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I should not be writing this blog. Between work, which has been hectic lately, and this being my first week of grad school, I have been way to busy to write and this blog entry comes on borrowed time. If I were only doing one of those things I'd definitely have time to write, even with the normal obligations of life (what I like to call the 'F's: family, friends, food, forty-winks, and the most insane of all, the fact that we all need to have a little Fun every now and then). My dilemma is, I'm doing both grad school and work. Not impossible, many have done it before me, but I'm not sure how many have revised a novel at the same time. It will certainly be a challenge of time management. I do have a plan of attack, a daily schedule that will give me at least a little time to work on my writing and not an outlandish one at that. But as of yet I've failed to implement it. I'll keep trying. If going to grad school means giving up writing I may have to rethink it, at least for now. There's also the possibility of cutting back and only take one class next semester. I'll figure it out but until then, if you don't hear from me, know that I'm trying, as always. I haven't given up or traded my passion for a career. I simply face new challenges, and very adult ones at that, but I am confident and resolute and that stack of unpublished papers, the story that ruled my life for four months, has never fully left my mind.
Until next time, and there will be a next time, I'm Eric and I'm and unpublished author.
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Following my triumph in the
Crossed Genres Flash Fiction Contest I decided to write a story for another competition they were holding, the
Science in my Fiction contest. Per my personal requirement, there was no entry or reading fee and to my delight there was a top prize of $300. The contest was to see who could pen the best story based on a recent scientific or technological development, discovery. You had to provide a link to an article about the development. I decided to write about a robot designed to interact with autistic children I read about in popsci. The article is titled
The New Face of Autism Therapy. Winners were announced recently and my story "Regular Robots and Irregular Humans" garnished an Honorable Mention!
The folks at Crossed Genres choose ten finalists from all stories submitted and passed those along to a panel of judges that included editors of other magazines and scientists. The three top stories were published and three others were named honorable mentions. Because mine is among those three and my story is as of yet unpublished I am free to seek publication elsewhere but one question I've been mulling over is, how do I approach the issue of being an honorable mention. Should I put that in my cover letter or just not mention it at all? Not that cover letters have that much attention paid to them, but if an editor did actually read it, would saying the story had been an honorable mention in a contest help it or hurt it? Would they say, "I don't want someone else's leftovers," or "Oh, must be a decent story at the very least."
It seems to me it almost sounds better to say that I was a finalist rather than an honorable mention. "Finalist" connotes an achievement, a reference to the relationship of my story with all those who were not finalists. It is a surpassing of the majority, a relative victory. "Honorable Mention" is a relative loss because it refers to my status as compared with the winner. The word "honorable" isn't the culprit here, it's the word "mention." As to say, "Look! Behold the winner. And, oh yea, we'd like to mention these guys..."
This is in no way to say I am not grateful to the recognition I have received from the judges for my work. I am proud to say that of all the stories submitted mine was in the top six and not just the top ten (those authors listed simply as finalists). I'm just not sure how to proceed from here other than to give the story another read through and see how it can be improved. An honorable mention isn't beyond tweaking.
As for cover letters, I'd say they probably aren't worth losing sleep over but your comments are always welcome.
Until next time, I'm Eric and I'm an unpublished author.
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Energized by my recent victory in the Crossed Genres Flash Fiction Contest I've sent out another round of submissions (equipped with my new accolade in the cover letter) and I am ready to lay the cross hairs on my next goal: draft 2 of the novel. Again, I will be giving myself four months to complete the project although it is my hope the project will not take that long although it's hard to know for sure as I will be beginning a new job shortly. The next deadline will be the first of November and the countdown app on my dashboard has begun. I meant to make the announcement on the first of this month but I've been busy with family the last week.
So, chapter by chapter, let the revisions begin. Major changes are in store in every facet of the book as I seek to refine and sharpen before I let friends and family begin reading it. Or perhaps I'll let them read it as I go. It's a lot less intimidating and demanding to say, "here's a chapter, let me know what you think," than it is to plop down four hundred pages. If you're interesting in being among my first readers please let me know in the comments section. I am not looking for "good job"s or spelling corrections. Regardless of the editorial errors made on this blog I am capable of performing those tasks myself and I regardless of the encouragement it may seem that I need I am also capable of bolstering my own self esteem. What I really need is honest and complete criticism. You cannot hurt my feelings and I cannot improve without people telling me what I'm doing wrong.
