Weeks of Writing: 8/19/19 to 9/8/18
Way, way behind on these things. Time to catch up.
Words to Write By
This week’s quote comes from Amy Poehler.
“Most authors liken the struggle of writing to something mighty and macho, like wrestling a bear. Writing a book is nothing like that. It is a small, slow crawl to the finish line. Honestly, I have moments when I don’t even care if anyone reads this book. I just want to finish it.”
– Amy Poehler
Though I have never heard likened writing to wrestling a bear, I’ve certainly heard it described with as much hyperbole. Amy Poehler’s second and third sentence are what really resonate with me, though. The slow crawl to the finish line has definitely been my experience, and I have absolutely gotten to the point where finishing the book became an all-consuming need that eclipsed any thoughts or dreams of publishing the damn thing.
The Novel
Well, the revision is done, and the manuscript has been sent back to my agent. Hopefully, the next step is he begins shopping the book, and then, if the writing gods smile on me, some publisher will actually want to buy it. A lot of folks ask me how I feel about the book, and it’s a complicated answer. I’ll see if I can sum up with three yes or no questions.
- Is it better? Yes, undoubtedly. Notes from my agent and critique partners helped me shape the story and characters into something more compelling. It also feels more finished, like a complete product now.
- Is it done? Yes, for now. I think I’ve done what I can do with it. If a publisher decides to buy it, there will undoubtedly be further revisions, and I am a-okay with that.
- Is it good enough? No idea. As hard as it is for this impostor-syndrome-inflicted writer to admit, I think the book is “good.” I think my premise is different and my approach to a well-travelled trope is unique enough to get a reader’s attention. But is it good enough for a publisher to offer me a book contract? I just don’t know, and like any short story submission, I’m gonna have to wait and see.
Short Stories
With my focus on the novel, I haven’t sent nearly as many submissions as I should have over the last three weeks.
- Submissions Sent: 1
- Rejections: 2
- Acceptances: 1
- Publications: 2
- Shortlist: 0
Just one submissions sent in the last three weeks, though I did score an acceptance and a couple of stories were published. I’m currently sitting on 57 submissions for the year, which means I need to send out around 11 subs per month from here on out to hit 100 subs for the year. I can do it, but I’m gonna need to bust my ass and write some new material.
The Blog
Two blog posts over the last three weeks.
8/19/19: A Week of Writing: 8/12/19 to 8/18/19
The usual weekly writing update.
8/29/19: Proofing Checklist: Just Nod & Smile
Another entry in my proofing checklist, this one covers overused body language and nonverbal cues.
Publications
I had two pieces of flash fiction published in the last few weeks. Both are free to read, and you can check ’em out by clicking the links below.
“The Grove” published by The Molotov Cocktail
“Ditchers” published by Aphotic Realm
Goals
For the first time in a long time, the novel will not be one of my goals for the coming week. Instead. I need to finish a novella outline for Privateer Press, get my ass in gear with short story submissions, and work on a surprise project I’m very excited about and can’t wait to share with you all. 🙂
That was my week(s). How was/were yours?
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Aeryn Rudel's Rejectomancy 
Good luck with the novel, Aeryn!
First, here is my submission statement for August:
Submissions Sent: 3
Rejections: 2
Acceptances: 0
Publications: 0
Withdrawals: 0
Not a lot of submissions because I’ve been working on a longer story (almost 9,000 words!). I’m also trying to get back to writing monthly blog posts, as I used to. Here’s one that I posted last week (it’s small, but it’s something):
https://cuckoobirds.org/2019/09/03/august-2019-round-up/