plot tangents are running wild like greased piglets; not easy to wrangle back in.   

Statistically, I almost guarantee it, but for another reason: NaNoWriMo has you write 50k words, and so many people do NaNo but don't write otherwise.

Posted by: @annax

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@ease

I'm going to try and be kind to myself this month. Focus on trying to write for Q3. Work on Resnick. That's it. I have school and work so that's about all the time I have for. Thank you for keeping me accountable.

If you can choose between easy and right, pick right. Between right and kind? Pick kind. Even to yourself. Though I hope you mean Baen instead of Resnick, because Resnick deadline has come and gone.  

Posted by: @gideonpsmith

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@ease I need some accountability ? 

Goals for April are modest.

You're in! And hey, goals are goals, and modesty is a virtue. 

We have three whole months until Q3. That's oodles of time. Has everyone got a concept idea? I nearly just typed mine out here, but then remembered that we don't want to give away our anonymity and eligibility. I am a fool. All I'll say is that mine is ridiculous, and based very closely on some recent real life experiences of mine. I wonder what it says about my life that those two statements could both be true...

Now back to your keyboards!

I'd like to join in! First year submitting and though Q1 and Q2 went smoother than expected, Q3 is already proving difficult. 

@sconn Same here.  Q1 and Q2 were difficult too!

@sconn you're in! I strongly recommend checking out the 450 word critique thread: https://writersofthefuture.com/forum/story-critique-exchange/first-four-fifty-critique-exchanges/

It has some excellent advice on how to kick your story off the right (read: WOTF) way, compiled by writers that have been entering for years. I tested its advice against the latest volume and found that the majority of winners tick off the majority of the advice: https://writersofthefuture.com/forum/postid/49250/

Either analyse your beginning yourself, or better yet, get someone else to (I'm always open to give 450 critiques), or ultimately: do an exchange with someone. Personally I learn as much, if not more, from critiquing someone else's piece as I do from having mine critiqued. 

I advise this because I have any reason to suspect there's a problem with your current piece, but because it's a great way to learn about WOTF as a market. It's not the same as every other magazine out there, and if you're not writing specifically for it you're hurting your chances and potentially wasting your time.

Hey all! Q2 was a good quarter for me as far as putting myself and my craft out there to be judged. I entered both Q2 and Mike Resnick, & along w/ making sure to keep rotating my finished stories amongst markets, I applied to both the Clarion West and Odyssey workshops.

I'm at a crossroads re: Q3 goals, in flux as to where to concentrate my efforts. I'm itching to start a novel, but also getting much out of my continued focus on short stories. A lot will depend on whether I get into a workshop. I should find out this April for both. I'll wait until then before setting any quarter goals.

@jeschleicher 

Another Odyssey/Clarion-west applicant! Though I applied early enough to Odyssey to be in the early decision group I was not selected for that. Having said that I was over on twitter and a few people were posting about wrapping up odyssey and when I looked at their bios these were people with publications in fantasy mag and BCS and Uncanny, and on spec fic magazine staff and so as much as I would love to do it, if thats the stage of people they are looking for, I'm nowhere near that level

?

Wishing you the best of luck with them!

Posted by: @ease

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NaNoWriMo has you write 50k words, and so many people do NaNo but don't write otherwise.

That being said. That is how those four efforts came about. So maybe it's when I reached my goal I put them aside and concentrated on the contest.

@gideonpsmith    I had no idea what you were talking about so I googled "what is odyssey clarion" and numerous interesting articles appeared. I leave it to interested parties to do the search and read the articles. One is from Wired. One references broken marriages and mental breakdowns.  The articles are interesting and amusing, so I will read more. Mostly I will read them and laugh.  Fortunately, I find myself with zero interest where MFA's and intense writing workshops are concerned. Way back when I committed the faux pas of sticking up for Hemingway. Trust me when I say that sticking up for Hemingway was NOT the socially acceptable thing.  I still like Hemingway. He was a product of his time and I take that into account. He also was a darn great writer. I found it all very amusing.  I participate in a Milford style zoom critique group now. Kudos to all who wish to compete at the Icarusean heights. I hope you find what you want. I remain skeptical.

Posted by: @pegeen

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I still like Hemingway.

Hemingway is one of my faves.

I thought I'd give everyone a bit of time off after the results release. A huge congratulations to all of you aspiring writers. We had a fantastic slew of results, with loads of HMs and SHMs, all the way up to our Finalist. And to those that had their piece Returned, congratulations to you, too. You got something finished and you put it out there. 

I hope you're all having a great April, getting down lots of words. Now's the time when most people are open to critique swapping, so take advantage of it. Don't save it for the last fortnight of the quarter (note to self: heed these words). Sure, you might not have your Q3 finished, but do you have the first 450 words done? I find the 450-exchanges invaluable.

And for those with Q3 submitted (looking at you, @pdblake), how are your other writing goals going?

@ajschultz6, @clfors, @writhmic, @annax, @kz_richards, @toddjones, @joel-c-scoberg, @storysinger, @physa, @pegeen, @kent, @jeschleicher, @sconn

@ease 

My goals were:

1. Complete draft for WotF Q3 Started but far from complete yet.

2. Query agents as I continue to hear back, to ensure I have at least 10 queries active on novel #3 - umm, not done this at all yet this month

Having said that I did do my taxes this week (who me? Last minute?), I put my place up for sale so that involved real estate agents and packing, and next week is school vacation so I have to plan some kind of activities for my two boys. So thats why my goals are staying modest for now. 

