Write 1 Sub 1

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Izz

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Over in the 2010 submissions thread, Alex Shvarstman pointed me towards a new challenge idea similar in premise to NaNoWriMo, but yearlong and revolving around short fiction.

That idea is Write 1 Sub 1.

In a nutshell, the challenge is to write one story every week, or month, next year and submit it (you don't have to sub it the same week or month, but it will need to be subbed at some stage in the year). So far 96 writers have officially signed up, some going for one story a week, some going for one story a month, and some, like me, going for two stories a month--which translates to the monthly challenge x2. Check this out for more details of what's involved.

ETA2: We now have our very own sub-forum! http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=221 w00t! Thanks, Mac!





37 AWers are definitely playing. Some of their blogs are linked to further down this post (if your blog's not in the list and it should be, please let me know and i'll add it quick-smart).

With the above in mind, this thread has two purposes:

1) To advertise Write1Sub1 and thus hopefully get a few more writers on the ride.

2) To act as a base of operations for AWers who have joined up.

Note: I am not involved in any way in organizing the Write1Sub1 challenge, and this is not intended to be an official representation of Write1Sub1. This thread is also not intended to take attention or traffic away from the official Write1Sub1 blog. It *is* meant to be a place where AWers who are joining in the challenge can hang out and encourage one another, and I'm hoping that it can in some small way contribute to the success and continuation of what i think is a really great idea.

With thread purpose #1 in mind: If you feel you need some extra motivation to write regularly, or sub regularly, then do think about entering the Write1Sub1 challenge. If nothing else, it will help you chart your writing limits and likely help you improve your writing scheduling. Also, there's shiny badges you can put up on your blog or website. Who doesn't love shiny badges? Oh, and you may sell some stories because of it.

If you feel you won't be able to write 52 stories in a year (that's a lot), or 12 stories (that's still quite a lot) and get them to sellable standard, why not tailor the challenge to suit your schedule? How about 1 story every 2 months, or 2 stories every 3 months? And even if you don't formally join the challenge, i'd sure love to have you hang out here with those of us who have.

And if you don't need the extra motivation ('52 stories a year? Easy') then join Write1Sub1 anyway. Might as well get a shiny badge for what you're already doing, right? :D

Thinking of thread purpose #2 now: If you've joined, let us know. Post here with your plan. Give us a link to your blog or website (or both) so we can cheer you on. Check in here regularly to tell us how you're going. If you're finding the going tough and need somebody to give you a hug or a kick, let us know. If you want to discuss a story problem, or a scheduling problem, or anything else, throw it into the thread (i'm thinking about creating a Write1Sub1 Social Group, but that's really dependent on how many participants we have here).

The folks at Write1Sub1 will be putting up weekly and monthly posts so people can provide updates on their progress. I'll link to those here so we don't miss any. If you want to twitter your Write1Sub1 achievements or disasters, the twitter hashtag is '#write1sub1'. If you're a Facebooker, here's the Write1Sub1 Facebook page.

Here are some blogs of AWers who've entered the challenge. I'm sure they'd love it if you popped in to cheer them on.

alexshvartsman
sisco
izanobu
Izz
Marvin Ghey
branchwag
NicoleMD
amkuska
soapdish
katsincommand
mfowler76
SimonKewin
bearilou
DaveK
GreenRoom
Tienci
Sagana
BriMaresh
pangalactic
JennyCP
Lyra Jean
misaditas
knotane
shelleyo
pamelam

The AW social group page for the Write1Sub1 challenge is here. If you're part of the challenge, but not in the group, please let me know, or if you want to be part of the group and the discussions, but are not involved in the challenge, let me know.

As you can probably tell, I'm really excited about this. The people behind Write1Sub1 (Stephen Ramey, Simon Kewin and Milo James Fowler) credit their major inspiration as Ray Bradbury, who diligently wrote and subbed a short story every week for decades. Here he is, talking about his approach. Here's hoping Write1Sub1 can unearth some more Bradburys.

