It's just rubbish

I mentioned in my "This week I'll" post for this week that it's going to be a tough week for me on a personal level. To be honest the next 2 - 3 months could be tough - or maybe not so bad - who knows? Please bear with me if I'm not as dedicated as I would like to be. It's just a temporary blip - I promise. The rubish in my life at the moment isn't going to take it over - I won't let it. It's just rubbish.

w/c 30/09/2007 Next week I'll

• work on and try to finish the erotic story one of my alto ego's is writing.
• work on NMBK
• work on Topsy ( my new pet name for my non fiction project)
• write on this blog at least 4 times.
• not beat myself up if I don't manage these things as this week is going to be tough on a personal level

w/c 23/09/2007 Last week I...

did everything that I said I would although maybe not in the quantities that I would have liked. I also received a rejection late last night which was disappointing but part of the job. I'm sure I'll live, I just need to try harder.

Still here

Just to let you know that I am still here and still writing. It's just that there's a lot of domestic stuff going on this week so I haven't had a chance to blog. A big hello to anyone who's been here. Started a new short story last night. Anyway got to run - need to see a man about a dog (so to speak.)

Back in my arms

I worked on NMBK today for the first time in about 7 weeks. It felt good to have my baby back in my arms again (okay in my hands really.)

First time in a month

If you have read this blog before you may know that there is some stuff going on in my life at the minute that has put writing on the back burner. I have however in the past week or so realised that I should focus on the plan for when it is over and life is back to normal. The plan involves writing so I have tried to get back to it.
So I just want to announce that I have just submitted a piece of work. That's the first time in a month.

A cool idea

My favourite book of all time is "Tess of the D'Urbervilles." I originally read it in school and I have read it over and over again since.
How cool would it be to have someone say that a book you (I) had written was their most favourite book?
Very cool.

w/c 23/09/2007 This week I'll...

• Continue with my non fiction project.
• Work on NMBK - even if it's only 100 words. I've ignored that baby too long.
• Polish the stuff that's still a bit dull.
• Submit at least one piece of work.

The bullet points are back. That's a good sign. I did them without really thinking so it must mean that my heads in better shape - for today at least (or is it just this hour?) If it's just going to be for the hour I'd best get on and write something before it goes again.

w/c 16/09/2007 Last week I ....

worked mainly on my non fiction project - the one that's growing like Topsy. I also thought about NMBK for the first time in weeks. I also polished a couple of things (stories not furniture) but not to the standard where I would want anyone else seeing them.

A mixed batch

I heard yesterday from an agent who has been looking at my book. He said that he had enjoyed it but that he wasn't sure if he could place it in the current tough market. So now I'm looking for another agent to send it to. Or I was thinking maybe I would try a publisher direct. I want to believe that he enjoyed the book so if he did I must be able to find someone else who does.
So that was a little disappointing but then today I heard from a magazine in Australia that a story I sent them some time ago has been shortlisted. The last acceptance I had from them came about 7 months after submission so I wasn't surprised that it had taken them so long to get back to me. In fact it was encouraging because the two stories of mine that they have rejected in the past have been returned quite quickly. That was some good news just when I needed it.
Maybe I should consider trying to get my book published in Australia.

Open writing competitions

Today is the first day that was just for me in ages and I was relaxing with a cuppa I flicked through the latest edition of Writing magazine this morning and came across the 2008 writing competition calendar. I noticed that almost all of the story competitions have an open theme. You can write about whatever you want. How on earth do you come up with a winning entry - or any entry come to that? I think I now know why I've never entered a competition that didn't have a theme before.

A bit like Topsy

I've done lots of writing today compared to what I have been managing lately. I wrote a bit more of the short story that I started last week and about 1000 words on my non fiction project.
That particular project started off as what I thought would be an article but it is growing - a bit like Topsy. (I don't know who Topsy was but my mum used to say it a lot)

w/c 16/09/2007 This week I will...

polish the short story that's in the first draft stage and finish the other one that I started last week. I will also try to find a market for the 60 word stories that I wrote a couple of weeks ago. I will submit at least one piece of work.

w/c 09/09/2007 Last week I....

started 2 short stories. I completed the first draft of one of them but the other one is probably only 100 words or so. I also worked on a non fiction project that will be ongoing for a few months at least.

Focusing on the plan

I had another rejection today. The editor in question complimented the story, saying that they liked it and that it was beautifully written but just not right for them. It's actually a story that I love so I'm going to find a market for it.
I'm trying to get my mind back on writing more. There's nothing that I can do about the other stuff that's going on but I/we have a plan when the bad stuff finishes and I need to be writing.
Plus when I'm writing the bad stuff disappears temporarily so if I could only get my head to stay in the writing. I need to focus on the plan.

Central Fiction Depts

I sent a story to the Central Fiction Department of D C Thomson about six weeks ago. It was submitted by email so you can imagine my surprise when it was returned to me today in the post. It was rejected but they had sent it back to me along with some guidelines for some of there publications.

I'm not sure how the central fiction dept works. I know that it means that your work gets considered for a whole range of magazines rather than just one but it does feel a bit impersonal.

I started a short story - a regular 1000 word plus short story. That's the first one in weeks. I guess it's progress.

The contract came yesterday for the story that's going to be published by Xcite books. I signed it this morning and sent it back. Thats what it's all about.

w/c 09/09/2007 Next week I will

.... submit at least one piece of work. I will also polish a couple of other pieces that are lieing around gathering dust. It's not a lot but like I said the other day life will be a challange for the next few months and writing has to take a back seat. My dream is important to me but some things have to take precedence.

w/c 02/09/2007 last week I....

worked on a couple of pieces of flash fiction.

Another lesson learned

I had two responses yeterday. One was a negative and the other one was sort of a positive. That is to say that although they are not going to use it at the moment they want to hang onto it for a later date. It was something that I wrote about what I'm going through so I'm okay about it not being published right away because it already served it's purpose by helping me through a moment.
Being honest about myself I'm not too disappointed about the other. Okay, I am disappointed - maybe I should say that I'm not surprised. It was a story that I submitted when I came across a market and thought "that story'll do for that," I have to stop doing that because it doesn't work. So even though it wa not the answer that I wanted it has taught me a valuable lesson.

Roll on Christmas

I mentioned the other day that D Day was Wednesday (yesterday.) Lets just say that the next three months are going to be a challange and my "gonna be a writer" attempt will definately be secondary. I will however keep writing and keep you up to date with my progress. Like I said before writing is a distraction.
With God on our side though we are looking forward to a fantastic Christmas.

Very short fiction

My concentration span is a bit short at the moment so I've been working on some very short fiction. I know that there are a couple of markets for 60 word stories so maybe I'll submit to those. I got the 250 words competition entry down on paper (figuratively speaking) yesterday only to find that I need to lose 64 words. I guess I'll be pruning again.

w/c 02/09/2007 Next week I will....

do more. I have realised that there is very little (okay nothing) that I can do personally about the situation that has taken over my mind and my life at the moment. (I will tell you - one of these days - when it's over probably.) That being the case, unless I choose to go mad (which will do no-one any good) I should distract myself. That being the case I am going to try and write more and not just in my private space.
I actually did a bit of NMBK for the first time on weeks today and that felt good. So I will try to do more of that.
Also I will try to polish the piece of flash fiction that I wrote last week and I will try to submit a story to an overseas market that I have in mind.
Note that I said try. That's because D Day is this Wednesday.

w/c 26/08/2007 last week I....

didn't do a lot of stuff that can be submitted anywhere. I did write a piece of flash fiction and I did submit a short non fiction piece to an American market.
I think that was it.