That success I was on about the other day was shortlived. Instead of coming back 2 days after I posted it to Pf it came back after 3 days. There was a letter which I take to be standard that said that they didn't feel that it was exciting enough for their readers.
C'est la vie and all that.
Sunday, 29 August 2010
Thursday, 26 August 2010
A first
I am almost giddy with excitement.
For the first time EVER a story that I have sent to People's Friend has not been returned to me two days after I sent it to them.
Whatever happens this one is a success.
For the first time EVER a story that I have sent to People's Friend has not been returned to me two days after I sent it to them.
Whatever happens this one is a success.
The last time I'll mention it - I promise
I didn't make it over here yesterday what with one thing and another. I honestly don't know where this week has gone. I've certainly not achieved anything of note. No that's not true actually and I am being too hard on myself (for a change.) I think that I said last week that I thought I might have set myself to many goals on my to do list and I clearly did because I didn't get a lot of things (some) done but I did get the important ones ticked - the ones with actual editorial deadlines.
So the lesson that I have learned is to make the to do lists more achievable. Why is it that in the day job I am a stickler for SMART objectives but that goes out of the window when it comes to my writing. I think that part of the reason is that I know how much effort is needed to succeed in this business and I try to put that effort in - setting goals accordingly. But the truth is that I am not Superwoman (I know - it came as a surprise to me to) and I have to accept that my time is limited. I have a very demanding full time job which leaves me mentally and physically exhausted most days and I still have a home to run. What I need to get into my head is to be more specific. Focus on what HAS to be done this week not what I would WANT to be done if I lived in that world that exists in my mind.
So there are only 2 things that I MUST do this week and that's all that is going on my to do list. Everything else will be e bonus.
Sorry to bang on about the to do list again. It's the last time I promise.
Nothing has really happened this week - no rejections - no acceptances. There are about 9 or 10 things out there at the moment including one that Allas have had since March (I think I can take it that one's a no) so there is scope for news - just none yet.
So the lesson that I have learned is to make the to do lists more achievable. Why is it that in the day job I am a stickler for SMART objectives but that goes out of the window when it comes to my writing. I think that part of the reason is that I know how much effort is needed to succeed in this business and I try to put that effort in - setting goals accordingly. But the truth is that I am not Superwoman (I know - it came as a surprise to me to) and I have to accept that my time is limited. I have a very demanding full time job which leaves me mentally and physically exhausted most days and I still have a home to run. What I need to get into my head is to be more specific. Focus on what HAS to be done this week not what I would WANT to be done if I lived in that world that exists in my mind.
So there are only 2 things that I MUST do this week and that's all that is going on my to do list. Everything else will be e bonus.
Sorry to bang on about the to do list again. It's the last time I promise.
Nothing has really happened this week - no rejections - no acceptances. There are about 9 or 10 things out there at the moment including one that Allas have had since March (I think I can take it that one's a no) so there is scope for news - just none yet.
Sunday, 22 August 2010
Quiet time
Maybe its because its summer but there doesn't seem to be a lot happening at the moment.
I sent one of the stories that I mentioned the other day off but on reflection I decided that the onthe one wasn't ready yet so why waste a stamp on it. I'll have a look at it in the next week or two and then send it off. I have been concentrating on the project that has the deadline of September 2nd because by its very nature it is something that I have agreed to do by a certain time - and they'll pay me for it which is even better.
I had wanted to start a short story this week but inspiration just isn't coming my way. I have also been quite harsh on myself. I was working on a couple of non fiction projects but when I looked at them objectively I realise dthat they weren't up to scratch. Once upon a time I would have ploughed on regardless with the blind hope that an editor would think that it was better than it actually was. Experience has taught me that that isn't the case and so I stopped wasting effort on them I think that the ideas are still valid but I just need to approach them from a different direction.
I had a dream the other night that I was resigning from work because I had to work full time as a writer to fulfil my commitments. I was so scared in my dream that God help me if I ever had to do that.
I've also been under a bit of a cloud personally.Don't know why - hormones probably - it gets the blame for everything else. However I am happy to report that the cloud has lifted a bit over the last couple of days.
Thats it really. Sorry its so dull.
