Discussion - Q2 - Volume 35

[Dustin Adams]

Four in 35!
Wait, wrong thread...

Submissions for Q2 are:
January 1, 2018 - March 31, 2018

[disgruntledpeony]

I just remembered a story in progress that I might, in fact, be able to get ready in time for Q2. I've got a lot of work to do on it yet, which is why I didn't push for it in Q1, but three months ought to be enough time to iron out the kinks.

[preston]

First draft finished! Yeah!

[Wulf Moon]

Groundhog day! (smashes the alarm) Here we go again!

[KD Julicher]

Outline done, first scene and a half drafted. This is going to be a good one.

[rachelwrites]

Outline done, first scene and a half drafted. This is going to be a good one.

Yay!!! I love when everyone shares their progress, it motivates me.

I drafted mine, and am feeling excited and challenged. For me, this will be a tough one!

[morganb]

I pulled out an old (June 2017 timeframe) piece of flash fiction that eventually morphed itself into a 3,000 word short story. I had abandoned it after the folks at Critters crucified it because the story apparently raised more questions than it answered, which just frustrated me. In a way I guess is was good that lots of people wanted to know more; the only problem was I didn't have any of the answers. Until now. I love the story and I think it'll be perfect for Q2. I can see it growing by another two or three thousand more words before I'm done with it, so I guess I'm about halfway through this revised draft. And I WILL get this one in much earlier so I don't run into the "Applications are currently closed" message on the last day of submissions! I still haven't heard back from Joni telling me she received my email submission for Q1, but I'm sure she's extremely busy.

~Morgan

[pcmccollum]

I love that people are already jumping into the Q2 waters! With my current pace of writing, I'm now running into a problem I've never faced--choosing which story to submit. Given the prolificness of everyone here, I'm assuming I'm not the only one with this predicament...so how do you choose?

[Jeremyteg]

I love that people are already jumping into the Q2 waters! With my current pace of writing, I'm now running into a problem I've never faced--choosing which story to submit. Given the prolificness of everyone here, I'm assuming I'm not the only one with this predicament...so how do you choose?

I ran into this problem a couple of times. It's kind of a dull answer, but I subbed the one I liked better. Which story are you more excited about? Which one has more unique ideas, or more interesting themes, or more compelling characters? That's the one to send.

If you can't decide by that metric, maybe send in the one you wrote most recently? Hopefully your writing has been getting better with each story you write (this isn't always the case, unfortunately, but it's an optimistic attitude, at least) so the most recent story will probably be the better one.

[pcmccollum]

I ran into this problem a couple of times. It's kind of a dull answer, but I subbed the one I liked better. Which story are you more excited about? Which one has more unique ideas, or more interesting themes, or more compelling characters? That's the one to send.

If you can't decide by that metric, maybe send in the one you wrote most recently? Hopefully your writing has been getting better with each story you write (this isn't always the case, unfortunately, but it's an optimistic attitude, at least) so the most recent story will probably be the better one.

Seems to me the dull answers are usually the right ones, with the added weight of coming from a WotF winner. Thanks for the feedback, Jeremy. For the most part, my latest tends to be my favorite, so I guess it's just a matter of when I decide to pull the submission trigger!

[Jeremyteg]

You're welcome.

I'm not sure this advice has much to do with my win, though. That story was the only one on the docket to submit at the time.

[rachelwrites]

My story has been outlined but now that it's time to write, I feel all out of sorts. What is a beginning? How do I do this? How have I done this before?

Every single time I sit down to write something, I become convinced that I don't know how to write Ah well. Enough procrastination. Here I go!

[pcmccollum]

My story has been outlined but now that it's time to write, I feel all out of sorts. What is a beginning? How do I do this? How have I done this before?

Every single time I sit down to write something, I become convinced that I don't know how to write Ah well. Enough procrastination. Here I go!

Alright, you're just like the rest of us! Good luck!

[LDWriter2]

Hmm thought about redoing the opening of one story Dave recently rejected another editor thought the story worked for him. Most of been a reason Dave rejected so completely in the opening I am assuming.

[amoskalik]

My story has been outlined but now that it's time to write, I feel all out of sorts. What is a beginning? How do I do this? How have I done this before?

Every single time I sit down to write something, I become convinced that I don't know how to write Ah well. Enough procrastination. Here I go!

I'm convinced no one knows how to write, else why are their so many books about how to write? We'd only need one if someone had discovered the secret. That's a good thing though, because if no one knows how to write then they won't be able to teach computers to do it any time soon. Now we just have to watch out for those computers that teach themselves how to do things.

[Wulf Moon]

My story has been outlined but now that it's time to write, I feel all out of sorts. What is a beginning? How do I do this? How have I done this before?

Every single time I sit down to write something, I become convinced that I don't know how to write Ah well. Enough procrastination. Here I go!

You know how to write. Your subconscious just hasn't filled in the gaps yet. Once you get the framing done, you'll see the outline of the house. Until then, it's just stacks of lumber. Start hammering! : )

When I'm drawing people, I have to shut off that voice that keeps saying, "That's not a person. That doesn't look like them. You've got the eyes too close. That nose is all wrong. You call those fingers? Who do you think you are, trying to attempt to recreate a wonder like the human body?" You just have to kill that, and keep going. Suddenly, magic happens. There, from graphite or charcoal swipes on paper, a face appears, a body forms. It just suddenly gels, and there is your subject, staring up at you in that flat space as if they had just been transported.