ETA: If you're looking for someplace to sub your Write1Sub1 stories, check out the Write1Sub1: Short Fiction Market Listings page. As well as containing links to market list giants Ralan's and Duotrope, it has a link to a short story competition page (primarily UK markets, by the looks), the Preditors and Editors markets page and a flash fiction specific markets page.
 
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Izz

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Thinking of thread purpose #2 now: If you've joined, let us know. Post here with your plan. Give us a link to your blog or website (or both) so we can cheer you on.
I've entered the challenge, but have adapted it slightly. A story a week will be too much for me, i think, but a story a month might not be pushing myself hard enough (though it might, we shall see). So i'm going for the monthly challenge x2. My plan is to write two short stories over the course of each month, and sub them the month following. I'll be charting my progress here, as well as posting about my progress here (i apologize for the nasty light green bars on the right-hand sidebar; the blog layout was a quick-fix a while ago that i've never properly repaired).

I also plan to utilize a lot of the monthly SFF SYW challenges (the password is 'Vista' if you can't get in). There's typically one for each week of the month (though you can use as many as you like in a story), which is just great for something like Write1Sub1.

My writing this year has meandered, so i'm hoping this will be the kick start i need to get things back on track. I'm also hoping this will help me recover the discipline i need, and have lost over the course of the year, to write regularly.

:)
 

Fenika

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This is a great idea, Izz. Thanks for sharing. I think a story a month would be a good way for me to focus on writing more (I used to write a story a month, or more, so it's time to get back in the habit.)
 

sisco

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I signed up for the weekly challenge. I'll probably be frequenting the monthly SFF challenges myself for ideas, although I do have a twenty page file on my computer full of potential plot ideas I've been meaning to write I intend to pull from as well. Good luck to everyone who decides to take up this challenge.
 

izanobu

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I'm signed up already. It's a great plan. I was somewhat following it this year, but only managed to write about 30 shorts since I got sidetracked by some novel projects. But doing so much writing is definitely what is helping me sell finally :)
 

Izz

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This is a great idea, Izz. Thanks for sharing. I think a story a month would be a good way for me to focus on writing more (I used to write a story a month, or more, so it's time to get back in the habit.)
Join up. Join up. Join up. And remember, it's not just writing the story, it's subbing it too.

Go on, fen. Do it. It'll be fun.:e2writer:

I signed up for the weekly challenge. I'll probably be frequenting the monthly SFF challenges myself for ideas, although I do have a twenty page file on my computer full of potential plot ideas I've been meaning to write I intend to pull from as well. Good luck to everyone who decides to take up this challenge.
Welcome along, Eric :) So you're going for the weekly challenge. Awesome. Have you got a plan of attack sorted out for each day of the week? Stephen Ramey's weekly plan is interesting, especially the targeting specific markets bit.

I'm signed up already. It's a great plan. I was somewhat following it this year, but only managed to write about 30 shorts since I got sidetracked by some novel projects. But doing so much writing is definitely what is helping me sell finally :)
Ahha, thought i recognized your blog on the entrants list, izanobu. :) Coolio. 30 shorts in a year is still pretty damned impressive. I take it you're doing the weekly thang?

ETA: There's now 28 entrants total.
 
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sisco

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I haven't come up with a daily plan yet. I tend to like to let myself be a little fluid when dealing with the various aspects of the process. I think sometimes if I am feeling uninspired and can't think of what to write I will look through the market listings and pick one to write for and other weeks I will just write what's on my mind and then search for a market. I did like his idea about rotating genres over a 4 week period. I had an idea for a series of interconnected fantasy short stories I might work on one week, do a scifi story the next, a fantasy story that isn't related to the serial the third week and maybe something different or just whatever strikes my fancy at the time for the fourth week. Still haven't figured out all the details but I am working on it.

I also haven't decided if I am going to submit the ones that I write each week the same week or give them a few days before editing them and submit them the next. I have a few complete short stories that haven't been submitted yet that I could use for the first couple weeks submissions to allow myself some time to get fresh eyes on the work.

