25 November 2008

Weekly Goals - November 25, 2008

With Thanksgiving nearly upon us, it's time to get things moving for the end of the month. With a pinched nerve or something, it's going to be all I can do to keep driving for the goal line, but here goes...

Results for this week:

1. Completed (currently at 40,398 words)

And now the goals for the coming week:

1. Reach the 50K mark on The Cure (for NaNo)

Submission status for the week:

Short stories:
"Entrapment" (since September 26)
"Redemption" (since June 14)
"Profit and Loss" (since September 21)
"A Time for Trust" (on hold)
"Lifeline" (submitted November 4)
"A Thankful Heart" (since October 14)

FRIENDS IN DEED/HEROES LAUGH LAST:
(Out of 17 submissions)
6 queries remaining
10 queries REJECTED
1 partial REJECTED




Labels: , , , ,

19 November 2008

Weekly Goals - November 18, 2008

Still on track for NaNo...but running out of steam quickly.

Results for this week:

1. Completed (currently at 30,007 words)

And now the goals for the coming week:

1. 10000 words on The Cure (for NaNo)

Submission status for the week:

Short stories:
"Entrapment" (since September 26)
"Redemption" (since June 14)
"Profit and Loss" (since September 21)
"A Time for Trust" (on hold)
"Lifeline" (submitted November 4)
"A Thankful Heart" (since October 14)

FRIENDS IN DEED/HEROES LAUGH LAST:
(Out of 17 submissions)
6 queries remaining
10 queries REJECTED
1 partial REJECTED




Labels: , , , ,

16 November 2008

Early Morning Thoughts

So, for reasons unknown to me, I'm sitting here at the computer, having awoken from a fitful night of sleep. Heading back to try again shortly, but figured I'd empty out my mind here first.

So, of course, the big thing this month is NaNoWriMo...sitting at just shy of 26K words. Right on track for where I should be at halfway through the month. My only worry now is running out of story before I hit the final 50K mark. Granted, that's always been my big issue, so I'm not really surprised. I imagine if I get to that point in the next few weeks, I'll need to go back to the beginning and start adding things which got left out in the initial drafting.

First round of layoffs are coming at work, probably this coming week (just after the deadline ends for those who want to leave voluntarily via a buyout). Have been through this before (back in 2002 or 2003-ish timeframe) and figure this first round won't affect me, but have this nagging feeling inside...

My wife goes in this week to visit with a surgeon regarding a biopsy procedure. Sure it's probably nothing, but those nagging feelings tend to throw parties and invite all their friends over to join them...

Still have a bunch of stories out on submission...not sure why RGR seems to be the only outlet that's open to my writing. Even RGR seems to be taking their sweet time on my most recent submissions...

But then, maybe there's really a good reason out of 3 reviews on Fictionwise, I've ended up with 2 "Poor" rankings...nagging feelings, anyone? I'd like to think that the reason is it's promotion via romance organizations (such as Coffee Time Romance), when it has no romance in it. That, or the old standard of having to be labeled science fiction when it's truly space opera (and trust me, not every SF fan enjoys space opera). Still, there's that nagging suspicion that people really think it's a stinker.

But even so, Heroes Die Young seems to be doing well, compared to its other stablemates from Champagne. It hits spurts compared to everyone else, but has slumped for the past few weeks.

Desperately want to get it in to local stores for stocking and signing...keep trying, but rules have changed since my really-want-to-forget-that-mistake past with a certain publisher, and finding it impossible to break in so far.

Not certain what to do with Friends in Deed...another friend of the nagging feelings is hanging around, convincing me that it's not going to find an agent or major publisher. Don't want to shelve it, but still not sure what my plans should be for it otherwise...all things considered.

My wife is still at odds with her sister from incidents that happened at the end of July. Neither one will apologize to the other, so neither one wants to speak or see each other. Win-win for me, though...

Reminds me, I should call my brother sometime Sunday.

Well, I think my brain is sufficiently empty now...so off to do the same to other parts of my body, and then it's time to try sleeping.

Night, all...

13 November 2008

Weekly Goals - November 11, 2008

Busy this week with all things NaNo...which is probably why I missed my regular Tuesday night updates...

Results for this week:

1. Completed (currently, as of 11/11, at 19140)

And now the goals for the coming week:

1. 10000 words on The Cure (for NaNo)

Submission status for the week:

Short stories:
"Entrapment" (since September 26)
"Redemption" (since June 14)
"Profit and Loss" (since September 21)
"A Time for Trust" (back in edits)
"Lifeline" (submitted November 4)
"A Thankful Heart" (since October 14)

FRIENDS IN DEED/HEROES LAUGH LAST:
(Out of 17 submissions)
6 queries remaining
10 queries REJECTED
1 partial REJECTED




Labels: , , , ,

04 November 2008

Weekly Goals - November 4, 2008

Had a vacation this week, which isn't much of an excuse (in fact, I should have met all of my goals with ease)...and now, we're into NaNo mode full time...so the lists should get much shorter, but more brutal, for the coming weeks.

Results for this week:

1. Not started
2. Not started

3. Completed this evening (currently at 6697)

And now the goals for the coming week:

1. 10000 words on The Cure (for NaNo)

Submission status for the week:

Short stories:
"Entrapment" (since September 26)
"Redemption" (since June 14)
"Profit and Loss" (since September 21)
"A Time for Trust" (back in edits)
"Lifeline" (rejected, looking for a spot to submit)
"A Thankful Heart" (submitted October 14)

FRIENDS IN DEED/HEROES LAUGH LAST:
(Out of 17 submissions)
6 queries remaining
10 queries REJECTED
1 partial REJECTED




Labels: , , , ,

New Story Published

Be sure to check out The Writer's Vineyard, where my brand new, never-before-seen story "Dirty Old Man" is now up.