Until next time, I'm Eric and I'm an unpublished author.
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First I must ask that you pardon the tardiness of this post. My maternal grandfather passed on the same day I recieved this amazing news and I have since being spending my time with family. The news, however, is something that would surely make Opa proud. Thanks to the generous support from my family and friends, my fellow blogiversiteers and others, I have been crowned winner of the Second Annual Crossed Genres Flash Fiction Contest. (<--Click to read the now published story for free!)
I'd like to take a moment and mention the techniques and tools I've proported on this blog which contributed most directly to this step forward inmy endeavor to "make it" as a writer. Going in no particular order, I'll start with Duotrope, the online digest for writers. If it weren't for there weekly newsletter on writing contests and submission opennings and closings, I would never have found out about this opportunity. I would never have taken advantage of that opportunity if I did not possess a mindset to make like the empire and strike back when opportunity strikes (I think I'm more amused by that blog title than anyone else). I found out about the contest the day before the deadline and I hammered that story out. Of course, I wouldn't have been able to do that if I didn't have an idea journal, which I opened and promptly found a story idea ripe for the writing, and if I wasn't already a well-oiled (but not oily) writing machine from writing 1000+ words a day (emphasis on the plus). Hell, that makes churning out 500 words easy and leaves plenty of time for revising, editing, and still making dinner before the misses comes home. And then of course, I may not have won were it not for this blog and the followers I have obtained through it. Thank you all of you.
Until next time, I'm Eric and I'm an unpublished author, just not on the internet.
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There is still time for anyone who hasn't yet done so to register and vote for my story "Of Mice and Astronauts" currently competing in the Crossed Genres 2nd annual Flash Fiction Contest. And, there is still a need. Of the ten stories, two have broken away from the pack with huge leads and mine is one of them. As of this moment, those two stories are tied, each with 25% of the vote. I need your help, blogiversiteers! There is only one winner and I have no interest in being among three unrewarded runner-ups.
Also, I'd like to go ahead and say that if my story does win and I am published on their site it does not mean I will cease blogging as "Eric: Unpublished." Until I receive a professional payment through a conventional submission (i.e. not a contest) and my work is put IN PRINT (nothing against e-zines, I would relish being featured in
Flash Fiction Online or
Strange Horizons and would certainly consider myself published and a budding professional if my work were on one of those sites but...) for the purposes of this blog I will not stop until my work is in a big zine and I'm paid for it.
With that said, I want to win this contest most of all so that I can say on my cover letter to magazines, "I am the winner of the Crossed Genres 2010 Flash Fiction Contest." You never know what may help turn an editor to give your work the extra little consideration it needs. So, please vote for "Of Mice and Astronauts" here: http://crossedgenres.com/flashfic/. Yes, you have to register but it shouldn't take but a moment and of all my family and friends who have voted only a few have had to wait a little while for the activation email and no one else has received any spam from the site.
Get out there and vote! The last day is June 30th but don't dither, make me a winner!
Until next time, I'm Eric and I'm an unpublished writer.
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My story "Of Mice and Astronauts" was just named one of ten finalists in the 2nd Annual Flash Fiction Contest held my Crossed Genres Magazine. Crossed Genres is a free e-zine that publishes once a month and puts out an annual print edition featuring the best stories from the year. I'd come across their site before but each month they have a different theme and I hadn't felt the urge to write a story to fit their requirements as of yet. Monday of this week I was browsing my weekly e-mail newsletter from Duotrope (discussed in this previous blog) and saw that the next day, Tuesday, would be the last day Crossed Genres would be accepting entries to their 2nd Annual Flash Fiction Contest. I don't normally enter writing contests because the competition is even stiffer than trying to get published through normal means and they usually require a entrance fee. This contest did not. Further peaking my interest was the requirement that the scifi story be less than 500 words. I didn't have anything laying around I hadn't already submitted somewhere but I love whipping a bit of flash fiction so I looked at my long list of untapped ideas, picked one out and churned out the story in a single afternoon.
Today I received word that mine was chosen as one of ten finalists!!!
