Tonight I opened up my folder of current work and found it needed some organisation. So I created a new folder titled 'Submitted Stories' and moved everything that is currently out in the market place into it.
That didn't leave a lot in my WIP folder. In fact it left a manuscript currently titled Voodoo of which I've only written the first two chapters, and may or may not ever return to. It left the AKL folder. My paranormal YA romance outline. Two old stories I was always intending on revising. One story I wrote as an assignment but thought it might be able to find a home. And Spoilt Rotten sitting in the corner acting, well, spoilt!
I opened up one of the old stories and got down to editing. I managed to get to the end of the third page before I threw my hands in the air in disgrace. Did I really write this rubbish? And did I really make so many mistakes? I mean, who finishes a dialogue sentence with a comma - and no tag after it? Did I really think there was something wrong with full stops when used inside quote marks?
I really did know absolutely nothing.
So I retired those two stories (EULA & Confused Love) to the archives. On top of them I placed my rose-coloured glasses. I always thought I'd find a market for EULA, but now I realise the story wasn't any good, the idea is, but the story isn't, so one day I still may sell the concept in another story.
I returned to my current work folder - Spoilt Rotten wasn't even looking at me anymore. AKL. Voodoo. YA outline. And Mr Gregory's Goods & Groceries (MGGG), the assignment story. MGGG is only a smidgen under 1200 words so I did a quick edit. I added a bit of narration, tidied up a couple of things and surfed over to Duotrope (I love having my net connection back). I found a mainstream exposure market which was accepting things of this nature, and sent it out.
Back to the current work folder. Only AKL, YA outline, Voodoo, and the brat left.
A quick switch over to my market list at AHWA for a dark market. Spoilt Rotten has been released once more - after a quick edit where I changed a minor point highlighted by Steve down at Tasmaniac Publications (thanks Steve).
Now I'm left with only Voodoo, YA outline, and AKL!
I don't have a single short story in the works. I have a couple of good ideas, but I've jotted those down in my ideas file and left them there. There has been no first drafts or outlines or anything else done on the shorts front. And I still don't have a new idea for the Festive Fear antho :c(
I've already said Voodoo is probably living on borrowed time.
That leaves AKL, the YA outline, and my diploma work.
How's that for clearing the decks?
A little sad about retiring works, and also sad that my WIP folder is just about empty, but I refuse to dwell on things. I shall take this as an opportunity to push ahead and complete this semester's assignments and get a huge amount of work done on AKL. The YA thing has to wait.
Let's see how long the ideas folder stays shut...Time starts now!
Newsletter 16th April 2024
2 days ago
I need to to this as well. It is hard, after all the work we put into these stories, to let them go.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with MGGG. Sounds interesting.
Verification word: snaterd (sounds like what one does to a story file to clean it out)
It's tough to clean out the folders, but oh-so-necessary. Think of this as a leaner, meaner WIP folder.
ReplyDeleteMy filing cabinet still has some space left...I guess that means I should be writing more.
ReplyDeleteActually, BT, just commenting to see if it comes up. Been having problems with submitting comments at sites and them not taking. It may have to do with setting up the blogger profile a couple of days ago. Has anyone had problems with this (assuming you can read this)?
Someday the technology will exist to let us travel back in time and kick our own asses. I imagine it will result in a dramatic drop in alcohol sales.
ReplyDeleteI recently retired five short stories. They've been doing the rounds and no one has bought them. I eventually concluded that they simply weren't any good. I may go back over them for a considerable rewrite at some point, or I may just leave them alone. It's a necessary process.
ReplyDeletePerhaps one day I'll post them on my site - Early Shorts That Were Crap - something like that. Most of them have been around a while and more recent stuff is doing better.
Some lessons can be hard to learn.
I know how you feel. I haven't written much since Jan and as a result I have nothing under submission, and my last to be published piece goes up next month.
ReplyDeleteTime to start filling up the pipeline. I do have about 15 partly written stories (I am easily distracted).
Once I finish FlashWRITER I'm getting back on the horse.
Wow, that actually sounds refreshing, clearing things up.
ReplyDeleteOne of my goals this month is something similar - to compile all my WIPs, work out with ones need editing or revising and sending out and put them in a database.
BTW - Congrats on the Ditmar nomination.
ReplyDelete