Hit Submit!

It is such a scary moment to hit "submit" on anything, but when it is writing-related that anxiousness just gets ratcheted up a notch or two (hundred). At least for me! I think because it has been a goal in my life for so long that it has way more import than it probably ought to.

Anyway, that said, I did go ahead and hit submit on my Clarion application! I know that with only 18 accepted entrants, my chances of acceptance are slim. But the timing really works out for me, as I am searching for a job to start in June right now and I could just push my search back to August if I am accepted. Plus, I feel like my writing is really at the point where I could use some sort of push to get to that next level.

I thought about writing new short stories just for my application, but I didn't want to divert so much attention from my current editing project. (Writing and editing are totally different mindsets for me.) So I submitted two short stories I've written in the past couple years. I think they are both solid stories and representative of my current writing ability, although only one is genre. Short stories are the only time I ever write non-genre, funny enough. Not that I write short stories all that often, which is another reason I would love to do Clarion. I work so much on novel writing that it would be good to get another skill to add to my repertoire.

So. Now I get to sit and wait. Luckily since I procrastinated so much on my application (the deadline is March 1), I won't have to wait quite so long! Plus, I have a lot of editing to keep my mind off things.

Hello, Internet...

Not that I think anyone is interested, but more for my own benefit, I am starting a dedicated WRITING BLOG. Whee! Just another distraction from actually getting any writing done? Probably. But hopefully also an incentive to keep those creative juices flowing, to remind myself what I have accomplished and what more I will accomplish in the future. There are hundreds of people who are doing this, and I believe that I can too. I just need to dedicate myself to actually getting words down on the page. I can't even contemplate agent searching yet or anything.

I guess a current breakdown of my WIP is in order as a starting point.

Novel 1, fantasy, almost completed first draft. Currently clocking in at around 50K, not quite done yet. Needs a lot of work, as I took nearly a four year hiatus from writing this. Am very excited to get started on the second draft.

Novel 2, sci fi, barely started first draft. Toying with the ideas and where I want to go with them. Thinking a multi-book series on this one, but given my difficulties making even ONE book (all my drafts tend to be a bit on the short side), we'll see.

Novel 3, fantasy, barely started first draft. Like this one, but have run into a brick wall as far as the plot. As in, it has a plot, but there is no REASON for said plot. So stuck.

Short Story 1, halfway done first draft (869 words). I'm not usually a big short story writer, but this idea struck me one day and I've been enjoying writing it so far. Also the only thing I'm working on that isn't SF/F.


So that's it so far. My big push is finishing the first draft of Novel 1 and then working a strong re-write. My hope is to do a chapter a week once I get to the re-write, which would be awesome. My husband is going to be a beta (and swears he'll be honest, but isn't much of a reader, so will be a first-stage, rough idea beta), as well as working some Scribophile/writing board excerpts to make sure I'm headed in a good direction.

Everything seems so possible right now, even when I'm struggling to get 200 words a day, and I hope I can hold on to that feeling!