Wednesday Weekly Roundup

Last week I wrote 6K during the weekend only since I’m still reading madly during the week. Saturday morning was spent researching and brainstorming, but I couldn’t find the story, so I decided to write what I know and leave that story for some other time, when I can ponder it longer. Not sure I’ll send it to the anthology it’s meant for, but the deadline is March 31, so plenty of time to think about it.

Here you have an interesting article on science fiction and fantasy magazines. Although I do submit to them, I also look for specific anthologies or other venues, that usually have a Kickstarter or a Patreon to support them. I lost count of the rejections from Clarkesworld and I did try Asimov and Analog! 😉

During the weekend I wrote a couple more stories of my new series. Not sure yet if it’s going to be a novel that can be serialized or a batch of short stories that can become a novel. I’m still worldbuilding and adding stuff, so I have no idea. And if single shorts sell to trad mags, even less hurry in finishing it! 😉 I have submitted one and it was already rejected, still waiting on another two.

Now I’m back to reading, since I have two more anthos or more than 80 stories to read before I leave for the workshop. Hopefully I’ll finish in advance and I’ll have time to write some words and catch up on my wordcount… otherwise, I’ll have to do it in March! 😉

I’m also getting ideas for more collaboration anthologies, so hopefully in March I’ll prepare a couple… meanwhile, the Celebrating Male Lovers is having its final run at a discounted price. Grab it now before it’s gone. It’s the bundle that was out there for longer, since I usually took them down after six to eight months. This has been going for two years! 🙂

I don’t think I’ll do any more bundles, but more collaboration anthologies, definitely. And I might be picked up for more bundles on BundleRabbit, but I have only one pending request at the moment and I don’t know when the curator will work on it. And one day maybe I’ll get on StoryBundle, but we’ll see! 🙂

In case you’re on Facebook and you’re a reader, I’m trying to revive my author’s group. I had started it by adding a couple of friends (including Tori), but nobody actually gave a damn. Then two new people joined, and I thought, Why not? Someone mentioned she’s very active on Facebook with her readers, so I’m going to give it a try. Join the conversation, if interested. Unlike Patreon, it’s free! 😀

I also posted the Sunday strip on Saturday… damn Instagram that doesn’t allow scheduling! 😦 And since I’m kind of stuck with the second strip, I’m already considering the next… although maybe not. We’ll see. Not willing to redraw Me and Da Muses, LOL!

Still changing my mind every five minutes. I might have developed a hummingbird brain, haha! Those ideas are bouncing kitten screaming “Pick me! Pick me! Oh pick me!” like Donkey in Shrek. And it’s hard to make a priority list when nobody cares what I put out next, haha!

Glad I have my editor and proofreader booked and I need something to send her on the requested dates… I don’t mind toying with covers and formatting, it’s the launch and marketing that just flat depresses me. I’ll need to talk with my webmaster as well at some point, since there are way too many spambots on the publisher’s site, leaving unreadable comments.

Travel plans for when I come back from the workshop, though. Publishing plans as well. As well as starting to seriously decluttering the house (something I’ve pretended to do in the past months) and re-educate myself to do another job, because the DayJob is going to give me another nervous breakdown, like in 2012.

So I need to get rid of it, but can’t count on royalties to pay the bills, it would take the fun out of writing. Hence my studying other options as well as other places where I’d like to live. Another summer like the last one and I might not survive in the Roman heat! 😦

Sometimes I’m so sick of adulting that I consider convents and nunneries. Even less responsibilities than co-housing, haha! But my vocation died out years ago, so it’s probably not an option. Oh, well…

And it’s Infinite Bard time again! Hop there for the 24th free story! 😉 Leaving you with the weekly writer’s quote… have a great week!

It’s very bad advice because there exists this occasional movement toward severe austerity cuts inside fiction, as if every bit of prose should be cut down to the bone, and then the bone whittled to a spear that can be thrust cleanly through the reader’s heart. There’s nothing wrong with austerity in prose, if it’s what you seek and if it’s what the story demands. There’s also nothing wrong with adding fat to the prose in the form of descriptive language. One’s voice as an author and in terms of the book you’re writing is useful, even vital, to preserve; I often note that originality in fiction is utter bullshit, except in the area where it really matters, which is to say, YOU. You, the author, are the one original component that can be brought to a story. Your ideas. Your fears. Your preferred arrangement of elements. And, obviously, your voice.

– Chuck Wendig

Posted by Barb on 05/02/2020

https://creativebarbwire.wordpress.com/2020/02/05/wednesday-weekly-roundup-19/