Here is where you, oh loyal reader, come in. Anyone can go to their website (you have to register but it's free and takes all of ten seconds) and vote. My story is number 8 entitled "Of Mice and Astronauts." The prize is small, $25 but because the story is less than 500 words that comes out to five cents a word or better which is a professional payment. There will be three runners-up but I want top prize. Not for the 25 bucks but because they will then publish my story where anyone can see (not just those you log into the site) and so I can put on my story cover letters that I am the winner of the Crossed Genres 2010 Flash Fiction Contest. Yes, I like how that sounds. So help a fella out and lend me your vote!
Until next time, I'm Eric and if I win this I can't really say I'm unpublished anymore.
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With three days to go until my self-imposed deadline and the Memorial Day Weekend looming, I wrapped up work today on the first draft of my novel. Weighing in at 154,549 words and thirty chapters, I'd like to offer this blog's readership the first glimpse into my creation. The first of a science fiction saga entitled Star Song, this book is called Detour on the Alkan Run and chronicles the adventure of a young individual named Chevall whose father was a human and mother is of an alien race called the Mohpein, an unimposing people who live on a frigid world. Chevall never knew his father and his mother has kept him away from humans as best as she can but after a fight with her he runs off to discover the heritage he never knew and is taken in by a rogue historian who promises to show him what it truly means to be a human. Chevall becomes embroiled in her mysterious quest and the dangerous lives of a group of off-beat freight runners and criminals. He finds himself fighting for his life when their mundane cargo run to the planet Alkan and the historian's mission clash on an unexpected detour.
Well, that's all nice and exciting, but the fact is it is a very rough first draft. I need to read the whole thing straight through and take in depth notes and then start rewriting. I know a lot of things I need to change all ready, some pretty small, some very very big. Make no mistake about it, this won't be light editing and revision, this will be rewriting. I may need to set another deadline a few months from now just as I set this one to make sure it gets done on time. Should make for a nice summer project.
My wife and I are heading to Miami for the weekend to be with some college friends which will make for a fun and relaxing reward after this lengthy endeavor (not sure the Zelda II thing is gonna happen). Before I sign off I'd like to thank my wife for how incredibly support she has been. I'm intensely thankful for everyone in my life and how helpful and encouraging my family and friends have been but I'll save the Oscar speech for later and for right now just say thank you to my wife who has come home everyday and asked me how my writing went and put up with the nights where I wanted to keep at it and for always being willing to read my work and give it an honest assessment. I love you Mary. Thank you.
Until next time, and there will be a next time because this is far from over, I'm Eric and I'm an unpublished writer.
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Today I discovered Duotrope Digest. Well, not like Columbus finding America or anything, a lot of wanna-be (that's me) and emerging writers use Duotrope as a source all the time. Well in that case, maybe it was a bit like Columbus finding the new world, what with the Native Americans already living here and the vikings have gotten here first. I'm just here to talk the place up. Duotrope is absolutely free website that allows you to track your submissions to magazines as well as fine places to submit your new work through advanced searches of a wide catalogue of 'zines. It has also compiled a list of information about these magazines that puts the copy of Writer's Digest setting atop my desk to shame. Not only does it have information about what kind of work individual 'zines want to see, but Duotrope can tell you how and when to submit and has accurate information (not just what the mags submission guidelines try to ball park) regarding percentage of pieces accepted and rejected as well as how long response times are. It's a gold mine. Now, I was already keeping tabs on my submissions via a table in a word document but their system is fair bit better and I'm going to start double logging them and maybe eventually switch over. This is a must-use for aspiring writers, especially those struggling to move into the internet age of online submissions.
I was got another rejection today. "What's new?" You might ask. Well, besides the fact that I used it as my first response report to Duotrope, this one was a bit different from the others I've received from this magazine. Flash Fiction Online is the premier place to read smartly written flash stories that never miss their mark and I never miss an issue (its free!). Plus they pay a professional rate. What better place to be published? Well for the first time I got a rejection that said I made it passed the preliminary round which eliminates more than 75% of their submissions and though some of the editors liked it, not enough of them did. Yes, it's still a rejection, but it's a step forward.
Until next time, I'm Eric and I'm an unpublished writer.
14 days to deadline, 25 chapters complete.
