Happy Holidays

I am about ready for the holidays, no more work just some time with the family. Well, not sure what is really more stressful, but better then work i guess. I am still working on carving out time to get my balance of paying work, personal life and time to write. Haven't sent anything out in a while, but, hope to by the end of year.

I reread a few times weight issues and identified a lot i could rewrite or change up, hopefully it will make the story flow a little better and i will resend before new years.

well, merry Christmas to everyone! hope you all have a safe and happy holiday season.

Gut Check

Over the last few months, my job had slowed down. I work on a computer all day and was in between projects. This provided me a great time to do my writing and get paid :) ... but now, my work is in full swing. I am putting in 55 plus hours a week and my nights are generally spent trying to relax enough to sleep so i can repeat the cycle. So, when do i write exactly?

I haven't had a good idea for a short story in a little bit, and have tried to sit down and write, anything, something... it helps I wrote a 500 word scene here and there, but nothing i can string together as of yet.

I still have 4 submissions out there and am trying to find another place to resubmit "weight issues" *my rejected first and only response so far*

So really trying to find at period of night to carve out to write, but then, what if i don't have an idea? or really an inspiration to really do it... Well, that's where i am at.... I had hoped to send out a story this week, not going to happen.

My goal is now this... try to have 3 or 4 short stories out trying to be submitted and starting January 1st, i will begin the novel, that is, if i can start being more serious about writing and actually, you know, writing!

Rejection #1

I feel like a writer today. Today, i received my first rejection notice for the short story "weight issues" i wrote. I had submitted it a few weeks ago to Fantasy & Science Fiction magazine. I must say they were very quick on their turnaround from reading it to responding, only a few weeks.

While rejection is not fun, i don't mind too much. It was the first time i had tried to write a sci fi story. Its more of a humorous outlook on the future of earth with its current trend of eating itself to death. I tend to write darker stuff so when i wrote this it was fun, but definitely not my bread and butter.

Oh well, now i get to keep a file of my rejection notices. Thank you Mr. John Joseph Adams Assistant Editor of Fantasy & Science Fiction Magazine, today, you made me a writer!

Another one sent!

The story for this week is ready to go! it has been reviewed by my editor (my girlfriend) and its cleared for take off! Here is where i am sending it too, http://www.asimovs.com/ they said it takes 5 weeks to turn it around based on their submission guidelines... so sometime in January i will know one way or another.

This will be my 5th submission, not too bad, 2 contests and 3 magazines. My goal has been one a week till the end of the year, then go to twice a month. So hopefully with that output something gets published... i know in this business quality is more important than quantity, but i actually like each story so not sure that i am really rushing it.

I have a thought on a possible novel idea... started creating an outline for it, getting the general plot together... maybe start writing it in January, after the holidays and life slows down a little.

Well, off goes #5... may it not end up in someones trash!

Running out of places to submit...

I have been searching for magazines to submit to and i am really surprised by how few there really are! Most read like scams, like submit so they can make a book and sell it to you for 30 dollars. no thanks. Others are backed up to sometime next year and are not excepting submissions.

I'm not looking for any money, would just like to see if i could actually write something, anything, that someone might enjoy reading...

Imagine if we didn't have Google? how would i find anything to submit too! Well, i will be done with this weeks entry in a few days and then off to submit it. Its a little sci fi, set in the future, some comedy worked in...

hopefully i can find a place to send to, i don't want send it to an online website that will just publish it on the web. Much rather an actual print place, but hey, i guess anything is something, right?