I’ve just started The Walking Dead, sucked me in pretty fast. I’ve been curious about these zombie stories and what makes them so popular. It’s more about the living characters, the best ones making it even harder to survive. It’s the fact that any character could die at any time that keeps me turning the pages. Then there is this whole resetting of the story that happens in the absence of this character or that character. I’ve never been a blood and guts guy but I guess I get it. I’m working on my own zombie story too. See how often I can get that rejected, I mean accepted.
Month: January 2012
First Attempt at Money 2012
So I have a story that I’ve submitted a couple times. Once at Red Fez and once at Another Realm. Both rejected, but whatever. Red Fez claimed there was not enough story, I disagree. I’m sure they did not like it, but I don’t think that was the reason. There is a whole lot of story packed into 1500 words IMHO. Another Realm did the worst thing that you can do to an author. They did not respond at all. I like them, I’m not bad mouthing, I like them very much, but no responses are useless. If you don’t get a response, you have to write them again and remove you work for consideration, that simple. Do this inside of 90 days or 90 days after they said they would get back to you. I didn’t do this, but advise for you not me, fuck off.
Anyway, since I’ve set the goal to make some kind of money this year. I’ve decided to only submit to publisher who pay. Makes sense, right. I sent this story off to Clarkesworld and we will see.
Now you go submit something, quit being a chickenshit sack of cowardice.
Update – 1/29/2012 – Rejection came back the next day from Clarkesworld. No feedback. Brutal. I listened to their podcast though and it’s very good. The story I heard was just fantastic. Check out “All the Painted Stars” written by Gwendolyn Clare. Here.
Reboot
Hours 8-13. And I’ve only generated about 5000 words. Granted I’m just a part timer, but I need to make time for this. At this rate I’ll be dead before I hit 10000 hours. Worked on my novel, slow going, there is so much to consider. My admiration for real writers only grows with this endeavor. So I’m going to switch gears until February, focus on a short story, where I’ve had some success and jump back in with both feet in another week.
Literature of Ideas
Some disparate things came together this week. First, because my novel has aliens, I guess it’s science fiction. OK so I’m on Wikipedia looking at the definition of science fiction to see if there is some crucial element I should include. Wikipedia describes science fiction as the literature of ideas. I like that. Sounds better than stories about outer space and computers.
Second, a friend is buying a gift for me at a book store. I didn’t have the heart to ask for an Amazon gift card. They want to go to a book store, fine by me. Anyway, they are looking for Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by one Philip K. Dick, who I have probably not so obviously modeled my pen name after. They don’t have the book, but they will order it. The girl at the counter says and here is the point, I read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? in school. In School? Really? I know I didn’t. this blows me away, I had to read fucking Beowulf and Othello, good stories but I’d rather read Dick. Anyway back to work you lazy stiffs.
Thanks for checking in.
JD
Pain
Hours 6 and 7, at this rate I’ll finish a novel in like …3 fucking years. I don’t like snowflaking, it’s work. So I busted out of it and wrote an early chapter. I’ll probably go back to it. I just got bored. I’ve heard talk of anxiety and depression in creative types, maybe this is the cause of my pain and lack of productivity. Probably I’m just a puss.
What are you working on? How is it going?
JD
Persist
Hours 1-5, I had hoped to put in 20 this week but, whatever. Remember, when you are working for/with others, everyone else sets goals, and they all think they can accomplish them in the first two months of the year; and they will ask you to help them. Weather the storm friends, you will get time to do your stuff. Persist. Just Persist.
I digress. I Started my 2011 novel outline following this http://www.bubblecow.net/see-how-easily-you-can-write-a-novel-using-the-snowflake-method
It’s got aliens, so it will be awesome.
Then I got into character sheets – this will be tough for me. So I’m going to be sure they are detailed. One page for each of the four main characters. What the hell is a character chart? Never mind, I googled it. The @MightyMur says it’s too much detail. I agree.
Just the beginning. Tell me about your 10KHours.
Happy New Year! Did You Set Any Writing Goals?
Exchange on December 31, 2011.
Wife: What to you want for dinner?
Me: I’m going to skip a meal.
Wife: Why?
Me: I want to go into 2012 hungry.
Wife: You are an idiot.
And I was hungry this morning. You have to be hungry to create good art, dammit. Maybe not literally, but that helps too, or so I’ve heard. You also got to have goals. Today being New Year 2012 I’d like to set a couple simple, realistic and obtainable goals.
- 250 dollars, for writing. This is probably the toughest. I am not a professional writer so, I’m not sure how this will work out, but I have some plans. I paid about 110 for this blog so that’s better than 100 percent profit if I can make it happen.
- Write 2 books, first and second drafts at least. I’d like to do NaNoWriMo but it don’t think it will jive with my schedule.
- Take my collection of short stories and poems and publish them to the Amazon Kindle Store. Charge a buck, see goal one.
- Collect some stories to do a podcast next year.
- Keep up with my new blog. I think a couple posts a week and a story a month will do.
These are not, by the way, resolutions. I gave up soda for my 2012 resolution. So far so good.
What are your writing goals for 2012?