Too Many Irons?

I'm going to pat myself on the back--I've been getting lots of writing done! I'm working on two original stories that I'm hoping to submit to real publishing companies. I've also been working on my new Kirk/McCoy AOS story, so much happiness here. =)

One thing worries me: do I have too many irons in the fire? Does everyone work on multiple projects at once? Or is anyone out there disciplined enough to stick with the same story until it's done?

I appreciate all responses . . .

New Poll: Can You Take a Tough Critique?

We've all had them--brutal critiques that make us shrivel up inside and question our worth as writers. But I've found that the toughest critiques are sometimes the most helpful . . . as long as the reviewer isn't just out for blood.

But how tough a critique can we take? Fill out the poll on the sidebar and feel free to discuss!

~Rose

~The List~

Ok, here's a brief list of e-book/print publishers that publish original slash fiction:

1. Ellora's Cave

2. Samhain Publishing

3. Torquere Press

4. Liquid Silver Books

5. Loose ID

Poke around these sites--all of them have e-books (and/or books) worth buying and all have submission guidelines. Some encourage all manner of glbt stories; others demand seriously erotic tales. Some prefer M/M over F/F.

Ok, now here are a couple of sites that publish short stories, flash fiction, micro fiction and poetry. These are not slash, glbt or romance sites--I don't know if they're hostile to such fiction, but it's certainly not their focus:

1. Ruthless Peoples Magazine

2. Flash Scribe

3. MindWings

4. AlienSkin Magazine (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Speculative)

Finally, here are two non-publishing sites that allow you to post your work in order to get hard-core critiques:

1. Scribophile (I'm using this extensively--I love it! Try it out for free, but if you intend to use it seriously upgrade to a paid membership as soon as possible.)

2. Review Fuse (I don't know much about this one yet--I just joined and haven't gotten started. I've heard good things about it, however. I'm starting off with a free membership.)

Ok, ok--this is an incomplete list. We know there must be more sites out there! But this ought to get us started . . .

Stressed . . .

. . . over money. Or my lack thereof. As much as I'm looking forward to summer, as a substitute teacher things are going to be tight. My stomach is roiling just thinking about my bank account.

I may pick up a freelance job or two over the summer doing some typing and editing--and that may tide me over. But I also plan to start submitting short stories and pieces of flash fiction to online sites. Some of these sites pay good money--others pay about $2 per piece. But they pay something!

Ok, yeah. I submitted one story once before. It got past the first round of editors on my selected site--only to be rejected by the second round. Sigh.

But I'm not going to let one measley rejection stop me from trying again! (Ok, I have let it stop me for quite a while--but that's in the past.)

I'm going to collect some of these sites today and post them here. I know I'm not the only one handy with a pen--and I'm not the only one hard up for cash!

Challenge: The Nimoy-Urban Missing Scene

**SPOILERS**

One thing disappointed me about the new Star Trek: Leonard Nimoy's older Spock had a lovely scene with Chris Pine's Kirk, and with Zachary Quinto's younger Spock, and even with Simon Pegg's Scotty. . . but what about Karl Urban's McCoy?

So here's my challenge. Write a scene set towards the end of the film, just before or just after Nimoy's Spock talks to his younger self. Make it 1,000 words or less, friendship-fic or slashy, up to a PG-13 rating. And let's set the deadline at next Sunday. I'll post all the stories here--and, of course, you can post them to Spock-McCoy Haven, Fanfiction.net, or anywhere else you'd like. Just e-mail me the fic at jrosemary@gmail.com.

Ok, I've got a little story in mind. Who's with me?

Fifteen-Minute-Timing Works!

Huzzah--I'm writing again! I used the 15-minute-timer trick (stay on the writing task for at least that long) yesterday and today. And I wrote for far longer than 15 minutes. I made progress on A Chivalrous Gesture and a Spock-McCoy story. I'm hoping to post them both by tomorrow night, after Shabbat.