I did however, submit to Apex Robotic Ambitions, and some drabble pieces, so not a total loss so far ? 

My goals for this quarter are going to be pretty light since exams are coming up.

1. Finish the piece I planned for Q2 ( ) and submit that for Q3

2. Finish editing one of my back-burner pieces

@ease I haven't submitted q3 yet. I'm working on my baen entry at the moment. I have something in mind though. 

My first grandchild is due anytime now though, so I may get sidetracked. 

Still got a last pass of that novel to do too. 

The target for this month is baen and then the novel if I have time. Q3 will get started next month. I also have a couple of stand ins just in case. 

So far, I've started my Q3 but am not much beyond 1,000 words, and I expect it'll go to at least 6,000, so some way to go. I should get in on the 450 word exchange though, it was super useful for my Q2 entry and the first time I had sought such critiques.

I had an HM for my Q1, which I am pleased about (though would have loved to place higher). Upon reading it back, and with the benefit of an additional critique on it, I can see some plot issues and other things I was blissfully unaware of, so on reflection I am much more content with a HM (which I think is a great achievement anyway!).

So, I am torn between completing the new Q3 this month, or making the amendments needed to my Q1 entry and, either resubmit this quarter, or push on and try a new story and perhaps put my Q1 out to market and have it in my pocket in case I have a busy quarter at end of year and need to submit something.

My goal of starting to sketch out a novel has gone nowhere (standard), and with a holiday looming next week, realistically I won't get a story ready for Baen this month. So I will focus on my new Q3 story and amending my Q1 and trying to find it a home.

How are your goals coming along? @ease et al.

Well done to all the writers aspirants who submitted a story, and also to those whose stories placed  

In have finished my Baen entry and submitted, just in time as my eldest has just texted me to say she's in hospital on the cusp of labour.

A question, if anyone else has entered the Baen Fantasy Adventure Award. How did you go about saving an RTF file with headers? Their guidelines specify they want an RTF and only an RTF, with the title and page number on every page. I write in Word and saved as, but looking in notepad, Word itself and Open Office, RTF headers just don't show up at all. Only Jarte ( a multi document RTF editor) shows them and I think that might be Jarte's own take on them anyway.

Well, they were there when I saved it. Really not sure why they insist on RTF these days, or why some places insist you copy and paste the whole thing in an email and expect it to stay in Shunn Standard Format.

ETA: I've emailed them and asked the question, or rather whether it matters or not if my headers have vanished into the ether.

ETA 2: Blimey that was quick. No sooner did I leave my chair and they replied. Apparently it doesn't matter, as long as the title is on the first page and the rest of the guidelines are followed. So now we know ? 

Posted by: @pdblake

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In have finished my Baen entry and submitted, just in time as my eldest has just texted me to say she's in hospital in the cusp of labour.

Oh, my goodness! Congratulations!! 

Posted by: @pdblake

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A question, if anyone else has entered the Baen Fantasy Adventure Award. How did you go about saving an RTF file with headers?

I struggled for a day with this same issue. I couldn't find anything in the world wide web that helped. Note though that most anything beyond the fundamentals of computers is beyond me. See Zoolander. However, when I printed the RTF document, the headers did show on the printed pages. So they are there. Anywho, after a good few hours trying to figure out how to get the headers to show on the file itself, I gave up and sent what I had, hoping that maybe they only care about the headers when the few finalist stories are printed, if I'm so fortunate to be amongst them. 

Maybe someone, better tech savvy than I (most everyone), can better help you. 

Posted by: @pdblake

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Blimey that was quick. No sooner did I leave my chair and they replied. Apparently it doesn't matter, as long as the title is on the first page and the rest of the guidelines are followed. So now we know ?

Thanks for the update! This make me feel so much better!

Posted by: @pdblake

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In have finished my Baen entry and submitted, just in time as my eldest has just texted me to say she's in hospital on the cusp of labour.

A huge congratulations! That's brilliant news! 

And even bigger congratulations for the grandbaby! Don't forget to remind your daughter frequently that childbirth is hardest on the grandparents: she's got the easy job, all she has to do is push/be operated on, you guys have to worry about her and the baby and dream up ways to spoil it. Way harder.

@ease she's resting at the moment so I'm sat at home fretting lol. 

No doubt the phone will go in the middle of the night. 

I have a grandson. Born just a few minutes ago by cesarian. So baen got finished just in time  

@pdblake Congrats!!! I hope your daughter and grandson are doing well

@writhmic just had photos via the interweb. Both are doing fine. Thanks.

@pdblake, ain't life grand! Congratulations, proud Papa!

@pdblake Congratulations!

@pdblake congratulations!!!

Posted by: @pdblake

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I have a grandson. Born just a few minutes ago by cesarian. So baen got finished just in time  

Congrats

Thanks all.

@pdblake congratulations!

Posted by: @pdblake

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I have a grandson. Born just a few minutes ago by cesarian. So baen got finished just in time  

That is awesome! Congratulations! ?? Just wait until he can walk and talk and you’ll never be able to catch him or keep up! Lol

@ease

It’s been work, work, work right now. I’ve fallen off the bandwagon. I can’t wait to get back on it, but I’m finding myself less and less motivated to keep up. Maybe it is what I need though, to get my brain working right again in being creative. My goals all went out the window. Maybe a little bit a day and pretty soon, I’ll have a story.