I have finally gotten to the point where I have some reasonable expectation that editors and publishers will read my stuff and not say to themselves “That sucked. Next!”. I’ve been told enough times by people in the know that I can write so I don’t have quite the doubts I used to.

That doesn’t mean I expect every single thing I write to be accepted but it has given me the confidence to write stories I wouldn’t necessarily have attempted in the past. A great example of this is GalaxyBillies. I love reading the SciFi and Fantasy with Comedic tropes but I never felt good enough to do it myself.

Now I’m doing it and, while it may not be the funniest thing ever written, I have had enough people enjoying the story that I consider it a success.

I’m also looking at other genres I’ve never considered before. For example, Steampunk would be fun to write. I’m still working to develop a story (and world) that would be worthwhile so I’m not quite there yet, but I no longer look the other way when the genre is mentioned.

I think all this comes from writing all the time. Just like all the experts say, the only way to get better is to write. The more words I put down (with conscious thought, that is) the better I feel about my writing. I’ve progressed beyond “I hope I can may, someday get published if I’m really lucky” to “I WILL get published. It’s only a matter of when.” That is a HUGE change in mindset and is a reflection of the confidence I have in my writing.

I’ve also gotten to the point where I know that if one of my short stories doesn’t sell the first time, I can probably find a secondary or tertiary market. That means I’m not writing stuff to shelve anymore. It’s less about practicing my craft and more about honing it.

It doesn’t hurt that I now know several editors, publishers and even an agent or two. Those people have all given me great tips and advice to move forward as a writer and I’m doing my best to follow their suggestions.

So what’s next for me? Why, more writing of course. I will continue to submit and I will try new things. Hopefully that will all mean better writing and more accepted stories.

Personal Update

I submitted another short story this week, this time to Flying Island Publishing. It’s interesting to look back and realize that the last story I wrote that was 3,000 words took me three months to write. This one? Two days (not continuous either). Actual writing time was maybe four hours at the most. It is an interesting tale that takes place in my fantasy realm. That will be my second short story set in the realm. Perhaps one day I’ll have enough material to put an anthology together.

I should be hearing about my short story contest entry in the next week too. Fingers are crossed that it gets the nod.

Lastly, I have started revising my Middle Grade/YA novel as per publisher’s request. I’m hopeful about this one too.

Tags: agent, comedy, editor, expectations, fantasy, flying island press, Galaxybillies, irreverent muse, Michell Plested, middle grade, publisher, science fiction, steampunk, YA

There are days when I wonder if I’m cut out to be a writer. No, I’m not doubting my ability to actually put words down in a coherent order either. I’m more referring to the whole “the publishing industry takes a long time” aspect of it.

Every aspect takes time: finding a publisher/agent who is interested in your writing, the publisher/agent actually accepting said work, getting a contract and so on. It means a LOT of waiting and if there is one thing I’m not good at, waiting would be it.

So what has my knickers in a bunch right now?

There are a couple BIG things on that list right now. As I may have mentioned previously, I am between jobs at the moment. I’ve had a few interviews and, in fact, have one company that seems to be very interested in me. The problem is, the people doing the actual hiring are busying so I’m not hearing from them as quickly as I would like.

The second thing is one of my books is being considered by a publisher. This is easily the furthest any of my books have ever gotten with the publisher actually requesting a few changes to the book in order to consider it for publication. They also asked about two other books in the series. That was over a month ago (I know, that’s really nothing) and I am on pins and needles. I know the publisher is busy so I’m not harassing her but it is still hard to wait.

It’s times like these that I should be focusing on my writing but I keep letting myself be distracted. Every time the phone rings or an email comes through it might be some of the news I’ve been waiting for. So I jump on it only to find it isn’t what I had hoped for.

Ah well. To coin a phrase, “the best things in life are worth waiting (and working) for” so I will continue to wait and work. I hope the waiting is easier for you than it is for me.

Personal Update

I pretty much covered the update in the post. Still waiting and working on my writing. I am in countdown mode though. Only three weeks (give or take a day) until Balticon. Yay!

Tags: agent, balticon, irreverent muse, Michell Plested, publisher, waiting, writing