Guest Blog

Hey, everyone! Be sure to check out my guest blog over at The Writer's Vineyard. Those who frequent my Myspace blog may find it a bit familiar, but tips on goal-setting never run out of style.

Contest Winners - Final Week

Congratulations to Laurel, Gloria, Michelle and Lisa - the final batch of contest winners! I thank everyone for entering and hope those who didn't win will check out AstonWest.com and purchase a copy of Heroes Die Young when it comes out in a few days.

Thanks everyone!

Weekly Goals - August 26, 2008

Results for this week:

1. Completed first draft query, but only started the synopsis for Resurrection
2. Completed first draft query and synopsis for The Cure
3. Completed revisions on two chapters of Death Brings the Victory
4. Sent out two queries for Friends in Deed to agents

And now the goals for the coming week:

1. Begin revisions on "Borne Leadership" and "Lifeline" for September submission
2. Revise two chapters of Death Brings the Victory
3. Send out two queries for Friends in Deed to agents
(yes, I've changed the name back)
4. Finish reading In the Dead of Winter by Nancy Mehl

Submission status for the week:

Short stories:
"Entrapment" (since April 25)
"Redemption" (since June 14)
"Greed" (since May 15)
"A Time for Trust" (since August 16)

FRIENDS IN DEED/HEROES LAUGH LAST:
(Out of 14 submissions)
7 queries remaining
6 queries REJECTED
1 partial REJECTED

Aston West
novels
short stories
writing goals

Contest Winners - Week 3

Congratulations to Laurel, Janet and Cassie, the big winners of a FREE print copy of Heroes Die Young in week 3 of my contest. Be looking tomorrow for the fourth (and final) set of questions at a website near you.

Weekly Goals - August 19, 2008

A much better week...helps to take a week of vacation from work.

Results for this week:

1. Completed
2. Decided to go ahead and submit instead - waiting on another story to sell first
3. Completed
4. Completed
5. Submitted "A Time for Trust" to an outlet [added]
6. Developed hooks for Resurrection and The Cure [added]

And now the goals for the coming week:

1. Develop first draft query and synopsis for Resurrection (new novel)
2. Develop first draft query and synopsis for The Cure (new novel)
3. Revise two chapters of Death Brings the Victory
4. Send out two queries for Heroes Laugh Last to agents

Submission status for the week:

Short stories:
"Entrapment" (since April 25)
"Redemption" (since June 14)
"Greed" (since May 15)
"A Time for Trust" (since August 16)

HEROES LAUGH LAST:
(Out of 12 submissions)
6 queries remaining
5 queries REJECTED
1 partial REJECTED

Aston West
novels
short stories
writing goals

An Obnoxious B**** of a Muse

[cross-posted from my MySpace blog]

This was going to just be a single-topic post, but I'm feeling generous today.

Okay, I just had a small tidbit for the extra post: Those who've read my blog on goal-setting, I just wanted to get a little vindication. If setting goals, working toward them, and making yourself accountable for them will win you 8 gold medals in the Olympics, I have to say it can have the same effect on your writing.

From the link:

"Eight medals, one more than Mark Spitz won in Munich in 1972. This was, of course, the plan that he and his coach, Bob Bowman, had in mind all along. Every year, Phelps lays out his goals on a piece of paper and gives it to Bowman. Traditionally, Phelps has never said a word about what's on that paper. But now the 2008 version can be revealed:"

Of course, I'm assuming that Phelps works hard toward those goals... *eye roll*

Okay, now back to your regularly scheduled (writing) blog post...

Sometimes my muse can be an obnoxious b****. I'm just getting into the groove on my third novel, after an extended hiatus to both go through rewrites on HEROES DIE YOUNG and to go through edits and the query/synopsis/puke-my-guts-out/query/snyopsis/submit train for my second novel. In between all that, I've also been trying hard to get into a short-story-a-month mindset, and seem to be doing well toward my goals.

So, as I was saying, just getting into the groove on book three. Things are clicking, I'm doing a lot of "oh hell, that should have gone up in Chapter 1" and "where did this guy come from all of the sudden?" Then, the muse decides to play with my brain a bit, and introduces a brand new plot for a brand new novel...or short story...or novel in an entirely different vein from the Aston West story...or novel that's dependent on the second novel getting out there (I told you, that muse of mine can be obnoxious). I won't go into full details here, but I already have the title, which can probably give a small bit of insight...RESURRECTION.

Of course, my muse doesn't care that I need to get the third Aston West novel written, the second one published, or that I need to keep track of 4 short story submissions currently out (and 2 sold stories which should be coming out any day, not to mention the various pieces in work). She's got her own little warped agenda....which is basically to send me off the deep end, so she can laugh maniacally while they cart me off to the psych ward.