I am considering something like. Week one: write story one, polish old story, submit other old story that's been polished. Week two: write story two, polish story one, submit old story. And so on and so forth. That gives me some time between writing, editing and submitting the stories. But I don't know for sure yet. I may just write one and submit the same one each week.

Do you have any plans for writing or submission schedules?
 

Marvin Ghey

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I think I'll give this a go. more for the writing than the submitting--I'm always sending stuff out, as I developed a large backlog of material before I started submitting, but I really haven't dedicated myself to a writing regiment in a year and a half or so. Which is downright embarrassing. My pool's drying up, anyway, so I need new material. Fiendishly. :e2point: Think I'll shoot for the once-a-week deal but do well to hit a twice-a-month output like Izz described. Maybe if I can find some folks to yell and scream at me to keep pace. Y'all will do that, right? :)
 

izanobu

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yeah, I'm doing the weekly thing. I'm going to resurrect my short story monday (write a story on mondays, submit it by friday). It was tough at first to write a short story in a day, but now I'm in practice so it only takes me 3-6 hours on average to write one, a couple of days for my first readers to get back to me, and then maybe a half hour to an hour to fix anything. So hopefully I can do the full 52 weeks this time around :)
 

Darkwing

That sounds like a really awesome idea. Maybe when I'm on break for summer I'll do a personal challenge. >.< Perhaps if I do I'll finally start producing some publishable material.
Anything that gives me an excuse to do some market searching on Duotrope! :D I love love looove submitting.

But unfortunately, busy graduate teaching assistant will be busy from January until June. I'll be lucky if I even manage a few thousand words a week on my novel. :/
 

Izz

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I think I'll give this a go. more for the writing than the submitting--I'm always sending stuff out, as I developed a large backlog of material before I started submitting, but I really haven't dedicated myself to a writing regiment in a year and a half or so. Which is downright embarrassing. My pool's drying up, anyway, so I need new material. Fiendishly. :e2point: Think I'll shoot for the once-a-week deal but do well to hit a twice-a-month output like Izz described. Maybe if I can find some folks to yell and scream at me to keep pace. Y'all will do that, right? :)
Welcome, Marvin. It's great to have another sucker victim, erm, writer joining the ranks. And yes, i'm sure we'll yell and scream at you if need be :whip:

yeah, I'm doing the weekly thing. I'm going to resurrect my short story monday (write a story on mondays, submit it by friday). It was tough at first to write a short story in a day, but now I'm in practice so it only takes me 3-6 hours on average to write one, a couple of days for my first readers to get back to me, and then maybe a half hour to an hour to fix anything. So hopefully I can do the full 52 weeks this time around :)
Cool. Sounds like you're very speedy indeed.

I haven't come up with a daily plan yet. I tend to like to let myself be a little fluid when dealing with the various aspects of the process. I think sometimes if I am feeling uninspired and can't think of what to write I will look through the market listings and pick one to write for and other weeks I will just write what's on my mind and then search for a market. I did like his idea about rotating genres over a 4 week period. I had an idea for a series of interconnected fantasy short stories I might work on one week, do a scifi story the next, a fantasy story that isn't related to the serial the third week and maybe something different or just whatever strikes my fancy at the time for the fourth week. Still haven't figured out all the details but I am working on it.

I also haven't decided if I am going to submit the ones that I write each week the same week or give them a few days before editing them and submit them the next. I have a few complete short stories that haven't been submitted yet that I could use for the first couple weeks submissions to allow myself some time to get fresh eyes on the work.

I am considering something like. Week one: write story one, polish old story, submit other old story that's been polished. Week two: write story two, polish story one, submit old story. And so on and so forth. That gives me some time between writing, editing and submitting the stories. But I don't know for sure yet. I may just write one and submit the same one each week.

Do you have any plans for writing or submission schedules?
I'm like you in that i don't like planning things out too rigidly. I'm not really one for writing for specific markets (i've done that once, i think, and that market is currently pretty dead so the story is going elsewhere), but i know a lot of short fiction writers swear by it, so maybe i'll give that a few attempts next year.

