Discussion: Q3 Volume 39

Posted by: @disgruntledpeony

Here are my notes from David Farland's class on short fiction from Superstars 2020. Hope they help!

[...many good things follow...]

From your notes, to mine! I've just reformatted this and added a printed copy to the Pile of Useful Things I have in my writing corner.

Thank you for sharing your notes Liz. Dave's words are always so insightful.

Posted by: @disgruntledpeony

my notes from David Farland's class on short fiction from Superstars 2020.

 

Wow it's like a mini-workshop!

@disgruntledpeony Thank you so much for this valuable information!

Glad to help!  

Well, now that the Q1 results are out and my school work is fully over, I can quit twitching over that and put all my focus into finishing up the first draft of my Q3 entry. Write on!

Can't really complain that I figured out the end of my story, but it would be nice if it hit me in the morning, not just before I fall asleep. Or should I say, just before I spend 30 minutes questioning if I should get back up and write it out before getting up, and then finding myself too tired to put anything but the clunkiest prose down, giving up, and heading back to bed?

Be a writer they said. It'll be fun they said.

Write on, write on, write on.

I can't say, looking back, I've ever regretted getting up to tap out an idea that came to me while falling asleep.

But I can say I've regretted *not* getting up.

@axeminister I've had one of these last week. It started writing itself as I was trying to fall asleep. I finished it off in three sittings. Just sort of tumbled out. Think it'll be my Q4. 

I love it when that happens. 

Posted by: @pdblake

Just sort of tumbled out. Think it'll be my Q4. 

I love it when that happens. 

Those are some of the most exciting and rewarding writing sessions I have. Last week, the next chapter of my novel filled my mind in the wee hours. I got up early and spewed 3000 words in about 3 hours, the entirety of the chapter. And it was gooood stuff. It was exhilarating.

There is a wonderful early TED talk from Malcolm Gladwell called Choice, Happiness, and Spaghetti Sauce. It's an interesting 19 minutes or so. Has some wonderful gems like "There is no perfect pickle, only perfect pickles." Another one is "The brain doesn't know what the tongue wants." I am reminded of this after some basic sleuthing through the latest volume of WotF and finding 12 of the 14 contest submissions are written in first person. It's only one volume, new judges, so take from that stat what you will.

I'm in for Q-3. 

After I ages ago asked about when I could submit for this quarter I embarked on a significant edit and I think the story it significantly the better for it. And so now it is in - not quite down to the wire but not far from it.

Good luck to all!

I will 💯 wait until the last minute. Because I’m that guy. The one who noodles with the thing until the teacher yells, “Time’s up, everyone put your pencils down.”

Anyone else struggling with their Q3 story? I'm having a tough time getting the ideas in my head down on paper. Ugh!

Posted by: @physa

Anyone else struggling with their Q3 story? I'm having a tough time getting the ideas in my head down on paper. Ugh!

Right. I had the idea but couldn't seem to make it work for two months. Finally spewed it out this past week and proudly finished it.

Then handed it to a respected friend here, who opined that it wasn't ready to win anything yet.

Back to work. Sigh. At least I've got the same eight days left that @morgan-broadhead does.

@ehonour 

Doc, do what you can (and want) with it and put it in. No matter what, you will have gained by writing it.

For myself, I wasn't going to enter this quarter, but an idea came to me a couple days ago (in a dream, as usual). Main fear is it's going to be too long (6K-8K seems to be the sweet spot for WotF) and I won't have time to cut it down to size. Already over 6K and a ways to go. But I'm writing ... can't get better if we don't write something! 

Posted by: @dommichaels

Doc, do what you can (and want) with it and put it in. No matter what, you will have gained by writing it.

Agree completely. One of the pieces of advice from a past master (I wish I could remember which one: Heinlein? Hubbard?) was to keeping writing new stories rather than editing and re-editing the old. New stories present new challenges and help us grow; editing the old has diminishing returns. That's why I've written 15 stories (and am close to finishing my first novel) in the last year. Writers write!

Posted by: @ehonour

Posted by: @dommichaels

Doc, do what you can (and want) with it and put it in. No matter what, you will have gained by writing it.

Agree completely. One of the pieces of advice from a past master (I wish I could remember which one: Heinlein? Hubbard?) was to keeping writing new stories rather than editing and re-editing the old. New stories present new challenges and help us grow; editing the old has diminishing returns. That's why I've written 15 stories (and am close to finishing my first novel) in the last year. Writers write!