Good thing I'm off work all this week on a writing vacation (in my basement)...shhhh, don't tell her a thing. She'll probably stick a few more story ideas in, and ask me why I haven't done a thing with those screenplay plots she sent over several years ago.

Contest Winners - Week 2

Congratulations to Laurel (for the second week in a row) and Anissa, who were the big winners this week!!! Be looking for additional questions soon.

The Agent Form

[Cross-posted with my blog over at MySpace]

There's nothing more frustrating to me than agents who can't take a sentence to give the author an indication of why their work was rejected. I understand why they don't want to, considering the looney tunes out there who rip an e-mail off blasting them for their obvious lack of literary skills (which would include finding their book the best thing since sliced bread).

But there has to be something more than "Not right for me" or "Sorry, not interested."

Heck, one of them told me "Not enthusiastic about the premise." That at least is something to work with...

Maybe I should include a small checkbox postcard with the following options, to make it easier on the agents in question to reject my work:

[ ] I know my requirements include science fiction, but space opera? Puh-leeeze! Everyone knows that's not REAL science fiction.
[ ] Space pirates? Puh-shaw!
[ ] Isn't this like Battlestar Galactica, when Luke Skywalker saves Captain Picard from falling into a Reaver ambush?
[ ] 57,000 words? Look us up when you break the 80,000 mark.
[ ] Oh, darn it...maybe we should update our submission guidelines. Science fiction just isn't where it's at anymore.
[ ] Mostly dialogue and action, very little description? Don't you know that's against the rules?
[ ] You start off with a dream sequence? Don't you know that's against the rules?
[ ] A male protagonist trying to save the female lead? Don't you know that's against the rules?
[ ] Did we mention how droll space pirates are?

So, hopefully, this will help...now to figure out a way to pop it into the e-queries I send out...

Weekly Goals - August 12, 2008

This week, for whatever reason, was rather disheartening...so not much done toward the goals.

Results for this week:

1. Completed - story currently with some readers
2. Not started
3. Completed
4. No farther than last week
5. Rained out this weekend - no contacts

And now the goals for the coming week:

1. Complete first draft of "Borne Leadership"
2. Re-start edits of "Double Trouble"
3. Revise two chapters of Death Brings the Victory
4. Send out two queries for Heroes Laugh Last to agents

Submission status for the week:

Short stories:
"Entrapment" (since April 25)
"Redemption" (since June 14)
"Greed" (since May 15)

HEROES LAUGH LAST:
(Out of 10 submissions)
4 queries remaining
5 queries REJECTED
1 partial REJECTED

Aston West
novels
short stories
writing goals

August Contest Winners - Week One

Congratulations to Laurel, Gloria, and Wendy...first week winners of a FREE PRINT COPY of my book Heroes Die Young! You'll be receiving an e-mail shortly to coordinate delivery.

It was a bit interesting to see the lack of response last week. I would have thought more people would want to have a FREE PRINT COPY of a book, no strings attached. Hopefully there will be more response in the second week. Posted notices with new questions will be out tomorrow, so stay tuned...

Weekly Goals - August 5, 2008

Results for this week:

1. Not Completed - need to return a story back to editing
2. Not Completed - working edits
3. Completed - actually finished all of them
4. Completed - have reached the end of available e-mail queries
5. Revised one chapter of Death Brings the Victory [added]
6. Contacted three bookstores for Heroes Die Young signings [added]

And now the goals for the coming week:

1. Complete final draft of "A Time for Truth"
2. Re-start edits of "Double Trouble"
3. Revise two chapters of Death Brings the Victory
4. Complete first draft of "Borne Leadership"
5. Contact three bookstores for Heroes Die Young signings

Submission status for the week:

Short stories:
"Entrapment" (since April 25)
"Redemption" (since June 14)
"Greed" (since May 15)

HEROES LAUGH LAST:
4 queries remaining

Aston West
novels
short stories
writing goals

Weekly Contest

Be sure to check out AstonWest.com for your chance to win a free print copy of HEROES DIE YOUNG!!! Winners will be posted here each Friday during the remainder of August...stay tuned.

9 days

When an agent requests a partial, says it may take 2 months to review, and then rejects it in 9 days, is it safe to assume they thought it sucked?

