Discussion: Q3 Volume 40

I have my Q3 lined up, and just about ready to go.

@doctorjest Nice! My Q3 is thoroughly plotted. I expect the first draft to only take a couple days. It's a bit paint-by-numbers compared to Q1, but I'm excited for it nonetheless.

I have the draft of a possible Q3 completed & some critiques back to boot. Alas, I'm not sure if it's WotF appropriate. In the meantime, it's in the queue of another market. & so, I'm on to another story, in the thick of pantsing my way through that first draft. 

Posted by: @ease

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I expect the first draft to only take a couple days. It's a bit paint-by-numbers compared to Q1, but I'm excited for it nonetheless.

Rockin' it being a manuscript factory! Something I wish to improve upon.

Time to stop twitching and move on to 3rd Qtr. I have an outline, but when have I stuck to the outline.

Hmm, as I said on another discussion, it has been way too long since I have been here. Not sure who has changed or stayed the same. Or who won in the last two quarters.  I could write a new story before June. Should be able to do it in a week but we shall see. 

Louis

I have an idea for a sidekick but no story and no protagonist. The worst part is, I'm trying to make story ideas fit this sidekick and not just writing the story. I think this might be a challenge.

I just finished my story for the Mike Resnick Contest so in the next couple days I'll start my Q3. I have four documents labeled with story ideas I've had waiting in the wings so my plan is to write all four and pick my favorite for Q3.

Posted by: @babooher

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I have an idea for a sidekick but no story and no protagonist. The worst part is, I'm trying to make story ideas fit this sidekick and not just writing the story. I think this might be a challenge.

Without knowing about the character, it's difficult to say for sure, but that feels a lot like something I'd say to set aside for now, though by no means to discard. I'm a fan of keeping my character and story ideas stashed when they don't work out by themselves, because sometimes, you'll find yourself with a good idea that isn't quite complete, and one of those old characters or story pieces that was set aside just naturally seems to fit. I believe Orson Scott Card talked once about how it's not always one good idea by itself, but that point where two or more good ideas cross over, that makes for the best and most interesting stories.

Orson Scott Card's Bean is one of the best sidekicks ever.

I have just opened up the new submission portals for the 3rd Quarter 2023 for volume 40. (Cycle 40C)

Good luck to everyone. If anyone has any issues let me know, but all looks good on my end.

https://www.writersofthefuture.com/enter-writer-contest/

Fantastic! I'm now entered for Q3. 😊 

@doctorjest I hope to see you win in volume 40. How are you feeling about your Q1 and Q2 entries?(edit) Oh and Q3 now that you have that in.

Posted by: @clfors

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@doctorjest I hope to see you win in volume 40. How are you feeling about your Q1 and Q2 entries?(edit) Oh and Q3 now that you have that in.

In terms of how they'll do, well...I don't really have any particular feeling at all. I think they were all in pretty good shape when I submitted, and while I could say this story is strong because of X, or this one's weak because it's missing Y, I am historically very bad at guessing my placing, so I gave up trying.

These days, I just put them out there, wait, and look forward to the results, without any particular expectation of what they'll be.

@doctorjest that seems as wise way to go about it. I haven’t proven to be good at guessing how mine will do either.

I'm debating on whether I should work on my last submission to see if I can make it a winner—or submit something new. What do you guys think - is it worth taking an HM work and trying to make it better? Or just move on and write a new one?

Congrats on your HM, @bbnickell!

There's much to writing fresh stories, developing the muscles needed to get a kernel of an idea into a full fledge, satisfying tale. Then when your new story is done you can revise your HM with time to look at it more objectively. Personally, sometimes it takes a while to see the flaws in my stories. 

In the meantime, you can send your HM to another market, maybe find it a home. You got the time. 

Send the HM somewhere and write fresh.  

Posted by: @storysinger

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Orson Scott Card's Bean is one of the best sidekicks ever.

Agreed! Ender's Game is one of my favorite books but I have to say there was something about Ender's Shadow. I still remember it more than Ender's Game. Poor Bean. 

Posted by: @bbnickell

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I'm debating on whether I should work on my last submission to see if I can make it a winner—or submit something new. What do you guys think - is it worth taking an HM work and trying to make it better? Or just move on and write a new one?

I recently read a great editing resource by Jeni Chappelle and she says to let a story "rest" in order to gain objectivity in your edits. So I think you should move on, write something new for this quarter, then for Q4 come back to this HM! 

@bbnickell I'd come back to it later, like others have said. Giving it some time to rest will give you renewed perspective on it. I did the same with my winning story - wrote it around August 2020, sat on it for over a year while garnering rejections galore for it, gave it a renewed treatment late 2021, and submitted it for Q1 of 39 because I didn't have anything else to send. Surprise surprise.

Im looking for a writer-buddy if anyone is interested. 😁

I don't know about you all, but I'm reading the blog posts from the workshop and it makes me want to get there so badly. It sounds brilliant, and provides even more inspiration to write a winning story so I can travel to Hollywood next year.

@joel-c-scoberg It's an awesome experience. Keep writing, I hope to see you among the future winners!

@spencer_s

I'm feeling it's about time to start my next novella, since I feel like I need a break from my longer stuff. Hopefully this will be the quick, and easy story, that doesn't take 3 months and hours upon hours of revision. Or maybe I'll just pretend it will be so I'm not so scared to start. 

Here's the question though, should I do some outlining, since I barely know anything about the story, (I kinda only know what the one-line elevator pitch would be) or should I just dive in and see what happens?

Wish me luck.

@m-norris have you tried both ways with different stories? I do t think there is one right way. I am mostly a pantser. But my stories do usually percolate in my head for awhile so I know either a beginning, an ending, a character, or a core idea at least. Then I tend to let it build on the page and ideas come to me either while writing or in between sessions. But plenty of writers prefer plotting. If you’re struggling with anxiety some plotting could help. The other option is to sit down without distraction and force some words onto the page until it starts to flow.

@clfors I have done both ways a little, I'm mostly an outliner/architect/plotter myself. The thing is, I don't really have an outline right now, or at least not a good one. I don't really know where I'm going to take my story. So it kinda sounds easier to just go and see what happens. But that also sounds a bit less effective (because I've proven to be not super good at that.)