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Nothing much insightful to report at the moment other than the fact I am writing like a maniac. I managed to churn out over 10,000 words this week and that was with me not writing much of anything on monday or tuesday because I was busy with stuff for my new, soon-to-start job as a GED, adult-ed instructor. I think it is going to start sometime in June which means my book deadline could not have been set more perfectly (why, yes, I do believe in a higher power). However, that doesn't mean I'm going to get it done on time without really bearing down hard. I finished two chapters and, after penning this blog, will start on the next one.
But with time ticking by, I may need to pick up the pace even more, or at least try to avoid any distractions. Fortunately, some of the last few chapters is already worked out (yes, i skip ahead sometimes, shoot me). Unfortunately, I've only got ten days left if you don't count weekends. I may need to put in some extra hours on saturday and sunday while the wife is busy elsewhere. It'll be a push, but I know I can do it. Even if don't though, on June first I'm not just going to give up, yell "Khan" and go sulk with a book only a few pages from completion. The point of doing all this was to make myself do it and not just saying I'll finish the project in some nebulous future but that it will be complete by a set time and I came damn close to doing it. Close, on-time, whatever. It doesn't matter. What matters is, I'll have written an entire novel!
The only really writer insight I have to offer is that, as a catapult into the exciting, action-packed, revelatory conclusion to my novel, I am writing a hell of a lot faster. Partly because of the impending deadline, yes. Partly because of that last burst of speed you get when the end is in sight, no doubt. But mostly I think, because what I'm writing is just plain fun and interesting. This is of course, a glass half empty, glass half full situation. Positively speaking, this means the end of the book will definitely be a page turner. Negatively, I may need to focus extra hard on making the beginning and middle better so my readers get to the end.
Until next time, I'm Eric and I'm an unpublished author.
17 days to deadline, 24 chapters complete.
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I've never written a novel before, so most of my experience has been a series of firsts. However, I have written some fairly long stories before (one of which is currently awaiting review at Asimov's, a short story whose word count actually, according to that magazine, garners it the classification of a novelette) and toward the end of those first drafts a very distinct feeling set in. One that could almost be described as desperation. It's the same feeling you might get at the end of a run. Somewhere in the middle of the run you get tired and probably thought about quitting but, once the finish line is in sight, even though you're still in pain, you push forward because you can't let yourself stop when you're that close. I know personally I was able to even put on a little extra speed at the end of a run sometimes.
The same goes with writing a long story. As the end of the first draft nears you start to see the piece as a whole and start to see what ways you can improve on it. I've learned that it's important to save those revisions for the second draft or you could end up with a big mess of almost finished versions of the same story, so tired and anxious to be done, I push myself forward to finish.
Despite the unfamiliar landscape of novel writing, that is the familiar feeling that has set in now that I'm in the last section of the book and have less than a month until my deadline. I find myself having a lot of ideas about what to do with the next draft and I often have to fight the urge to look back at previous chapters. To satisfy my itch, I've opened a document where I can list these potential revisions and new ideas. That way I save them for later and save now for finishing the first draft. I can only hope I get that extra speed and vigor in my final push.
Until next post, I'm Eric and I'm an unpublished fiction writer.
27 days to deadline, 22 chapters complete.
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i ment to post yesterdy when i finished the twentieth chpter of the book (during which i crossed the threshold of 100 thousnd words, hoory) but i'm hving some typing problems. if you're wondering why my typing seems strnge nd lcking the first letter of the lphbet, it's becuse ll this typing hs mde my left pinky hurt. wierd i know. though i continue to use it while i work, (my book doesn't look like this) i decided to give it rest when it comes to "non-essentil" writing. t first it seemed odd tht my left pinky of ll fingers would hve problems, only covering three letters, two of which ren't used too often, until i relied tht i exculsively use the left shift key, hence no cpitl letters in this blog. where my left pinky is exhusted, my right is wek. even sking it nicely to ese on over nd tp the right shift key is n ordel. it just doesn't wnt to bend tht wy. wht i need re some tiny brbells for it or some smll pendge yog. i've got two hnds so tht if one fils the other will crry the slck. it's not the left one, the hurt one, tht i'm disppointed in, it's the right one. uite shmed of tht one. incpble of ccomplishing simple tsk while its comptriot eight fingers wy my be suffering from erly crpl tunnel.
until next time, i'm eric nd i'm n unpublished uthor.
