If you've been following my other blog, Weird Happenings, which is a ghost story told in blog format, you might be interested to know I'm wrapping it up. For now. I envision at least two more posts, possibly more, in order to tell the ending. When I'm done, feel free to let me know what you think. It's very possible (probable, even) that I'll have some more in the future, but for now I'm going to stick with what's there. It'll be the same main character, but different adventures. If you haven't yet read it, go on and catch up. There are 16 posts so far.
My writing tip for the week is to make sure you always have finished work out making the rounds in the marketplace. Right now I have a dozen or so short stories for adults, one short story for young children, one short story for young adults, and a picture book manuscript out in the world looking for homes. Once they are gone, I just forget about them until I hear back from the editors and then ship 'em out again. This way I can focus on new stuff instead of the old. If something keeps getting rejected, and the comments on it aren't favorable, I'll consider retiring it, but I have so many other works that one casualty doesn't bother me very much. Other than that, they keep going out. I recently placed a short story that I wrote over ten years ago, so if I really believe in a certain work, I'll keep sending it out. That's all for this week. Until next time, keep reading and/or writing.
Showing posts with label weird happenings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label weird happenings. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
General Stuff
This week's post isn't anything exciting. I've caught myself in the trap this week of listening to writing podcasts instead of doing more constructive work. Not that the podcasts are bad--I'm learning and being inspired--but I should be writing more. I set myself a goal that I will write each day for at least 1 hour. That doesn't count constructing plot, character, and all that good stuff for projects, but actual words on paper. So far I've written this weeks worth of Weird Happenings story/blog posts--they're ready to be posted on the appropriate days. Yesterday and today's have already gone up, and I'm planning on posting again on Friday and either Saturday or Sunday, I'm not sure which.
Speaking of Weird Happenings, I'm enjoying writing it. It is starting a bit slow on purpose, but I have plans to really knock it up a notch. I'm sort of giving a bit of foreplay, so to speak, for these first few posts, and then I'll really run poor Jason through the grinder (who knows, maybe literally before it's all said and done).
I also sent out a bunch of short stories this past weekend, so I'm checking my email many times a day waiting for replies that probably won't come for a few months. I got one rejected the day after with a personal attack in it--my first, so that made me laugh. The editor didn't like my story but said I was free to send another story if I ever got an original idea. Made it seem to me that he wasn't holding my breath that it would ever happen. Amazing what he could tell about me from just one flash fiction submission, eh? Ah well, he missed the mark and didn't hurt my feelings, so it's all good. It's a good reminder to anyone submitting any sort of work out there--have thick skin. If you let people get to you, you'll never survive, so just dwell on it for a minute or two and then forget about it. (I know, I know. It sounds like I'm dwelling on it because I'm typing about it in my blog, but honestly it just popped into my head when I thought about checking my email for responses so often.)
Anyway, that's it for this week. Please check out Weird Happenings and let me know what you think. Until next time, keep reading and/or writing.
Speaking of Weird Happenings, I'm enjoying writing it. It is starting a bit slow on purpose, but I have plans to really knock it up a notch. I'm sort of giving a bit of foreplay, so to speak, for these first few posts, and then I'll really run poor Jason through the grinder (who knows, maybe literally before it's all said and done).
I also sent out a bunch of short stories this past weekend, so I'm checking my email many times a day waiting for replies that probably won't come for a few months. I got one rejected the day after with a personal attack in it--my first, so that made me laugh. The editor didn't like my story but said I was free to send another story if I ever got an original idea. Made it seem to me that he wasn't holding my breath that it would ever happen. Amazing what he could tell about me from just one flash fiction submission, eh? Ah well, he missed the mark and didn't hurt my feelings, so it's all good. It's a good reminder to anyone submitting any sort of work out there--have thick skin. If you let people get to you, you'll never survive, so just dwell on it for a minute or two and then forget about it. (I know, I know. It sounds like I'm dwelling on it because I'm typing about it in my blog, but honestly it just popped into my head when I thought about checking my email for responses so often.)
Anyway, that's it for this week. Please check out Weird Happenings and let me know what you think. Until next time, keep reading and/or writing.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Blog Ghost Story
I started my new blog today. It's called Weird Happenings. It's a story about 16 year old Jason Bellows who lives in what he believes to be a haunted house. I'm telling the story from his point of view--Weird Happenings is his blog that he started to keep track of the, well, weird things happening in his house.
I don't know how long I plan to continue this project. I can see going for years to come. I don't have an overall story in mind yet other than Jason living with ghosts. I'm just going to write from the seat of my pants four or five (maybe more) times a week. If I get to a point where I see a neat conclusion, maybe I'll write it and start something else. If I keep getting ideas for Jason and his ghosts, I'll keep going with this. I have some vague ideas about where I'd like to ultimately go with this, but I also only have vague ideas about where I'm going to be with it in a week or two. I find this prospect exciting. It'll be seat-of-my-pants writing!
As I said, I plan to update it multiple times a week, but probably not more than once a day. Feel free to bookmark that page and check often to see if I have anything new. In addition, I have a Twitterfeed hooked to it (as well as this blog), so if you want to follow me on Twitter, you can do so at http://twitter.com/therav
That's it for now. My first "chapter" is up now at Weird Happenings, so go check it out. I'd love to hear comments as I go, so feel free to let me know what you think. Until next time, keep reading and/or writing!
I don't know how long I plan to continue this project. I can see going for years to come. I don't have an overall story in mind yet other than Jason living with ghosts. I'm just going to write from the seat of my pants four or five (maybe more) times a week. If I get to a point where I see a neat conclusion, maybe I'll write it and start something else. If I keep getting ideas for Jason and his ghosts, I'll keep going with this. I have some vague ideas about where I'd like to ultimately go with this, but I also only have vague ideas about where I'm going to be with it in a week or two. I find this prospect exciting. It'll be seat-of-my-pants writing!
As I said, I plan to update it multiple times a week, but probably not more than once a day. Feel free to bookmark that page and check often to see if I have anything new. In addition, I have a Twitterfeed hooked to it (as well as this blog), so if you want to follow me on Twitter, you can do so at http://twitter.com/therav
That's it for now. My first "chapter" is up now at Weird Happenings, so go check it out. I'd love to hear comments as I go, so feel free to let me know what you think. Until next time, keep reading and/or writing!
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