Same thing with stories.

You've got this.

~Moon~

[rachelwrites]

Start hammering! : )

I'm hammering now! Rolling along with this draft. It's pretty terrible but I don't care because I'm having fun again

[reigheena]

I am in! First time I've submitted before the last month of the window.

[LDWriter2]

Okay, just redid the opening a bit for that story I thought about resubmitting. Found some repeat words I should have replaced earlier. Moved a sentence closer to the first paragraph and split up a rather long one and one or two are clearer now.

[LDWriter2]

Start hammering! : )

I'm hammering now! Rolling along with this draft. It's pretty terrible but I don't care because I'm having fun again

That is good.

[RSchibler]

My Q2 is about ready to submit, waiting to hear back from a few partners. After a rest period and a final polish, I'll submit mid-March. That will mark my one year mark for participating in the contest! Hope everyone else is doing just as well!

[Wulf Moon]

My Q2 is about ready to submit, waiting to hear back from a few partners. After a rest period and a final polish, I'll submit mid-March. That will mark my one year mark for participating in the contest! Hope everyone else is doing just as well!

Good job! Keep it up, and not just here. : )

You don't want to know my year mark for participating in the contest...but...

NEVER GIVE UP! NEVER SURRENDER!

I gotta admit, swinging Grabthar's hammer this long has built me some nice biceps!

Keep swinging,

~Moon~

[historythatneverwas]

Subbed my story today, while realizing how close I'm getting to pro-ing out! That's still such a weird concept to me!

[vsutherland01]

Dang, I have three stories to pick between before march ends. Then two more in my head I want to get out asap. Oh and a trashy rough draft from last summer I never got around to letting anyone critique.

I have a hard time being faithful to a story. I get obsessed with an idea but once it's written and revised I hate it so I move on to a new idea in hopes the honeymoon will last. Haven't met "the one" yet.

[jficke13]

Dang, I have three stories to pick between before march ends. Then two more in my head I want to get out asap. Oh and a trashy rough draft from last summer I never got around to letting anyone critique.

I have a hard time being faithful to a story. I get obsessed with an idea but once it's written and revised I hate it so I move on to a new idea in hopes the honeymoon will last. Haven't met "the one" yet.

I'd say having too many stories is a high quality problem. Start submitting them! Here, there, everywhere.

[vsutherland01]

I'd say having too many stories is a high quality problem. Start submitting them! Here, there, everywhere.

I haven't tried submitting to any other contests, got any recommendations?

[jficke13]

I'd say having too many stories is a high quality problem. Start submitting them! Here, there, everywhere.

I haven't tried submitting to any other contests, got any recommendations?

Not contests, but check out

https://thegrinder.diabolicalplots.com/

It's a database of fiction markets. Tool around in there, maybe you've got flash that would work at Daily Science Fiction or Flash Fiction Online, maybe they're longer pieces fit for Beneath Ceaseless Skies or Fantasy & Science Fiction. Aim high and don't self-reject my friend.

And, a piece you submit to another market that gets rejected is always available for a quarter here that nothing new is coming together. That is literally how I submitted my winning story. I wrote a piece for an anthology, got rejected, edited it a bit, and submitted it to WotF when I was spinning my wheels and running out of time on the story I was working on for the quarter.

Think about Robert Heinlein's Rules of Writing (http://www.sfwriter.com/ow05.htm):

Rule One: You Must Write
Rule Two: Finish What You Start
Rule Three: You Must Refrain From Rewriting, Except to Editorial Order *
Rule Four: You Must Put Your Story on the Market
Rule Five: You Must Keep it on the Market until it has Sold

* I don't actually like this one. I mean, don't obsess over something, but edit it so you send out the best version of your story.

[Wulf Moon]

IThink about Robert Heinlein's Rules of Writing (http://www.sfwriter.com/ow05.htm):

Rule One: You Must Write
Rule Two: Finish What You Start
Rule Three: You Must Refrain From Rewriting, Except to Editorial Order *
Rule Four: You Must Put Your Story on the Market
Rule Five: You Must Keep it on the Market until it has Sold

* I don't actually like this one. I mean, don't obsess over something, but edit it so you send out the best version of your story.

Excellent advice, Jonathon. That Heinlein guy seemed to know what he was talking about. : )

I like how Sawyer explained Rule Three: "This is the one that got Heinlein in trouble with creative-writing teachers. Perhaps a more appropriate wording would have been, "Don't tinker endlessly with your story." You can spend forever modifying, revising, and polishing. There's an old saying that stories are never finished, only abandoned — learn to abandon yours."

That's the hardest thing for new writers--letting go. Wax on, wax off. Move to the next car and stop taking off the shiny paint!

To boldly go where your writing has never gone before...

~Moon~

[vsutherland01]

Thank you so much for the advice. I agree wholeheartedly with your explanation of rule 3 Wulf.

I get to a point where I feel like I can only polish a turd so much before I need to take what I have learned and perhaps a few of the ideas that worked and move on to a new story. The revisions help make my stories better but they can't turn a bad idea into a good one.

[RSchibler]

I'm in! Now I'm ready for results for Q1! I can't twitch on two for too long or I'll go batty.