My subbing policy is also going to be like yours, but over the course of a couple months rather than weeks. Don't tell anyone, but i'm a-gonna cheat a lil to begin. Lemme explain. See, i write fast and loose. The mechanics of the writing is fine on a first draft, but often some elements of the story are mixed around, or missing, and there's almost always way too many words. But if i edit straight away i don't see the flaws, or only see the superficial stuff, but miss the big picture stuff (iceberg-styles). So i need time away from the piece to spot the errors.

So here's what i plan on doing. I have 10 days off work coming up in a week. I have some short stories that need edits, and other short stories that need written. So i'm going to write two short story drafts during my time off (it'll be almost 2011 by then ;)), and those will be the ones i edit and sub at the end of January. I'll write two more stories in Jan, and edit and sub them at the end of Feb, and so on. That means, by the end of the year, i should have 24 stories subbed and 24 written, with 2 ready to sub at the beginning of 2012.

As to writing specifics for each story first draft: no set plan. I'll probably write both stories concurrently, which is how i typically work with multiple projects, though sometimes if a story hits i have to write it all down before i write anything else. I'm a semi-outliner for short work, as in i'll usually have the ending in mind before i begin writing, and then sometimes will jot notes as i go to make sure i get to where i want to be. Often i find i'll stall somewhere along the way (who doesn't?) but having two stories to work on under a similar deadline will help, i think.

Y'know, this is the most excited i've been about writing for a good eighteen months. I think it's the idea of a whole group working toward the same goal on a similar schedule that's doing it (NaNo's never done it for me, but this has submission as the end-game, which steps up the challenge-level).
 
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Izz

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That sounds like a really awesome idea. Maybe when I'm on break for summer I'll do a personal challenge. >.< Perhaps if I do I'll finally start producing some publishable material.
Anything that gives me an excuse to do some market searching on Duotrope! :D I love love looove submitting.
Heya Darkwing. Nice of you to pop in. Duotrope is made of teh awesum, isn't it? And yay for personal challenges.

But unfortunately, busy graduate teaching assistant will be busy from January until June. I'll be lucky if I even manage a few thousand words a week on my novel. :/
Awww. Well, feel free to hang out with us anyway. :) Maybe we can help keep your motivation up for your summer challenge. And i'm sure we could use some cheerleading from time to time.
 

sisco

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But unfortunately, busy graduate teaching assistant will be busy from January until June. I'll be lucky if I even manage a few thousand words a week on my novel. :/

I definitely wouldn't want to try this on top of being a TA. I look forward to you joining us over the summer though.

My subbing policy is also going to be like yours, but over the course of a couple months rather than weeks. Don't tell anyone, but i'm a-gonna cheat a lil to begin. Lemme explain. See, i write fast and loose. The mechanics of the writing is fine on a first draft, but often some elements of the story are mixed around, or missing, and there's almost always way too many words. But if i edit straight away i don't see the flaws, or only see the superficial stuff, but miss the big picture stuff (iceberg-styles). So i need time away from the piece to spot the errors.

So here's what i plan on doing. I have 10 days off work coming up in a week. I have some short stories that need edits, and other short stories that need written. So i'm going to write two short story drafts during my time off (it'll be almost 2011 by then ;)), and those will be the ones i edit and sub at the end of January. I'll write two more stories in Jan, and edit and sub them at the end of Feb, and so on. That means, by the end of the year, i should have 24 stories subbed and 24 written, with 2 ready to sub at the beginning of 2012.

Sounds like a good plan. I haven't decided on how much of a gap to give myself for the writing and subbing parts. I have five stories that are ready for submission with only minimal edits so I will probably do some work on them before this year is out so I have a few weeks worth if I don't feel that the ones I am writing have sat long enough to polish for submission. If it doesn't seem like I have a big enough gap I can always go back to one of those for a week or two and make the gap bigger.
 

branchwag

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Just joined. I'm looking forward to improving my writing through this, and with one a week, I'm positive this will work. Who knows, I might get another novel idea from this that will keep me from obsessing about my older finished work. ;) Or of course, this will give me an excuse to go out and find music for inspiration.
 