And we'll have the caption winner on Sunday! (Yes--I'm getting back on schedule, lol.)

~Rose

Help! What Happens When You Can't Sit Down and Write?

I'm on vacation this week. I should be writing every spare second...so why am I finding so many other things to do? Not run-off-to-Aruba vacation stuff, but all those nagging little chores I tend to ignore most of the year. Or movies and television shows I've wanted to catch up on. Or all my reading.

Don't mistake me--it's not a bad thing to get some chores done or catch up on some shows and stories. But it seems that every time I sit down to write, I find something else I should be doing. How do I refocus on my fiction? Anyone have a trick up their sleeve?

Sigh. Well, at least I've broken my World of Warcraft habit. I've decided to take a break from the game till summer, and I haven't been tempted to go back on that. Meanwhile, if I can't manage to write this week, at least I'll get caught up on all my reading...

Too Much Time Off?

I'm working as a substitute teacher right now--and it's bloody slow! And not only is my paycheck suffering...so is my writing.

Tell me if this seems like a contradiction: the busier I am, the more I write. When I'm crazy busy, I always find time to jot down stories. And I'll stay up late and get up early just to write. But give me too much time off, and I'll lose my groove. I'll end up sleeping in and playing far too much World of Warcraft. Or I'll decide that my apartment really needs cleaning. (Um, it does, but that's beside the point.)

Sigh. Ok, time for a resolution. From now on, I'm going to treat my writing like a job in and of itself. If I don't get called into sub, I'm going to take half the day that I would have been working and dedicating it to my writing. That still leaves time for errands, cleaning, napping and World of Warcraft =P

Let's see how this goes...

I Need Help with Strategies for a Longer Story

Hey Everyone,

I'd like to submit an original story to a certain publisher...but it has to be between 20,000-25,000 words. And the deadline for submissions is in the middle of April.

I don't have the best luck with longer stories. I'm very proud of the ones I've completed, but....well, it takes me a while. (I finish most of them eventually. No, really, I do!)

Any suggestions for getting this done? I'm looking for any advice you can throw at me: advice about scheduling, advice about plotting longer stories--you name it.

Thanks in advance!

Rose

Feedback--how much weight do you give it?

How much are you willing to change a story you've written based on the feedback you receive? Have you ever scrapped a story due to feedback...or changed it so much that you ended up with a completely different story from the one you started with? And if you have, were you satisfied with your finished project?

And here's the opposite question: have you ever ploughed ahead with a story despite negative feedback? Have you ever stuck with a story that no one else seemed to get?

And here's one last question: can you stand harsh criticism? Do you mind having someone pick your stories apart?

I've written some stories that I knew needed help--like my recent effort, Makeshift Justice. I put that on a site called Scribophile just to find people who would be brutal!

And I've written stories that I didn't think needed help--but then I would read the feedback and think, "Ohmygosh! They're right. How'd I overlook that?" Quite a few of my Star Trek and Bonanza stories fall under that category.

And yes, I've also ploughed ahead despite feedback. It's a balancing act, I suppose--trying to figure out when to rely on your gut and when to listen to the folks who say, "No, no! You're doing this all wrong!'

So how about you? What role has feedback played in your stories?

Do You Schedule Writing Time?

Here's a question for anyone who enjoys writing--whether or not you've gotten the courage to post your stories!

How many of us stick to a writing schedule? Does anyone block off an hour or so a day for writing? I tend to grab time willy-nilly myself, but I can see the attraction of a strict regime.

And here's a related question: do you write even when you're not in the mood? If you know you'll only have an hour or so that you can spare for writing, do you jot down something even if you're feeling dry and uninspired? Or do you wait for the plot bunnies to strike?

In theory, I'd like to force myself even when the plot bunnies are hiding on me. In practice, I usually end up playing World of Warcraft instead =P

But I'd love to find out how other folks handle these issues...please let me know!