Hello, maybe some of you remember me? I've been absent for... Actually, I don't recall when I last posted on AW? Six months ago, maybe?
On writing:
I abandoned my first novel, at about 65k words in. I don't feel badly about it; it was a good experience, I like many aspects of the world-building I did for it, and will probably resurrect parts for other works. If every good writer has a million words of sh*t they need get out first, then hey! I'm 65k words closer!
I did try to salvage a portion of that first novel, by extracting a ~ 13k word novelette. It figured it was a long-shot, because I really didn't have a terribly coherent story, but it was the best thread I could make of it in a short format. I submitted that to four markets, and got four rejects. Tor.com said very nice things about it, but said it was "too slow" for them. They did, however, say that it had "excellent world-building and beautiful imagery".
It was nice to at least get a personal rejection, and to hear some encouragement.
I'm currently trying to finish what I had hoped would be a short story, but is looking like another novelette, at around 10k words. I seem to write long.
Time machines, missing persons, and dinosaur steaks in Ohio.
I also have a second novel that I keep restarting, and "re-aiming". I have a few characters that I quite like, world-building that I like, scenes I will keep (including what I think is a kick-ass first chapter), but I haven't quite found the right path through the plot yet.
On rejections: I'm actually Really Pissed Off that I'm as thin-skinned about it as I seem to be! I hadn't expected that. Intellectually, I knew I would get rejections. Intellectually, I knew that novelette was problematic, and a long-shot. But, I didn't know that it would still hurt. Doh! Stupid brain!
I sulked for about three weeks after the fourth rejection, when it was pretty clear I had no more markets to try for. (Most markets want short material!)
I'm not doing NaNoWriMo; that is for the lovely Writing Robot I married. But I am trying to write every day, and on most days am succeeding in that.
I may try to hang out more here again. I'm painfully aware of how easily I get distra****OH LOOK! A CHICKEN ON THE INTERNET!****cted when I'm supposed to be writing, but I miss the banter. Maybe I need to use an egg-timer?
Ding! Times up.
On writing:
I abandoned my first novel, at about 65k words in. I don't feel badly about it; it was a good experience, I like many aspects of the world-building I did for it, and will probably resurrect parts for other works. If every good writer has a million words of sh*t they need get out first, then hey! I'm 65k words closer!
I did try to salvage a portion of that first novel, by extracting a ~ 13k word novelette. It figured it was a long-shot, because I really didn't have a terribly coherent story, but it was the best thread I could make of it in a short format. I submitted that to four markets, and got four rejects. Tor.com said very nice things about it, but said it was "too slow" for them. They did, however, say that it had "excellent world-building and beautiful imagery".
It was nice to at least get a personal rejection, and to hear some encouragement.I'm currently trying to finish what I had hoped would be a short story, but is looking like another novelette, at around 10k words. I seem to write long.
Time machines, missing persons, and dinosaur steaks in Ohio.I also have a second novel that I keep restarting, and "re-aiming". I have a few characters that I quite like, world-building that I like, scenes I will keep (including what I think is a kick-ass first chapter), but I haven't quite found the right path through the plot yet.
On rejections: I'm actually Really Pissed Off that I'm as thin-skinned about it as I seem to be! I hadn't expected that. Intellectually, I knew I would get rejections. Intellectually, I knew that novelette was problematic, and a long-shot. But, I didn't know that it would still hurt. Doh! Stupid brain!
I sulked for about three weeks after the fourth rejection, when it was pretty clear I had no more markets to try for. (Most markets want short material!)I'm not doing NaNoWriMo; that is for the lovely Writing Robot I married.
But I am trying to write every day, and on most days am succeeding in that.I may try to hang out more here again. I'm painfully aware of how easily I get distra****OH LOOK! A CHICKEN ON THE INTERNET!****cted when I'm supposed to be writing, but I miss the banter. Maybe I need to use an egg-timer?
Ding! Times up.
Then again, it's all part of the writer's life, right?
back! (I've been much absent myself.) And 
for your commitment to writing.