Sunday 29th December, 2013

Almost at the end of the year, so “Happy New Year!” for Tuesday night / Wednesday morning. We’ve got a couple of things to go through, so there’s headings today.

What I Learnt About Writing in 2013

I usually follow Foxie’s [External Link] “What I Learnt About Writing Post”, but it looks like I’ve beat him to it this year. So here’s my stats for this year with last year for comparison:

  • Submissions = 28 (26, 2012)
  • Total pieces in circulation = 8 (13, 2012)
  • New pieces in circulation = 3 (4, 2012)
  • Rewrites = 2 (6, 2012)
  • Acceptances = 5 (2, 2012)
  • Published = 3 (1, 2012)

NOTE: These numbers are a combination of Duotrope figures and some notes for submissions to non-listed destinations but do not include stories written for the website or published here. Attempts to rehome stories published here elsewhere have been included. This numbers also do not include non-fiction and scripts (I keep trying).

So, I’ve been slightly less productive but marginally more aggressive about getting work out there. Given writing is just my hobby with potential to be a retirement plan, I think that the numbers are so close to last year shows that my paid work / procrastination / hobby work balance is about right for me. Although, as with everything else in life, I continue to hear that little voice in my head that says I can and should do more.

In terms of what isn’t shown in the numbers, my blogging has fallen off a bit, I’ve had a 75,000 novel accepted for publication by Fox Spirit Books (due out next year) [External Link] and we’ve been editing it, I’ve written a couple of non-fiction pieces for Winterwind Productions [External Link], and written the first draft of another 75,000 word novel (with beta readers). I also have a few of ideas at plotting and drafting stage but haven’t got them to a stage where I’m happy to send them out.

Writer, Editor, General Dogsbody

So, I started writing non-fiction, having had a suggestion from Michael S Collins [External Link], writer and part of the editorial team at Winterwnd Productions. For clarity, Michael isn’t the person who says yay or nay to submissions, that’s Joseph Avery-North. Anyway, I’ve submitted and had accepted two pieces and it’s interesting stretching muscles that I haven’t realy used since I had to write essays and theses. Well, aside form blogging here, of course.

The most recent development is the recently announced “European Monsters” book [Exernal Link] from Fox Spirit Books. My co-editor (Margrét Helgadóttir [Exernal Link]) and I have been plotting on this one for around three months now. It’s invitational only and our table of contents is almost full. We have some great writers lined up and we’re only sorry we can’t include all of the writers that we know only, you know, we actually have to be able to put the thing together.

What I Learnt About The Rest of Life

This year seems to have been slightly less stressful. That I didn’t need to take any time off due to stress is kind of a give away. I continue to practice my ability to say “no” when people suggest I do things I don’t have time or ability for. It will hopefully continue to work.

I have also had yet another piece of evidence that life is what happens when you’re making other plans, but this time it’s a good thing as I appear to have found myself another half. (This may be the only time I ever mention the relationship on the blog, so don’t blink or you’ll miss it.) May I introduce Ole Andreas Imsen [External Link] who will be helping me work on my being a functional adult skills next year.

One Last (December) Song

To finish off December, here’s the Christmas no.2 from 1986 – recorded the week previous when it was still no.1:

Sunday 13th October, 2013

I missed doing the update last week because, basically, I didn’t feel like doing it. It wasn’t like I had much to tell you all apart from Finn’s diagnosis being confirmed by biopsy. So he has cancer but it’s not really the end of his world because it shouldn’t actually affect his health much. It’s just a case of seeing how quickly his lump grows back and whether it pains him. Which it didn’t seem to this time around.

A Pack of Lies went out to beta readers and I’m basically pecking away at a project that’s more of a re-editing and rephrasing of something that already exists. More obvious to site visitors, I had another article go up on Winterwinds Productions [External Link] and an anthology with one of my short stories in is out now (No Monsters Allowed (Anthology), Dog Horn Publishing [External Link], also see text box to the right).

Next week is a fencing weekend for me, so I won’t get around to an update. See you in a fortnight!

Sunday 25th August, 2013

The article accepted by Winterwind Productions is now live on their website [External Link]. (Original announcement here: The Beginner’s Guide To Nature Conservation).

Also, thought it would be worth mention The Future Fire’s [External Link] latest anthology. I’ve got a copy through being a backer and haven’t yet read my copy but Djibril is bound to have done a good job editing! A direct link to We See A Different Frontier related stuff can be found here: [External Link]

That’s your lot this week.