Heinlein's Rules go something like this.

1. You must write.

2. You must finish what you write.

3. You must refrain from rewriting except to editorial order.

4. You must send the work out.

5. You must keep the work on the market until sold.

I dance around #3, but the market is very different than it was when RAH was coming up. The rest, though, I think holds true for me.

I am in for Q3. Good luck everyone!

Good luck on the upcoming Q2, as well. Results should be just around the corner.

@dragonchef I suspect it's a BIG corner, though.

I seem to remember July being mentioned, not sure which end though. 

I'm in and mildly hopeful.  Already kicking some of my Q4 ideas around, so depending on when in July maybe I can have three pending simultaneously and have several free months to focus on my novel.

Best of luck to everyone battling the upcoming deadline.

Still editing my Q3 entry. Its a tough go when you need new glasses which will hopefully come in soon.

@rschibler & @pdblake

Doesn't really matter does it? July is around the corner, and if the results come at the end of it . . .

Well, we've all a lot to do to keep us busy.

Let's go sell some stories somewhere!!

Posted by: @dragonchef

@rschibler & @pdblake

Doesn't really matter does it? July is around the corner, and if the results come at the end of it . . .

Well, we've all a lot to do to keep us busy.

Let's go sell some stories somewhere!!

Of course it matters. It's my birthday on the 7th, and it's a Thursday  

Posted by: @rschibler

Agree completely. One of the pieces of advice from a past master (I wish I could remember which one: Heinlein? Hubbard?) was to keeping writing new stories rather than editing and re-editing the old. ... Writers write!

Heinlein's Rules go something like this.

1. You must write.

2. You must finish what you write.

3. You must refrain from rewriting except to editorial order.

4. You must send the work out.

5. You must keep the work on the market until sold.

 

I dance around #3, but the market is very different than it was when RAH was coming up. The rest, though, I think holds true for me.

Thanks for the nudge to my memory, Rebecca! This was what I was referring to.

#5 seems to be the sticking point for me. Some of my stories have been the rounds of every suitable market I can find. "Until sold" hasn't happened!  

I was impressed with your record of submissions to WotF in your signature line. It shows a steady six-year progression of better and better writing. Congrats on that. But I notice that you're still submitting this year, and that means you still haven't pro'ed out with three publications. Can you give us any insight as to why?

@pdblake  - Happy early Birthday!!! Perhaps you might get the "perfect birthday present" from WotF on that day. Watch and see. But don't strain your eyes (unless you can type in Braille).

Posted by: @ehonour

Posted by: @rschibler

Agree completely. One of the pieces of advice from a past master (I wish I could remember which one: Heinlein? Hubbard?) was to keeping writing new stories rather than editing and re-editing the old. ... Writers write!

Heinlein's Rules go something like this.

1. You must write.

2. You must finish what you write.

3. You must refrain from rewriting except to editorial order.

4. You must send the work out.

5. You must keep the work on the market until sold.

 

I dance around #3, but the market is very different than it was when RAH was coming up. The rest, though, I think holds true for me.

Thanks for the nudge to my memory, Rebecca! This was what I was referring to.

#5 seems to be the sticking point for me. Some of my stories have been the rounds of every suitable market I can find. "Until sold" hasn't happened!  

I was impressed with your record of submissions to WotF in your signature line. It shows a steady six-year progression of better and better writing. Congrats on that. But I notice that you're still submitting this year, and that means you still haven't pro'ed out with three publications. Can you give us any insight as to why?

Hey there! The rules state that "Professional publication is deemed to be payment of at least eight cents per word, and at least 5,000 copies, or 5,000 hits." I've had 2 sales that meet both metrics - my sale to Flame Tree Publishing, and my sale to Writers of the Future as Published Finalist. My other sales have either been below eight cents per word or under the 5k hit/distro mark. I've got a query out as to whether flash qualifies, as I sold a flash story to an online place at eight cents, and I've got an upcoming publication that will be almost eight cents/word (6GPB/word) and online, which I've also asked about.

As for #5, I have a number of stories that aren't trunked but are out of suitable markets - I keep them around in case there's an anthology that they fit or a new market opens up.

I'm sure Joni will confirm to you, but she has said to several inquiries that I'm aware of that flash does not count. It's not, in the eyes of the contest's definition, a count-against-your-total sale.

I'd be at 3 if it was. Far as I understand, I'm at 0.