Weekly Goals - July 29, 2008

Results for this week:

1. Completed
2. Not started
3. Completed
4. Completed
5. Completed

And now the goals for the coming week:

1. Submit short story to an outlet
2. Complete final draft of a short story
3. Review five chapters of Death Brings the Victory
4. Submit queries to three more agents for Heroes Laugh Last

Submission status for the week:

Short stories:
"Entrapment" (since April 25)
"Redemption" (since June 14)
"Greed" (since May 15)

HEROES LAUGH LAST:
1 partial (since July 21)
4 queries remaining

Aston West
novels
short stories
writing goals

Weekly Goals - July 22, 2008

Been a rather successful week...and as you can see, I'm in full swing on promotional items for Heroes Die Young. The book comes out in September, so the next 6 weeks are going to be a busy time.

Results for this week:

1. Completed (just tonight)
2. Completed
3. Completed
4. Submitted queries to three agents for Heroes Laugh Last [added]
[Already received one request for partial and one rejection, waiting on the third response]
5. Completed sell sheet and press release for Heroes Die Young [added]
6. Submitted partial to agent for Heroes Laugh Last [added]
7. Developed bookmarks for Heroes Die Young [added]

And now the goals for the coming week:

1. Develop business cards for Heroes Die Young
2. Develop giveaway button designs for Heroes Die Young
3. Develop t-shirt designs for Heroes Die Young
4. Review first three chapters of Death Brings the Victory
5. Submit queries to three more agents for Heroes Laugh Last

Submission status for the week:

Short stories:
"Entrapment" (since April 25)
"Redemption" (since June 14)
"Obedience" (Rejected, re-submitted July 17, ACCEPTED July 21)
"Greed" (since May 15)

Aston West
novels
short stories
writing goals

Getting Honest With Yourself

Have been pondering this post lately...and figured now is as good a time as any to put it together.

As a fiction writer, honesty is something that has to be used carefully. Honesty is good, but when it gets in the way, the story has to take precedence. The good guy doesn't win, the leading lady doesn't pick the guy she needs to in the end, and all the best laid plans in the world end up failing miserably. That's honest reality (most of the time).

But to be honest, that has nothing at all to do with this post...

As a writer, I have to be honest with myself on my shortcomings as said writer. If I don't, I'll never succeed as a writer because without improving my skills, those offers for representation and/or publication will never come.

So, what is my biggest issue in my writing?

I'd have to say that's using an appropriate level of description. I suffer this while writing and reading both. When I read a book, I tend to skip over the parts I don't feel add anything. That in itself would be okay (one doesn't need to be overly descriptive or it's going to be just as bad), but in my case, I tend to omit A LOT of detail in my writing. I see things in my head, but translating them onto the written page often baffles me. Why should it matter (so I ask myself) what types of furniture are in the room? You can relay character traits through this information (as an example), but in my head, I see it as useless excess and skip over it.

So, they say the first step in solving a problem is to admit you have it...so hopefully this will lead to my full and total recovery.

And I recommend writers everywhere take up this challenge: What is your biggest issue in your writing? Be honest with yourself, and see if it helps you improve.

Take Cover!!!

Lo and behold, what did I find in my e-mail inbox this morning, but the final cover for Heroes Die Young. Fun times!

And here it is, for all (two) of you to enjoy.

Weekly Goals - July 15, 2008

Been a busy boy this week, but unfortunately not toward my posted goals. Instead, I've been hashing out final proofs and cover art (post coming) with my publisher.

Results for this week:

1. No farther than last week
2. Completed, now with some betas
3. Not started
4. Completed proof corrections and forwarded to publisher [added]
5. Completed cover suggestions and forwarded to publisher [added]
6. Finished reading Bloody Mary by J.A. Konrath [added]

And now the goals for the coming week:

1. Complete the first draft for a new short story
2. Complete short synopsis for Friends in Deed
3. Review plot notes for Death Brings the Victory

Submission status for the week:

Short stories:
"Entrapment" (since April 25)
"Redemption" (since June 14)
"Obedience" (since May 15)
"Greed" (since May 15)

Aston West
novels
short stories
writing goals

Weekly Goals - July 8, 2008

Results for this week:

1. Completed.
2. No farther than last week
3. First draft completed, working revisions

And now the goals for the coming week:

1. Complete the first draft for a new short story
2. Complete final draft of the synopsis for Friends in Deed
3. Review plot notes for Death Brings the Victory

Submission status for the week:

Short stories:
"Entrapment" (since April 25)
"Redemption" (since June 14)
"Obedience" (since May 15)
"Greed" (since May 15)

Aston West
novels
short stories
writing goals

Maybe Someone Should Invent a Time Machine

Why is it that spacecraft built decades ago perform better than those built today? We could send a spacecraft to the edge of this solar system, but we can't get half of the ones we send (today) to Mars to function properly?