October Results & November Goals

October proved to be a wonderful month for writing.  I stuck with it all month, accomplishing a variety of work.  I'm quite pleased with it, and hope I can keep it up through next month.  November promises chaos: my son's first birthday, a short vacation, a family visit, and Thanksgiving: all in the same week.  I may need to fly back home early in the month for an unplanned family issue as well.  I'm scheduling the first three weeks of the month for writing and planning my goals according to the time I believe is available outside of preparing for these committments.

And no, I'm not doing NaNoWriMo, but for everyone who is: best of luck and have a blast!

October Accomplishments:
* Fading Light: edited; submitted to crit group, re-edit in progress;
* Watering the Black Violas: first draft written
* Hunter's Honor: edited; submitted to crit group
* Critiques completed: 3
* POV Workshop: 4/4 segments complete
* Novel Reading: slowly working through Game of Thrones
* Market Research for Hunter & Fading Light
* Started planning 2010 writing goals: novel projects selected, submission-hopeful short stories selected (yes I am forever thinking ahead to my next projects)

November Goals:
* Fading Light: complete edit and submission
* Watering the Black Violas: edit
* Nighthunter's Bite: write 1st draft (and rename)
* Critiques: 2
* Novel Reading (con't Game of Thrones)
* Hunter's Honor: edit (tentative)

fading light on hallows eve

I'm working on Fading Light tonight.  My crit group gave me several fantastic crits.  I missed 2 - 3 critical points for truly bringing this story alive.  One was entirely absent, but the other two are there, just below the surface.  I just need to name them.

It won't be done in time for me to submit before month-end, but that was my own self-imposed goal to make sure I got it out the door.  A few more days is fine.

organizing

Not exciting but good for the writing soul. ;)  I organized a ton of notes I'd been emailing myself for the past two years and dropped all those notes into Word files.  I feel much better now.

workshopping

I played catch-up today with the POV workshop Valerie is running on FM.  Completed exercise numbers two and four.  I also had a revelation today regarding my novel Forgotten Star, which I plan on editing is 2010.  For some reason, it suddenly hit me this might be a YA novel.  Who would have guessed?

Tuesday

Mostly household stuff today, and family issues.  I started and completed a critique for David, and hopefully didn't go too wild making comments. 

the value of a word

Since I began writing seriously ten years ago, there have been a few notable breaks from the writing for me.  Two had to do with pregnancies and childbirth, a third was related to insane stress and unusual living circumstances, and the others were writing related.  Critiques.  I can take a rejection from an editor much easier than I can take a harsh critique.  Twice now, I've received critiques that have sent me running (screaming) from writing.  The critiques were not wrong, I just wasn't ready to understand them and put them to use.  They intimitdated me from my writing, cropping up doubts in my ability, giving power to self-pity.

I have two stories out for critique right now.  One came back with numerous and consisten comments on what worked and what didn't, with comments citing disapointment in the outcome compared to a promise in the beginning, paths in the story that didn't get addressed, some grammar issues.  These were presented in a manner in which I digested them easily.  They were learning-worthy.  I love those kind of crits. 

But my other story received a crit in a very different fashion: the kind that usually sends me running.  With comments such as "poorly written" and "hated it" beginning the crit, it took me two hours of repeated attempts to get past such cold comments to get to the points this critiquer had made.  One some counts, I agree with some of the issues, on others- I don't.  But I fought with it.  Grappled with it.

Unneccessarily, perhaps.  Because in the end, it's feedback and I can do with it what I want.  But that doesn't stop the sting of someone hating what I've created.

I have to remind myself that if I want a career as a writer, there will always be someone who hates what I create.   Many someones. 

This guy gave me feedback that I asked for, and while it isn't in the warm-fuzzy-learning-joy kind of critique, it's still a critique with points I can use to better my story.  To the extent he wants?  Probably not.  It's my story.  I'll pick.  I'll choose.  And I'll learn what I can.

What do YOU do with crits you struggle with, right or wrong?

quiet few days

The writing has been quiet for a few days.  A nasty cold hit too, so I'm glad I finished the Hunter revisions early.  I'm torn now between starting the next revision for Fading Light.  I haven't received too many crits back (and I hate to be impatient and ask people for crits).  The two crits I received were accurate; I agree with most points made and at this point, I can't imagine there is too much more to point out.  I'm printing the latest version and the crits I have, and I'll look at it tomorrow night.  I can at least start marking up the printout and judge how I feel.

I've also started market research for Hunter's Honor and am pleased it fits the criterea for JJA's Way of the Wizard anthology.   It also fits my favorite fantasy zines, but I'm starting with JJA's antho.

Hunter's Honor

It's done.  Done and posted for crit.  The brain is dead, the fingers exhausted.  The eyes?  Quite bleary.  But the story is great.  I hope it reads as smoothly as I think it does, and I hope I solved all the story issues.  We'll see what my critiquers and time have to say.

On that note, I'm taking the day off writing tomorrow.  I might do some market research for Hunter.  Oh yes, and the beast clocked in at 4650 words.

Hunter's Honor

Last night I was hesitant to say the revision was complete, and I was correct.  I tied up loose ends, adjusted some writing, and retitled it to "Hunter's Honor" over lunch today.  I'll read it one last time this evening then post it up for critique.  The story has seriously grown: the batch of revisions took it from a 2500 word story to 4500 words.

hunter progress

This edit pass of Hunter is complete.  Stayed up way passed bedtime, but the brain, fingers, and muse were all cooperating.  I couldn't break that up.  I'll review the story tomorrow and post it up on the critique boards on FM.  Wordcount totals 4,000 words.  A good length for a short story, I think.

Title is still evading me.  Something about honor.  Looks like I have to fight for this...

Morning update:  a few loose ends need to be tied together before I'm comfortable posting for crit, but I'm pleased at the changes.  The story seems right.  Title may be "Hunter's Honor".  Will be working on this over lunch.