I sent one of the stories that I mentioned the other day off but on reflection I decided that the onthe one wasn't ready yet so why waste a stamp on it. I'll have a look at it in the next week or two and then send it off. I have been concentrating on the project that has the deadline of September 2nd because by its very nature it is something that I have agreed to do by a certain time - and they'll pay me for it which is even better.
I had wanted to start a short story this week but inspiration just isn't coming my way. I have also been quite harsh on myself. I was working on a couple of non fiction projects but when I looked at them objectively I realise dthat they weren't up to scratch. Once upon a time I would have ploughed on regardless with the blind hope that an editor would think that it was better than it actually was. Experience has taught me that that isn't the case and so I stopped wasting effort on them I think that the ideas are still valid but I just need to approach them from a different direction.
I had a dream the other night that I was resigning from work because I had to work full time as a writer to fulfil my commitments. I was so scared in my dream that God help me if I ever had to do that.
I've also been under a bit of a cloud personally.Don't know why - hormones probably - it gets the blame for everything else. However I am happy to report that the cloud has lifted a bit over the last couple of days.
Thats it really. Sorry its so dull.
Wednesday, 18 August 2010
This and that
Well that to do list isn't coming on very well. If you look at the numbers of the ten things that were on there I've done five which doesn't sound so bad but they are all the "easy" things that I have done. The larger jobs, teh ones that are going to require more actual work are still sitting on it.
Oh well the weeks not over yet.
I've prepared a couple of short stories for submission and it literally is just a case of putting them in the envelope and posting them. I think I'll be doing that tomorrow or Friday at the latest. The good news is that I've had no rejections this week but the downside is that I didn't get any acceptances either. I did receive an email from an editor the other day but it wasn't meant for me. I guess they had sent it to the wrong person - well I know they had. It was a very cryptic message.
My head seems a bit all over the place this week. I'm hoping to get that back together in the next day or two. Not sure what's wrong but then when did there have to be a reason. I just feel a bit unsettled. Hopefully that will be changed by the next time I pop over here.
Oh well the weeks not over yet.
I've prepared a couple of short stories for submission and it literally is just a case of putting them in the envelope and posting them. I think I'll be doing that tomorrow or Friday at the latest. The good news is that I've had no rejections this week but the downside is that I didn't get any acceptances either. I did receive an email from an editor the other day but it wasn't meant for me. I guess they had sent it to the wrong person - well I know they had. It was a very cryptic message.
My head seems a bit all over the place this week. I'm hoping to get that back together in the next day or two. Not sure what's wrong but then when did there have to be a reason. I just feel a bit unsettled. Hopefully that will be changed by the next time I pop over here.
Sunday, 15 August 2010
What to do
I've made my "to do" list for the coming week and just for a change I think that I may have overstretched myself. Well maybe not, a couple of them are looking up things that have already been written and evaluating them so that maybe won't take too long. The main thing that I MUST get on with is the one that has a deadline to meet. That one has to be done.
This is totally writing unrelated but I must tell you because it's making me smile. I am currently as I type in the middle of a text conversation with my ex boss who is complaining about the lack of talent (amongst other things) in my home town. I've not lived there for nearly 30 years so I don't think that I can be held responsible. But maybe I can because when I worked for him I was responsible for just about everything else. Good job he's a pal. He was the first person outside my very close family and a particular friend that I told when I had my first story published. However that is the only one I have ever told him about. However there's been no text for a few minutes so maybe he's finally found something worthy of his attention.
Anyway I digress.
I'll let you know how I get on with my "to do" list. However tonight I think that the first thing to do might be to go to bed as it's almost 11pm.
This is totally writing unrelated but I must tell you because it's making me smile. I am currently as I type in the middle of a text conversation with my ex boss who is complaining about the lack of talent (amongst other things) in my home town. I've not lived there for nearly 30 years so I don't think that I can be held responsible. But maybe I can because when I worked for him I was responsible for just about everything else. Good job he's a pal. He was the first person outside my very close family and a particular friend that I told when I had my first story published. However that is the only one I have ever told him about. However there's been no text for a few minutes so maybe he's finally found something worthy of his attention.
Anyway I digress.
I'll let you know how I get on with my "to do" list. However tonight I think that the first thing to do might be to go to bed as it's almost 11pm.
Wednesday, 11 August 2010
My week so far
I've been trying to be disciplined with my limited writing time and although it might not look like I've been doing much looks can be deceiving.