Izz

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Just joined. I'm looking forward to improving my writing through this, and with one a week, I'm positive this will work. Who knows, I might get another novel idea from this that will keep me from obsessing about my older finished work. ;) Or of course, this will give me an excuse to go out and find music for inspiration.
Whee! Welcome aboard, branchwag. Your writing is gonna improve 10-fold, i'm sure of it. All of our writing will.

On a mostly unrelated topic, i'm going to link to Write1Sub1's Short Fiction Market Listing's page in the OP. It's got a good collection of linkies for places we can find markets to sub our Write1Sub1 stories too.

*dashes upthread at the speed of light*
 
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alexshvartsman

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All right, I am in too.

Submitting hasn't been a problem for me. Writing on a regular basis definitely has. I tend to write in spurs - sometimes a few stories in a week, sometimes nothing for a month. I would like to discipline myself into writing more regularly, and this seems as good a way as any to go about that. I also really like the idea of a long term thread here to share progress reports with fellow AW'ers.

I wonder if non-fiction/magazine articles count toward your one "story" per week limit, or would that be cheating?

Alex Shvartsman
 

NicoleMD

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I'm in! I'm going to try to do the weekly challenge. (On top of finishing two novels.) Should be an interesting year! Fun! I'll probably blog about it some too. (Link in siggie.)

Nicole
 

Izz

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I haven't decided on how much of a gap to give myself for the writing and subbing parts. I have five stories that are ready for submission with only minimal edits so I will probably do some work on them before this year is out so I have a few weeks worth if I don't feel that the ones I am writing have sat long enough to polish for submission. If it doesn't seem like I have a big enough gap I can always go back to one of those for a week or two and make the gap bigger.
Definitely sounds doable :)

All right, I am in too.
Yay! Welcome aboard, Alex. And thanks again for linking to this in the 2010 submissions thread.

I also really like the idea of a long term thread here to share progress reports with fellow AW'ers.
Yeah, i'm with you there. A challenge shared is a challenge halved, right? And i reckon there's definitely going to be times next year when we hit the wall and need some cajoling and encouraging from our fellow challengers to get us going again.

I wonder if non-fiction/magazine articles count toward your one "story" per week limit, or would that be cheating?

Alex Shvartsman
Hmmm--i'm not sure. Poetry is allowed, apparently, so maybe. Though this does seem to be focused on fiction. :Shrug: Guess you could always ask over on the blog. (or you could go with a monthly plan--or a monthly x2 plan, or tailor it however is best--and then schedule your non-fiction around the weeks you're not writing fiction).

I'm in! I'm going to try to do the weekly challenge. (On top of finishing two novels.) Should be an interesting year! Fun! I'll probably blog about it some too. (Link in siggie.)

Nicole
w00t! I was so hoping you'd be up for this, Nicole. And on top of finishing 2 novels. Wow. You're gonna be one busy writer in 2011.

We're assembling quite a crew. Let's see if we can't conscript some more writer peeps :D

And, all, if you haven't officially registered over on Write1Sub1 yet, don't forget to do so. I'm sure each time the organizers see someone entering they get a lil thrill of excitement.
 
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sisco

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And, all, if you haven't officially registered over on Write1Sub1 yet, don't forget to do so. I'm sure each time the organizers see someone entering they get a lil thrill of excitement.

I'm sure they do. One of them came by my blog and commented on the post I did about Write1Sub1.
 

soapdish

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Sounds like a big challenge for me. So, of course I'm considering it :D

I have to review all the details once more before I commit, but I think it's a wonderful idea.
 

Izz

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Sounds like a big challenge for me. So, of course I'm considering it :D

I have to review all the details once more before I commit, but I think it's a wonderful idea.
Heya, soapy. Will this help you make your decision: :Cake: How about with some of these thrown in: :banana:
 

Izz

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LOL Cake and dancing bananas? Now, Izz, you know hamachi or a good roll goes *much* further with me ;)
Unfortunately, this is the closest thing we have to a sushi smilie: :e2fish: so i had to improvise.
 

sisco

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How's this?
sushi-rolls.jpg
It's making me hungry.
 
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