March 31st 2010

Tackling the beast once more. This time with renewed interest and vigor. I'm cutting my original novel down to size, and each word cut is a step closer towards my goal. I've had enough breaks, enough excuses, it is time to get back to work. It's time to write...err edit.

1/30/2010

The hardest part of writing has got to be doubt. Picked up an old story that I hadn't looked at in almost one year, and have started reworking it. How can I shorten a story of such a magnitude and depth to what is the "acceptable" length. Maybe it takes time to step away from a story that you've become so close to and see the mistakes and content that just isn't necessary. Who knows, seems like a constant learning curve for me, but I'm not ready to give up yet.

01/16/2010

Nothing current to announce except that I haven't been working on anything. Well maybe personal reading. Hard to get motivated sometimes and buckle down to finish up a story. Maybe it is time to dust off the story I was editing. Seems to me, finding time to work and the motivation are the hardest aspects of writing.

01/01/2010

Another year has arrived and I'm eager to begin searching for an agent that is right for me. If I keep writing and keep trying to improve the craft I love, then maybe one day my luck will change.

With the new year, I'm wiping the slate clean and the statistics from last year are not a concern anymore. I've got two stories nearly ready to send out, we'll see what happens.

12/15/09

Opening line...

How important is that first line, that first paragraph? If it fails to grab your attention will you put a book aside or back onto the shelf and continue to browse?

I've been experimenting with my opening passages of a couple nearly finished stories, but some feedback would be helpful.

12/09/09

Form rejection letters make my day mo betta! No reason, no excuse just a "No!"

So much time and effort is put into each story and it is disheartening to get something so vague in response.

12/06/09

So far this year...

Sent: 23

Rejected: 20

Those are my queries I've sent out to literary agents during the 2009 calendar year. Included is one novel, a very small story (flash fiction) which received a promising rejection letter and finally a short story that I'm currently waiting to hear back on. Like to think I'm done this year with sending out stories, and looking forward to 2010, a new bunch of agents to annoy. Back to the novella I'm finishing up now and maybe next year will be the year it all begins.