I'm on schedule with the project that has a deadline and I started the research for the article that I am writing. Tomorrow is my main writing day and I'm hoping to get through more jobs on my list then.
I had a rejection from WW yesterday which is more disappointing because they had had it so long but c'est la vie. I still haven't heard from Allas about the story that I sent them ages ago and queried at the end of June but I'm guessing that I didn't blow Lotta away with that one and I've also submitted a couple of things.
That's it really - see you Sunday (or earlier on W2W because I will be nipping over there to comment on stories)
I'm on schedule with the project that has a deadline and I started the research for the article that I am writing. Tomorrow is my main writing day and I'm hoping to get through more jobs on my list then.
I had a rejection from WW yesterday which is more disappointing because they had had it so long but c'est la vie. I still haven't heard from Allas about the story that I sent them ages ago and queried at the end of June but I'm guessing that I didn't blow Lotta away with that one and I've also submitted a couple of things.
That's it really - see you Sunday (or earlier on W2W because I will be nipping over there to comment on stories)
Sunday, 8 August 2010
One week on
So here we are one week into my plan to be more disciplined around blogs and the internet in general and I can honestly say hand on heart that I did only visit blogland on Wednesday morning and just now (Sunday morning.) I wish that I could say that it made a difference to my output but it didn't really. No, that's not true, I did do some new stuff plus I polished a couple of things and submiutted those. So on reflection, I guess it was worth it because I did actually do something. Also it's all part of learing to be disciplined.
When I switched the computer in I did it with a purpose in mind and that helped. I went straight to the Word document that I wanted to work on and I did that. This week however I am researching a couple of articles so that will be a minefield of faffing possibilities. I also have something with a deadline of September 2nd to work on and I always find that an actual deadline from an actual editor concentrates the mind.
So that was my week and now I'm off to see what the rest of you have been up to.
When I switched the computer in I did it with a purpose in mind and that helped. I went straight to the Word document that I wanted to work on and I did that. This week however I am researching a couple of articles so that will be a minefield of faffing possibilities. I also have something with a deadline of September 2nd to work on and I always find that an actual deadline from an actual editor concentrates the mind.
So that was my week and now I'm off to see what the rest of you have been up to.
Sunday, 1 August 2010
A determined effort
Okay, I'm going to try this and see how it goes.
I have decided that because blogs/facebook and the internet in general is so diverting I am going to schedule it into my week.
For the next week I am only going to allow myself to look at blogs on Wednesday and again next Sunday. Usually I check it each night and I end up doing none of things that I should have been doing. Okay so I have just come up with a snag. The W2W results will probably be out tomorrow and I will want to check that so maybe a quick peak there but nothing else.
Facebook is a different animal because that is much more fluid with more going on. Having said that there is so much on there that is a waste of my time reading and the writers time writing so maybe I should not go on there either.Some of my friends (and they are friends not random people that I have befriended) write about EVERYTHING that they are doing so much so that I am surprised they ever get anything done. That really annoys me but they are my friends and I don't want to upset them. Just out of interest does anyone know of a way that I can stop getting their feed without them knowing about it? Like I said a second ago, they are my friends and I don't want to upset them.
Anyway the point of this post was to say that I am going to make a VERY determined effort not to become so easily diverted by the internet so that I can actually get on with the things that I should be doing.
TTFN
I have decided that because blogs/facebook and the internet in general is so diverting I am going to schedule it into my week.
For the next week I am only going to allow myself to look at blogs on Wednesday and again next Sunday. Usually I check it each night and I end up doing none of things that I should have been doing. Okay so I have just come up with a snag. The W2W results will probably be out tomorrow and I will want to check that so maybe a quick peak there but nothing else.
Facebook is a different animal because that is much more fluid with more going on. Having said that there is so much on there that is a waste of my time reading and the writers time writing so maybe I should not go on there either.Some of my friends (and they are friends not random people that I have befriended) write about EVERYTHING that they are doing so much so that I am surprised they ever get anything done. That really annoys me but they are my friends and I don't want to upset them. Just out of interest does anyone know of a way that I can stop getting their feed without them knowing about it? Like I said a second ago, they are my friends and I don't want to upset them.
Anyway the point of this post was to say that I am going to make a VERY determined effort not to become so easily diverted by the internet so that I can actually get on with the things that I should be doing.
TTFN
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