38 dys to dedline, 20 chpters complete
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In a semi follow-up to a
previous blog about the different methods of writing and constructing drafts, last week I was very very tempted to go back at take a look at past chapters. As I near the end of my book's first draft, I'm starting to see things that need changing and revising or at least further examination. However, I am planning on using the method of just writing the first draft, just getting it down on paper, and then going back for extensive revision so I resisted this temptation and trudged thought the chapter, even knowing conversations and events may need to be cut or rewritten. I have decided to finish the book before my deadline and then work on revision, not mix the process of writing and revising.
While I told myself to not look back yet, it's important to write down notes. Always. Be it an idea for a story, an anecdote or a possible revision. I choose something of the middle path then, and recorded my thoughts, instead of actually going back and rewriting, and then pressed onward. I'm making good progress, well on track to finish on time and I'm not going to turn back now, even though my progress was slowed at times last week by the urge and thoughts of revision that were worth saving for later, if not for doing right now.
Until next time, I'm Eric and I'm an unpublished fiction writer.
42 days to deadline, 19 chapters complete.
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If you're not familiar with the new television show Castle and you don't have a ten o'clock bed time, you might want to tune your TV to ABC next monday night at 10 (EST) and check out the awesomeness. It's yet another crime procedural, something I'm normally not interested in in the slightest, but this one appeals to me in two ways. First of all, it stars Nathan Fillion who for geeks is the coolest thing since William Shatner as he gave life to Firefly and Serenity's Malcolm Reynolds. Second, it's about a writer. The premise is Fillion's character, Richard Castle is a famous mystery novelist who, seeking inspiration for his next book series, is shadowing/helping an NYC detective, Kate Beckett (played by Stana Katic).
It's worth watching and I've become a fan but unfortunately Castle has raised the bar to unreachable heights. It's no longer enough that all my dreams come true and I become the author of best selling books. Now I have to fight crime at the same time. It was bad enough with guys like Jack London running off to Alaska and getting mixed up with oyster pirates while being a successful writer but Castle juggles girl-chasing, book-promoting, writing, crime fighting while raising a daughter by himself! Plus he really is
ruggedly handsome. DAMN YOU CASTLE!
Until next time, I'm Eric and I'm something or other.
48 days to deadline, 18 chapters complete.
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So you've written a great story, revised it, edited it, spanked it on the butt and said it's ready for the world to see. After all that the last thing you want is to have problems with the submission process. To make life easy, always check a magazine's website before you submit. Chances are that information is going to be up to date. If not, question whether or not you want your work in that magazine. That might seem harsh to you, especially if you're older, but as a young keyboard jockey let me tell you, if a company doesn't have a good website, they don't get my business. This goes for everything from soda companies to banks and I'll be damned if I'm going to make an exception for magazines.
Anyway, that last thing you want is to get a submission returned to you with the manuscript mangled by the post office (are they employing hungry rottweilers or does PO stand for pissed off?), the stamp rendered unusable and some kind of message about an invalid address. If I don't get acceptance I want rejection. At least some body read part of what I wrote, for god's sake! Maybe the rottweiler enjoyed my quippy opening line while he ate my SASE.
Maybe this happened because you have an old copy of the magazine or an old copy of the Writer's Market (I wouldn't blame you, those suckers are expensive). Whatever the reason, if you check their website chances are you'll find the up to date contact information and it'll even give you some guidelines about what they want and how they want. Every little bit helps, right? Also, save yourself a lot of time, hassle and money and see if they accept online submissions. This is the way to go in my opinion. Just pop them an e-mail and wait for the reply. No stamps, no printing, no tongue paper cuts! Some don't even need an e-mail. Esquire now allows you to sign in to their special submission website and upload right to them. It even gives you a constant status on your story.
Sadly this isn't the norm, especially for big name magazines, which doesn't make much sense to me because all the barely paying or not-paying-at-all e-zines have setups like this or at the very least just want an e-mail from you. That seem right to you?
Until next time, I'm Eric and if you want to get technical about it I have been published but no one's paid me more than a compliment yet!
52 days to deadline, 17 chapters complete.